Nils Lofgren's homecoming: Playing D.C.

WASHINGTON - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band bring their "Working On A Dream" tour to the Verizon Center Monday night. While it's just another city on a world tour for most of the band, it's a homecoming for E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren.

Lofgren grew up in Bethesda, played the D.C. clubs with his band Grin and still owns a home here in the suburbs.

"My phony colonial," Lofgren calls it.

Lofgren calls Phoenix home now, but his 82-year-old mother still lives here as do his three brothers. Lofgren has had a successful solo career for 40 years, but for the past 25 years he's had to balance his career with Bruce's.

"The E Street Band is a full-time job," says Lofgren.

When he's on tour with Springsteen, Lofgren doesn't work on his solo projects. He doesn't even write songs while he's on tour.

"I give myself permission to immerse myself in this job and the E Street Band," Lofgren says without regret or apology.

Lofgren is considered by many to be one of the best rock guitarists alive. While he's spent the past 25 years backing up Bruce, his resume includes Neil Young, Ringo Starr, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Branford Marsalis and Rod Stewart. To name a few.

His latest solo CD, "The Loner," is a compilation of Neil Young songs that Lofgren recorded at his home on piano and acoustic guitar. Lofgren played piano and sang on Young's 1970 "After The Goldrush" album. At the end of the recording session Young gave Lofgren the Martin guitar he had used to write the album. Lofgren used that same guitar to record "The Loner."

"It's a mellow record, the entire thing is live no production or over dubbing."

Lofgren calls it a "significant challenge to take on Neil's work."

In addition to the new CD, Lofgren is busy teaching people to play the guitar. Lofgren is offering lessons through his Web site, www.nilslofgren.com. For $20 and few minutes, Lofgren promises you can be jamming like a rock star, or at least with a rock star.

"People tend to pick up a guitar for a few minutes and it's all hard work and frustrating. I try to show you things you can do with one finger, take no practice that sound and feel like music," Lofgren says. "Right out of the gate you can play with me."

Lofgren knows he has a strong fan base here in D.C. and he tries to perform here at least once a year. Unfortunately for Nils, fans they are going to have to keep waiting for their next Nils show.

"Usually I do three-night stand at the Birchmere, but they need me to commit, like a year in advance, and I can't do that until this tour is over."

As of right now the tour is scheduled to end on Aug. 2, but Lofgren says it could go longer. Once the Springsteen tour does end, Nils will take some time with family before getting back to work.

"I'll probably do some acoustic shows and start writing songs until I get a batch of songs I really love. Then I'll record record another record."

Lofgren admits he's had a career most musicians can only dream of, but that doesn't stop him from dreaming of even bigger things.

"Maybe have this giant hit record that everybody's sick of because 'cause every radio station is playing it too much, that's the dream. But it's not something I'm holding my breath for. It's not a race anymore."

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)