On Getting Old at Springsteen Concerts

My first was at the Spectrum in Philadelphia (or maybe at the Nassau Coliseum. Yes, it was the Nassau Coliseum. And it was more than five years ago. Possibly more than 25.) Springsteen shows used to feel slightly (okay, really slightly) dangerous; now they feel like the pick-up line at Georgetown Day School. I mean, I bumped into Peter Orszag at the Verizon Center last night. I thought it was uncool to be at a concert with the head of OMB, but then my friend Laurie Strongin said that it would have been uncool to bump into the head of Bush's OMB (quick, for five bucks, name Bush's last OMB director) but not Obama's. Anyway, I think Springsteen sang "Outlaw Pete" for him. Or maybe not. He shouldn't have sang it at all.

But he did sing Hava Fucking Nagila! And as a segue to "Blinded By the Light," which was incredible. I'll have more later on the concert, and the set list, but suffice it to say that if you have to grow old, you might as well grow old with Bruce. The audience seemed mainly older than I am (this might be a delusion) but it was mainly younger than Bruce, who seems, from the semi-distance, mostly ageless.