Springsteen in Atlanta, 12/2/02

Posted: February 26, 2004

Last year I ended up in the front row when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made their first Rising tour stop in the Atlanta area.

After the show, I wrote about the front row experience and posted pictures of the autograph session that followed. (It was all kind of breathless, but you try being a 22-year-old Springsteen fan and living
that night. Good luck containing yourself.)

But despite all that happened, I never had anything physical to show others or just remind myself of what the front row was like. No photos or videos showing Atlanta fans circulated widely in the following months.

Until this month. Earlier this week, after a relatively bad day, I came across these images — and suddenly the day became the best of the month.

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Main set photos | Jump to encore photos

At the Atlanta concert, Springsteen made his first real move to the stage's front riser during the acoustic singalong "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." I was clearly surprised to see him.

With the band playing on, he hung around a while to sing.

Not dipping into the crowd just yet, he seemed to be getting used to that night's fans in the pit and letting them get to used him.

Springsteen then circled the stage, but a minute later had returned. He stood directly in front of me and looked straight down at me. While his look stuck in my head, I spent the next year trying to remember how I reacted in the moment. After examining the below photo, I apparently gave him the international "You da man!" gesture.

After face time with the Boss, I was more than ready to sing or yell or whatever I was doing here.

The chorus came around and Springsteen directed the crowd.

Springsteen lets them sing while moving back to center stage. Atlanta crowds have gotten a lot of criticism for only being true fans at college sports events, but they had definitely brought their A-game that night.

"World's Apart" had its usual sound and fury guitar duel; Springsteen moved left of his microphone and kicked it off in the spotlight.

During the solo, Springsteen glanced up, maybe to get a little more juice from the intensity of the crowd. The night's pit was among the younger and more active ones I saw or heard about during the tour.

A ferocious "She's the One" came later in the main set. Before spinning to face Max Weinberg on the final Bo Diddley beats, Springsteen and Clarence Clemons tore it up out front.

"Mary's Place" brought Springsteen back to the pit. Folks shifted around some to let a few of the 2nd row fans get to the front.

The crowd was more than willing to raise their hands when Springsteen raised his.

Springsteen, mid-stage slide. At upper-right, the first Santa Claus hat of the night appeared. Many more would appear in the encores....

Continue to encore photos...