Man, there's an opera out on the turnpike...
This past Sunday night, November 22, 2009, I had probably the best concert-going experience of my life. Three friends and I went to Buffalo, NY and saw the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, house-rocking, earth-quaking, booty-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking legendary E Street Band, in what was long-rumored to be their last show together (more on that later).
Now, for you, our loyal listeners, I went through the trouble of trying to write down the entire setlist, only to remember that Bruce posts all of his setlists on his website. The list from Sunday is on the bottom of the page: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2009setlists.html#20091122
I can verify the accuracy of this playlist (except for the omission of “Green Onions” which came before “Merry Christmas Baby”), and I have to say it was a hell of a song selection. I'll admit that I kind of wish I'd been at one of the other shows on this tour during which they played Born To Run start to finish, instead of Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., but I can't honestly complain about getting to see the only ever complete live performance of Bruce's first LP.
Now, I suppose I could go on and on about how the band sounded (incredible), how long they played for (over 3 and a half hours) or how the Boss really is larger than life (try “minor deity”). I suppose I could even talk about how Bruce's music is “timeless.” After all, the ages of people at the concert ranged from approximately half my age to approximately three times my age. And while we were standing outside the HSBC arena, my friends and I chatted with a middle-aged man in a Cornell lacrosse hoodie. According to him, the E Street Band played Barton Hall in 1978 (Redo? Get on that, Cornell Concert Commission.) But to vacuously use the word “timeless” without saying anything more is to be…well, a PBS special I guess. It's a lot more interesting to speculate why the Boss has pan-generational appeal.
With a view to answering that question, here a few of my observations from the show:
1. As you may know, the E Street Band regularly takes requests from the audience in form of cardboard signs made by the audience. At some point during Sunday's show, Bruce took a sign requesting an old rock standard called “Hang Up My Rock ‘n' Roll Shoes.” Bruce responded, and I quote, “You gotta start putting lyrics on these signs man. We don't know the f*cking words to this song!” He and the band then of course proceeded to play the song. They were obviously faking it, and also probably sounded better than most bands would have. It occurred to me then that the Boss has this unique ability to seem both human and superhuman at the same time.
2. Bruce Springsteen is at a point in his career where he could probably take the adoration of his fans for granted. But as he was crowd surfing during “Hungry Heart,” (yes, that freakin' happened!) the look on his face could best be described as ‘innocent glee.' He was thrilled, surprised even, that the audience loved him that much. It was at this point that it occurred to me: the poet laureate of New Jersey may have come a long way since he was just a scrawny kid from Freehold who heard an opera out on the turnpike. He may have gotten older, wiser, and even more cynical at times. But he's never completely abandoned the naïve enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old.
3. Bruce has some sad songs. …Scratch that. Bruce has some devastating songs. Some cripplingly depressing songs. I almost cried the first time I heard “The River.” I still almost cry every time I hear the 1978 Winterland version of “Backstreets.” When he played “Long Walk Home” on Sunday, I had to sit down. If you've ever had your heart broken, Bruce has songs that will break it again. As I was sitting down, listening to “Long Walk Home,” I realized that there are Springsteen songs about the kind of pain that makes you wonder “is it even worth it to fall in love?” Then he hit me with “The Rising,” “Born to Run,” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” And I realized “of course it is.”
Oh, and by the way, Bruce promised that the E Street Band will be back. I say, “rock on, boys.”
Now, for you, our loyal listeners, I went through the trouble of trying to write down the entire setlist, only to remember that Bruce posts all of his setlists on his website. The list from Sunday is on the bottom of the page: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2009setlists.html#20091122
I can verify the accuracy of this playlist (except for the omission of “Green Onions” which came before “Merry Christmas Baby”), and I have to say it was a hell of a song selection. I'll admit that I kind of wish I'd been at one of the other shows on this tour during which they played Born To Run start to finish, instead of Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., but I can't honestly complain about getting to see the only ever complete live performance of Bruce's first LP.
Now, I suppose I could go on and on about how the band sounded (incredible), how long they played for (over 3 and a half hours) or how the Boss really is larger than life (try “minor deity”). I suppose I could even talk about how Bruce's music is “timeless.” After all, the ages of people at the concert ranged from approximately half my age to approximately three times my age. And while we were standing outside the HSBC arena, my friends and I chatted with a middle-aged man in a Cornell lacrosse hoodie. According to him, the E Street Band played Barton Hall in 1978 (Redo? Get on that, Cornell Concert Commission.) But to vacuously use the word “timeless” without saying anything more is to be…well, a PBS special I guess. It's a lot more interesting to speculate why the Boss has pan-generational appeal.
With a view to answering that question, here a few of my observations from the show:
1. As you may know, the E Street Band regularly takes requests from the audience in form of cardboard signs made by the audience. At some point during Sunday's show, Bruce took a sign requesting an old rock standard called “Hang Up My Rock ‘n' Roll Shoes.” Bruce responded, and I quote, “You gotta start putting lyrics on these signs man. We don't know the f*cking words to this song!” He and the band then of course proceeded to play the song. They were obviously faking it, and also probably sounded better than most bands would have. It occurred to me then that the Boss has this unique ability to seem both human and superhuman at the same time.
