Springsteen Performance a Let Down

        The Boss is in charge no more. Bruce Springsteen's Super Bowl performance last Sunday was painful. In a mere twelve minutes, Springsteen proved that he is past his prime. He is one of America's greats, with hits like "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road," but the half time show performance of the forty-third Super Bowl, which included the E Street Band, was not up to standards.

         Ever since the 2004 Super Bowl half time show, which featured Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and tear away clothing, any room for error, and on occasion, entertainment, has been eliminated. Since the wardrobe malfunction incident, new producers have taken over the show and have consistently opted for old men. Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and now this. Not that there is anything wrong with old men, but not all younger people want to be exposed themselves on television. 
         The New York Times ran a piece about The Boss on Sunday, sighting him as a musician who still relates to the people, who can still put on a good show. Springsteen proved them wrong. The performance had a twelve minute cap, but his voice couldn't stay strong that long. He sounds tired, haggard even. He couldn't hit the high notes, and you have to wonder if Steve Van Zandt is there to cover up Springsteen's failing voice. If his fading vocals weren't enough to damper the performance, the show included a "referee" who came on stage and signaled penalties during part of the performance. Really, Bruce?
          Springsteen and the E Street Band opened with "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out." The second song was the Bruce class "Born to Run." In this song, the usually long, drawn out "Run" at the end of a verse fades quickly, nowhere near his typical enthusiasm. They moved onto "Working on a Dream," or as Springsteen sings, "Working on a Dre." The end of the short word is lost; his voice is gone.  The half time performance closed with an infamous song, "Glory Days." The song was hindered by Springsteen and Van Zandt's unnecessary and unwanted banter.
"Steve, what time is it?"
"It's Boss time."
          When performers have to validate themselves, something is seriously wrong. They also chat about running over the allotted time, which they dismiss, as they clearly think their talent supersedes the time limit. Their conversation also includes quite a few corny jokes with football references: "We're going to be going over time. . . Man, it's going to be penalty time." One of Springsteen's comments at the opening of the show was on the same level of lameness. He tells viewers to "step away from the guacamole dip." Inspiration at its best.
            The Boss is an American great, he has put on many a good show, but Sunday night was not one of them. Bruce Springsteen should've followed the advice of his own lyrics in "Born to Run":   "We gotta get out while we're young."