Pinball Alley

Back in the mid-seventies Todd Pierce and I climbed into his VW Beetle and caravanned with a bunch of folks down to East Lansing, Michigan to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band somewhere on the Michigan State campus. It was Bruce's "Born To Run" tour and it seems to me that the East Lansing stop was one of the first stops on the tour. We made it down there and Todd and I had seats about mid-way back on the main floor. It was not a huge venue so they were pretty good seats. The show was the first time I'd seen the Boss and naturally I was blown away. Three plus hours of frantic blistering rock and roll in an era that was overdosing on California singer-songwriters. Bruce took the stage and played every song like it was the last time he was ever going to get to play in front of people. He poured absolutely everything he had into every solo, lyric, and song. He did a Mitch Ryder medley. Entirely awesome.

After a Bruce show one's adrenaline is pumping so Todd and I were excited. What a show! As we walked outside to meet up with the others, we noticed the tour bus. We decided to hang around and see if we could meet Bruce. We had good intentions, but it was spring and there was a nip in the air. We got chilled and eventually we gave it up. The others had left us by now, so we decided to hit the Big Boy across from the campus for a burger and coffee before heading home.

As we were finishing up, we noticed the tour bus pull into the motel next door. I brazenly stated to Todd that we should just go over and see about partying with the band. A driver got out as we got near the bus, and I just asked where the band would be partying that night. The driver said "They said they were going to somewhere called "the copper penny or the wooden nickle, or something like that." I told Todd we should go over the the Silver Dollar. We did.

When we walked into the bar we were sure the driver had been putting us on. There was nobody in this place. There was a band and they were playing to the bartender. No exageration. There was not another soul in the place. Why? It was a Sunday night and it was exams week. People who had dared spend precious time at the concert, were now back at their dorm frantically cramming. So it was like a ghost town. But we were the only two there, so we opted for pinball and a beer before heading out. Suddenly we noticed another guy at the bar. It was Mighty Max! Bruce's drummer! We went over and bought him a beer and I was delighted to spend time talking about drummers with him - a subject he has since written a book about. Then we noticed Danny Federici come in and Clarence and Roy Bitten and I struck up a conversation with Miami Steve (now of 'The Sopranos' fame too). Then I notice over his shoulder was Bruce. How cool. Todd and I have the whole E street Band all to ourselves. Bruce went up to the pinball machines and I asked if I could play with him. We did. I will always tell my grandkids about it, as if I were telling them about getting into a swordfight with Zorro. After the pinball game I fumbled through my pockets looking for something to write on. Since I worked part time at Flaming Rat Records, all I could come up with was a promo sticker for Roger Daltry's release "Ride a Rock Horse". I told Bruce none of my friends would believe he was in this bar. He wrote on the Sticker "Lyle - I was in this bar - Bruce Springsteen." I have it framed.

None of my friends ever did believe me.