2. Bruce Springsteen is at a point in his career where he could probably take the adoration of his fans for granted. But as he was crowd surfing during “Hungry Heart,” (yes, that freakin' happened!) the look on his face could best be described as ‘innocent glee.' He was thrilled, surprised even, that the audience loved him that much. It was at this point that it occurred to me: the poet laureate of New Jersey may have come a long way since he was just a scrawny kid from Freehold who heard an opera out on the turnpike. He may have gotten older, wiser, and even more cynical at times. But he's never completely abandoned the naïve enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old.
3. Bruce has some sad songs. …Scratch that. Bruce has some devastating songs. Some cripplingly depressing songs. I almost cried the first time I heard “The River.” I still almost cry every time I hear the 1978 Winterland version of “Backstreets.” When he played “Long Walk Home” on Sunday, I had to sit down. If you've ever had your heart broken, Bruce has songs that will break it again. As I was sitting down, listening to “Long Walk Home,” I realized that there are Springsteen songs about the kind of pain that makes you wonder “is it even worth it to fall in love?” Then he hit me with “The Rising,” “Born to Run,” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” And I realized “of course it is.”
Oh, and by the way, Bruce promised that the E Street Band will be back. I say, “rock on, boys.”
WVBR DJ BLOG ARCHIVE
~Summer Songs of 2010 (Tue 8/10) 1 Comment
~Wicked Garden Playlist 8/7/2010 (Sat 8/7)
~Living Colour at The Haunt! (Thu 7/29)
~Our 90's Playlist (Sun 7/11) 3 Comments
~Dinosaurs + Bells = The Ryan McGuire Art Show (Thu 7/1)
~Stand-Out Album: It's Blitz (Wed 6/16)
~Ithaca Fest: A Manifestation of Community Conscience (Mon 6/7) 1 Comment
~Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray Found Dead (Sun 5/30)
~Ronnie James Dio dies after battling stomach cancer (Sun 5/16) 1 Comment
~Disappointment from Sherwood Forest (Fri 5/14)
~Flaming Lips come to Ithaca (Tue 4/27)
~The Ballad of Foot-Foot (Tue 4/6) 1 Comment
~It Takes Two (Tue 3/30)
~Grizzly Bear!!! (Tue 3/30)
~Vampire Weekend: Contra (Sun 3/28) 1 Comment
~Joanna Newsom - Music, Fistfights With Weather Phenomen... (Sat 3/27)
~New Music March (Tue 3/23)
~Mahna Mahna! (Mon 3/8)
~Ellis Paul's New Album! (Thu 2/18)
~Weird News with J & K - Snow Fort (Wed 2/17)
~The Weather Outside is Frightful (Wed 2/10)
~We Were Promised Jetpacks (Fri 2/5) 1 Comment
~You & Me at Grammys (Wed 2/3)
~Save Greek (tv series)! (Thu 1/21)
~An Open Letter to the Boss, from a not-so-casual fan (Sat 1/16) 2 Comments
~Top 25 Songs of 2009 (Wed 1/13)
~Top New Artists of 2009 (Thu 12/24) 3 Comments
~Viral Videos of the Year (Sun 12/20)
~WVBR Hammer-Ons (Rock-in Headlines) (Mon 12/14)
~Weezer cancels shows after Rivers Cuomo injured in bus... (Mon 12/7)
~Wicked Garden Playlist 8/7/2010 (Sat 8/7)
~Living Colour at The Haunt! (Thu 7/29)
~Our 90's Playlist (Sun 7/11) 3 Comments
~Dinosaurs + Bells = The Ryan McGuire Art Show (Thu 7/1)
~Stand-Out Album: It's Blitz (Wed 6/16)
~Ithaca Fest: A Manifestation of Community Conscience (Mon 6/7) 1 Comment
~Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray Found Dead (Sun 5/30)
~Ronnie James Dio dies after battling stomach cancer (Sun 5/16) 1 Comment
~Disappointment from Sherwood Forest (Fri 5/14)
~Flaming Lips come to Ithaca (Tue 4/27)
~The Ballad of Foot-Foot (Tue 4/6) 1 Comment
~It Takes Two (Tue 3/30)
~Grizzly Bear!!! (Tue 3/30)
~Vampire Weekend: Contra (Sun 3/28) 1 Comment
~Joanna Newsom - Music, Fistfights With Weather Phenomen... (Sat 3/27)
~New Music March (Tue 3/23)
~Mahna Mahna! (Mon 3/8)
~Ellis Paul's New Album! (Thu 2/18)
~Weird News with J & K - Snow Fort (Wed 2/17)
~The Weather Outside is Frightful (Wed 2/10)
~We Were Promised Jetpacks (Fri 2/5) 1 Comment
~You & Me at Grammys (Wed 2/3)
~Save Greek (tv series)! (Thu 1/21)
~An Open Letter to the Boss, from a not-so-casual fan (Sat 1/16) 2 Comments
~Top 25 Songs of 2009 (Wed 1/13)
~Top New Artists of 2009 (Thu 12/24) 3 Comments
~Viral Videos of the Year (Sun 12/20)
~WVBR Hammer-Ons (Rock-in Headlines) (Mon 12/14)
~Weezer cancels shows after Rivers Cuomo injured in bus... (Mon 12/7)
