Following Bruce Springsteen on the road, one fan makes a pitch for ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) ORG XMIT: PAAH105

If you could follow one band or musician, who would it be? Beyoncé? Phish? The Grateful Dead?

Last month, I flew from New Orleans to Pittsburgh to catch two shows of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band there and then the following one in Philadelphia.

It had been a decade since I had seen the band perform — at Jazz Fest in 2014 — and I was thinking that Springsteen (and I) aren’t getting any younger.

I first saw Springsteen in 1980 in Oakland while I was a college student and had seen him nearly a dozen times since then in various places.

Why is it that a certain artist’s music speaks so eloquently to us?

For me, with Springsteen it’s the music, the lyrics, the showmanship, his honesty, his hope for a better America.

I was living in South America at the time, but I’ve heard from countless people that the greatest Jazz Fest performance ever was his in 2006, when the scars from Hurricane Katrina remained raw. His extended version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” left many people in tears.

Two years ago, I read Springsteen’s autobiography, “Born to Run” and marveled throughout: What a storyteller! But that shouldn’t be a surprise because he tells a story with each of his songs.

Springsteen’s “Jungleland” is my favorite song of any artist. When I listen to the sax solo, I always feel like I’m on the verge of discovering the meaning of life.

I chose to see him in Pittsburgh because I could see him twice over four days, I had never been to Pittsburgh before, and I could stay with my cousin Jamini. I hadn’t seen her in years.

My college friends Kevin and Gayle drove to Pittsburgh from near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, having never seen Springsteen before. We took the funicular down from the Mount Washington neighborhood, walked across the Smithfield Bridge over the Monongahela River and made our way to PPG Paints Arena. We reached our seats in the lower bowl at 7:30 p.m., 10 minutes before Springsteen and the E Street Band began.

While watching him perform, I was reminded of something that baseball great Joe DiMaggio once said. Asked why he played so hard, DiMaggio said, “Because there's always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best.”

Springsteen still puts his heart and soul into each show, playing 28 songs over the next three hours. Kevin and Gayle said they now understood why he was so popular.

Three nights later, with my friends back home, I went to the concert by myself. Once again, I bought my ticket on StubHub that day. This time, though, I splurged to buy a seat on the floor.

I never felt alone while watching the show since I was caught up in the crowd’s excitement. I stood during all 29 songs. Springsteen had me — and everyone else — roaring with approval again.

I took the train the following morning to Philadelphia. The next day, I was sitting in a small Avis car rental office downtown when I recognized the next customer. “You’re Jake Clemons, aren’t you?” I called out.

He smiled and admitted that he was. Jake, who is Springsteen’s sax player, graciously visited with me for several minutes. When I told him that I hoped the band would play Jazz Fest next year, he said they all loved playing in New Orleans.

In Philadelphia, I would see my third consecutive Springsteen show with my new friends George and Steve. We had met at Jazz Fest in May after getting a good position early and waiting out the afternoon to catch the Rolling Stones during the final set of that day.

George and Steve, it turned out, are big Springsteen fans and live in New Jersey, just across the state line from Philadelphia.

The day after meeting Jake, I took the subway to Citizens Bank Park, normally the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. It was midafternoon, four hours before the showtime, but George, his wife and two children were in line to get a good spot within the pit, the expensive general admission area next to the stage for die-hard fans. The first person in line had camped out there for five days.

After getting a number for his position in line, George had time to join me in finding Steve in the parking lot. He was tailgating, with Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and a cooler full of beer. Hundreds of others also were preparing for the concert in fine style.

Springsteen gave another enthralling performance, playing a near-identical set to the first show I had seen in Pittsburgh. Once again, he and the band played the music with verve and joy.

I’ve already begun scanning his schedule to see when I can see him again. Maybe Quint Davis will bring him back to Jazz Fest in 2025.