‘FAQ’ facts on Springsteen from upcoming book
BY THOMAS CONNER tconner@suntimes.com September 5, 2012 6:26PM
Book cover for "Bruce Springsteen FAQ — All That's Left to Know About the Boss" by John. D. Luerssen
Updated: September 6, 2012 5:25PM
Some Chicago-related trivia from John Luerssen’s Bruce Springsteen FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Boss, due Oct. 16:
◆ When Bruce was in the band Steel Mill (with longtime keyboardist Danny Federici and original E Street drummer Vini Lopez), he opened for Chicago’s own Elvin Bishop Group at the Matrix on Jan. 22, 1970.
◆ Springsteen helped give Southside Johnny Lyon his nickname in April 1971, after he showed up at a rehearsal in the New Jersey surfboard factory where Bruce had been living. Dressed like a veteran Chicago bluesman in a suit and fedora, Bruce mocked his pal, saying, “Hey man, it’s Chicago Johnny.” Lyon snapped back, “From the South Side.”
◆ Although he was raised in Maryland, E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren was born in Chicago in 1951.
◆ In October 1995, Springsteen toured as a member of Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, having produced that year’s “American Babylon.” Their October Assault tour touched down in just five cities and concluded at Chicago’s Park West.
◆ On “The Rising” tour’s first leg in 2002, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (an Evanston native) joined Bruce and the band in Chicago for a rendition of “My Hometown.”
◆ On 2006’s “Seeger Sessions” tour, Springsteen’s Chicago area show — like many on that tour — was a bust. The amphitheater in Tinley Park was only half full.
◆ Bruce’s Sept. 20, 2009, concert in Chicago marked the first time he played a full album on the tour, playing “Born to Run” in its entirety. That concert also boasted two unique covers: the Ronettes’ “Da Doo Ron Ron” and Bobby Day’s “Rockin’ Robin.”
