{"id":3913,"date":"2018-08-23T05:33:42","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T12:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/?p=3913"},"modified":"2022-12-28T06:25:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T14:25:24","slug":"where-the-band-was-east-rutherford-august-23-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2018\/08\/23\/where-the-band-was-east-rutherford-august-23-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the Band Was: East Rutherford, August 23, 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn’t go into this show with sky-high expectations.<\/p>\n

Which is weird, because it was Bruce in New Jersey, and somehow, I’d never seen him play there. It was the opening show of a final, ten-show victory lap capping off the 2016 version of the River Tour–and the last show I’d seen just weeks before in Rome<\/a> was one of my best shows ever.<\/p>\n

But it was also a stadium show, which often leaves me feeling a little detached from the band and the crowd.\u00a0And it was Night One, and I’d learned time and again just how reliable the Night One rule<\/a> is. Tonight was likely to be safe and standard, with a few surprises on Night Two and a blow-out on Night Three (sadly, I wouldn’t be there for that third night–I was lucky enough just to be in town for work during the first two nights, and I only had tickets for the first!)<\/p>\n

And finally: it was the anniversary of the best show I’d ever seen<\/a>, and I’d been thinking about that show all day–a pretty daunting bar to measure up to.<\/p>\n

\n

Still, like I said, it was Bruce in New Jersey, and I was lucky enough to be in town. Of course I was going to go!<\/p>\n

I had to work a full day in central Jersey, so I opted for a great lower-level ticket just to the left of the stage, and got there well before showtime. It was my first time at MetLife stadium, and I was surprised by how intimate it felt for a stadium–I’d expected something more cavernous. This was clearly being treated as a homecoming show, with “Welcome Home, Bruce!” banners and signs draped several sections.<\/p>\n

I was by myself and daydreaming (or workdreaming to be more accurate) as the stadium filled, so I completely missed noticing the stands for the string section that had been set up on stage.<\/p>\n

So color me surprised when the show opened with “New York City Serenade” complete with strings.<\/p>\n