Day 13

Concert day! Today is the big day. The concert starts at 7:00 pm. After breakfast we decided that, being a Sunday when most everything is closed, we would use the day to do some laundry and just hang around the hotel. We took a walk along the creek behind the hotel while the wash was going. When we returned, we had some beers in the lobby and Owen and I played a few hands of cribbage. One of the nice things about the trip so far has been the frequent cribbage games with Owen. We often played on the train rides and sometimes in the hotels.

For lunch we checked another bucket list item off of several lists by having a Dönnerkabab. There was a little shop right around the corner. The kabab was very good and a lot of food. Now we are waiting

for the time to leave for the concert. We are enjoying drinks in the lobby and enjoying each other’s company. Next entries will be post concert. On to the Boss!

We left for Olympia Stadium at 5:00 pm via the U1 to the the Hauptbahnhof. Here we changed trains to the U8 to Olympiazentrum. From there it was easy to follow the crowd to the stadium. Once inside, we stopped to grab a beer, the prices were amazing! €6,50 for a half liter of Paulaner. In the US you would have to pay $20 or more!

Our seats were off the left side of the stage 12 rows up. We could see the band as they came out from underneath the stadium to the backstage area.

Steven Van Zant and Bruce came out last. The stadium was of course packed, and the energy built as we waited for Bruce to take the stage. When he did, he wasted no time and dove right in playing No Surrender. From there it was a nonstop ride, pausing only long enough between songs to cue the band with his “One, two, three, four!” The set list was a great mix of new and old songs and a couple of covers.

Set list July 23, 2033 Olympia Stadium Munich, Germany
No Surrender
Ghosts
Prove It All Night
Letter to Yo
The Promised Land
Out in the Street
Darlington Count
Kitty's Back
Nightshift
(Commodores cover)
Trapped
(Jimmy Cliff cover)
Johnny 99
The River
Last Man Stang
(Acoustic with Barry Danielian on trumpet)
Backstreets
Because the Night
(Patti Smith Group

cover)
She's the One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands

Encore:
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
(Followed by band introductions)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
(Pictures of Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons)
I'll See You in My Dreams
(Solo Acoustic)

The E Street Band
Bruce Springsteen - Lead vocal, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica;
Roy Bittan - Piano, keyboards;
Nils Lofgren - Electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, lap steel, backing vocal;
Garry Tallent - Bass;
Stevie Van Zandt - Electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocal;
Max Weinberg - Drums;
Jake Clemons - Tenor saxophone, percussion, backing vocal;
Charlie Giordano - Organ, keyboards, accordion;
Soozie Tyrell - Violin, acoustic guitar, percussion,

Anthony Almonte - Percussion, backing vocal;
Ada Dyer - Backing vocal;
Curtis King - Backing vocal;
Lisa Lowell - Backing vocal;
Michelle Moore - Backing vocal;
Barry Danielian - Trumpet;
Ed Manion - Baritone and tenor saxophone;
Ozzie Melendez - Trombone;
Curt Ramm - Trumpet

At 73 years old Bruce has the energy and stamina of a man half his age. The entire band was as amazing as I had hoped. There were a couple of times I got a bit misty eyed at the realization that I was finally seeing this show live and in person. It has been on my list for more than 30 years. I am so

grateful to Cindi for doing this for me. It is the best gift I have ever gotten and to be able to share it with Cindi and the boys made it all the more magical.

Speaking of the boys, Tavis was all in from beginning to end. Owen on the other hand came somewhat grudgingly at my insistence. Owen is not a fan of large crowds, loud environments, or live music. Needless to say a rock concert with 80,000 plus people was not high on places he wanted to be. I was fairly confident that he would appreciate having gone one day if not now.

One of the things that struck me the most is how much heart Bruce puts into his performances. His

songs have such personal meaning to him that his emotions come through on the stage. In particular when he performed “Last Man Standing”. One of the few times he took time to talk between songs it was to tell the story of his first band, The Mighy Castilles, and his friend and band mate George Thiel. George was the one who recruited him into The Castilles at 16 years old. The band lasted for only 3 years but launched his career as a musician. But it was George’s death at the age of 29 that had the greatest impact. He realized the importance of making the most of every day and seizing the opportunities that you are given. Bruce is now the last living member of The Mighty Castilles. Last man standing is his ode to their memory. The intimate way he opens his life and his heart in moments like this on stage are what makes him a truly transcendent talent. His appeal and legacy will no doubt last long past his time on earth. I am so blessed that I was able to experience his magical performance in such a personally meaningful place like Munich surrounded by the people I love. I am happy.

The trip back to the hotel was challenging. When you have 80,000 people all trying to go to pretty much the same place at once using only public transportation it is a recipe for discomfort. We waited in a mob outside the U-Bahn station for our chance to get into the station and on a train for the city center. Security was stopping people at the top of the stairs to the platforms so there would not be pushing and crowding on the platforms themselves which could obviously result in something tragic. We eventually made it to the platform after about a 45 minute wait outside. We grabbed the first train we could which happened to be the U-8 which ended at Sendlinger Tor. I know from our previous expedition with Christian and Tavis that we could transfer there to the U-1 which

took us back to Wetterstein Platz instead of fighting the crowds at the Hauptbahnhof. The train was completely packed when it left Olympiazentrum, people were stacked in with barely room to move. That did not stop one overly entitled Frenchman and his lady from pushing his onto the train at the second stop. He was quite rude and certainly did not make any friends with his behavior. I am glad the majority of Germans are polite and considerate. When the train stopped at the Hauptbahnhof, there was the expected mass exodus and we were left with only a handful of fellow riders on the leg to Sendlinger Tor. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived back at the hotel at about 11:30pm. Christian and Sharon were in the lounge area having a drink, but we were too tired to join them. Today was truly one of the best days of my adult life. My loving wife made it all possible and for that I will be forever grateful.