I am from New Jersey.  Therefore, the fact that I am a Bruce Springsteen fan will not cause anyone to fall off their chair in surprise.  But (hold onto those horses, now), I was not *actually* a fan until a few years ago when I finally allowed myself to listen without covered ears (I’m nothing if not incredibly dramatic).  My frousins (friend cousins – where have YOU been?!) and I went to a concert in October 2009 in NJ and it was amayyyyyzing.  I have seen the B Street Band perform in Hoboken a few times, sometimes even without a fight breaking out at the bar behind me.  Also, I am proud to announce that some frousins and I are going to go see The Boss again together on Good Friday at Madison Square Garden.

So anyway, on Monday night, one of the frousins, Emmy Poo, asked if I wanted to accompany her to a performance of a different Bruce cover band, “Fire without a Spark: Emma and Andy Cover Springsteen.”  I don’t read e-mails properly and didn’t realize until we were walking to Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston) that Emma and Andy have both been on Broadway and then I got pretty excited about how they would be performing the hits in a different way than what we are used to.  The B Street Band pretty much plays all the songs as if they *are* the E Street Band, so I thought that this concert could be an interesting change and I started right then and there saying prayers that Emma and Andy would perform Thunder Road.

Mercury Lounge is a small concert venue with live music every night, most nights with an early show and a late show.  I had actually been to this venue before but didn’t realize it until I walked in.  I went on a strange night that started in Murray Hill for Happy Hour with a friend from home and ended in a recording studio near my guitar class studio at four in the morning with friends of hers who I had just met.  Don’t worry, I got home safe and sound, and up early enough to see the pillow fight in Union Square the next day.

Emily and I were there for the early show which was good because I have become an old lady as of late, and something ending before 10 sounded really nice to me.  A band called Fran Sancisco opened up and played 5 or 6 original songs.  They were pretty good at the music part although there was one song I could have fast-forwarded through, but were lacking on witty banter between the songs, which they did call out that they were bad at, so I suppose I can forgive them.  Turns out two of the band members are also actors/singers in American Idiot and I should probably also forgive them for being in a Green Day musical, but I’m just not there yet.

After Fran Sancisco (should I start calling NY Yew Nork?), Emma and Andy came on and blew us away.  Legit-ly (which I have just declared a word).  Emma Hunton is currently in Rent and Andy Mientus is currently in Carrie, both off-Broadway, and their voices and talent are incredible.  They slowed it down, sped it up, made it work.  Check out these videos (1) (2) (3) and swoon along with us – my prayers came true on video #3.

Emily and I were *really* hoping Bruce would make a surprise appearance since my spies tell me he was at 30 Rock on Monday, but we did not see him anywhere.  But it almost didn’t matter, we had a great time watching Emma & Andy and we will see the real Boss in just over a month, when I am allowed to drink soda again.

xx