Two takes on Bruce’s less serious side

Like Robert Hilburn (“Back and Forth With Bruce,” Aug. 19), I have been a Bruce Springsteen fan for many decades now, starting on the River Tour. At Sunday night’s performance, I found myself missing the purpose that Bruce has brought to every performance I have seen. Gone were the arcs and threads of story. Gone were the road markers that guided our hearts and our minds.

At a time when we need purpose (see Neil Young’s masterful and uplifting “Greendale” concert at the Greek), Bruce offered what he did on “The Rising” -- consolation, and in this concert, joy. Not bad, but not the Bruce that I know and love.

Alex Downs

Long Beach

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I’M glad that Bruce decided to forgo the seriousness and politics of the day and provide us with his unparalleled musical entertainment. I’ve seen several of his shows in recent years, and none of them was as fun or inspirational as the one Sunday night.

Yes, we all want Springsteen and other artists to “turn a new page,” as Hilburn put it. However, we need to remember that musicians, even Springsteen, are not required to be politicians or social commentators every time they play.

To me, Bruce turned over a refreshing “new page” by getting off the serious track he’s been on for a few years and doing something new at the Dodger Stadium concert.

David Lamb

Glendale

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ONLY the Dodger organization could ruin an event like a Springsteen concert: $20 to park in an unstaffed lot that resulted in the show starting nearly 90 minutes late; a sound system that rivaled a 1963 Ford AM radio and video displays that were out-of-sync with the action on stage; a no-water-bottle policy that resulted in thousands of unopened bottles being tossed at entrances, forcing people to pay $4.50 a bottle in the stadium; thousands of cars battling to leave the parking lot, again with no traffic direction.

I’ve seen 15 Springsteen concerts in every venue imaginable. This was truly the worst.

Calvin Scott

Long Beach