Growing up in Cleveland, I was introduced to Springsteen through WMMS, the legendary AOR station that featured Kid Leo as the afternoon drive DJ. Kid Leo became Springsteen’s most enthusiastic supporter outside of Springsteen Jersey/Philly base. I didn’t get to see my first Springsteen show until 1980, but I was introduced to the 1978 tour when WMMS would replay the incredible free concert Bruce gave at the Agora in Cleveland that was broadcast on WMMS. Like everyone else I taped it and memorized the entire show. Kid Leo game the memorable introduction to Bruce and the band that everyone can hear on the recording: “I have the duty and the pleasure of welcoming, ladies and gentlemen, the main event. Round for round, pound for pound, there ain’t no finer band around – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!” Bruce then tore into Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and then “Badlands” to kick off the epic performance. Through the years you hear the evolution of Springsteen’s live versions of his signature songs, but the raw intensity he displayed on this tour has always stuck with me as Bruce at his very best.
In The Light in Darkness, Kirsch includes four stories about this memorable performance, two from die-hard fans, one from John Gorman who helped produce the show’s broadcast and one from WMMS DJ Denny Sanders. I learned that Bob Seger was quoted as saying “This was the greatest rock and roll show I ever heard,” and that Max Weinberg called it “The best show the E Street Band ever did.”
The book is a celebration of rock history. If you’re a Springsteen fan, it’s something you’ll have to add to your collection. You’ll want to break out the old bootlegs and rock out to the Boss all over again. If you’re a rock and roll junkie who’s never been a big Springsteen fan, this book might be the introduction you need to one of the best live artists in rock history.
Gerardo Alendro
to win a copy of the book For You, Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen's Legendary Fans
Enter Here, and Good Luck to everyone: http://www.theLightinDarkness.com/news
“For You” Book Raffle Benefitting the Montreal General Hospital
In support of the Montreal General Hospital’s fundraising campaign, Lawrence Kirsch, publisher of “For You, Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans” and “The Light in Darkness,” is holding a raffle with a chance to win a brand new signed copy of “For You,” which has been sold out since December 2008.
GIVING
The generosity of donors, volunteers and auxiliaries has made the MUHC what it is today…these precious funds are used for the benefit of current and future patients at the MGH. We are collecting funds to benefit two MGH departments, the Emergency/Trauma, and the Neurology floor.
To help raise funds we are raffling off a brand new signed copy (by the publisher) of For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans.
If you missed your chance to purchase a copy of this limited-edition book, or even if you just want a second copy to keep as a collector’s item, now is your opportunity. First edition copies of “For You” often sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay, when you can find a copy.
| Each $10 ticket you purchase gives you one chance to win and a $15 ticket gives you three chances to win the book. The contest is open to everyone and tickets can be bought from April 17 – April 30, 2012. Tickets can be purchased at thelightindarkness.com and foryoubruce.com, where the winner will be announced May 3, 2012. |
Participants can enter the contest as many times as they wish and all proceeds go to the Montreal General Hospital. The book, autographed by the publisher, will be shipped to the winner free of charge anywhere in the world, so everyone is encouraged to enter.
You can help the fund raising efforts for the 2012 campaign by participating in the raffle for a copy of For You. All monies collected will be donated to the Montreal General Hospital.
The Montreal General Hospital, founded in 1821, enjoys a distinguished world reputation, as well as an impressive history of community service. The Montreal General Hospital, a pioneer hospital in North America, introduced teaching at the bedside and founded the first medical school in Canada — the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University.
The hospital has remained allied as a teaching hospital for the century and a half of the Faculty’s existence. The Montreal General Hospital is dedicated to patient care through diagnosis, treatment, research and teaching.
“Through the years, I’ve read almost every book written about Springsteen. Some are great and many are not. Over time, I’ve even become cynical when I hear about new books. In the last few years, there have been a plethora of coffee table book releases in the Springsteen world. Each one in itself is a gorgeous work of art that will glisten on your polished coffee table. However, chances are you are still missing the ultimate Bruce Springsteen keepsake: For You.When I heard about this book a year ago, I dismissed it thinking I didn’t really need yet another glorified coffee table book. I was wrong, dead wrong. For You takes the reader on a magical, mystical and poignant journey through forty years of Bruce Springsteen’s life. It’s a time machine to the past where tickets were once $7, the E Street Band was a boy’s only club, Steve Van Zandt looked like a member of Jimmy Buffet’s band and most of the members of the E Street Band could have begun their own television show – ‘Stashin.’ I wasn’t impressed with the book, I was bowled over.
