Should I screw nightschool?

September 29, 2009 9:28 PM

I am going to see Bruce Springsteen in Giants Stadium on October 8th and want to know if there have been any opening acts on the "Working on a Dream" tour...

I'm trying to get my schedule for this day set and wanted to know if it would be OK to get there at 8:30, even though the tickets list the showtime as 7:30 and the stadium opens at 6. Any input appreciated! Thanks!

posted by WeekendJen to grab bag (8 comments total)

No one (thanks google):
posted by j at 9:30 PM on September 29

I saw the Boss in Glasgow this July - superb show all round. No support act but Nils Lofgren kicked off the concert by playing 'Flower of Scotland' (unofficial national anthem) on the accordian. Crowd went wild.

The show ran from 07:58 till 22:58 exactly as there was a 23:00 hrs noise curfew in place.

enjoy
posted by cameronfromedinburgh at 2:50 AM on September 30

I think it's extremely rare that Bruce uses opening acts.

Also, it would definitely not be OK to get there at 8:30. Assuming you are driving, you will need to plan to arrive much earlier if you don't want to miss the opening. Traffic near the stadium will be backed up, parking will take a long time, and arriving that late means you will park in the distant hinterlands and need to allow at least 10 minutes to walk in from your car.

Even if you are doing a version of the public transport shuffle, cars/buses will be packed on the approach and you may not be able to get on the first shuttle. There will be lines at the entry for security and it may take another 10 minutes inside the stadium to locate your section and seat.

This is one show you really can't cut that close.

The same goes for getting out of Giants stadium; in fact, it's worse, especially if you're driving. It can actually take hours to get out of the parking lot.

I'm not exaggerating; I've seen Bruce there twice and witnessed this both times.
posted by Miko at 6:29 AM on September 30

Plus they are currently building a new stadium in the Giants parking lot, so I'm sure that is causing a bit of havoc.

OTOH, they have a new NJ Transit train station at the stadium that runs for major events. Details. Depending on where you are coming from, that may be faster.
posted by smackfu at 6:52 AM on September 30

As others said, definitely no opener. Get there early. Policies/Procedures for parking, tickets, entry, etc. are listed at BruceSpringsteen.net. Here's the PDF.
posted by whatideserve at 7:11 AM on September 30

Also, I honor you for not wanting to ditch school, but I guarantee you that if you do, you will be glad you did. You have time to give advance notice to the teacher and offer to do extra reading or whatever, so do that and handle it responsibly, and it should not hurt you.

One of the joys of a Bruce concert is just wandering through the parking lot pre-show, watching the tailgaters and enjoying the scene. It's really like no other event, and it's part of the experience - don't shortchange yourself.

If you plan to skip class anyway, go as early as you can, and soak up as much as you can. It's exhilerating.
posted by Miko at 7:24 AM on September 30

Thanks, all. Looks like I'll take the train straight out of work and tailgait / chill before the show starts. =)
posted by WeekendJen at 7:43 AM on September 30

I'm going to the same concert! I'll see you there, lol!
posted by mareli at 8:00 AM on September 30