I find it odd to be reviewing a Bruce Springsteen concert. I’ve spent the better part of my life hating Springsteen’s music (at least the songs I heard on the radio) and generally despised him whenever I saw him on television. For the most part, Springsteen’s stuff is simply not the kind of music I normally enjoy. To this day the song “Born in the U.S.A.” just puts me in a bad mood, I hate it that much. A funny thing happened a few years ago, however. I was in a relationship that was not going well and in a last ditch effort to be the ideal boyfriend, I surprised my then-girlfriend with Springsteen tickets since she was a huge fan (we all do stupid stuff for chicks, admit it!). With dread I attended the show and I ended up having an amazing time (of course the relationship still ended less than a month later). That particular show was called “The Seeger Sessions”, and featured music I especially hate – amazon.com states, “The premise was simple, Bruce Springsteen invites a dozen or so New York City musicians--packing banjos, fiddles, accordions and the like--to his New Jersey farmhouse for a three-day hootenanny”. It didn’t matter what the music was, it was so high energy and played with such exceptional skill that it was a visual and audio treat. I vowed to catch Springsteen again if he ever toured with the E Street Band. Along the way I picked up Springteen’s tribute to 9/11 called The Rising, apparently an album he wrote in 2 weeks, and it’s become one of my favorite cds. Since The Rising Springsteen and the E Street Band have put out two more albums, both of which I really enjoy. What the hell is happening to me? Springsteen and the E Street Band are currently touring to support their latest album, “Working on a Dream” and I caught the show with AC on April 21st.
With AC fighting a bad cold she caught from a stupid patient and me sweating like a pig from eating spicy BBQ chicken pizza, we took our seats at the Boston Garden. We really lucked out because although our seats were in back of the stage, it turns out that we were very close to the stage given the design and we enjoyed a terrific view. These were actually some of the best seats I’ve ever had at a large venue. Because Miko bailed on us (just kidding, Miko, please don’t kill me), AC gave the extra ticket to a crazy woman, who fortunately never showed up so we had some extra space in the sold out show. After AC loaded up on some costly bottles of water we were ready.
All I can say is wow! There’s a reason that Springsteen has been so successful for the past 30+ years and there’s a reason that the E Street Band enjoy such a positive reputation, they are all amazing, consummate musicians. Although I wasn’t familiar with most of the 25 songs they played, it simply didn’t matter. Springsteen and band play with such enthusiasm, with such high octane energy, and with such skill that it was a fantastic treat and one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Springsteen is known for never playing the same set twice and as part of tradition (I guess) he takes signs from the audience that have requested songs written on them and the band churns them out, apparently even material that has not been rehearsed over ever played live. You would never know this, however, because the musical performances were flawless.
I will see these guys any time they tour.
They played for 2 solid hours before the encores.
Setlist
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Outlaw Pete
4. Out In The Street
5. Working On A Dream
6. Seeds
7. Johnny 99
8. Ghost of Tom Joad
9. Raise Your Hand
10. I'm Bad I'm Nationwide (tour premiere, sign request)
11. I'm Goin' Down (sign request)
12. Growin' Up (sign request)
13. Waiting On A Sunny Day
14. The Promised Land
15. The Wrestler
16. Kingdom of Days
17. Radio Nowhere (Jay Weinberg) on drums
18. Lonesome Day
19. The Rising
20. Born To Run
Encores:
21. Hard Times
22. Tenth Avenue Freezeout
23. Land of Hope and Dreams
24. American Land
25. Rosalita
Show start: 8:09
Show end: 10:45
5 comments:
Awesome review, JPX. So jealous.
Springsteen is funny. First with Born in the USA (an album I also can't listen to) and then with his next few efforts, Springsteen seemed to be on a trajectory of inconsequence in the late 80s and early-mid 90s. It was like he was following Billy Joel and Sting in elevator music "adult soft rock" or something. Horrible stuff.
It got the point where I'd forgotten how much I used to listen to the box set I had in h.s. of his late 70s stuff and how great it still was/is. But yeah, sometime around the Rising, it's like he decided to start kicking ass again, and I rediscovered him. I think it's tied to how much more overtly political he got during the Bush years. Now I just pretend "Born in the USA/Tunnel of Love" didn't happen.
Also, I dig that he recasting himself as the heir to Woody Guthrie. That's an odd aspiration for a NJ rocker millionaire icon, but you're so right about the Seeger sessions--what a fucking awesome album.
I love this review:
"Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen's new disc, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, is the best Pogues record I've ever heard. I mean that as a compliment, too — I play If I Should Fall From Grace With God a lot more than I play Born to Run, and We Shall Overcome has that same perfect mix of folk directness and rock and roll energy — all it needs is a few pennywhistles and you'd swear you were listening to "Fairytale of New York." On a couple of tunes, Springsteen even tries out a growly Irish accent that makes him sound like Shane MacGowan, only a Shane MacGowan who isn't about to puke into the bass drum and pass out dangling by his shirt collar from the mike stand."
Btw, as much as I also hate the song, I still do love the story about how Reagan picked "Born in the USA" for his campaign song in 1984 without realizing that's it's a liberal ironic polemic AGAINST uber-nationalism and imperialism. Dipshit.
i'm dying of laughter at the review- jpx nailed it! the empty seat next to us was a mute reminder of our missing miko.
springsteen let the fans interact with and manhandle him to an extent i don't think i've ever seen before. so glad i hung in there (just) long enough to hear born to run; as a non-fan, that is one of my favorite springsteen songs. one of my work friends went last night; i'll ask her about that show today. she's a jersey girl and knows her springsteen. :)
Oddly enough - i got into Springsteen about ten years ago - because of a girl - a republican from Arizona nonetheless. bleh.
However, the admiration of the boss continues. And I think it's almost universal: 70s Bruce: Awesome; 80s Bruce: What happened?' 90s Bruce: intriguing but a little desperate; 2000's Bruce: Awesome!
Oh, and for the record, Regan didn't make Born in USA his campaign song, but he did tout it as a sign of high levels of patriotism. Totally with you on the dipshit remark.
my friend jen told me about this; she was at the show last night.
from the boston globe:
Last night, the Boss was cupid.
After the Dropkick Murphys made a surprise appearance with Bruce Springsteen during his second night at the Garden, Dropkick Tim Brennan proposed – on stage -- to his longtime girlfriend. “I think I was more nervous than he was,” said Ken Casey, the band’s frontman.
The Dropkick/Bruce collaboration was a last-minute idea. Casey tells us that the band went to the Tuesday show and mingled with Bruce back stage. The Boss asked the Dropkicks, “When are you going to play with me?” The band answered, “Whenever you want,” to which Bruce replied, “How about tomorrow?”
Casey and the gang quickly learned “American Land,” a Bruce song with Celtic flair. They rehearsed during sound check and were ready to go in time for the show.
The proposal was a bonus surprise. So was a Bruce performance of "So Young and In Love," in honor of Brennan and his new fiancee.
The band gave Bruce a Bruins jersey for his efforts.
Casey proposed to his own wife years ago at a lighthouse in Truro. He thought that was pretty romantic.
“I think that's been blown out of the water,” he said.
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