Anthony Kuzminski
antimusic.com
“In reading For You, at first it’s hard to believe that one performer could possibly have touched this many people this deeply – lifted them from depression, kept them from suicide, helped them through divorce or the death of a parent, or worse, a child. But story after story reveals just how much Springsteen’s music and his almost superhuman presence on the concert stage have penetrated people’s lives and, in as much as it is possible for music to do so, made them whole.
In fact, there’s a running theme of these reminiscences, one that is sure to warm any Bruce fan’s heart: that you are not crazy. Not crazy for seeing dozens or even hundreds of concerts; not crazy for feeling that Springsteen’s songs and lyrics have actually helped carry you through some of life’s toughest moments; not crazy to think that this man whom you’ve never met has and continues to fill some kind of void in your life.”
Peter Chianca
Excerpt from Blogness on the Edge of Town
Good Luck!
www.thelightinDarkness.com
www.Foryoubruce.com
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Backstreets and Lawrence Kirsch are pleased to present a celebration evening of longtime Philadelphia favorite, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen. Fans from Philadelphia and elsewhere are invited to attend the first-ever Philadelphia Springsteen Memories Roadshow.
With the ongoing display of the Hall of Fame’s Springsteen exhibit at the National Constitution Center, we invite all Springsteen fans, old and new, to visit the exhibit during the day and then come and party with us on the evening of Saturday, April 21 at McFadden’s Citizens Bank Park. Admission will be free (along with special incentives for all who register online in advance to attend at www.mcfaddensballpark.com/roadshow). Fans who attend also will be asked to make voluntary donations in support of two charitable organizations long supported by Bruce Springsteen: the Kristen Ann Carr Fund for research and treatment of sarcoma cancers and Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger-relief organization. On this special night, please donate whatever you can afford, large or small (cash only, please), to help fill our “wrecking ball” against hunger and illness.
We invite you to bring your Bruce Springsteen mementos, photos, t-shirts, posters, books, ticket stubs, albums and especially your Bruce stories and memories to share with other fans who have appreciated Bruce Springsteen’s appearances in the Philadelphia area since 1973. Springsteen cemented his long-standing ties to the city with his Academy Award-winning song “The Streets of Philadelphia”. From famous and historic Philly-area shows at The Tower Theater and The Main Point to Bruce’s record setting performances including his final four concerts at the gone-but-not-forgotten Spectrum arena in October 2009, Philadelphia has a special place in the hearts of Springsteen fans.
Come meet local photographer Art Reilly. Art has been a Bruce Springsteen fan since 1972 and photographed him in concert at historic venues such as Widener College, Kutztown State College, and The Roxy Theatre in Manayunk. Art also worked with MacAvoy Stage Lighting on Marc Brickman’s crew as Assistant LD for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band on the road from 1972 through 1974. He also has photographed The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and more. Some of Art’s Bruce photos have appeared in the Springsteen book For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans.
Also meet Lawrence Kirsch, professional music photographer for seventeen years and publisher of the Springsteen book For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans. Lawrence also pioneered the “Springsteen Memories Roadshow” concept with a successful Boston event last November and more events planned this year for various locations, including the Philadelphia Roadshow. Lawrence will be signing copies of the limited edition book The Light in Darkness, which serves as an unofficial companion volume to Bruce’s box-set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The Light in Darkness will be available for sale during the evening at McFadden’s on April 21.
Backstreets, the premier Springsteen fan magazine/website, is a proud sponsor of the Philadelphia Springsteen Memories Roadshow and a Backstreets representative will be on hand for this special event.
From Philadelphia photographer Phil Ceccola to early Springsteen supporter and radio personality Ed Sciaky, Philadelphia has an incredibly rich history in documenting the career of Bruce Springsteen. Come join us for an evening of Bruce Springsteen memories and discover fans and friends who have the same passion as you! A limited number of Philadelphia Springsteen Memories Roadshow commemorative posters also will be distributed to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.
“While Springsteen was officially a Jersey boy, he’s part of our local DNA, on par with our cracked symbol of liberty and the cheesesteak.”
Geekadelphia.com
“Now, my home away from home’s here in the City of Brotherly Love,
Where they make cheesesteaks as big as airplanes….”
-Bruce Springsteen, altered lyrics to “Wrecking Ball” (as performed at his final Spectrum concert on October 20, 2009)
Saturday, April 21, 2012 6.30PM
McFadden’s, Citizens Bank Park
1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 952-0300
Free Admission, Charitable Donations requested/encouraged.
