Fan-atic

A friend of mine once noted, after attending a Bruce Springsteen concert with me, "I think I've just been to church with Dave." I was somewhat chagrined to hear that at the time, but last night Bruce hit the stage with "Good Evening Sinners!" It has long been his schtick to "throw a rock and roll revival - a rock and roll exorcism - a rock and roll baptism - a rock and roll bar mitzvah!" He doesn't do much to hide his spirituality, but the act is only part of the experience. Last night as I sat under the moonlight, listening to one of the most powerful horn sections I have ever encountered, an owl patrolled the night sky as the voices rose even higher and the crowd was converted.
A lot of the current lingo would say that I was very "present" at that moment. I could feel the air in my lungs and the warmth of my wife's arm next to mine. I could hear my voice finding its way into a mix with thousands of others. I got a little self-conscious just once when I stopped to look around to see if everyone else was grinning. They were.
There are a lot of experiences that people will tell you, "You won't know until you've actually been there." I heard this a lot before I got married. "It's not like living together. You'll see." My older brother told me how tough junior high was. "It's not like elementary school. You'll see." In 1980, a friend told me, "It's not like any other rock show. You'll see." She was exactly right. Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of giddy good times at rock shows, but there have been a few transcendent moments at Springsteen shows.
Last night I had one of those. I was saved. Thanks, Bruce.