Farewell to a Big Man

The news this week about the passing of Clarence Clemons, he of E Street band fame, literally signified an end to an era for many of us in the E Streeters. His funeral services today were marked with an acoustic version of Tenth Avenue Freezeout performed by Bad Scooter himself. To anyone who knows us, it comes as no news flash that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band has been a part of our lives for more than 30 years. We've grown up with Bruce and the band, seen them collectively hundreds upon hundreds of times. And we've shared some unbelievable related memories over the years. Like what? We met Clarence himself at the Biltmore Hotel in Rhode Island in 1985. Then of course, there's our backstage visit with Bruce at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium:But for me, personally, out of the dozens of times I've seen Bruce and the band, the most memorable ones have been the last round of them, which I've been able to experience alongside Andrew. Watching a next generation Bruce fan rocking out to the tunes the rest of us grew up with has been one of the most unforgettable parenting experiences. And while Heather didn't get bitten by the Bruce concert bug, listening to her belt out Born to Run and Thunder Road word-for-word from the back seat as a young toddler still reigns right up there among my personally proudest parenting moments. The summer of 2009 was a banner year for Bruce, Andrew, and I, as we took in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, featuring - who else? Bruuuuuce!Here's the Big Man and the rest of the crew at the Hartford show in 2009:At that same Hartford show, here's Bruce rocking it out, appropriately enough, during Tenth Avenue FreezeoutHere's a shot of Bruce and the band at the Verizon Center in August, 2009:Father and son, sweating it out at said concert:And then of course, there was April vacation, 2008, in Florida with the Scanlon family, which also happened to be the week that marked the passing of E Street organist Danny Federici. As luck would have it, Bruce and the E Street Band were playing in both Tampa and Orlando that week, and who'da thunk it - we scored seats for both shows!

Behind the Orlando stage, we got to see all the band members exiting the stage, including the Big Man himself, clearly impaired in his mobility:While Bruce and the band may tour again, it just won't be the same without the Big Man on stage, busting the city in half. Unquestionably, the greatest concert wingman in the history of rock band touring, his stage presence is irreplaceable.Truly, there are teardrops on the city.

Clarence, thanks for a great ride! As I've stated elsewhere previously, tell Gabriel to move over, there's a Big Man coming to blow his horn!

Cue the unforgettable Jungleland sax solo:

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz Between flesh and what's fantasy and the poets down here don't write nothing at all they just stand back and let it all be And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment and try to make an honest stand but they wind up wounded, not even dead Tonight in Jungleland