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Bruce Springsteen, Wachovia Spectrum, April 29
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Bruce Springsteen, Wachovia Spectrum, April 29
Disclaimer: This review is biased. I love the Boss, I think less of people who don't love the Boss, I wrote my college thesis on the Boss (" 'The Screen Door Slams'': Bruce Springsteen as Celebrity", I got an A-), I have a Boss-related tattoo and once my best friend (who attended with me and shares the previously mentioned tat) and I came up with our dream Boss setlist that included things like "All of Born to Run, expect for 'Meeting Across the River.'" And while I've shared my Springsteen-related opinions on these web pages before, nothing compares to seeing the heart stopping, pants droppin', house rockin', Viagra takin' E Street Band.
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My knees hurt, my abs are killing me and my voice is strained. But it's just the side effects of seeing Bruce Springsteen live. If you don't feel like this after the non-stop, three-hour long set, you're not doing it right. And as worn out as I feel right now, Bruce and the boys were working 10 times harder. Bruce got a little sentimental about the impending demolition of the Spectrum ' saying old arenas that don't waste space on luxury boxes are the great equalizers for music fans. Everyone can hear and see. That is, if you and everyone around you isn't screaming out the lyrics at the same time. It was the first arena the E Street Band sold out and last night's show marked their 31st Spectrum sell out (47 in total for Philadelphia) so give the guy a break.
The setlist (see full list below) drew most from Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River and, of course, the recently released Workin' on a Dream (a word the uninitiated: The best way to fall in love with a new Springsteen album is to hear the songs smattered amongst the classics. It's how I warmed up to Magic and Dream, which I was lukewarm about, sounded different today during my morning commute). For the most part, he avoided Born to Run (until the encore at least) and took nothing from Born in the U.S.A. A bold move because of their inherent popularity, but considering how the band tailors their set list to the current national tone and the themes and song structures of those albums (the desire to become a man and detached narratives, respectively) it made sense in the long run.
So, highlights? The onslaught of the first four songs ' especially opening with the always crowd-pleasing "Badlands" ("It ain't no sin to be glad your alive") straight through to "Spirit in the Night" hurt it was so good. "Johnny 99" was transformed from a Suicide-ish, menacing four-tracker from the flawless Nebraska to a country barn burner, with the help of Soozie Tyrell's fiddlin' and Nils Lofgren's slide, which he produced by taking by jutting out his pelvis and resting his ax on it. Because Bruce and baseball have been linked in my mind recently, I'll call Nils the Shane Victorino of the E Street Band. He's a goofy, not a superstar but, man, he should be. If you are a Springsteen diehard and haven't checked out any of Nils' solo stuff, get thee to a record store. It's way better than Van Zant alone, trust me. Speaking of Lil' Stevie, he lived up to my expectations of looking like a retired pirate. And that's all a girl can hope for.
And that's when shit went crazy. Bruce collected fan signs from the crowd, which is the only way to get a song request in (yelling out your favorite tune over the roar? Sweetheart, not gonna happen). The first sign he placed in front of the camera? "London Calling: Did it stump E Street?" Bruce was pissed and threw the crumpled sign into the crowd. And that's when rock 'n' roll's future colluded with the only band that matters. And it was glorious.
Every Springsteen show has a Patti moment. They're in love and all so she generally gets a solo jaunt. It's also when most people take their beer/bathroom break because she's not a stellar singer and her song is usually boring. But, this was Patti's triumphant return to the stage after "falling off a horse" (hmmm ' hard to believe?). But instead of turning the mic over to Patti, Bruce sang "Red Headed Woman," possibly the romantic song about going down on a woman ("Your life's been wasted / 'til you've got' down on your knees and tasted / A red-headed woman, a red-headed woman.").
Then you have a song like "Thundercrack," which before the Magic tour, was non-album (it's on Tracks) song that they hadn't played since the '70s. How many bands do you know that have a non-album track that every single goddamned fan knows the words to? That's why going to see Bruce Springsteen isn't like going to see normal bands. "Thundercrack" went into "Hungry Heart," where Bruce hopped into the crowd and grabbed an old lady (not like middle-aged old, like super old) from the crowd so she could sing along. "Aw, someone brought their mom!" I thought. That is until Bruce said, "Sing it, Ma!" that I figured out it was Bruce who brought his mom. All together now: Awwwww!
Jay Weinberg took over for dad Max on drums, who will have to bow out of the tour early to take his place as the head of the Tonight Show band. This kid's got power and if he's not neck deep in cougar pussy by the end of the tour, there's frankly something wrong with him. On the other side of the spectrum (ha!), you have Clarence Clemons ' the one, the only Big Man. He could hardly walk, sitting for most of the show and having roadies fix his hair mid-song when it got too unwieldy. But he's still the last one introduced at the end, and he's still the only band member who can elicit Bruce-level cheers. He was wearing long black robes, a fedora and a gold-sequined sparkly scarf. He looked like a cosmic space pimp (you read that right). It was the most appropriate outfit I've ever seen.
Bruce ended the show with "Kitty's Back," from The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle (The biggest mistake amateurs make is thinking they're Bruce fans and not owning this album. Paired with Welcome to Asbury Park, N.J., I could talk for at least an hour and 15 minutes about how these albums accurately chart the rest of the band's career. But I won't. Just go listen). I used to hate this song. It's a little too long and the keys solo in the middle takes it down a notch. But those handclaps! They just got to me after awhile and I became a convert. There's a reason this song took it all home:
The best song for me? "Thunder Road." Bruce dedicated it to Harry Kalas, playing a clip of HK announcing Bruce coming up to the plate and hitting a grand slam. I live for this song. I think its the most perfectly written rock song of all time. I think its opening line says more than most other bands can accomplish in their entire careers. I think its lyrics capture a time and a feeling better than any other song in the pop canon. I had never heard the full band play "Thunder Road." I cried. Just a little, though.
Setlist (via Backstreets.com):
Badlands
The Ties That Bind
Outlaw Pete
Spirit in the Night
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Raise Your Hand
London Calling
Red Headed Woman
Thundercrack
Hungry Heart
The Promised Land
Streets of Philadelphia
Kingdom of Days (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Radio Nowhere (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Lonesome Day (w/ Jay Weinberg)
The Rising (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Born to Run (w/ Jay Weinberg)
* * *
Hard Times (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Thunder Road (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Land of Hope and Dreams (w/ Jay Weinberg)
American Land (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Kitty's Back (w/ Jay Weinberg)
I was at both Spectrum shows.
Perfect description of a Bruce and Band show, from the heart of a true fan.
Nicely done!
At my age of 52 I can honestly this was the best damn concert I have ever been to. His energy was tremendous. The band was friggin awesome! The crowd was on their feet for 3 solid hours and we were all dancing like we were in our 20's (if only). He's an icon.
I'm 25 and have been a Bruce fan since the ripe old age of 2 1/2. My mom says I knew every word to The Promised Land before my ABC's - either I was extremely retarded or just knew incredible music when it hit my ears. I was at the show on the 29th and nearly crapped my pants when he started singing Thunder Road. I'm getting married in Sept. and I'm walking down the aisle to the piano piece from Hammersmith Odeon London '75 version. And then dancing to the Born to Run version with my dad. :-)
Amazing. Just amazing. I wish I was at a Springsteen concert every day of my life! I'm so glad I'm your best friend, Molly.
To Lauren: Oh my god, GREAT aisle song choice. I would give up my first-born child Rumpelstiltskin-style if I could go back and be at that show!
You love the Boss so much do you???? But you can't get a straight up A writing a paper about him?
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