(Rob:) Just a quickie tonight- we have to get packed and get going early tomorrow for our trip back. We've had a fantastic time, but we do miss our kids and friends and just being at home.
Today we saw some really great sites in Stockholm, probably the best of the whole trip. I'll do another post about all of that tomorrow after we get home when I have more time.
Here are just a couple of shots from today, and click below if you want to read about tonight's Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert.
(Also- go check the official fan-run Springsteen website Backstreets.com and scroll down to read their recap of the Copenhagen show- they used some of my review and gave me sort of a little byline, even)
This is Susan and I in front of the Royal Palace near our hotel just before noon:
(I'm kidding, it was at least 12:30...)
This is the concert hall where the Nobel (non-peace) Prizes were given out today:
The whole city was all really excited about this- it received huge coverage on television. I thought it was nice that people would be so interested in things like physics, medicine and literature. The hotel lobby was full of tuxedoed Nobel types, and one guy on our elevator tonight was wearing his medal.
(We were hoping to win the Nobel Prize in parenting, but leaving our kids behind for a 10 day trip at Christmastime might have hurt us in the final vote.)
A little trivia question: What did Alfred Nobel make his fortune by inventing? A no-prize goes to the first correct answer.
Susan, with our hotel in the background across the water:
Clarence "Big Man" Clemons in front of the hotel tonight after the show:
Tessa Jean "Big Peach" Smith between Beth and Ab "Cdefgi"- truly three of my favorite humans.
We'll see you tomorrow!
Stockholm Concert Review (for Backstreets.com)
We're just back from the Globe in Stockholm. Another great concert! We have to pack tonight and return to reality tomorrow. Hoping we can get home to Kansas City through the ice storms.
I see you have the setlist up already- here are a few highlights and thoughts from the arena.
The venue was HUGE! It probably doesn't hold many more people than a standard U.S. arena but it truly has a spherical shape, and the ceiling just goes up forever. The entire Forum building from Copenhagen could fit inside of it, I think. I thought the acoustics were pretty good, too. There were people seated all around behind the stage and it looked like the whole place was full with no seats curtained-off. There were two huge banners asking for "Jungleland" at different spots in the arena.
We've been told that Swedes tend to be group-oriented in their activities, that they excel at team sports over individual ones, perhaps in keeping with the democratic socialist political system. Before the concert the Swedes seemed to show a lot collective enthusiasm- they did a lot of traditional soccer chants between the floor crowd and the crowd in the seats, and there was a lot of "The Wave" before the show started. During the show they were very responsive and the folks in the pit just in front of Bruce had a lot of give-and -take with him- enough that he commented on what an awesome audience they were. From our viewpoint in the back of the pit, the sheer size of the venue gave the show a very different feel, not as intimate and connected with the audience as in Copenhagen or Oslo. It seemed sort of between a regular arena and a stadium show.
I've seen concert entries run more smoothly. Swedes seem to love queues, and they move very orderly and sloooow. There were people lined up for a mile trying to get in at 7:30PM. The concert finally started at about 8:40PM.
Candy's Room was a nice surprise in the "sandwich slot" between Reason to Believe and She's the One. The opening to that song with the fast drum part got the crowd buzzing right away.
Just before Livin' in the Future a strange thing happened- Clarence seemed to fall down on the stage. Neither Susan nor I saw it happen, but we saw Nils and Bruce run over and help him up off of the ground. Bruce walked back to the center of the stage laughing and saying "Big Man Walking!" into the mic. Clarence seemed to make a full recovery but we did see him sitting in his chair near Charles for the first time in the last three shows.
Nils seemed especially animated tonight- we've heard that his family is from here and wondered if he felt a special connection to Stockholm. (I hoped that Youngstown might be audibled in to showcase his solo work but it was not to be.)
The River was again very well-received- Garry Tallent was having a great time singing along on Working on the Highway. The encore went from Girls in their Summer Clothes into Jungleland, but not before Bruce went over to Clarence as if to ask him if he felt up for the solo. The song has never been my favorite; I always feel like if he's going to play a long, cinematic epic song from Born To Run, I'd rather have it be Backstreets. Tonight, though, Jungleland was clearly the emotional center of the show, especially with what had happened with Clarence earlier. He blasted his sax solo with great emotional precision, Bruce nailed all of the high notes in his song-closing wail, and things were getting a little dusty for me in the back of the pit.
