We went to see Bruce Springsteen at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. As I knew he would be, Bruce was awesome. He played for three hours and seemed to feed off the energy in the crowd. He played songs that made us sing and songs that sent us a message.
The other reason I was excited for this concert was the venue. This was the stadium built for the 1936 Olympics, with a special viewing box for Adolf Hitler. These were the games meant to show off the success of Nazi Germany and the prowess of the Aryan race. But in track & field, a Black American stole the show. Jesse Owens took four gold medals in a performance that no one could top for the next 48 years.
The legend is that Hitler, furious at Owens' victories, Hitler stormed out of the stadium. That may not actually be true.
It's possible that Owens actually did shake the Führer's hand, and apparently carried a photo of the moment in his wallet for years to come. He claimed that it was his own president, FDR, who snubbed Owens by not acknowledging his achievement.
The story, whether it's true or not, is timeless. Even to people who are not track nerds like me.
Several of the songs that Bruce chose to play were about immigration, about inclusion and hope and though he didn't say it outright, probably about accepting refugees. Timely and fitting to play at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. I think Jesse Owens would have approved.
Bruce may be timeless, but I certainly am not. I felt pretty old when we finally got home at 4am. As Brian reminded me a few times, Bruce was definitely in bed by then.
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