Running on Empty: Jackson Browne drains the tank in inspired Costa Mesa show

A recurring theme in Jackson Browne’s 50-plus-year songwriting career is use of the imagery of life on the highway as a metaphor to excavate the emotional journey of the human condition from depths of despair to the pinnacle of joyful triumph.
With that in mind, Browne’s Costa Mesa appearance Friday, Aug. 16 could be described thusly: He and his 7-piece combo hit the Pacific Amphitheater stage about 7:35 p.m. with a topped-off tank of gas. Some three hours and 26 songs later he was &