A weekend in the park with Bruce
Some logistical measures for the first stadium concert in Fenway Park's 91-year history What you can buy, and where
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
Until showtime, hawkers will be walking the aisles and shouting their wares as usual -- albeit limited to hot dogs, pizza, soda, and water. They'll continue thereafter, but it'll be all over for the shouting. Booths underneath the stands will be open, and Springsteen merchandise will be available. Beer will be sold no later than 10:15.
Now sitting in left field...
Extra security has been hired, "but not because we expect security problems," said Larry Cancro, senior vice president for Fenway affairs. "Most of our ushers could go to any seat in the park with their eyes closed. But now we have 9,100 seats they've never been to before." In addition to regular Fenway restrictions on what may be brought in, recording devices and umbrellas will be barred.
11 p.m. or when Bruce finishes, whichever comes second?
The city license for the shows is quite clear: The music may start no earlier than 7:30 p.m. and must end by 11 p.m. Cancro said the Red Sox club would do its best to enforce the curfew, but "by the same token, we also understand that Bruce likes to put on his whole show." He said the club is urging fans to come early so the show can start on time.
Bruce in Boston
Springsteen's stop at Fenway is one more on the list of venues he's played within city limits. Here are others, with the year of his first appearance at each:
Paul's Mall, 1973Oliver.s, 1973Boston Garden, 1973Berklee Performance Center, 1974Music Hall, 1974Orpheum, 1995FleetCenter, 1999Seeing from the cheap seats
The stadium's display boards will be working until the show begins, when the production's video screens on either side of the stage will fire up.
Music in the seats
Besides myriad renditions of the national anthem and the organ stylings of John Kiley and others, there have been few musical performances at Fenway, and nothing like the fullblown stadium experience that Springsteen will bring.
Smash Mouth played one song in 1999 during All-Star festivities. George Wein's Jazz Festival New England played to about 15,000 on each of two days in 1973, bringing Ray Charles, B.B. King, Herbie Mann, Stevie Wonder, and others to the park.
Bob Hope, Eydie Gorme, Debbie Reynolds, and the Glenn Miller Band were scheduled to perform at a Jimmy Fund benefi t in 1982, but it was scrapped because of poor ticket sales.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
