FEBRUARY 2, 2009 MORNING

It was August 1975, and I had a brand new Panasonic Receiver with really big speakers, 8 track plater, turntable and a new cassette machine that I was learning how to use. My bedroom at my father's house was small and makeshift and wouldnt be expanded for two years until I was going to move in permanently. That is another story and for another time. Reception on the receiver was great, even though I was in the basement. There were no cell phones, no cable TV, no satellites, just a 12 year old boy and his Panasonic. It was big, brown, and had dials galore. Sound, bass, treble, level, all the bells and whistles. If I turned it loud, the house would shake. It was late that summer evening and my parents were out. I cooked some franks in blankets, in the oven of course as toaster ovens and microwaves were yet to appear.

Took my feast downstairs, turned on WNEW and got ready for my future. Live on the radio, with no commercials, an event I had been waiting all week for. Live at the Bottom Line, Bruce Springsteen and his band. The first song was 10th Avenue Freezeout, a melodious arrangement that showcased Clarence Clemons and Roy Bittan. I listened in awe. It spoke to me, it moved me, and I knew the future of music was in this man's hands. Last night, as 200 million watched, Bruce Springsteen started his 12 minute set with 10th Avenue Freezeout. There were 250 people at the Bottom Line that night and only a few of us believed. 34 years later, seems everyone is catching on.....