As a kid at the beginning of the 1980s, Greg Liestman was familiar with some of Bruce Springsteen's bigger hits. He owned a 45 rpm single of "Hungry Heart," sure, but Springsteen had yet to blossom into The Boss for the youngster living in Central Illinois. In 1984, that changed not only in his household, but for nearly all of America, thanks to the global smashing success of the album, Born in the U.S.A. And after witnessing the triumphant marathon that is a Springsteen concert in 1985, Liestman says he made a promise to himself: "I'm going to see this guy as many times as I can."
Liestman, now 50 and the director of enrollment services for Dallas-based iLaw, is as passionate of a Boss fan you'll find in North Texas. Since that first, eye-opening concert, he's reeled off over 100 trips to receive communion from the New Jersey rock 'n' roll messiah. During the 1999-2000 E Street Band Reunion tour alone, Liestman logged a whopping 20 concerts.
Even when he's not fist-pumping at a Boss show, Liestman spends most of his weekends catching live music. His first concert was Elvis Presley in 1976 in Champaign, Ill., when he was a 8. He hasn't seen any one artist nearly as much as he's caught Springsteen, though he estimates that he's seen the Old 97's at least 50 times.
When Liestman went to see a Springsteen perform on May 31, he had an experience unlike any he had felt before. Perhaps fittingly, this was no ordinary concert — it was Springsteen on Broadway.
The 14-month residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York City has stacked one sold-out show after another, with unanimous raves from fans and critics alike. After missing out on acquiring a ticket through Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program during the initial sale in February 2017, Liestman hit the jackpot in January when he was able to purchase a $400 ticket for a seat in the orchestra, fourth row.
Springsteen on Broadway, a new Netflix concert special, premieres Dec. 16 after the show ends its run in the theater. Unsurprisingly, it's winning plenty of praise, stoking anticipation to an even greater degree for the unlucky hordes who have yet to see the real-life performance. Who better to tell us about what makes the Boss and this unique presentation so special than perhaps the biggest Springsteen fan in town?
GuideLive: What is it about Springsteen that makes him and his music so special to you?
Greg Liestman: One of my favorite quotes about Bruce comes from Jon Stewart, who said, "Whenever I see Bruce Springsteen do anything, he empties the tank every time." That nails it on the head.
Springsteen's music, and his shows, capture all of life's emotions. There's joy, laughter, drama, sadness, tears, friendship, family, redemption, love and loss, and one hell of a catalog of music. He is first and foremost a storyteller who tells his story, but it's also our story. Another thing that has connected me so closely to Bruce's music are the friendships I've made over the years. I've met some of the greatest and closest friends of my life because of connections we made through Springsteen's music.
How do you keep track of all the Boss shows you've been too?
I kind of have a freakish memory for those types of things. I can reel off the dates and set lists for each show I've been to. But there's also a great website that can track that information and give you all kinds of statistics (mybosstime.com). I've seen Bruce in 37 cities in 23 states. Over my 114 shows, I've seen Bruce perform a grand total of 2,892 songs, which includes 367 different songs. The song I've seen the most is "Born To Run" (88 times), followed by "Badlands" (81 times). I've seen him perform 105 songs only once.
Did walking up to the Kerr Theatre feel different than walking into an arena for a typical Bruce show?
Definitely. At a typical show, I'm ready for a marathon of standing for over three hours during the show, singing, and dancing. By the end I'm a sweaty, exhausted mess. But for this one, I knew I'd be sitting the whole time. I'd be hearing his stories told in a much more intimate fashion than what he'd done before. Usually a Springsteen show is in a 20,000-seat arena or a 60,000-seat stadium. Walking into the tiny Walter Kerr Theatre, which seats 965 people, I couldn't believe that I'd be seeing Bruce in a setting like this. Even though I knew it was a small place, I was taken aback by just how small it was.
The show is set up to be very different than a typical concert, too. What did you know about the Broadway show beforehand?
I didn't read a ton about the show beforehand, but I knew what songs were played. I tried avoiding spoilers as much as possible. I tried not to read reviews. I knew the gist of what was going to happen — that he would be highlighting stories from his autobiography — but I didn't want to know exactly what was going to happen. I wanted to experience the show with fresh eyes and ears.
Which songs stood out to you in the show?
The opening four songs, "Growin' Up," "My Hometown," "My Father's House," and "The Wish" just hit me like a ton of bricks, and it wasn't necessarily the songs themselves, although they were performed beautifully. It was the stories told leading up to the songs. Here was a guy who is a [major] rock star, telling you the most personal details of his life. And not in a sensationalist way, but in a vulnerable, real and very relatable way. Stories about the brutal struggles he had with his late dad, the symbolism and importance of the tree that was outside of his boyhood home, the pride he saw in his mom when she was getting ready for work.
You may hear that and think it sounds boring. But I have to say, his gift as a storyteller is not saved for just his music. You can't help but hang on his every word.
Did the one-man play format work well in this case?
It worked beautifully. The first half of the show especially, there is probably more dialog than music, but it all flowed together so well. I honestly believe you don't have to be a Springsteen fan to enjoy this show. He talks about stuff that all of us can relate to, because as I said before, he's not just telling his story, he's telling ours.
I've read accounts from fans who have admitted to getting rather emotional and even shedding some tears during the Broadway show. Did you get hit with similar waves of emotion?
I have to admit — and some of my Bruce friends give me a hard time about this — I shed tears pretty much every time I see him, just because his music and shows have meant so much to me. Plus, I have so many specific memories of his music that tie into key moments of my life that always come rushing back to me. But the Broadway show carried such emotional weight from the very first moments. One that stands out that I haven't mentioned yet is when he was talking about losing "The Big Man" Clarence Clemons, which led into "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." Clarence's sax was such an essential part of Bruce's music. Has there ever been a better sax solo than on "Jungleland"? Not to mention their incredible chemistry on stage and the essential role he played in The E Street Band, which is a huge part of Bruce's legend. Hearing Bruce share about this loss is an important part of the show.
How do you feel about the show being captured on film for Netflix?
Well, it won't be the same as being there, it never is. However, this is such an amazing performance that I believe it will translate well. It's an intimate and unique show that will take you much deeper into Bruce Springsteen's life, music, and story.
Springsteen on Broadway premieres on Netflix Sunday, December 16. www.netflix.com