Fans who pre-register online to attend at www.mcfaddensballpark.com/roadshow also will receive a $3-per-ticket discount on tickets to the National Constitution Center’s exhibition of From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen and a 20% dinner/drinks discount at McFadden’s on the night of the Memories Roadshow event. Out-of-town attendees who pre-register online also will be offered discounted hotel-room rates at the Holiday Inn Stadium hotel, within walking distance of McFadden’s and public-transit routes to and from the National Constitution Center.
For more information and interviews, contact:
Shawn Poole (Philadelphia-based writer for Backstreets.com): shawnjpoole@gmail.com
Art Reilly: a2togo@gmail.com
Lawrence Kirsch: info@theLightinDarkness.com
Visit the following websites online for more details:
www.Backstreets.com/news.html
www.theLightinDarkness.com/news/
With Christmas only three weeks away (!), you no doubt will be looking for some Springsteen-related merchandise to put in your loved ones’ stockings (or yours). To help us determine what might make for the best Bruce merch to gift this season, we tapped Friend of Blogness Lawrence Kirsch, publisher of The Light in Darkness limited edition book focusing on the Darkness on The Edge of Town album and tour. There are fewer than 300 copies left, so that’s of course the No. 1 choice for the Bruce Tramp on your holiday list (order at thelightinDarkness.com). But beyond that, here are nine other suggestions from Lawrence to help you finish your holiday shopping:
9. 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts. This two-Blu-ray set from Time-Life includes the entire four-hour HBO broadcast from the October 2009 Madison Square Garden performances, which features Springsteen guesting with U2 on “Because the Night” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” plus more.
8. The third edition of Rock & Roll Tour of the Jersey Shore, written by Stan Goldstein and Jean Mikle. For all those fans planning a pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore this summer.
7. Born to Run Revisited: Photographs by Eric Meola. Limited edition signed book and numbered book in an incredible large format. (If you can afford this, I want to spend the holidays at your place.)
6. The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story (3 CD/3 DVD) box set, Deluxe Edition. If you did not buy this last year, still a great gift with stellar live performances and outtakes.
5. Calendar: 2012 Springsteen Wall Calendar available at Backstreets.com.
4. Days of Hope and Dreams – An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen (2nd ed., hardcover), Frank Stefanko.
3. Original Bruce Springsteen photograph perfect for framing by local photographer and all around good guy, Rocco Coviello. Check out a selection at RoccosPhotoTavern.com.
2. Tickets and a road trip to the NCC exhibition in Philadelphia. Explore Springsteen’s career in From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen, the first major exhibition about the American songwriter. Created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, this must-see exhibition makes its East Coast debut at the National Constitution Center — the first and only venue where it is slated to travel.
1. And the number 1 item on every Bruce Springsteen holiday wish list this year … tickets to the 2012 Tour!
perfect gift for the Springsteen fan on your list:
Click here: The Light in Darkness
Despite the recent passing of founding member and saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will continue on, with plans for a new studio album and world tour in 2012. According to the band’s official website, a European tour scheduled between May and July 2012 will be announced this coming week, while other dates — including ones for the U.S. — will be announced shortly. As for the album, both a title and release date are still forthcoming, however, the band added “we are all incredibly excited about everything that we’re planning for 2012.”
From a British fan…I’m a friend of yours on Facebook but even before then I had heard about the book on‘Badlands’ may be even Backstreets, something that I wanted to order for a while but life seemed to keep getting in the way.Then this morning I heard on the radio about Bruce coming over next year which kicked my arse into ordering it tonight, going to be strange seeing the band without the Big Man. Been a Springsteen fan since ’85 (I know) but I stayed on the wagon, truth was I never heard of him until late ’84. I was only 17 at the time and now some 27 years later and 1000 cds/lps/bootlegs/dvds/concerts later, I’m still here and still very excited about the fore coming album and tour. Let the countdown begin!!
The first dates to be announced are:
| Date | City | Venue | On Sale | ||
| 21 June | Sunderland, England | Stadium of Light | 3 Dec | ||
| 22 June | Manchester, England | Etihad Stadium | TBA | ||
| 24 June | Isle of Wight, England | Isle of Wight Festival | 25 Nov | ||
| 14 July | London, England | Hard Rock Calling | 3 Dec |
Joe McGinnis, The New York Times best-selling author of “Rogue,” the new biography of Sarah Palin, is now, thinking about writing a book about rocker Bruce Springsteen. Details here:
New Springsteen Book
Spring 2012!
Fans interested in attending please send us an email and we will add your name to the mailing list: info@thelightinDarkness.com
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