Springsteen deservedly went 'way into overtime last night at MCI Center - as usual for him, by almost an hour.
The great moment during that OT: The Boss' revival-meeting act urging swing voters to get off their couches, turn the volume all the way up so the walls shake, take off their clothes, put one hand on the television set, say "Halliburton" three times fast - then throw open the window and yell "A change is gonna come!"
All the acts I saw were outstanding (6-1/2 hours long, folks. I'll see it all someday). But John Fogerty was elevated to almost godlike status - hell, Springsteen played backup for HIM. And he's the only one outside of the Boss who didn't need a crib sheet for the sub-finale of "Peace, Love and Understanding." The BIG finale of "People Have The Power" (where EVERYONE was on stage) was a sound designer's nightmare - about 40 guitars, 20 mics, and inexplicably, 13 accordionists (okay - not really), and one smokin' drummer who took the night off from Conan to work his ass off.
This should have been on at least basic cable - and I don't know if Sundance descrambled for the show, but it should have. Again I ask, where was MTV when we needed it? Oh yeah. It was no longer its own network.
And in answer to that favorite wingnut question, "Why do we care what a bunch of rock and roll people have to say?" To which we reply: A whole pantload more than what some oafish, naive, non-inclusive oily talkshow host isolated in their radio studio has to say.
These people said it with dignity, class and the truth. Oh, and with some kickass music.
Congratulations to Robert Redford and Sundance. It was 13 hours (with the replay) of great activist rock and roll TV.
