It was 8:00 in Northfield Ohio at the Hard Rock Rocksino when the crowd grew eager in anticipation. As I looked around I realized it wasn’t the typical crowd. There were empty seats, when they would usually be full. Nils Lofgren came out and started the harp intro to “Too Many Miles.” He’s probably they only man to master a rock-n-roll harp. When he grabbed his electric guitar and began playing with the energy of a teenager and the skill of a man who has played for over forty five years, you knew the mood of the show would transform into the same as that of a packed stadium. The evening had had a cozy feel to it, as if you were watching an old friend tell stories. He spoke of his recovery while preparing to play “New Holes in Old Shoes.” He mused on about how we all have demons and how he had replaced his with ice cream. He put the guitar on a loop as he began with what would have been the solo on the record, proving he had enough skill to be a one man band. The next acoustic song was “Sticks and Stones,” and recanted about how words are the things that can hurt the most, something we all have come to know at some point or another. He told us about the singer of his other band (you may have heard of him: Bruce Springsteen) which led into a song not played with the E Street Band until the reunion in 1999. The song of course was “If I Should Fall Behind.” He sang the song with so much heart and conviction; it was as though he had written it himself. He followed with a heartwarming, tear jerking “We miss You C.” It had originally been “We Miss You Ray,” but he explained that on his sixtieth birthday, his E Street band mate, Clarence Clemons was buried and Nils’ wife, Amy, made him go to a celebration. The combination of sorrow and joy he felt from his family and friends inspired him to tweak the lyrics.
Too Many Miles by Nils Lofgren (originally for Bonnie Bramlett)
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Next in line was a song written by another band leader from his early years, Neil Young, “Long May You Run.” One of the greatest acoustic solos came from “A Girl in Motion.” Nils’ solos have the ability not a lot of guitarists have: that of cutting directly into your soul. He didn’t have to sing a note. The music produced by his hands on those strings filled you with joy or made you cry, all on their own.
Anecdotes gushed about Neil Young and Nils’ transition from accordion to piano, including the music in “Southern Man,” which led into “Black Books,” “Going Back,” and “Believe.” These songs proved he was much more than a guitarist. His forty-six year catalogue proved he could play any instrument he felt inclined to master.
The encore consisted of a song audience didn’t expect to hear, but hoped they would, Bruce Springsteen and Patty Smith’s “Because the Night.” This song may have been written before Nils Lofgren joined the E Street Band, and he made it his own. With a cheering crowd He came back out with his electric guitar and began to play, including taking a spinning around on one foot.
He ended the show with the anthem of “Shine Silently,” leading the crowd in the chorus. The night however was not over. He announced he would be signing autographs and taking photos. He had to get used to signing with his left hand do to the serious guitar playing with his right. It was good to know that after forty-six years of playing music he still takes the time to meet with the fans. You see, with guys like Nils Lofgren it isn’t about the fame or the money, it’s about doing something he loves, something we love watching him do. It’s about the music: The heart and soul that goes into writing the lyrics, the interaction with the audience. When he’s up there, it’s not just him. We’re all in this together.
