ooops

[bobfrombob]

repeat. Sorry

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Since it was requested, and since there is a River review already, here are some thoughts on night 1 at Madison Square Gardens.

 

The air is pretty electric around MSG. The arena itself is pretty average but it has that history and it’s New York. There is an energy in the air. I could feel it. Bruce has been playing albums from beginning to end on this tour. He has done Born To Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and Born in the USA. But when it was announced early last week he was going to the The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, and The River, front to back in New York, fans went a little crazy.

 

I was lucky enough to have a GA ticket and it turned out that everybody who did the pit lottery was a winner. So I was dead centre, back the equivalent of about 6 rows. Before the show opens, Pat Riley is walking around in the pit with the setlist in his back pocket.

 

They open with Thundercrack. You know it’s going to be a pretty unique night when the opening song is an outtake…… It was a The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle-era outtake so it made sense but still. New York baby. And right into Seeds. The intensity of the night was already pretty evident. Bruce never really takes a night off but having seen more than 40 shows, it was clear they were stepping it up a notch this night.

 

Prove It All Night and then the Hungry Heart crowd surf. By the way, I had my back right up against the “Hungry Heart” stage. You can see some guy I met give me the high five at 2:43 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTiWUL1_-Vk

 

On to the main event of the night. Augmented by 5 brass players, an additional percussionist, and I think 8 string players, the WIESS album was brought to life like it never has been in a live setting. Bruce introduced the album as taking place partly in Jersey and partly through his romantic imagination in New York.

 

The E Street Shuffle with the horns really swung. Real jazz fans would die if I called the WIESS a jazz album but the influence is clearly in there and this was a great version. If it is possible that Sandy was a little flat, Kitty’s Back more than made up for it. A remarkable version. In the instrumental break, the horn players all took a solo, and then Max played a remarkable, extended solo of his own. And then Bruce shredded it up. It was a little sad here to see that Bruce didn’t turn to Clarence to take a solo – he really is looking his age and really tired. They really made an effort to reproduce the album they way it was recorded - Wild Billy’s Circus Story was done with Roy on accordion and Gary on tuba. Garry is a little weak on the tuba but he made it work.

 

I’d heard Incident on 57th Street done live and I have seen Rosalita lots of times. But I’d never heard Incident run into Rosalita like it does on the album. Truly the way it should be done. Monumental.

 

And close the album with New York Serenade. I’ve only seen this done a couple of times but this was by far the best. The strings really added to it. It’s midnight in Manhattan indeed.

 

WIESS start to end was so amazing that if felt at that point like the rest of the night would be anticlimactic. But there were still some highlights to come.

 

Waiting On A Sunny Day

Raise Your Hand

Another surprise. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? Great version.

Glory Days was played for the friggin Yankees.

 

If I had made a list of songs I wanted to hear, Human Touch would not likely have made the top 50. However, Patti has been home for most of this tour but was on stage in New York. And the duet they did on Human Touch was very hot. Truly passionate.

 

Lonesome Day

The Rising

 

House lights up. Born to Run. Killed - like always.

 

Wrecking Ball

Bobby Jean

American Land

Dancing in the Dark. Brought someone up to dance with him who was reportely his sister.

 

I was ready to die happy at that point and had a feeling the show was over. Nope. He brings out special guest Elvis Costello who joins the E Street Band for an extended version of the Jackie Wilson song Higher and Higher. Just nuts.

 

A magical night.

I have been a Bruce Springsteen fanatic since before I was able to drive or shave. He has been the soundtrack to my youth, my married life, my fatherhood and my descent into heavy middle age. I followed him across Texas (San Antonio, AAustin, Dallas, Houston) and points beyond (New Orlean, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville) in the Summer of 1978...my last hurrah before College.

 

He skipped Dallas this tour. I have not had the financial independence to travel outside the Dallas area for shows. And that sucks because this seems to be an unofficial swan song. I am glad I took D-man to see him on the Magic tour stop here. He is simply incomparable and we will never see the likes of him again.