Final Word from Thursday, July 12, 2012
Anyone who skipped last night's Springsteen concert in Prague
missed an incredible display of showmanship. Whether The Boss
was firing up the crowd with "Because the Night," yodeling on
"Shackled and Drawn," crooning on "The River," crying the gospel
on "Land of Hope and Dreams/People Get Ready," rocking Eden
to the core on "Born in the USA/Born to Run," or playing the
clown on "Seven Nights to Rock," he was putting more into it at
age 62 than most people do at half that age. Jon Landau
famously declared in 1974 that he had seen the future of rock
and roll and that it's name is Bruce Springsteen. It's still true
today if hard work, absolute professionalism, empathy with the
patrons and value for money count for anything anymore. He has
set the bar nearly unsurpassably high for other musicians. But
why limit it to musicians? When was the last time one of our
leaders showed such bravura?[Czech Republic E Street Band Wrecking Ball Tipsport Arena]
Glossary of difficult words
showmanship - a demonstration of professionalism in entertaining;
to fire someone up - to get someone excited;
to yodel - to practice a form of singing marked by rapid alternation between the normal voice and falsetto;
to shackle - to chain with shackles;
to draw - to pull or drag something so as to make it follow behind;
to croon - to hum or sing in a soft, low voice, esp. in a sentimental way;
to the core - to the depths of one's being;
empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another;
bravura - great technical skill or brilliance shown in a performance or activity.