Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. - the 2024 Edition

75 years ago today, in Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, Douglas Frederick and Adele Ann Springsteen brought their son, Bruce, into a world that had no idea of the rock and roll wildstorm that would be coming onto the music scene of a generation when, as a young teen, he picked up a guitar and began rewriting the course of music history.

And last weekend, some of us who have been the Disciples in the Church of Bruce Springsteen were fortunate enough to be standing on the sands of Asbury Park - six miles from his birthplace - when the Boss returned to his songwriting roots, and rolled out some of the greatest songs he penned in 1972 for his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. released in January, 1973.

Fellow E Streeter acolyte Barry Scanlon and I made the pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore and both stood in awe as Springsteen rolled out some of his greatest Jersey songs to commemorate his participation in the Sea, Hear, Now festival.  Between us, Barry and I have seen Bruce nearly 200 times.  And yet we both agreed, this experience, played out on the real estate where it all began for Bruce, tops the list of those shows with a once-in-a-lifetime night of nostalgic memories steeped in the Springsteen soundtrack of our lives.

Sea, Hear, Now featured three stages on the boardwalk and beach at Asbury Park, spanned two days, and spotlighted more than a dozen performers, including others like Norah Jones, the Black Crowes, Kool and the Gang, and many more.  Jersey's favored son was the closing act on Sunday night.

For many Springsteen followers, the general admission pit is the ONLY way they'll go for a show.  It's not usually the first go-to for us E Streeters proper, though it was the path of participation for many fellow friends at their first show in Saratoga, 1984.  For Sea, Hear, Now, the pit experience was just about the ONLY choice, with three tiers - Platinum, VIP, and General Admission.  Barry and I were lucky enough to score VIP tix, putting us about 16 "rows" away from the stage, and giving us an up-front viewing to rock history in the making.

In one of the day's first surprises, Springsteen took to the stage to join Phish's Trey Anastasio for a rocking rendition of Kitty's Back, performing under cloudless, blue skies.  Thousands of Springsteen's fans weren't even in place yet, and many could be seen scrambling for a spot on the sand when they realized the Boss had taken to the stage hours ahead of his 7:30 scheduled set.  For his part, Anastasio announced that a Springsteen show had been his first concert decades ago, and his fanboy zeal shone through his accomplished guitar work throughout the 10 minute plus version of Kitty's Back.

“Greetings, Asbury Park!” Springsteen announced to the packed beach when he and the E Street Band took to the stage of the festival at about 7:30 p.m.  The event, now in its sixth year, is the creative child of photographer Danny Clinch, who's captured more than his fair share of iconic Springsteen pics over the years, many of which are spotlighted in local galleries along the Jersey Shore.

After opening with Lonesome Day from the Rising album, and a song that's been a frequent flier from his recent setlists, Springsteen threw the mortality-themed playbook that has framed his tour of late into the nearby crashing surf.

“I wrote this song about 500 yards north of here on Loch Arbor Beach. We haven’t played it in a long fucking time. We got a lot of stuff we haven’t played in a long fucking time. Let’s see how we do.”  And with that, he and the band were off, racing through a trio of songs straight from Greetings - Blinded by the Light, Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street, (neither of which has been played live in seven years), and Growin' Up.

The trio of early greats were part of the 30-song, three-hour, fifteen minute set under the end-of-summer skies.

For this writer, there's a handful of songs that claim space in my Top 5 Springsteen songs, and this night, the Boss delivered three of them.  Truth be told, knowing the venue, there was only one song I silently sought, knowing it would yield an unforgettable and indelible memory for the rest of my life.

And sure enough, with an opening dedication to late E Street band keyboardist/accordionist Danny Federici, Bruce and the band, for the first time in eight years, launched into 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).  Indescribable chills.

Well the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do
This boardwalk life for me is through
You know you ought to quit this scene too
Sandy the aurora’s rising behind us, the pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight and I promise I’ll love you forever

The actual number of fans in attendance has varied from report to report, ranging between 35,000 to 55,000 concert-goers.  This aerial drone photo via People magazine helps put things into perspective.

True confession time: for some of the emotional throwbacks of the evening, eyes were closed more than once, and it felt as though Bruce was belting out a classic for just one set of ears that was listening and feeding an internal flashback to more than four decades of memories tied to particular songs or lyrics.  And it wasn't just me feeling emotional under that Jersey sky either.  I saw multiple fans wiping away tears during specific highpoints of the night.

