The time when you wish there was no economic downturn is the time when Bruce Springsteen plays halftime at the Super Bowl. In normal economic times, you see, one might be there writing and blogging about this game.
That being said, I did get to attend the Rolling Stones news conference a couple years back, and th
at was a highlight. Especially when someone asked Keith Richards: "Keith, they say that the only two things that will survive a nuclear holocaust are you and the cockroaches. What are you going to do when that happens?" Said Richards without a second's hesitation: "I'm gonna eat 'em!"
Sportswriting at its finest.
Anyway, with Bruce playing halftime, you gotta figure he'll play Born to Run as one of his songs. But what else? Radio Nowhere? Something from his new CD? Born in the USA? Glory Days? Tenth Avenue Freeze Out? When you start to ponder, the possibilities are endless.
So let's guess his first song. What will it be? My answer comes Saturday, hopefully in the form of a video if I can find it on YouTube.
Until then, submit your guess via a comment, and be grateful: Not one single stinking solitary lonely word on the football team in Berea and that mural in this post. Until now.
The right guess and most intelligent comment wins a free subscription to this blog for the next year.
"The Rising" will be the first song by Bruce
I'm more interested in what he closes with. Born to Run and Born in the USA (hmm, seems like Bruce likes songs about being born…) strike me as the two most likely candidates.
Actually, there were Vegas prop bets available as to the setlist, but they stopped taking them because of the recent inside info.
I hate these Super Bowl halftime shows, they're dumb. Better than marching bands and Up With People, but still dumb. A few songs. Usually lip-synched. And then they have these kids they bring in on some buses to act like excited idiots. I loved seeing Tom Petty with his brand-new wig and his $10,000 worth of new porcelain veneer teeth. He looked like Gary Busey in drag.
I just hope Springsteen flashes a tit with a cute little silver star covering his nipple. Or maybe Courteney Cox will run up on stage during "Dancing in the Dark" and expose her giant boob job. I can live with that.
If you only knew what I know but can't say or even say I know.
(Fingers crossed I win…) I'm guessing Glory Days. I'm sure the producers have "asked" Bruce to do something to get all those minimum wage paid fans on the field involved with the show, because that's why I'm watching – to see crowd shots of camera hogs, not to see the band
How much time does he have? 20 minutes? That might be enough time for an intro to one of his songs!!
My guess is a 4 song set: He did The Rising at the inauguaral so that is out. Open with Thunder Road, followed by Working on a Dream and Rosalita, closing with Born to Run
If he does Rosalita he may have to cut the set to one or two songs.
i've only seen one halftime show that was worth a damn.
prince.
he kicked the ass of everyone who had ever attempted to play at the super bowl. janet's boob ain't got nothing on prince.
he has 12 minutes. probly 3 songs.
1. The rising
2. one from new cd
3. born in the usa
terje, what good is a boob without the presence of the full nipple? The full nipple makes the boob. Unfortunately, Prince did not flash his boob.
http://www.janetjacksonflash.com/
I think Andy from Windhorst's alma mater is going to be fairly accurate in his prediction. (On another subject, my dog could probably successfully graduate from Kent State, no offense intended, but that's another story). Springsteen has to pander like crazy at this kind of show, so anything having to do with America is in. Which means "The Rising" and "Born in the USA." And he has to shill his new album, so I think he'll do the single "Working On A Dream." My prediction is he'll do a total of four songs. I have no guess as to the fourth song. Maybe a cover version of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" or the Divinyls "I Touch Myself."
Like Tom Petty did last year, Springsteen is cutting down the length of some songs in order to fit 4 songs within the 12 minute alotted time.
Bruce said "We want it to be a 12-minute party," he said. "The idea of the show is, you are going to the Meadowlands, you get lost on the way. You are watching your clock, `Damn, the show is starting right now.' You stop at a bar to get some directions, and the bar gets held up while you are there. So that takes another 45 minutes to get out of there.
"You come back and you miss your exit on the turnpike, and you are driving to get back around. And so you make it into the stadium 2 hours and 48 minutes into the show – that's what you are going to see: the last 12 minutes."
My guess:
1. Radio Nowhere
2. Glory Days
3. My Lucky Day
4. Born To Run
I'm guessing "My Lucky Day" over "Working On A Dream" off the new album because the Boss says it's gonna be a "high energy" 12 minutes.
How much longer are they going to keep dragging in these aging classic rock stars, and then bus in kids who have absolutely no idea who the old farts are on stage they're told to fake going crazy over? The Super Bowl shows have become like Chris Berman's on-air references, about 20 to 25 years too late. I can't wait until Nickelback performs at the 2029 Super Bowl.
1) Born to Run
2) Dancing in the Dark
3) The Detroit Medley or Quarter to Three
Outside shot at Rosalita
Whatever it is that he plays it will be much better than the game or most halftime shows.
I saw a report on the halftime show practice for the fans that get to rush the stage. They were mostly fan club members of the Boss. I'm not sure if they will actually be "rushing" the stage since most of them appeared to need the assistance of canes and walkers.
i'm not going to guess the setlist but one song that is missing from the picks that i think will be played is "promised land". he likes to drag that one out for t.v.
i do have a prediction for next year's halftime show. the jonas brothers. they are running out of mildly relevant 60 year olds. time for innocuous fluff.
"my dog could probably successfully graduate from Kent State, no offense intended." yeah sure. If you went to Case or OSU il take it on the chin, but your probly another moronic zip homer.
But to answer your question, ever since janet jackson flashed her tata the NFL has gone the safe rout. Bruce, the stones, tom petty, mccartney.