23.08.81 Los Angeles, CA, intro to “Independence Day”
“Here’s one for my Dad…”
23.08.81 Los Angeles, CA, intro to “Trapped”
“I remember when I was growing up…I was in high school, all the…everybody couldn’t wait to get out, all the guys were quitting school to get a job and get some money in their pockets…and we had this glass…there was this glass factory on the outside of town …a lot of guys used to go out and try to find a job there…and…I remember…when I got older, I tried to think back…and I realized that my dad, he worked in a factory and that his dad did…and if I hadn’t been lucky, it would’ve been the same thing…for me ‘cause there’s a circle that just keeps going on and on and on…it’s real easy when…you come from a certain place to end up…you end up a victim of something that you don’t even know what it is, you know…and…when I was in high school, I remember…I never, I never…liked history, I hated history class, you know (crowd cheers) but about six months ago I bought this book when we were over…I guess we were over in Europe and it was called The History of the United States…and if you read that book…from cover to cover, you can see that there’s some very strange writing on the wall…and…unless you get a chance to understand the, the forces and the things that are gonna shape your life…you’re gonna be… you’re gonna end up, you’re gonna end up trapped…”
23.8.81 Los Angeles, CA, middle of “Rosalita”
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen…here comes the most exciting part of the show (crowd cheers) see, you think you’re excited now, you ain’t half as excited as you’re gonna be in a minute (crowd cheers) because now we’re gonna do the band introductions…now, any of you guys that were here the other night or the night before that knows that…I’ve been reciting my newly written poem to Roy here on stage…but tonight I don’t think I’m gonna do that (a disappointed response from the crowd) ok, I’ll say it, alright, alright …first, “R” is for “Roy” ‘cause that’s his name…“O” is for “pian-O” ‘cause that’s his game…“Y” (crowd: “Because”) that’s right, dammit, Roy Bittan on the piano, ladies and gentlemen (crowd cheers) next, on the guitar, we’ve got a man that wrote such great hits as ´I Don’t Wanna Go Home,” “Sweeter Than Honey,” “This Time It’s For Real,” “Some Things Just Don’t Change,” “Daddy’s Come Home,” “Trapped Again” and that great autobiographical number, “I Played the Fool,” I’m talking about the one, the only, Miami Steve Van Zandt (crowd cheers) next, on the bass guitar, we’ve got a man all the way from Neptune, New Jersey, how many folks from Neptune tonight? (no response) alright, we’ve got the handsome, debonair Mr. Garry W. Tallent on the bass guitar (crowd cheers) back here on the drums, we’ve got the guy that keeps the beat, all the way from South Orange, New Jersey, the Mighty One, Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums (crowd cheers)(Max drums a beat and Bruce goes “Let’s go…let’s go”)…and now, on the organ, from Flemington, New Jersey…he plays the farfisa, he plays (?), he plays the glock, he plays the accordion, a man of many talents and many mysteries, I’m talking about Phantom Dan Federici on the organ (crowd cheers) now (crowd cheers) tonight (crowd cheers) before I introduce the Big Man, I’d like to say, bring it down a little, boys, that…my folks are here tonight (crowd cheers) as you know, without them, I wouldn’t be here…now, there’s usually a chance when they come down, they try to talk me back into going back to school…or they try to get me going back home, well, tonight this gives me a chance when I get to tell ‘em that “I told you so,” “See,” you know, all that kind of stuff but tonight I’m not gonna tell ‘em that…I’m gonna let you tell ‘em…ready? one, two, three (crowd: “I told you so”) oh yeah, thank you, thank you (chuckles)…and now I got a gentleman…all I wanna say…is give me a C-L-A-R-E-N-C-E, what’s that spell? (crowd: “Clarence”) what’s that spell? (crowd: “Clarence”) what’s that spell? (crowd: “Clarence”) Spotlight on the Big Man!…
(…) This is his last chance to get his daughter in some high finance, because the record company, Honey…just gave me the big buckaroonies…”
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi
