Clarence Celmons: 1942 – 2011

It was with sadness that I turned on my computer on Saturday night to find out that Clarence Clemons had passed away. Clarence wasn’t just a saxophonist for a rock band; he was a world class musician and a talented performer and entertainer. His nickname “The Big Man,” was a reference to his size, his sound, and his overall presence.

But while we feel sadness over his death, we also feel happiness with the beauty and joy that he brought into the world with his music. So crank these songs all the way up. Let Clarence’s horn ring through, and listen to The Big Man do what he did best.

Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band – Born To Run (live)

Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band – Jungleland (live)

Bruce Springsteen – Cleveland 2005

Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for the E-Street Band, suffered a stroke sometime on Sunday. While the initial prognosis was not great, it seems that he’s made amazing strides today in terms of his recovery, and his condition is improving. Rolling Stone has a report here, and Lady Gaga posted a get-well tweet here.

I know this Bruce bootleg is acoustic and lacks the E. Streeters, including Mr. Clemons. But it’s quite a great boot (thanks Tim!) and I figured it was appropriate to post it here.

Grab the entire show here, stream the tracks below, and make sure to have your thoughts and prayers with Clemons. Get well, Clarence.

Pearl Jam: 8th Greatest Live Act

Rolling Stone just released the results of their reader’s poll for the Top 10 Greatest Live Acts, and our beloved Pearl Jam made the cut. That’s pretty significant since they’re the only band in the list that wasn’t formed in the 60s or 70s. Also awesome is that all of these bands have clear influences in Pearl Jam’s music.

Bruce, The Dead, and Zeppelin have given PJ the model for both touring intensity and tenacity. Mike and Matt are hardcore Kiss superfans. The guys toured with U2 in ’92, and have spoken of the stuff they learned from Bono. They’ve covered the Stones, and Eddie seems to be somewhat in love with Pete Townshend – turning Pearl Jam into the greatest The Who cover band ever.

After my first ever concert – a Pearl Jam show in 2000 – I turned to my dad, who came along for the ride, and asked him what he thought.

“They were good, but it was no Pink Floyd.”

No, it wasn’t. But it was pretty darn close. Congrats PJ on this honor.

Pearl Jam – No Way

From Rolling Stone:

When you see Pearl Jam you never quite know what kind of show you’re going to get. Sometimes they play all the early hits like “Jeremy,” “Black” and “Alive,” while the very next night be mainly deep tracks from Yield, Riot Act and No Code. Regardless of what they perform, Pearl Jam approaches every show with a Springsteen-like level of passion and respect for their fans. They go out of their way to make each show special, often extending out the encores for well over an hour. It’s one reason why they continue to pack giant venues without radio hits or much media mainstream attention.

The List

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band
2. The Rolling Stones
3. The Who
4. Pink Floyd
5. Led Zeppelin
6. U2
7. Queen
8. Pearl Jam
9. Grateful Dead
10. Kiss

Teenage Tunes – Part 2: Songs I Wish I’d Heard As A Teen

When y’all sent in your suggestions, I was faced with a bunch of tunes I’d either never heard before, or didn’t hear until after my teenage years. I was too cool for Bruce, not cool enough for Fugazi, too mainstream to listen to Pinkerton, and too stupid to appreciate Tupac.

But for many of you, these were the songs of your teenage years. These were the songs that propelled you from childhood to adulthood. These are your songs.

Fugazi – Waiting Room

Take me out to the ballgame

Last night I spent about an hour watching Ken Burns’ new documentary “The Tenth Inning.” The portion of Burns’ 4-hr followup to 1994′ “Baseball” that I watched reminded me of the magic of the game of baseball, and why I still love it so much.

And to accompany the game are the songs that fuel it, the songs that celebrate it, and the songs we drunkenly sing during the 7th inning stretch after drinking a few too many beers – Eddie Vedder, I’m looking at you.

Eddie Vedder – All The Way

Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days

Dropkick Murphys – Tessie

State Radio – Right Me Up

Eddie Vedder – Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Bruce Springsteen – Hall Of Fame Concert

Well, this boot is a few months late, and despite the fact that all the Bonnaroo boots are rolling in now, I figured it was time to roll out this Bruce bootleg from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert. It features a ton of awesome guests, and a sick set. And don’t worry about the ‘Roo boots. This week is going to be Bonnaroo week, and we’re going to be rolling out (at least) one new boot every day. Enjoy!

10th Avenue Freeze Out