Tramps Like Us

Bossfan950. A familiar name to many of you, and a dear friend of ours here at the Tramps Like Us podcast. He's got a voice made for radio. We recorded this interview in LA on October 30th, and we kept saying to each other "how will Bruce and the band top what they did last night?" Well, we soon found out- we were elbows on the stage in front of Clarence, and I'll never forget the look on Steve's face when the opening notes of "Kitty's Back" were played. Thank you, Steve and we'll be seeing you further on up the road- the 5, to be exact.

A powerful voice, a powerful presence, a powerful piece. I had the great good fortune of meeting Bruce Farley at the Cleveland arena on Sunday, November 4th. As Greetings blared from speakers set up outside a bar across the street, he shared this story with me. Thank you, Pastor Bruce!

Whew! We've barely had time to catch our breath from the Oakland and LA shows, and it's time now to head to Cleveland (not that we're complaining!) Before we head out, we had to get some of these voices, which were recorded at the LA Sports Arena, up on the podcast. Off to bed now, got an early flight to catch. There's lots more good stuff coming up, so stay tuned. And thank you to all the wonderful folks who have shared their stories.

Between that Cheshire smile and Bruce's fingers in her hair- I knew when I first saw Bev's signature picture on Backstreets.com that there was going to be a great story here. I wasn't disappointed. You won't be either. 'Nuff said. Bev- thank you for sharing.

Take a big time music fan from Southern California, add the newly released Darkness LP, a neighbor from Jersey, the 1978 LA Forum show, and you've got the makings of a life long Bruce fan. Smart, funny, and articulate as hell, I couldn't have asked for a better storyteller. Without further adieu, hear is Greg's story. Thanks, brother!

Now this is the kind of story we love to hear. Thanks to BTX'ers WendyWWNJ and RumbleDoll52... Wendy, for taking the time to share your story with us (as well as your patience with working out the kinks on our first ever phone interview) And RumbleDoll52- for making it all happen, and personifying the positive spirit of BTX. Long may you run.

What began in 1980 as a four-page tabloid devoted to Bruce has since evolved into Backstreets.com- an amazing online resource for Bruce fans. Home to Backstreets Magazine (if you're not a subscriber, well- you should be) Backstreets Records, and last but certainly not least BTX - the community gathering place for (mostly) like-minded fans. Christopher Phillips is the mind behind Backstreets.com. Chris, we salute you!

If you've got a Springsteen story to tell, send us an email: trampspodcast@gmail.com

So, hear goes....our first podcast, and we're thrilled! Diane & Kim share their story about being MIB'd at The Pantages Theatre. Enjoy.

Growing up in the mid 70's I was a huge Springsteen fan. Turned on to a double shot of Greetings/ WIESS by my best friends older sister,and I was a goner. Through the media frenzy of BTR and the incredible live shows of the Darkness era we swore "on the backstreets until the end." The end, for me, came in the early 80's. I must confess, I fell away from the fold. I won't bore you with the details. Flash forward to May, 2005. Devils & Dust tour. Nearly 30 years have passed since I'd last seen Bruce perform. A chance encounter with a MIB, and my friend and I are suddenly whisked from our back of the house seats to front row center- literally sitting at Bruce's feet for the show. In typical Bruce fashion, an incredibly powerful performance. Brought up a lot of emotions. Took me back to my roots. Made me want to be a better wife, mother, person. An epiphany, to say the least. I am now afflicted with GSBS- Gotta See Bruce Syndrome - when he's touring I must attend as many shows as I possibly can. Chances are, if you're reading this, you've got GSBS too.

And so it begins. Dates and onsales are announced, schedules are arranged, plans made, Ticketbastard accounts updated and ready to go, it's 9:55am and you're at your computer (or computers as the case may be), or, if you're a true multi-tasker you've got a phone line at the ready as well...watching the clock, OMG, I'm getting nervous even writing about it....getting closer to the second that tickets become available... take a deep, calming breath, hitting the refresh button...they're on sale....click on desired quantity... ( I'm sure you've mindbended the GA/Best Available question to death)...type in that goofy ass "security" word correctly...praying the entire time that your computer doesn't pick this moment to crash, and that the wait time is less than one minute (HA!)....which it is, for about 5 seconds, then it becomes,2,3, or the dreaded 4 minute wait as the system jams up...is there anything more excruciating than watching that bar twirl...?