The Forum
Thursday, April 4, 2024 Entry #79
Besides the road trip and the Springsteen concerts, there was the no small matter on this journey of getting to spend time in Los Angeles with Steve, my good friend for 50 years. We met when we were kids at summer camp, and though we have long lived in different locales, we have stayed well connected to one another through calls, visits, common friends and multiple adventures. Steve has lived in Southern California since the mid-1980’s, so it was also great to have him here as my local guide. The night I pulled into town, we grabbed dinner and spent time catching up and engaging in our familiar and gratifying banter.
We woke up early to head to the Kia Forum and check in with the ad hoc GA Pit community that I knew would have formed sometime during the overnight hours. Sure enough, a line had been established, and we were informed that it was almost time to receive our numbers based on the order we had arrived.
Though I had never before attended an event at the Kia Forum, long labeled as simply “The Forum” (sometimes billed, with perfect Hollywood hyperbole, as “the modern version of the Colosseum of ancient Rome.”), it felt like I had always known about it. Like Madison Square Garden (the two venues actually shared a common ownership group for a spell), this round arena was iconic in the world of both sports and rock concerts. This LA Forum was the decades-long home of the of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the team won multiple championships while residing there. The Lakers had a dizzying array of superstars through their years at the Forum, such as Wilt Chamberlin, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, and the fabled arena was the home base of famous Lakers ultra-fan, actor Jack Nicholson. In the world of music, there is so much more to say, but the fact that two of the most celebrated live albums of all time, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s 4 Way Street, and Bob Dylan’s Before The Flood, were recorded at the Forum is emblematic of its stature.
The drill for these shows turned out to be relatively cushy. Once we got our wristbands with (relatively low) lineup numbers, we were told we didn’t need to do periodic check-ins, and we were free until a leisurely (thanks, laid back LA!) 4 PM return time. Steve and I had breakfast and spent time kicking around the City of Angels.
When we returned, we were in for another pleasant surprise. We lined up, ready for the hours of waiting on our feet that we had signed up for. However, after less than an hour, which included lots of socializing and communal sharing of ordered pizzas (“please make the delivery to the Springsteen die-hards lined up in the Kia Forum parking lot), we were led to a pleasant outdoor gathering area on the second level of the venue, complete with concession stands, merchandise booths, Springsteen displays, and actual tables and chairs. The helpful Forum staff let us know that we basically had the run of the place until just before the time we would need to briefly line up again and claim our spots on the floor.
During this time, I saw a good number of people I had met at other Springsteen shows on the tour. About to head into my ninth Springsteen concert in a little more than a year, it felt really good to be part of this particular traveling community of fans and like-minded souls. We enjoyed our pre-concert reunion time and the comparing of notes on where we’ve been on the road since last we met.
And then, before we knew it, we were entering the legendary Forum to see my first Springsteen concert of 2024. Steve and I raced to the floor, staked out our (awesome) spots in the pit, and got ready to be rocked!
Day 4
I've been to many (for me) Springsteen shows, but always bought seat tickets in advance - I've never understood (taken the time to learn) how the process for getting a seat in the pit works. Would you take a post to explain to (some of) us how, if we'd like to see a show in the pit, we go about doing it (without the risk of missing the show entirely)? And if you've already posted on this (I'm new to your blog), can you tell me the date of the post and I'll read it? Thanks!