July 30, 2002 was the release date of Bruce Springsteen’s 19th LP, (depending on how and what you might be counting), and the rebirth, and a rejoice of what was everything I have enjoyed from The E Street band for over 25+ years. Though I only knew about a handful of songs when I first saw the band back on 1980’s “The River” tour, I was soon to be a converted disciple of all the magic, all the fun and all those emotions that rock-n-roll is supposed to bring, as I saw The E Street band 5 times on the 1984/1985 “Born In The USA” tour. After seeing that tour and witnessing those 3 hours plus, triple encore performances, I knew then and still know to this day, that (even though Tom Petty and Don Henley come close) there is no American rocker that writes music, and performs on stage greater, than Bruce Springsteen and that heart stopping, pants dropping, hard rocking, booty shaking, E-Street Band. Attending just one concert, will confirm all that and so much more. Seeing Bruce Springsteen live and in concert has been a pilgrimage and a pleasure that I have now enjoyed (as of June of 2015) some 33 times. Seeing the E Street Band on stage rocking is indeed an event.

Each tour has been as unique as it was different. Each LP has had its own message, and its own meaning as reinventing seems to be common with every new LP being released. Even without the E-Street Band for the early 1990’s release of “Lucky Town” and “Human Touch”, the music was passionate and still very much, was classic Springsteen. However, it would be the 2002 release of “The Rising” that would change, yet again (and perhaps still) how I viewed this man, his band and their music. “The Rising” is indeed an incredible piece of inspirational classic rock music that offers hope, closure, truth, kindness, silly fun, and all bringing together that journey that life takes us all on to where we never know quite how or when it will end. This album really works, on every emotion, and at every level. It is simply that damn good.

I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band 4 times on this tour (twice in L.A., Denver and in Sacramento) and should have seen him a dozen more. Mixing up old and new, classics and the rare, ballads and the epic’s, all in genuine E-Street style. Was it quitting time, was is going home time, was it late night with Conan time, or was it simply “Boss Time”, who knows? It certainly was the right time, for the perfect LP, from the perfect band, and a tour that followed that was perfectly performed night after night for over a year and a half. If seeing “Lonesome Day” or “Mary’s Place” performed live doesn’t get you singing and a shaking or dancing, then you really must not have much of a pulse.

Enclosed on this website, is my personal collection of memorabilia collected during “The Rising” tour, and in the years since. Promo items, collectables, and those ever hard to obtain autographs are just some of what you will see in this, my tribute to a classic album, from what I consider to be the greatest American songwriter of my life time. Please enjoy this collection of memorabilia and the autographs obtained. Much hard work, sacrifice, expense, but most of all just plain luck, has gone in to what you are seeing. I don’t envy anyone who tries to build a Bruce Springsteen collection, especially around just one LP. Anyone who has tried to obtain Bruce’s signature, knows how difficult it can be (and how difficult he can sometimes be). That being said, I am so proud of this collection and get as much enjoyment from it as, I equally do listening, again and again, to that classic album. Come on up for the Rising, and enjoy too a pretty fun chunk of  The Rising Collection . My Collection, …”were gonna have a good time.”