E Street 'Magic' Alive And Well Bruce Springsteen and his mighty E Street Band aren't just conjuring up the past.

By CURTIS ROSS

The Tampa Tribune

Nils Lofgren was luckier than a lot of other people who travel for work. At least he had a few days off the road to reschedule after his American Airlines flight was grounded.

He sounded relatively relaxed on the telephone, pausing briefly to order a triple tall nonfat latte (although maybe he was just waiting for the caffeine to kick in).

Actually, in his words, he was "feeling like you feel after 50 shows, a little useless and delirious, a little punch drunk."

Lofgren, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band for 24 years now, is in the midst of touring behind Springsteen's 2007 album, "Magic."

His relatively hassle-free travel arrangements aren't the only reasons he feels lucky.

September will mark 40 years on the rock '! n' roll road for Lofgren, whose career includes stints with Neil Young, his own band Grin and several solo albums.

"When I look around me at Bruce and the band I'm in, it's a real gift," Lofgren says.

"There's a midlife musical crisis you have to traverse if you've never had hits. A lot of people don't handle it well," Lofgren says. "Few of them get to do what I do and it's not just a refection of talent. I feel blessed and lucky."

Lofgren's lack of solo success hardly reflects a lack of talent. He's an outstanding guitarist who writes tough, taut pop tunes. His eponymous 1975 debut is a stunner, with at least one track, "If I Say It, It's So," that should have been a hit.

But it wasn't, and when Springsteen came calling in the mid- '80s, Lofgren put his solo career on the back burner for a while.

Lofgren still is quite active as a solo artist. He tours in the Northeast and Europe, and will release his next solo! album - acoustic covers of Neil Young songs - in May. He's also offering video guitar lessons through his Web site, nilslofgren.com

For now, though, Lofgren is focused on his role in the E Street Band, which he describes as "Bruce's swing man."

With as many as four band members playing electric or acoustic guitars, Lofgren often adds Dobro, bottleneck slide, lap steel or pedal steel guitar.

Although Springsteen has the final say, he trusts Lofgren's instrumental instincts.

"The other night, we were doing 'Ghost of Tom Joad,' and [Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave] guitarist Tom Morello sat in with us," Lofgren says.

With Morello, Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt all wailing away, "we didn't need another electric," Lofgren says.

Lofgren considered playing acoustic, but instead went for the pedal steel, played through a fuzz-tone effects pedal.

"I got this screaming sound that still had clarity for pla! ying ch ords," Lofgren says.

"Bruce didn't say anything, so I did it again the next night," Lofgren says with a laugh.

With Springsteen, Lofgren says, "it doesn't matter what instrument you pick up or how you're playing it or your rhythms or your notes. As long as you're supplying what the song needs emotionally, you're good.

"The main requirement is that you love the music," Lofgren says. "That's what makes us a great band."

(CHART) CONCERT PREVIEW

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Monday

WHERE: The Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa

TICKETS: $67.75 and $97.75; call the box office, (813) 301-2500, or Ticketmaster, (813) 287-8844

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or c! ross@ta mpatrib.com 000C054800004 7822230706129B0 02D29B9B0EBF020801 9C02070A08?cmd=ComposeTo&adr=>

Photo credit: www.nilslofgren.com /www.nilslofgren.com/>

Photo: "The main requirement is that you love themusic. That's what maes us a great band," guitarist Nils Lofgren says of his fellow E Streeters.

Photo credit: Fire Media

Photo: Bruce Springsteen

:: sonicboomers.com/

Bob Dylan and Neil Young, both currently on European tours, are set to headline the Optimus Alive! festival in Lisbon, Portugal this July.

Dylan, who's European tour kicks off in Iceland on May 26, and includes an whopping eleven nights in Spain is set to headline the Portugese Festival on Friday July 11 and Neil Young is set to headline the three-day event's closing night on Saturday July 12.

The festival takes place at Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Oeiras, and also sees Rage Against The Machine headline the opening night, Thursday July 10.

Other acts confirmed to play are Spiritualized, The Hives, Gorgol Bordello, The Gossip and The National.

Tickets for the three day event are a! bargai n 80 Euros, or 45 per day, more details are available here
:: www.optimusalive.com

......................................
thanks again to the mystery HwyCDR reporter.

:: themusic.com/classic/

...........
thanks, pete.