Bruce Springsteen on The Daily Show

Caught Bruce Springsteen as both interviewee and musical guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and thought it was great. Musicians don't always make for the greatest interviews, and sometimes it works that their amount of musical talent is inversely proportional to their comfort level in an interview setting. This would be the exception, with Bruce looking comfortable and happy, and chatting with Jon in a jovial and straightforward manner. It was a reminder of what a bright guy Bruce is. He talked about mixing music with politics in a way that I thought was very interesting. It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to figure out where Bruce lays in the political spectrum, but he talked about the fact that his fans come from all over the map in regard to upbringing and personal beliefs, and it certainly seemed like he respected the fact that people can have different ideals and still come together to enjoy music.
Here's where I fess up. I have not traditionally been a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen's music, and I blame my rebellious side. When I was in boarding school at The Williston-Northampton School for Ne'er-Do-Well Youth (the actual name is a bit shorter) in Easthampton MA, there was a young-ish teacher named Tom Andrews who was a hard core Bruce fan - always talking about going to see The Boss, and how great he was - and it rubbed me the wrong way and made it so I was not keeping an open mind about Bruce. I have since come to realize why people dig Bruce's music so much, and I certainly respect the hell out of him as a musician. Isn't it dumb to close yourself off to something just because other people are so enamored with it? Yes, but life is filled with dumb things. It's what makes us appreciate the not-dumb things.
Be well.
george