The night also featured the return of Thundercrack (first time performed live in eight years and a Martin Brewer favorite), and then in what was unquestionably the emotional one-two gut punch of the night, Meeting Across the River directly into Jungleland, much like their pairing on the iconic Born to Run third album from Bruce.

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
Between what's 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

Throughout the night, the wind breezed in from our right, coming off the ocean, where the waves constantly crashed onto the shoreline.

No one wanted the night to end, including Bruce and the band. Certainly not Barry and I.  For all our fellow E Streeters, unable to join us on the sand for that stretch of time, you were certainly there with us as Spirits in the Night.  The night encapsulated all of the 40+ years of memories into a three hour block of magic - the bachelor parties, overnight waits to get tickets, pre-wedding night shows, the memory-packed road trips, the emotional highs, the heartbreaks of the passage of time and band members' lives, the tailgates - all of it was there. Stealing a quote from Bruce's on-stage tributes: "If you’re here, and we’re here, then they’re here.” 

Happy to confirm, after three-quarters of a century, there is still Magic in the Night.

Happy Birthday, Bruce.

Dinosaurs on the Dunloe

Catching up on the second half of the Ring of Kerry, we heard about a botanical garden that featured dinosaur themed sculptures, which made for a must-stop-and-check-out, especially for my bride, who has a passion for all things dinosaurs.

Truth be told, if there was a real-life Jurassic Park, Jackie would probably still visit it, despite the repeated escapes, misadventures and inevitable Saurian disasters that lurk within its pens.  She just really digs dinosaurs, which works out very conveniently when it comes to being married to this old fossil.

 (Read this in the voice of John Hammond/Richard Attenborough) Welcome to the Kells Bay Gardens in the town of Cappamore in the Killinane parish!
The so-called Jewel of the Ring spans more than 30 acres and features dozens of sub-tropical plants.
And did I mention dinosaurs?

The garden also is home to Dinosaur Walk, which spotlights large dino sculptures made from the remains of various trees felled by storms through recent decades.

Here's the DoYouThinkTheySaurus

Jackie made it clear she wasn't sharing her smoothie with any of the garden's denizens.

The Mad Thinker - (First Appearance, Fantastic Four 15, January 1963)

I'm lucky I didn't start a forest fire with my deep thoughts.

On to the Sky Walk rope bridge 

From the Valley of the Dinosaur, it was time for one final stop along the Ring, an excursion into the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass that runs about 7 miles and carves its way between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain.  The Gap was formed about 25,000 years ago during Ireland's last Ice Age.  The river Loe runs through the carved pass, and to describe this "roadway" as narrow would be the understatement of the trip.

The Gap begins at Kate Kearney's Cottage, and for many, they only dare to venture into the area via a jaunting car, which is a horse-drawn wagon.  We made the attempt in our own wheels, and it was a hold-your-breath nailbiter!

One of the mandatory visits for us along the gap was the Wishing Bridge, complete with Irish lore that says a stop here grants its visitors a wish.  Needless to say, we made our secret wishes, the content of which will remain on the pathway - for now.

Me, I had already got my wish to see this land with this special lady

Again, can't say enough about this particular 11-hour adventure.  This is the kind of place I would love to return to and spend multiple days just hiking, exploring, and unearthing the endless secrets to be found within this unforgettable ring.

Truly, One Ring to rule them all.

Cliff Notes

Before we get to virtually visit what is likely the most beautiful place I've ever had the good fortune to experience, there's always time for CHOCOLATE! 

A quick stop at the Skellig Chocolate factory - sadly, no chocolate rivers to be found - yielded more chocolate than you'd expect to eat in one stop.  Samples galore await you at their counter, and then of course, there's the bags and bags of nearby shards of multiple flavors of chocolate to purchase and keep you stocked up for a good long while.  Or at least until the end of the day.  Highest props to their engaging and friendly staff, who provided lots of laughs for this wandering foursome.

With an ample amount of chocolate under our belts, we set off for the Kerry Cliffs.

I know it's a cliche, but photos cannot sufficiently do justice to a seascape that literally takes your breath away. And that has nothing to do with the unceasing winds that buffet you from atop the cliff promontories.

Prior to this visit, for most of my life, I confidently ranked Yosemite National Park in California as the most beautiful place I'd ever set foot in during my travels.

It's time to amend my rankings.

Fret not, Yosemite, you still hold the U.S. #1 seed, but these Ireland cliffs have just scaled to the top of the global leaderboard.

The Kerry Cliffs (Aillte Chiarraí) in Portmagee rise about 1,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, and were supposedly formed in a desert environment about, oh, 400 million years ago!  Not quite sure how that data point, but who am I to dispute it?

