SXSWORLD

Springsteen greets fans at a recent concert Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. And I still remember the review I wrote for the Targum: "Great record but this guy will never go anywhere. He's too far outside what people are listening to." It took another few years and a couple more albums for Mr. Springsteen to prove me wrong, but eventually the mainstream came to him. And now, nearly 40 years later, he comes to SXSW. Springsteen will bring many questions to that keynote podium: How will the E Street Band proceed after the loss of longtime saxophonist and musical linchpin Clarence "Th e Big Man" Clemons? What will the next album sound like, and how can the 62-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer continue to be relevant in the era of iPads and the Cloud? Or perhaps Springsteen will discuss the past and not the future. He tainted with his legacy. Singer/songwriter and SXSW veteran Ted Leo, born and bred in Montclair, New Jersey, grew up with the legend of Springsteen looming over him, even as he was honing his craft in the Garden State's underground punk scene. "You know how Pennsylvania used to have those signs that said might remember how his fi rst two albums proved critically popular but commercial failures, and note that in today's major label climate, he almost surely would never have been given the chance to record Born To Run after tanking twice. Jay Lustig, the music editor of the Newark Star Ledger (who's been covering Springsteen since 1986) has high expectations of Springsteen's keynote appearance. "One thing that I think can be guaranteed about this speech is that Springsteen will not take it lightly," he said. "If you look at the speeches he has given in the past, he obviously thinks long and hard about what he wants to say beforehand, and says it in an artful way. Even the press interviews he gives when promoting an album or tour are rarely routine; he almost always answers questions thoroughly and thoughtfully." Springsteen's infl uence reverberates throughout the New Jersey music scene's homegrown bands, from the blue-collar anthems of Gaslight Anthem to the raucous punk rock of Titus Andronicus, and almost every New Jersey musician knows what it feels like to be 'America Starts Here?' " Leo asked. "Th at used to piss me off to no end, partly because New Jersey is such an amazing microcosm of America. I think Bruce managed to embody this to a certain degree – urban and pastoral, urbane but honest, local yet universal. Beyond that, though, I actually just appreciate his songwriting more than I identify with him as a 'Jersey guy.' I just admire his ability to be emotional without sappiness, to fi nd beautiful melodies in gut-driven rock & roll, and to tell stories that start within the very borders we're talking about, but almost always transcend them." A younger New Jersey musician, Brian Sella of the Front Bottoms (who will be making his fi rst visit to SXSW this year), grew up disliking Springsteen's music, fi nding it too wordy and old-school for his adolescent tastes. But "since that time, I've come to appreciate his relentless spirit and drive when performing," Sella said. "I also like the fact that he stays close and true to his roots. I can relate to his belief that all good rock music must refl ect the surroundings in which it's created and is always based on a shared sense of community." What will Bruce Springsteen tell us at his SXSW keynote address? Only he knows. But odds are, he will say a thing or two about being from New Jersey. And I will be the guy at the back of the room, beaming with pride. ■ Bruce Springsteen will deliver the keynote address at SXSW Music on Thursday, March 15. Check sxsw.com/music for details. SXSW ORLD / FEBRUAR Y 2012 39 JO LOPEZ

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