The Big Boss Man

Bruce Springsteen is an icon who's divided music fans like few other artists have. There's a sizable faction of fans that worshipfully buys every album, attends every concert, and generally believes that "The Boss" can do no wrong. Nothing written here is going to persuade them not to go to Springsteen's show in Glendale this weekend. Then there are the rest of us, who just scratch our heads and wonder what the big deal is. Come to think of it, that might ultimately be Springsteen's greatest accomplishment. Plenty of artists have blindly loyal fan bases, but few have such a dearth of out-and-out haters. Even among Springsteen's detractors, the consensus isn't so much that he sucks, just that he's overrated and/or overexposed. Hell, most of them would probably even grudgingly admit to liking a song or two, and few would question his work ethic. Springsteen's legendary live shows might not be the four-hour marathons they once were, but they're still twice as long as those of most other arena headliners. Especially in these turbulent economic times, you've gotta respect a guy who consistently gives fans their money's worth.
Fri., April 3, 7:30 p.m., 2009