I’m just so sad. I feel like there was a huge earthquake in the universe, shifting the axis of the earth so suddenly and abruptly, I have to find my footing again (and I know I’m far from alone). Anyone who might read my blog or catch my editor letter from time to time might know I am a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.
Shot I took in August 2009 in Mansfield, MA.
Behind any great musician are the talented, inspiring band mates, and for Bruce, one key friend was most certainly the Big Man, Clarence Clemons. Like most everyone in E Street Nation, I am just devastated about his passing. Things will never, ever be the same again. I think about the Big (and gentle) Man who was such an icon and powerhouse behind Bruce and the E Street, and how many of Bruce’s songs would have felt so flat without that powerful, joyful saxophone bringing it home and celebrating the stories of those songs.
Spoiled me, I caught not one, but two Bruce concerts in 2009 in Boston, yet it was clear Clarence was in pain, given the way he shuffled around on stage (no pun intended). As geeky as it is to admit, I actually pinched myself during the last concert I attended in August 2009; I think I knew on some level it would be the last time I would see them all together (sadly, minus keyboardist Danny Federici).
Art quilter Katie Pasquini Masopust shared once that when she free-motion quilts, she turns up the stereo volume and just rocks out as it helps her to get in the groove of stitching. I couldn’t agree more. Whenever I get to business with my Bernina, I crank up the sound on my Bose speakers and most times listen to Bruce and the E Street.
So here’s my E Street playlist for getting into the stitching zone (many but not all including Clarence and his saxophone work):
“Jungleland”
“Thunder Road”
“Sherry Darling”
“Girls in Their Summer Clothes”
“Paradise by the ‘C”
“Happy”
“Blood Brothers”
“Tenth Avenue Freeze Out”
“Out in the Street”
“The Ties That Bind”
“Independence Day”
“New York Serenade”
“Blood Brothers”
“Independence Day”
“Brother Under Bridges”
“If I Should Fall Behind”
I will sorely miss you, Clarence. Thanks so much for your inspiration and your music.
Are you an E Street fan or are there other tunes that inspire you when quilting? I hope you will share…