What does it take to be a true Bruce fanatic? There are many ways to show your dedication, and a few people are literally proving it all night (pardon the Bruce pun) as I write this. At 4:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, about 20 people were already lined up to get prime spots for Friday's concert on the plaza.
So who is first? Two women from Cleveland, Shelly and Laura, who flew in for Shelly's birthday. They arrived on the plaza at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, watched the show, and said, "Everybody form a line!" on 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (I promise that will be my last Bruce pun). Here they are:
They arrived in New York on Wednesday, and the trip was a gift from Shelly's husband (who is also Laura's boss). They've been going to Springsteen shows since 1980, and this will be the first time they've seen him outside of Cleveland. They've also never camped out overnight for a concert like this, so that gives you an idea of just how special this performance is going to be.
Shelly and Laura have plenty of company already, including a three-generation family that came in from Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Grandmother Molly, who just turned 67, declared that everyone needed to get together in Bruce's honor, so here they are: grandmother Molly, daughters Liz, Peggy and Kath, and granddaughters Molly and Mary Elizabeth.
Three generations of Bruce fans from three states: grandmother Molly,
daughters Liz, Peggy and Kath, and granddaughters Molly and Mary
Elizabeth.
So what songs are they hoping to hear? Well, pretty much everything in Bruce's repertoire. But they did mention "Badlands," "Glory Days," "Born to Run," "Darlington County" and "Jungleland." I hope they're not holding their breath for any of those, but I'm sure they won't be disappointed with the setlist.