Born To Run was really great when the lights came on and we could look around to see everyone up and pumping their fists. Dancing in the Dark brought out a special guest: Clarence's son Christopher! He came out with an acoustic guitar and played along with Nils and his dad. Steven came over and encouraged him to sing backup with Bruce, but he seemed pretty nervous and sort of hung back more. He's as tall as Clarence, very slim and handsome. Clarence was beaming and having a blast. At one point Bruce came around behind Christopher and pushed him forward more into the spotlight. When the "shed this world off my shoulders" line came up, Nils and Clarence brushed off Christopher's shoulders instead of Bruce's. It was a nice and fun surprise.
American Land closed the show, or so we thought! Perhaps it was the sheer number of Santa hats thrown onstage (6 or 7), but Santa made his return! Clarence wore a hat and Steven put one on Soozie after he couldn't make it fit over his bandana. There was just one rough spot: Clarence jumped the gun on the first verse's "You better be good for goodness sake" line, stepping on Bruce's line that he was supposed to be responding to. When he realized the mistake, he gave sort of a shrug, and Steven gave Soozie a shocked wide-eyed look like Silvio might have given Paulie Walnuts if Christopher accidentally dumped marinara sauce down Tony Soprano's white shirt.
Back to K.C. tomorrow!
The answer is DYNOMITE!
Posted by: James E. Smith | December 10, 2007 at 08:44 PM
As usual, I have been remiss by not commenting on the Blog...I have enjoyed these blog entries from your Scandinavian adventure immensely, Susan and Rob. What a treat for all of us out here in Blog-dom to vicariously go along for the ride! Each day, I have looked forward to hearing about your adventures. I look forward to seeing you in person very soon now...
Posted by: Beth | December 10, 2007 at 10:30 PM
In 1866 the Swedish engineer Alfred Nobel made practical use of nitroglycerin in his invention of dynamite. He found that when nitoglycerin is mixed with an earthy substance (kieselguhr) it is stabilized and can be used with reasonable safety.
Posted by: Delores Herzberg | December 11, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Actually the nitroglycerin is made by reacting glycerol and concentrated nitric acid, this yields glyceryl trinitrate, better known as nitroglycerin. Not to be confused with trinitrotoluene, aka TNT.
Posted by: Delores Herzberg | December 11, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Since the reaction between glycerol and nitric acid does not take place readily unless the water is removed by a dehydrating agent it is customary to use concentrated sulfuric acid as the dehydrating agent.
Posted by: Delores Herzberg | December 11, 2007 at 10:45 AM
However, one should not attempt this reaction at home. In the unlikely event it does not explode one might find a visitor at your door wearing an ATF jacket!
Posted by: Delores Herzberg | December 11, 2007 at 10:50 AM
A little known but interesting fact about nitroglycerin is that it requires no oxidizing agent to explode. It has within it own molecules all the oxygen needed to bring about the formation of gaseous products, CO2 nirogen, oxtgen, and steam. These gasses in their effort to occupy a volume many thousand times greater than that occupied by the nitroglycerin, exert such a tremendous pressure that a shattering explosion is the result. Needless to say we now know that Nobel was a very cool chemist of which there are many in our own family. Remember there will be a quiz on this later in the week.
Posted by: Delores Herzberg | December 11, 2007 at 11:03 AM
What else can I say? I mean really...I think Delores said it all. Have safe enjoyable travels and a smooth transition to lunch in the sun. Zanny
Posted by: Zanny | December 11, 2007 at 11:51 AM
For a sunshine girl, I would not enjoy all that darkness! What is it like in the summertime? I have so enjoyed your blogs, that it is kind of sad to have your trip come to an end! It will be great to have you back home, though. I am sure Tessa and Sam will agree.
See you later, weather permitting for you and for us.
Love,
Mom
Posted by: Gramma Judy | December 11, 2007 at 02:58 PM
All,
Having been scooped by Mom? on he dynamite issue, I'll have to bow out of the running for family chemist of the week. I haven't heard kieselguhr mentioned since last week's lunch menu here at work.....
Glad you made it back on time and had a great trip.
TCH
Posted by: TOM | December 12, 2007 at 03:28 PM