Syracuse alumni relive their ‘Glory Days,’ as they await Springsteen’s return
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While Larry Ross ‘92 was working at WJPZ student radio in November 1992, a representative from Columbia Records walked into the studio and offered to take Ross and his friends out to eat on Marshall Street. Once they finished, the representative gave the group a deal: an invitation to a reception at the Sheraton Hotel and tickets to see Bruce Springsteen the next day.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet Bruce Springsteen, but we did get to enjoy refreshments backstage, and the thrill of being able to walk around in areas not accessible to others,” said Ross. “Being treated like a VIP made for a very memorable experience.”
Springsteen was set to play again in Syracuse on Sept. 7. However, the band announced on Wednesday that the show at the JMA Wireless Dome would be postponed due to Springsteen’s health. For alumni who planned on returning to watch “The Boss,” the show would have been both a night of rock and roll and an opportunity to reflect on a campus they called home for four years.
While attending SU, Ross got the opportunity to see a variety of acts outside of Springsteen play at what was then the Carrier Dome. No matter who was playing, the atmosphere and excitement around campus was palpable, he said. Music blasted from visiting cars as fans walked into the Dome.
“We were fortunate to have a number of concerts come to the Dome during our time as students, from the Rolling Stones to Genesis to Rod Stewart to Bruce Springsteen,” Ross said. “We always took advantage of the opportunity to see shows on campus, even if we weren’t diehard fans.”
The concert culture at SU has always been unique, attracting big-name artists to play almost anywhere on campus. Rick Berger ‘84 said concerts would be held on the Shaw Quadrangle or in front of Bird Library, making it nearly impossible to want to go to class. He remembers one show during finals week where Joan Jett and Jools Holland played in Walnut Park. The environment there was something Berger will never forget.
“I mean, it was nuts to have live music at the library on the quad, and then an outdoor party. So everybody was out partying instead of studying for finals,” Berger said. “It was always really fun.”
Bruce Springsteen was touring with the E Street Band on a world tour in 2023. He has had to cancel several shows, but fans continue to wait with excitement for his return. The DO Collection, University Archives, SCRC, SU Libraries. | Courtesy of SU Libraries
The 1992-1993 Bruce Springsteen World Tour was particularly unique as “The Boss” was performing without the famous E Street Band. The backing band for the tour included drummer Zachary Alford, bassist Tommy Sims, guitarist Shane Fontayne and keyboardist Roy Bittan, the only E Street member who was retained.
The new group Springsteen formed led to more guitar-based arrangements of his classic hits, and his new backup singers, such as Gia Ciambotti and Bobby King, gave the music an R&B feel.
“Even though he was not touring at the time with the E Street Band, I had never seen an artist play for 3+ hours and Springsteen’s energy was unmatched by anyone I had seen before,” Ross said. “Even though some of his newer music was unfamiliar to some, the crowd was still loud and responsive.”
While the absence of the E Street Band lowered the buzz for the concert, there were still plenty of people who were eager to go to the show. Scott Greene ‘93 remembers working at WKFM radio the day tickets went on sale. The station handed out coffee and donuts to students waiting in line and played some of Springsteen’s greatest hits throughout the day.
After hours of playing songs from a set playlist, Greene said that he went “off-script” playing songs from his own CD material. Admittedly, the music director at the station was not pleased with his decision to play “Roll of the Dice” over “Kitty’s Back.”
Although he had been to a few other Springsteen prior to the show in ‘92, the experience of the concert at SU made it particularly memorable.
“As many of his concerts do have those one or two special song nuggets,” Greene said. “I remember feeling the excitement of how cool it was to see my favorite musician on campus at my own college.”
Every time Springsteen takes the stage, the audience is engaged and can sing along to nearly every word, Berger said. He recently took his teenage daughter to a show on Springsteen’s tour and said that his mind really opened up to the number of people who have fallen in love with Springsteen’s music. He has passed down Springsteen’s music to his kids and thinks that many parents have done the same.
“Springsteen has maintained a cool factor even though he’s 50 years older than (college kids),” Berger said. “You’ll probably be looking at him and not think he’s an aging performer. He’s out there working as hard as you do at your job.”
