Hello Cleveland!

In May of 1977, I was a small part of a record crowd at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field. I was there to see hometown heroes Firefall, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, and the biggest group in the world at that moment, Fleetwood Mac. As a special bonus, John Sebastian opened the show. That was okay with me, as long as he managed to work in the theme from "Welcome Back Kotter." I wasn't as familiar with John's musical legacy at the time, and I was not as enthusiastic a supporter of the autoharp back then. Then, he opened his mouth: "Hello, Denver!" he enthused. The reaction of the crowd was immediate and deafening. In his defense, it would have been difficult to make out the suggestions made from each of us through all the expletives, but the general message was that he wasn't in Denver. He was in Boulder, thirty miles up the road.
Dazed, confused, stoned or just stupid, at least John had the right state. On Friday night, Bruce Springsteen hit the stage at the Palace of Auburn Hills hollering, "Hello Ohio!" Auburn Hills is in Michigan. Luckily for the Boss, his very good friend, guitarist, and geography whiz Steven Van Zandt took him aside and whispered their current location into his ear. After Bruce had made several overtures to the great state of Ohio. Now, it would be easy enough for me to make excuses for Mister Springsteen. He has been on tour almost constantly for the past two years, and one Holiday Inn looks pretty much like the last. Maybe he sees us all as "being just a little Ohio." He did just turn sixty, and we are all certainly allowed our senior moments. Or for the rock and rollers out there, a Spinal Tap moment or two. But it sure puts a dent in the "Man of the People" thing. Just a little. And it also makes me want to apologize to John Sebastian. Just a little.