Marty’s photos of the day #4346-#4351: One last time: Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ!

Yesterday afternoon, I drove back to Asbury Park, so I could see it in the daytime. The fog was starting to burn off, and with it being the off-season, the crowds had yet to arrive. Bruce Springsteen’s songs got me through high school and college, and with so many lyrics taking place here, I enjoyed comparing how I imagined the scenes with the real thing. I immediately looked for people I could declare “Sandy” and “Madame Marie.”

Photo #1: A Bruce Springsteen mural on Ocean Drive.

Photo #2: The Boardwalk.

Photo #3: More of the Boardwalk.

Photo #4: Ha! Madam Marie is still here. Well, sort of. The original Madam Marie died in 2008, at the age of 93. Marie Castello’s family now runs the booth.

Madam Marie appears in two Springsteen songs:

4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy): “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do.”

Brilliant Disguise: “As we stood at the altar the gypsy swore our future was right, but come the wee-wee hours maybe baby the gypsy lied.”

Photo #5: I had to take a solemn moment to sit on the Danny Federici bench.

Photo #6: The Asbury Park Convention Hall on the Boardwalk, which is a cool old building with restaurants and shops inside. It’s also a concert hall, where Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones have played. More importantly, Bruce Springsteen has used the hall for rehearsals for upcoming concert tours.

Okay, it’s back to work. In a few minutes, I pack up my rental car and head to Delaware. I have performed Around the World in 90 Minutes in every state except Delaware, Rhode Island, Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii. With my show tonight, at the University of Delaware, I can cross one more state off my list. Just five states left to go!