By Melanie Wolfson
It's no secret that going to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is an all-day event. It begins in the parking lot midday with beers, subs, footballs and stereos blasting songs by the Boss. People reminisce about decades of shows past and their expectations for the night ahead — and yesterday's show on the Working on a Dream Tour at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia was yet another astounding performance. After scoring a pair of floor-level tickets back in February, I knew I would be in for an incredible night and, truth be told, I was left nearly speechless afterward and couldn't think of where to begin with summarizing the show. I have narrowed my long list of reasons for why the show rocked down to five highlights, so check them out! Read more...
By Adrienne Day
Who were you rooting for last night: the Steelers, the Cardinals, or Team Springsteen? Plus, we have the story behind the Boss' mysterious halftime quip, "I'm going to Disneyland!"
Which Super Bowl movie ads scored big and which got sacked in their own end zone? (Hint: We thought the one for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was kind of awesome.)
Diddy's Hitmen production team dish on their involvement with Jay-Z's top-secret American Gangster, which is now up for a Best Rap Album Grammy.
If you missed it, check out the very first footage to be released from "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra," which debuted during last night's game.
"Madden NFL 2009" correctly predicted the Super Bowl winner. Multiplayer looks back at how the football franchise has forecast the victors in years past.
Judging by the online commentary after Bruce Springsteen's rousing halftime set during the Super Bowl, a lot of people were perplexed when he finished with the words, "I'm going to Disneyland!" Was it a plug for the tourist destination? A subtle reference to one of his songs? A strange Florida joke? (Disney World, not Disneyland, is in Florida, and it's in Orlando, not Tampa, where the Super Bowl was held this year.)
Well, just in case anyone doesn't know, nearly every year since 1987 Disney has run a commercial with a player saying the phrase after the Super Bowl, and it's become a catchphrase that people say whenever they win a big game - which the Boss undoubtedly did with his halftime set. Wikipedia has an exhaustive entry on the history and, er, legacy of the phrase, which former Disney honcho Michael Eisner credits his wife, Jane, with inventing.
I grew up in New Jersey, and when driving down the shore, my parents would always try to scare me and my brother with the tale of the Jersey Devil. And it seems that fellow Jersey native Bruce Springsteen was also terrified by the story.
It being Halloween and all, the Boss is giving away more than just fun-sized candy bars: He's offering a new song and video called "A Night With the Jersey Devil."
On his Web site he writes, "Dear Friends and Fans, If you grew up in central or south Jersey, you grew up with the 'Jersey Devil.' Here's a little musical Halloween treat. Have fun! Bruce Springsteen"
In the blues song, Bruce tells the tale of the Jersey Devil. Read more...
Wyclef Jean announced on Thursday that he's joining the bill for Jay-Z's "Last Chance for Change" free voter-registration concert in Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheater this Sunday. The show, hosted by Obama for America, will encourage young attendees to get involved with the Obama campaign. Jean will not be on the bill the previous night at Jay's free show in Detroit, which like the Miami show, is open to fans 18 and older.
And it looks like that other staple of Obama's playlist, Bruce Springsteen, is upping the ante in supporting the candidate. In addition to the Obama benefit with Billy Joel on October 16 in New York, Springsteen has also announced a series of free solo acoustic dates that will double as Obama rallies and voter-registration drives, Billboard.com reports. The Boss will play an open-air rally on Saturday in Philadelphia, followed by a Sunday show on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus.
He'll also perform next Monday at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Anyone interested in attending the Philly show has to sign up on Obama's Web site. Tickets for the Eastern Michigan show will be available on campus on Friday, and Columbus residents can get tickets at the Obama campaign offices on the OSU campus.
The cavalcade of classic rock will continue at this year's Super Bowl. Following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince and last year's featured attraction, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will rush the field at halftime during the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, according to The Associated Press.
Interesting fact: while the Super Bowl halftime show was typically made up of local and college marching bands and drill teams, the NFL got wise in 1988 and began bringing the rock, with a center-field debut from ... Chubby Checker, best known for his 1960 hit "The Twist." (What, Rick Astley wasn't available?) Michael Jackson upped the ante in 1993, and of course in 2004, his sister Janet ... well, you know the story with that one ...
Are you ready for football season? We know we are. But if your enthusiasm for the start of this year's NFL season could use a little kick in the pants, check out the planned — and rumored — musical performances associated with the launch and conclusion of it.
The NFL has now confirmed that its 89th season will be ushered in by ... well, none other than Usher.
The R&B star will perform during a special and (more importantly) free pregame event on September 4 at 3 p.m. in New York's Columbus Circle. Country crooner Keith Urban will also take the stage, right before the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants, face the Washington Redskins in this year's season opener.
Read more...
