Hang around this blog long enough and you will get a sense of my bordering-on-ridiculous admiration for Bruce Springsteen. It's not a huge logical jump, then, from that statement to my excitement that he will be headlining the halftime show at Super Bowl 43. Not every Springsteen fan feels the same, however.
In a Sports Illustrated piece that came out this week, Joe Posnanski discusses the reactions of a few confused Springsteen devotees. Some point to the feelings of discomfort with stadiums The Boss has historically expressed. They wonder why someone who hated playing stadiums because of the inherent disconnect (due to venue scope and size) between audience and performer would play on the biggest stage of all...
I, on the other hand, am unconcerned. For one thing, I am never bothered by the chance for a real artist to display his skill on a platform usually reserved for lowest common denominator-type performers (think of the N'Sync/Spears halftime show of a few years ago or the infamous Timberlake/Janet Jackson experience).
And, while it might be a bit more awkward and histrionic a setting, I'm not worried about Springsteen's ability to connect. On stage, Springsteen is a populist preacher, a true man of the people and I have every confidence that his ability to make disciples won't be hindered by the pyrotechniques or dance squads the NFL is likely to toss into the mix.
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