The sights from this showcase in the Skellig Ring just ooze inspiration, romance, and awe.

And they're pretty good at inciting smiles all around to boot.

The Kerry Cliffs rise about 300 feet higher than the Cliffs of Moher (see previous blog entry), and are a bit less touristy, potentially because they're off the beaten path and the Ring of Kerry proper.

If only there was some way to have carved out a running path somewhere along the walls of these cliffs - now THAT would have been an epic run for the ages!

Jack is eyeballing the Skellig and Puffin Islands from high upon her perch

Shockingly, there was virtually ZERO crowd at this site.  Probably not more than a dozen other explorers when we hit the site mid-day.

I hear the views at sunset are unparalleled, and I can just imagine their grandeur

Comparing the first pic of this blog entry to the last, it looks like both chocolate and cliff formations are pretty darn soul-satisfying.

In the end, though, while the chocolate was delicious, I'd have to give the nod to the cliff experience.

The Fellowship of the Ring

I've written before about core memories, and the events that stay with a person for the rest of their life.  A song, a picture, a piece of food, or just a recall to an unforgettable moment can be triggers or pieces of a puzzle that assemble an aforementioned core memory.
And for this writer, the 11 hours spent exploring the pockets of the piece of Ireland territory known as the Ring of Kerry created one of the most indelible days of my life, appropriately enough, the last day spent in a particular decade before a looming birthday would change the age bracket for some on this trip.

And of course, making the day as unforgettable as it was, was spending it laughing, walking, and just sharing memory-making with the love of me life.

For those not familiar with the Ring of Kerry, it's a 111-mile circuitous roadway that meanders primarily throughout County Kerry.  We started our trek from Killarney, just outside Killarney National Park.

And for any readers of the blog intending to head to said Ring any time in the near future, tourist pro-tip: if you're driving yourself, as we did, take the Ring in CLOCKWISE, and get an early start.

Driving the roads clockwise with an early bell gives you uncluttered views of breathtaking scenery, with vista pull-offs devoid of any other cars or tour buses.  The buses, you see, travel the ring COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, so they're at the opposite end when you begin from the southern link.

Not long into the day's exploration, we hit the village of Sneem.

Sneem's population numbers somewhere less than 400 villagers.  It earns his name from an Irish word meaning "the knot" - speaking to its intertwining of several waterways around it.

Me, I'd tie the Sneem with this wonderful lady all over again.

In Sneem, we stopped for one of the many scones that helped comprise the menu for our trip.  A nice coffee-filled respite at Kelly's, before the day really took off on us.

Next vista stop was in Kilcrohane, a coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula.

On to Doire Fhionain, or Derrynane, meaning the oak-wood of Fionan.

On the shores of Derrynane Bay

Next, we made a pitstop at Waterville Beach, where Jackie and Sue bought some local nautical slate art, and got the best tip of the day from a local merchant, Kathleen, who advised us to head out to the outer roads of the Ring of Kerry, roads so narrow for the locals that tour buses aren't allowed out there.

Fun fact: American actor Charlie Chaplin and his family first visited Waterville in 1959 after his friend Walt Disney recommended the area as a good place for fly fishing. The Chaplins were so enamored with Waterville and the surrounding area that they came back year after year for over 10 years and developed close friendships with some of the locals.  There's even a statue dedicated to the Little Tramp in town.

Nearby St. Michael's Church in Waterville was built in 1866.

First stop was a visit to the bay at the Ring of Skellig.  The geek in me HAD to make a pass through this area, as it's the location for where some of the scenes were filmed in the Force Awakens, the eighth chapter in the Star Wars saga, where Luke Skywalker was found by Rey on the planet of Ahch-To.

The view in Ballinskelligs

Despite my best efforts, however, I not only was unable to find Luke or Rey, but there wasn't even a Porg to be found anywhere.

Much like the birds that do populate this bay, Scott and I were puffin by the time we climbed to the outer rocks in the bay.

Jack, looking out onto St. Finan's Bay, also looking for her own piece of Star Wars lore.

Sadly, due to ferry time conflicts, we didn't make it out to Skellig Michael, where Luke's secluded home was erected.

However, because I KNOW all ye readers are sweating it out that I wasn't able to make my Star Wars connection directly, fret not.  I can proudly say I enjoyed a drink in the pub where Mark Hamill himself poured his own Guinness.

The Force was with me indeed, this day.

Too much in one day to pack into a single blog entry, so we'll just leave this one at To Be Continued....