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The Photo Book
Janet Macoska
When rock photographer Janet Macoska began working on her photo book,Bruce Springsteen: Live in the Heartland, during the pandemic, she came across images of The Boss she’d never seen before.
“I did a deep dive into my negatives and found images that I had never printed—that I probably never even looked at,” said Macoska, who photographed the rocker for decades.“Because the way we worked back in the day, I was shooting shows every night.”
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02of 10Cleveland, Ohio, February 1974Janet Macoska/ACC Art Books"Nobody in the audience really knows him. They just started playing his music on the radio here," Macoska remembered of that first show. “He opens up for an English guitar band. Everybody in the audience wants to see the English guitar band, and here’s this kind of beatnik-looking guy from New Jersey. I’m captivated.”
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Cleveland, Ohio, February 1974
Janet Macoska/ACC Art Books
“Nobody in the audience really knows him. They just started playing his music on the radio here,” Macoska remembered of that first show. “He opens up for an English guitar band. Everybody in the audience wants to see the English guitar band, and here’s this kind of beatnik-looking guy from New Jersey. I’m captivated.”
03of 10Richfield, Ohio, October 1980Janet MacoskaMacoska has captured many rockers over the years, includingDavid Bowie. She explained that Bruce Springsteen brings a different energy to the stage.“He’s real. Everything about him is authentic and real, and that’s how his audience sees him, feels him,” she said. “He gives you everything. He’ll give you his last ounce of breath.”
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Richfield, Ohio, October 1980
Macoska has captured many rockers over the years, includingDavid Bowie. She explained that Bruce Springsteen brings a different energy to the stage.
“He’s real. Everything about him is authentic and real, and that’s how his audience sees him, feels him,” she said. “He gives you everything. He’ll give you his last ounce of breath.”
04of 10Richfield, Ohio, October 1980Janet MacoskaMacoska has been capturing The Boss on stage since 1974. Her technique hasn’t changed, even though she’s switched from film to digital photography.“The closer you can get to the stage is the best,” Macoska said. “Because you’re not just reading light reflecting off a person. You’re reading their energy.”
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Macoska has been capturing The Boss on stage since 1974. Her technique hasn’t changed, even though she’s switched from film to digital photography.
“The closer you can get to the stage is the best,” Macoska said. “Because you’re not just reading light reflecting off a person. You’re reading their energy.”
05of 10Richfield, Ohio, July 1984Janet MacoskaMacoska only met Bruce Springsteen once, in part, she believes, because performing took so much effort.“Bruce would be very elusive [after a show],” she explained. “I think because of the toll his body took, for three hours of performance. I know he travels with massage therapists and trainers.”
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Richfield, Ohio, July 1984
Macoska only met Bruce Springsteen once, in part, she believes, because performing took so much effort.
“Bruce would be very elusive [after a show],” she explained. “I think because of the toll his body took, for three hours of performance. I know he travels with massage therapists and trainers.”
06of 10Richfield, Ohio, July 1984Janet MacoskaThe night Macoska met Springsteen backstage, “he came out and hung out with us,” she said. “He was just normal. Normal, hanging out, having a beer.”
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The night Macoska met Springsteen backstage, “he came out and hung out with us,” she said. “He was just normal. Normal, hanging out, having a beer.”
07of 10Cleveland, Ohio, August 1985Janet MacoskaWhen Macoska photographed Springsteen in 1985, he’d transformed.“He was this whole new Bruce. It’s like, wait a minute. This is superhero Bruce,” she said. “He spent all his time getting buff and working out. It got me excited about photographing Bruce Springsteen again.”
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Cleveland, Ohio, August 1985
When Macoska photographed Springsteen in 1985, he’d transformed.
“He was this whole new Bruce. It’s like, wait a minute. This is superhero Bruce,” she said. “He spent all his time getting buff and working out. It got me excited about photographing Bruce Springsteen again.”
08of 10Cleveland, Ohio, August 1985Janet MacoskaNot only was Springsteen different in appearance, he brought new energy to the stage. “He kind of recreated himself, with the Born in the USA tour,” she said, “and if anybody could get more energetic and more powerful on stage, he certainly did.“The crowd who came to see him at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the summer of 1985 matched him in intensity. The photo book documents Springsteen’s special connection to the people in and around Cleveland, who loved his music since he first debuted on the radio in the ’70s. For that show, 80,000 fans came out in force.“All those people, including way, way, way up in nosebleed heaven, all the way up there, staring at him. They were all staring at him, and watching his every move, and listening to every note,” Macoska remembered. “Everybody looking at that shot knows it’s Bruce, because Bruce has one of the most famous butts in all of rock and roll history.”
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Not only was Springsteen different in appearance, he brought new energy to the stage. “He kind of recreated himself, with the Born in the USA tour,” she said, “and if anybody could get more energetic and more powerful on stage, he certainly did.”
The crowd who came to see him at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the summer of 1985 matched him in intensity. The photo book documents Springsteen’s special connection to the people in and around Cleveland, who loved his music since he first debuted on the radio in the ’70s. For that show, 80,000 fans came out in force.
“All those people, including way, way, way up in nosebleed heaven, all the way up there, staring at him. They were all staring at him, and watching his every move, and listening to every note,” Macoska remembered. “Everybody looking at that shot knows it’s Bruce, because Bruce has one of the most famous butts in all of rock and roll history.”
09of 10Cleveland, Ohio, February 2016Janet MacoskaMacoska has been a Bruce Springsteen fan for as long as she’s been photographing him.“I see him as a storyteller,” she said, “and when he sings a song I just kind of figure, it’s autobiographical, that it’s Bruce.”
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Cleveland, Ohio, February 2016
Macoska has been a Bruce Springsteen fan for as long as she’s been photographing him.
“I see him as a storyteller,” she said, “and when he sings a song I just kind of figure, it’s autobiographical, that it’s Bruce.”
10of 10Cleveland, Ohio, February 2016Janet MacoskaWith her photo book, Macoska wants to give fans a sense of what Bruce Springsteen is like on stage — not just what he sounds like on the radio or on SoundCloud.“I grew up whenLifemagazine was around. What I was attracted to was telling stories with photos,” she said. “This book is going to appeal to a lot of people who have been to Bruce Springsteen shows, as well as those that haven’t.”
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With her photo book, Macoska wants to give fans a sense of what Bruce Springsteen is like on stage — not just what he sounds like on the radio or on SoundCloud.
“I grew up whenLifemagazine was around. What I was attracted to was telling stories with photos,” she said. “This book is going to appeal to a lot of people who have been to Bruce Springsteen shows, as well as those that haven’t.”
source: people.com
