Swede Loc: Trail, BC Canada

This is pretty cool, great excuse to skip a day from school, and he can play

An Australian teenager has found a very good excuse for missing school: playing on-stage with Bruce Springsteen.

During a Thursday concert at Australia’s Brisbane Entertainment Centre, teenager Nathan Testa caught the Boss’ attention with a cheeky sign that read, “Missed school, in the sh**, now can I play Growin’ Up with you?”

“You know it on guitar?” Bruce Springsteen asked upon noticing the sign. And after an enthusiastic “Yes!” Springsteen told him, “Come on up!”

Testa hopped up on stage where Bruce Springsteen’s guitar tech, Kevin Buell, handed him an acoustic guitar.

To Testa’s credit, he did in fact know the song, strumming the tune from Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings From Asbury Park and even sharing the mic with the musician at some points.

While the teenager was missing school, he still learned a lesson – in rock and roll, that is.

Bruce Springsteen took the opportunity to educate him on the stage, saying, “Before we continue, a lesson.

“When I was your age, I brought my first guitar, and I realised, it wasn’t how well you played it, but how good you looked doing it,” the 67-year-old musician said. “So I go in front of the mirror trying out different poses.”

For the full effect, he then struck several of his iconic rock and roll poses in front of the enthusiastic crowd.

With a story like that, one can’t imagine Testa’s teachers will be too mad at him for skipping school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xY3q45EBt8

This is cool

Swede

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Too cool is correctamundo!!! I've never heard of anyone wanting their money back after a Springsteen show. Thanks Swede!

Last week in Aussie.

Millismote Loc: Massachusetts

What a thrill for the kid. Good post.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

He's the Boss

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

If you noticed , this wasn't the first time that kid was on stage with the Bruce....

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Please explain.

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

I watched the video link you posted and on you tube is shows other videos with this same kid ...in on he was like 12 years old...I think I saw about three or four different ones...
Here's one...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsoJnYNMgXg

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Thanks for the link. You have me confused with someone else, that's new to me. I thought the kid did well not to choke in that setting. Even on a blackboard night down at the pub, people that play/sing well can fold. There's a saying, "Know your song twice as well as you expect to perform it."

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

You were the one that asked me to explain.....so I explained....

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

and I thanked you???

Violameister Loc: michigan

Golly, if I were that young man's teacher, I would not really appreciate Springsteen's advice: "When I was your age, I brought my first guitar, and I realised, it wasn’t how well you played it, but how good you looked doing it". Maybe as a photographic model, "looking good" will suffice. But in most other professions, the quality of the action, whether as a welder, doctor, carpenter, or musician, looking good alone will not suffice if the product is no good.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Springsteen has been known to make the odd joke or two. Like the time in his car when the turn indicators failed, then the heater stopped, then one wiper quit, other things went wrong but it didn't get serious until ... THE RADIO BROKE!!!!

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Great story. Wish I had thought of that when I was still in school

Don

Violameister Loc: michigan

Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks.