So apparently, the Superbowl was pretty amazing this year. I don't really have much direct knowledge of the game as I was cooped up in my room doing homework for most of the evening, but the "oohs" and "aahs" I could hear wafting from rooms where participants were consuming massive amounts of guacamole seemed to indicate that the game was pretty epic.
Despite three years of marching band, I don't know much about football. So for me, the highlight of the game was Bruce Springsteen's performance, and not just because I think "Born to Run" is one of the best songs in the history of the world (more on this in another post, perhaps.) The 59-year-old Springsteen committed some pretty funny goofs during his performance that are forever burned into my memory.
As he stormed onto stage at the beginning of his set in a particularly Bono-esque, take-no-prisoners manner, Springsteen launched his guitar into the air. The roadie who was supposed to catch the flying instrument was caught slightly off guard and
almost dropped Bruce's axe. No bonus for you, Butterfingers!
Then during "Tenth Avenue Freezeout," a concert classic, Springsteen decided to show off his dance moves. He took a heroic running leap and slid on his knees towards a cameraman, but misjudged the length of the runway and crashed
crotch-first into the camera.
The best part of the video is Bruce popping up with a kind of goofy and embarrassed smile on his face. You can just see him thinking, "Aw, nuts!"**
It's uncertain whether the accident altered Bruce's, uhhh, confidence, but his voice did seem a little higher and squeakier afterwards. And even though "Born to Run" was still pretty rockin', it was slower than its usual clip, and Bruce never achieved his trademark roar, even on the final verse. By the time he was halfway through the final track of his set, a new song off of his upcoming album,
Working on a Dream, Springsteen almost seemed to be wheezing and limping his way around the stage.
The Boss' Superbowl performance raises a lot of questions about the position of aging musicians in American culture, the most important being, 'Can old guys rock?'
Springsteen's performance was still riveting, despite his humorous missteps (and slides), but it did seem like his age prevented him from giving the kind of
ferocious performance longtime fans were familiar with (although that
guitar spinning thing was terrifying). Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan have undergone even more dramatic transformations, much to the chagrin of their fans, but keep on truckin.'
Though I appreciate the fact that I can see I can imagine how sobering it must be like to watch one's rock idols grow old; if the Boss isn't what he used to, his fans must realize that they're getting old, too.
What do you think: should classic rockers learn when to hang up their instruments and head off to the old folks home, or should they keep performing until they croak onstage?
**You knew I was going to have to make this joke. Please forgive me.
I'm not sure Stravinsky, who viewed music as an elite institution that could only be appreciated by those with classical training,* would be pleased by the ever-increasing dissemination of music online. But it's nice to one of the greatest composers and orchestrators of all time getting some recognition.