Springsteen, New Jersey continue to be overrated

02/04/09 - For a state that's most recognized for our governor's same sex affairs at Parkway rest stops and Zach Braff's two hour love letter to The Shins, we New Jersians generally have a lot to be proud of in Bruce Springsteen. It's not quite a running joke that everyone in Jersey knows someone who knows someone who has met Bruce Springsteen. I have had AP Literature teachers who have stood behind him in line for pizza at the Jersey shore. I have had friends who ran into him (almost literally, atop an equestrian horse,) while he tried to fix a complicated, expensive camera in a local barn. I have known friends of friends who have been singing "Born to Run" on their iPods, only to have the man himself compliment their vocal styling.

New Jersey housewives, dragging along elaborately costumed (and reluctant) children, have even flocked to his house on Halloween in hopes of receiving a Fun-Sized Three Musketeers bar from "The Boss" himself. This past October, in fear of children being lost or crushed in the mass of hormonal middle-aged women, Bruce had to shut the production down.

So, it's not surprising that we were all looking forward to the Superbowl half time show. Bruce promised us all a "twelve-minute party." What we got, however, was an awkward performance that included more stage sliding than I ever needed to see.

He started out strong with "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," but his vocals and the tight performance of the E Street Band were dragged down by the klutzy, and (dare I say it?) cheesy showmanship.

There was the jumping around on the piano that looked like it took him a little more effort than it should have. There was the slide across stage that brought him crotch-level to the camera, which no one but that spastic 40-something fan in the front row really appreciated. There was the backbend at the microphone that looked like it would result in an emergency call to a chiropractor. Then, there was the referee signaling "boss time."

The antics almost detracted from what would have been a solid musical performance. The set list, highly debated before the show, worked well. "Born to Run" and "Glory Days" were sing-along songs that tipsy football fans across America could all appreciate.

The third song, "Working on a Dream," was from his new album of the same title. While it was clear he was there to promote the new CD, the half time show would have been better suited for a classic hit like "Born in the U.S.A." or "Dancing in the Dark." For older Springsteen fans, the exclusion of these beloved songs was baffling.

The Superbowl follows another serious misstep for New Jersey's beloved rock star. Long heralded as a hero for the working man, Springsteen just signed a deal to sell his greatest hits album exclusively with Wal-Mart-the rabidly anti-union company whose workers are frequently underpaid and, in lieu of being provided with better health care, are encouraged by their employer to apply for welfare.

Is this the type of company that Springsteen, a down-to-earth guy who sings about the plight of the underdog, wants to align himself with? Though he's publicly apologized, it still seems like the Boss has screwed up. Yes, I said it. I might need to have my New Jersey residency revoked.