# Springsteen and Super Bowl halftime. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060 "2009-02-02T01:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/121 "2009-02-04T20:53:57Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > No sweat. At the Closing Ceremonies in Atlanta at the 1996 Olympics, the Pyro Crew called the shots. Huge stage was slowly assembled live ( kinda hard to explain ) and tons of famous folks rocked and rolled on the same stage. Man, talk about energy. Performers included: > > - Gloria Estefan > - Sheila E. > - Faith Hill > - B.B. King > - Wynton Marsalis > - Little Richard > - Pointer Sisters > - Tito Puente > - Buckwheat Zydeco > - Stevie Wonder > > Anyway, nobody and nothing ruled that central area around the stage except for the Pyro Crew. They knew where we could and could not walk because of the pre-set pots surrounding the stage. > > Huge stuff blew upwards, nobody got scorched. Planning. Safety First, rock 'n roll second. Makes sense - otherwise you get folks incinerated like what happened to James Hetfield of Metallica when he stood over a flashpot at the wrong time… More important hijack question - so? Who sold their show best and hardest of that list of entertainers? I am betting Tito Puente, Buckwheat, Gloria gets crowds going, hmm…the Pointers are pro’s so probably sold pretty hard. But if Little Richard was in the mood, and the crowd was in the mood, he could light up the joint…how’d I do? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/122 "2009-02-05T01:01:27Z")
I could not say. They were on one huge stage at the same time. I kept selling a shot that started with Sheila E who was standing next to Tito Puente. I’d arc around, pull back past them and other musicians, slide downstage to find… BB King sitting down, playing Lucille. Couldn’t go wrong anywhere I put the camera. However it was a pure ensemble. No way to tell who lit the crowd up more. It was a heck of a thing. 19 seconds in ( and perhaps in other places ) you can see me in the Steadicam, behind Faith Hill during the huge final [group concert in Atlanta in 1996](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky57sA1LyR8&feature=related). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/123 "2009-02-05T01:29:06Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > Springsteen and Super Bowl halftime It seemed fine to me. But then I was outside drinking beer and smoking dope at the time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/124 "2009-02-05T08:54:42Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > It was a heck of a thing. 19 seconds in ( and perhaps in other places ) you can see me in the Steadicam, behind Faith Hill during the huge final [group concert in Atlanta in 1996](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky57sA1LyR8&feature=related). > > 😉 I see you! Much easier to see that you are a cameraman at 37 to 38 seconds in. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/125 "2009-02-05T12:19:55Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > [hijack]I know there’s a difference in the manner that U.S. and U.K. English treat collective nouns for the purpose of subject-verb agreement, but this is the first time I’ve seen a plural verb used with the name of a single individual. Is this subject more complicated than I thought?[/hijack] I’m Swedish, I probably make mistakes like that all the time. But I figured you wouldn’t understand _Är jag den ende som tyckte att Prince rockade fett?_, so I did the best I could in English. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/126 "2009-02-05T14:48:15Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > _Är jag den ende som tyckte att Prince rockade fett?_ :eek: I cannot believe you said that!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/127 "2009-02-05T16:02:51Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I could not say. They were on one huge stage at the same time. I kept selling a shot that started with Sheila E who was standing next to Tito Puente. I’d arc around, pull back past them and other musicians, slide downstage to find… BB King sitting down, playing Lucille. > > Couldn’t go wrong anywhere I put the camera. However it was a pure ensemble. No way to tell who lit the crowd up more. It was a heck of a thing. 19 seconds in ( and perhaps in other places ) you can see me in the Steadicam, behind Faith Hill during the huge final [group concert in Atlanta in 1996](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky57sA1LyR8&feature=related). > > 😉 THERE you are! Very cool. And yeah, makes sense - lots of stars to choose from and a generally big buzz - hard to pick out any one player… ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/128 "2009-02-05T18:36:20Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I hate you, now and forever. The way I read that post (something about driving in CA), he heard that concert on the radio, not live. So you don’t really have to hate him, I guess. I just searched on a peer-to-peer program and turned up what seems to be the show he’s talking about, so with a slight bit of effort, you can have the same listening experience anytime you want. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/129 "2009-02-05T19:41:51Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I rarely venture into Pit Land, and really don’t think it makes a lot of sense to engage in deep debates or arguments on line, where the odds of changing someone’s mind is pretty low. Not really related to the subject of this thread, but that never stopped me before. I post more in the Pit than anywhere else, but I certainly never thought I was changing anyone’s mind. Sometimes it’s just nice to let off some steam. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/130 "2009-02-09T23:06:08Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > THERE you are! Very cool. And yeah, makes sense - lots of stars to choose from and a generally big buzz - hard to pick out any one player… Two things came back to me as I saw that clip. ( Which I’d not found before replying into this thread). Sheila E. was utterly focused on and delighted WITH Tito. A lot of clear joy and respect there. She was playing next to The Master. The other nifty thing was BB King. Yanno how he always looks so laid back and happy in the commercials when he’s playing Lucille? By gum he sure looked happy to be on that stage, playing. The handful of times I moved up to him, he was just aglow. It was great- he’s doing what he loves. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/131 "2009-02-10T02:39:29Z")
The Segar stuff is cracking me up. It reminds me of that Onion article about the guy who isn’t sure if his roommate’s professed deep admiration for Kenny Rogers is or is not ironic. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/132 "2009-02-11T17:32:42Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Two things came back to me as I saw that clip. ( Which I’d not found before replying into this thread). > > Sheila E. was utterly focused on and delighted WITH Tito. A lot of clear joy and respect there. She was playing next to The Master. The other nifty thing was BB King. Yanno how he always looks so laid back and happy in the commercials when he’s playing Lucille? > > By gum he sure looked happy to be on that stage, playing. The handful of times I moved up to him, he was just aglow. It was great- he’s doing what he loves. Well, I suspect there is some family back there between Sheila Escovedo and the Puente’s - lots of history at the same clubs, since her dad was big at the same time Tito was… And as for BB - yeah, it must be pretty great to have become a legend doing what you love… Thanks for sharing again. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/133 "2009-02-11T23:03:37Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Well, I suspect there is some family back there between Sheila Escovedo and the Puente’s - lots of history at the same clubs, since her dad was big at the same time Tito was. Ignorance fought. I’d no idea there was such history ! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060/134 "2009-02-12T09:26:28Z")
The only thing I agree with in the OP is this: > [@Spartydog](#): > > A career built on a drummer that has about 3 variations of nothing else but heavy backbeats??? Pathetic. Max Weinberg has always sounded like a three year old tunelessly hitting a cardboard box. I don’t know why Bruce got rid of Vini Lopez: he was a much better drummer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteen-and-super-bowl-halftime/484060.md?page=6)