While high-profile tours collapse under the weight of a headliner’s recent mistakes, at least the Boss continues to trudge throught the great American landscape. Only a week after Bruce Springsteen turned 60, he and his E Street Band kicked off their five-night stint at Giants Stadium with a new song paying homage to the institution. Seen above, “Wrecking Ball” poetically recounts the history of the New Jersey landmark but also adds an extra touch of whimsy. For Springsteen, a New Jersey native, the track also parallels a trip down memory lane, expressed in vivid images detailing his own storied career.
Per EW.com…
That’s not the only treat Springsteen gave me and tens of thousands of other fans last night (pictured), though. He opened the show with a brand-new song, “Wrecking Ball,” penned in tribute to Giants Stadium. “I was raised out of steel here in the swamps of Jersey, some misty years ago,” he began, eliciting loud cheers while strumming an electric guitar alone. As he reached the chorus, Springsteen seemed to be taunting the eroding force of time itself: “Bring on your wrecking ball/Come on, take your best shot/Let me see what you got/Bring on your wrecking ball.” (And was he really just talking about the stadium, or did I detect a more personal note of 60-year-old rock’n’roll defiance in there too?) When the full band kicked in a few moments later, Giants Stadium went wild for one of the last times ever. It was an inspiring start to another of the marathon three-hour shows Springsteen still manages to put on night after night.
These concerts will be last performances ever at the Meadowlands, which will be demolished in 2010 after the NFL calendar has concluded. I hope they play the song on repeat during the demolition.
