MOG

When I was a kid, I liked to see pictures of people in the past congregating to hear news as a community. Maybe the telegraph office would get reports on the ball game and post the scores where everyone could see, things like that. It seemed so old-fashioned, yet perfectly understandable ... even in such a filtered way, it would be nice to receive the news among others who shared your interests.

We get those ball scores a dozen ways in the 21st century. You can attend the game, you can watch on TV, you can listen on the radio, you can get updates on your phone, you can "watch" the box score on the Internet. The information available is far deeper than what those telegraph guys posted back in the day, but the community is missing ... we're all on our own, keeping up with the games.

Today is an important primary election day in America, and people are "keeping up with the games" there, too. Doesn't seem odd at all ... it's how we get our news, whether from TV or radio or print or online.

Something similar happens where I wouldn't expect it, among music fans. I can't speak about every artist ... this may be standard for all fans of all musicians now ... I can only talk about what I know, which is Bruce Springsteen and his fans. When Bruce is on tour, people post ongoing set list updates in various online fan venues. It's an odd way to enjoy a concert that you can't hear ... you imagine in your head how it sounds, marvel at this or that change from the usual set list, feel joy when a rarity is played. In some ways it's no different from following a ball game or an election, but to me, at least, the crucial thing is that you can't hear the music, so the experience is pretty limited. Which is why I don't do it. Oh, I love to check the set lists after the show, but I never see the point of doing a real-time session.

Until tonight.

Tonight is the first show since Danny Federici died. And all of us want to "be there." So we're online, reading the set list. There are so many of us that a lot of the fan sites are crashing under the burden of everyone hitting the refresh button.

I can tell you that the band came out, Patti included. A video was played featuring Danny while "Blood Brothers" played on the soundtrack and the band watched the video along with the audience. An accordion was setup on a stand with a spotlight hitting it. When the video ended, the band played "Backstreets."

I don't know why I'm following along on this, but I can't help myself. It seems important. And the nice thing about those crashing servers? They are evidence that I'm not alone tonight ... we're a community.