Big Man

I'd be remiss if I didn't share my thoughts on the death of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons last month, seeing as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are at the very top of my "Favorite Bands" list. I can't say the news came as a complete shock, as Clemons had been suffering from various ailments over the years. That being said, it didn't make it any easier to absorb the fact that the soul of the E Street Band was completely altered on June 18, 2011. To me, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are more than just a band...more than just a live show...more than songs on a record. If you've been to a concert of theirs, I hope you know what I mean. Unlike a band such as Oasis, which includes actual brothers and still can't get along, Bruce and Clarence had a bond that transcended their 3+ hours on stage. But let me talk about those hours on-stage first....The moments I'll never forget were when the band would walk out and Bruce would lead Clarence over to his spot on the left side of the stage. Or when after each show, Bruce and Clarence would be the last ones off the stage together and you never really thought to yourself that this was an act being put on. These two guys had a genuine bond that is so rare in rock and roll, let alone life itself. Now, as Springsteen points out in his eulogy for Clarence, he wasn't always the easiest man to get along with and it was well-documented that he could be very difficult towards those around him (he burned through several marriages). Like a marriage, though, Springsteen was with Clarence through the good times and the bad, knowing full well that if one were to lose the other there would be an impossible void to fill. And that's where the E Street Band stands today: with an impossible void to fill. Do I think they'll quit making music? Not a chance. Do I think they'll quit touring? As long as Bruce has a microphone available, nope. I do, however, know that when they get back on the road it will be incredibly different. There won't be that moment when Clarence plays his first notes on sax during a show, causing the crowd to scream in appreciation. I know I'll never hear that unforgettable sax solo on Jungleland quite the same way again; the one that caused goosebumps on several occasions. And when Bruce introduces the band, I know I'll keep naively waiting until the end for Clarence to be called out as "the biggest man you've ever seen".