Remember when Sirius had an all-Who channel, and I didn’t think life could get any better? Well, it can–because E Street Radio, Sirius’ 24/7 all-Springsteen channel, is back, and (to use an awkward and far-too-obvious allusion) she’s the one.
(I’m sorry, but I’m tired and I’m in between periods of the Leafs/Sabres game. I’m sure I could do better than that–but right now, I can’t.)
E Street Radio is a bonanza for people like me–i.e., Springsteen fans who’ve memorized the new album, subscribe to Backstreets and care about news updates regarding setlist audibles from the previous night’s shows–and as a historical record, it far surpasses the Who channel (which was amazing in its own right, although it didn’t delve deep enough into the band’s catalogue for my liking). Case in point: the veritable bounty of live recordings–which, unlike the polished, “official” bootlegs featured on the all-Who channel, often sound like complete and total shit, and thus are exactly the way you’d want them to be (or am I alone in that regard?). I heard a version of “The Promised Land” today which was practically indecipherable; for people like me, that’s manna from rock n’ roll heaven. I haven’t been listening to Sirius a lot lately: Calgary actually has the best radio station I’ve ever heard (and that’s including the great WMMR in Philadelphia), and it’s hard to turn my radio dial away. (Also, the fact that the station has a “no Nickelback guarantee” isn’t the reason it’s so good–but it’s not hurting its cause, either.) E Street Radio will change this. It already has.
Also, Springsteen was in Ottawa last night, and during the encore called out members of the Arcade Fire and performed (argh) “State Trooper” and the Arcade Fire’s own “Keep the Car Running”. Plus, the show featured “Adam Raised a Cain” and the tour debut of “Backstreets”…and yes, this was the E Street Band’s first appearance in Ottawa since I rocked the double denim and the “New Jersey: only the strong survive” ringer t. Tonight, meanwhile, Springsteen is in Toronto. I wish I could be there; instead, I’ll have to content myself with the Leafs, an indoor soccer game and the knowledge that November 2 is fast approaching. In the meantime, courtesy Optimuscrime, here’s Bruce with the Arcade Fire.
Stuff and Nonsense 