Just because it is beautiful!

Ludwig was baptized 239 years ago today.

[Thanks to Chris H and social networking for turning me on to this.]

Big night in south Philly last night:  A Springsteen show AND the NLCS!  A report:

1.  I liked the new (to me) paperless, scalper-thwarting ticketing.  Worked smoothly for us, although if you didn’t know you bought a paperless ticket (for instance, print-at-home tix are NOT paperless), you probably got in the wrong line.  There were as many people coming out the door as going in at first, as people tried to get themselves in the right line.

2.  The doors opened late and the concert started late-about 8:20 or so.  The incomparable E Street Band kicked it off with “Walk in the Room,” which apparently they hadn’t played live since 1976.

3.  Our seats were great but the trade off was that we experienced a little out-of-phase sound on occasion.  Most of the time it was okay, but when it wasn’t it was disconcerting.

4.  I think the Big Man is starting to look frail.  Bruce walked him on to the stage, and gave him a peck on the cheek for luck.  But when it came time to rock, Clarence was all there.  His solo on Jungleland brought a tear to my eye (I’m an old softy).  He is still, as Bruce says, “The BIGGEST MAN you have ever seen!”

5.  As you can see from the set list, the band played the entire Born to Run album.  How great is that?!

6.  A guy in the crowd proposed to his love, Nellie.  Bruce held up the guy’s “Nellie will you marry me?” sign for him, as the dude got down on one knee to propose.  A quick on-stage rehearsal produced “I Wanna Marry You,” from The River (not played live since ‘81).  A heart-warming moment (ahem).  Let’s keep those to a minimum, though….

7.  So, the band takes requests.  Bruce collects play-this-one signs from the audience, and gives one or two of them a go.  The proposal was one of these, as was a request to do “All Shook Up.”  Now, to do that one you really need Elvis.  Fortunately (!) for us, we had Elvis in the building.  He had on a powder blue and sequins jump suit, and hauled his slightly fat ass on to the stage to sing it with Bruce (with a little Blue Suede Shoes in the mix).  Not completely totally horribly bad, really.

8.  Then the Boss and co. got serious and ramped it up considerably.  I think because of the late start, they forewent the usual long band intros and the faux-end of the show and just rolled through the end of the set and straight through the encores.  Just under three straight hours of Bruce magic.

In the record store, back in the day, we had these bright orange round stickers we used to put over outdated sale prices on the front of the albums.  We called them RAYBEV stickers—“Records Are Your Best Entertainment Value.”  I think Bruce Springsteen is your best entertainment value.  And it’s not only entertainment.  There is more.  Bruce often raps about it, and there is always that tent revival aspect of his shows.  But it’s real, I think.  Yeah, I know it’s real.  Love is real….

POSTSCRIPT:  When the show ended, we got a game update from an alert concert-goer.  We were at the bottom of the 8th inning, Dodgers leading the Phils 4-3, Jayson Werth up with two men on.  No go.  As we walked to the car, which we parked as far away from the Spectrum as possible in the hopes of getting K home before she had to go to work this morning, we kept looking into Citizens Bank Park, hoping to hear a resounding cheer.  It was, instead, eerily quiet.  When we got to the car and turned on the radio, the Dodgers were up and Lidge was pitching.  Got into the usual tense situation and then got out of it.  Then came the bottom of the ninth.  Raul goes down.  Stairs gets walked (Broxton was probably still rattled by last year).  Ruiz is hit by a pitch.  Up comes J-Roll—3 for 18 in the series.  Can he do it?  I’m driving on 476, way ahead of our fellow concert goers (!), trying to focus on driving but with my ear glued to the radio.  K and I are chanting our come-on, come-on’s under our breath.  Then…WHACK!!!  Bruntlett, running for Stairs, scores.  Ruiz is rounding third, and, and, and…THE PHILLIES WIN!!!  THE PHILLIES WIN!!!

I think anyone on the Blue Route last night could’ve heard my barbaric yawp!!!!  It is harder than you think to scream and drive at the same time.

Props to the amazing Ryan Howard for tying Lou Gehrig’s record for 8 straight postseasons games with at least one RBI.  Break that record tomorrow, brother!

Last night, Jimmy Rollins, you were the Bruce Springsteen of baseball and your teammates the E Street Band.  All of you know how to play the game, how to rise to the occasion, to be great when the spotlight is on.  That’s the stuff legends are made of.

Last night was a great way to spend K’s and my 50th birthdays.  Last night was magic!

p.p.s  Here’s why I had my Shane Victorino shirt on two nights in a row and why I’ll have it on again tomorrow (still unwashed—keep your distance!).