MARCH 24: BACK ON TRACK IN COLUMBUS(backstreets.com)
For anyone who took negative reports from Cincinnati as some kind of death-knell, or the start of a downward trend, tonight's performance showed Cincy to be an abberation, just a weird blip. Springsteen quashed any fears not with a sledgehammer, or any kind of apparent vengeance, but by doing what he and the E Streeters typically do night after night after night. A strong performance with inspiring solos and band interaction, Bruce feeling the material and the crowd, for a great night of rock 'n' roll. And just like that, we're back in business.
"So glad to be in your beautiful city tonight!" Bruce hollered as usual, now adding, "And on this campus of higher education!" You might consider this setlist school, with a good number of shake-ups and premieres. Right out of the gate, "The Ties That Bind" was a last-minute replacement for the setlisted "Two Hearts" opener. Springsteen audibled "Adam Raised a Cain" as well, and a couple songs later it was the tour premiere of "Something in the Night" (last played during the warm-ups last fall). In a major shake-up, "Magic" -- the tour's title track -- was left out for the first time. But another Magic song had its world premiere, with "You'll Be Comin' Down" finally getting a long-awaited live airing (here's hoping it stays in the set). And the lowercase magic continued, like Nils' masterful solo on "Because the Night," and the moment in "She's the One" when he and Bruce dragged their guitar necks across the mic stands at the same time.
Before "Livin' in the Future," Bruce cracked, "I think somebody's been looking in my passport, to be honest with you!" The fun continued with the third of three tour premieres, a loosey-goosey "Sherry Darling" -- which was followed by Bruce calling out, "The people have spoken!" At first, he seemed to be referencing the kinda-confusing notion he shared before the song that "Sherry Darling" had won a vote to be played tonight (apparently there was a local Pick-a-Song radio contest, which flew under our radar and under most of the crowd's as well)... but it soon became clear that he was moving on, as he grabbed a sign in the pit calling for "Incident on 57th Street." The two giant disco balls on the Schottenstein Center ceiling came into play -- no, those dots of light weren't a hallucination -- perhaps adding to the '70s flashback. But this "Incident" was truly in-the-moment, particularly as Bruce turned around to the band before Roy's piano coda, making a palpable connection with the band.
After the five-pack, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" was back, and the shake-ups continued with "Born to Run" moved up to the second encore slot. That brought another real highlight of the night: a two-piece horn section for "Born to Run," with an unannounced Ed Manion (longtime Juke and a multiple Springsteen tour vet) coming out on baritone sax. The Kingfish was dancing and having a good time, his first time back with Bruce since the Sessions tour. How to follow that up? How about a strong, tight "Rosalita"? The night's penultimate song was "Glory Days" as an audible in place of "Dancing in the Dark," so instead of a single dance partner on stage, Bruce reached out to the whole place: "It's Ohio Time!"
Next: The Magic tour's first jaunt to the Pacific Northwest begins Friday in Portland, OR.
And from the Local newspaper (can't believe he made comment about the snot rockets!):
Hard-driving performance puts music first
by Aaron Beck
Of the many reasons why Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band remains a top-tier rock band, a band that stands apart from the arena-visiting brand-name bands, here is reason one: the Boss and his pals still take requests.
Last night in Value City Arena, having finished up song No. 13, Sherry Darling, a 28-year-old rave-up from The River, Springsteen accepted a hand-scrawled sign.
The next thing you know, the Boss was clearing his nose for the umpteenth time (sans Kleenex, aka "farmer-style"), smiling wide, turning to face the band and shouting out Incident on 57th Street to eight band mates. It made it a night to remember for those keen on hearing a show they haven't heard in another city — or will hear in another city.
During Springsteen and company's first concert in Columbus since 2002, the band barreled through 25 songs in 140 or so minutes. The E Street Band of 2008 is a more streamlined machine, one that pushes a hard-charging sprinter's pace.
For the most part last night, stripped from the set were Springsteen's theatrical anecdotes that usually serve as song introductions. He's been paring those epic segues for years, but these days the singer-guitarist really keeps the band rolling from one tune into the next.
Bully for him. The result was a set as taut as the band, which began with a rollicking The Ties That Bind and finished with a strident rendition of Badlands, which evolved into joyous sing-a-long.
Along the way, Springsteen and the band cultivated an extra hard-rocking theme. Highlights included classic Boss-man stuff such as the working man's blues The Promised Land and a monolithic, extra-gospel-stoked version of Adam Raised a Cain, which sounded like a collision of the Old Testament, Son House and Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
New tunes Gypsy Biker and Radio Nowhere, two of the handful of tunes drawn from Springsteen's 15th studio album, Magic, arrived as equally boisterous, four-on-the-floor numbers.
It wasn't all arena-rattling. To provide balance, the group spiked the hard stuff with a quiet, mid-tempo number (Something in the Night), a meditation on soldierdom (Devil's Arcade) and a prayer-like track from the unofficial 9/11 memorial album The Rising (Lonesome Day).
Through it all, the E Street Band's leader resembled a guy on a work site, slinging authoritative instructions to co-workers who seemed supercharged just to be at work. And why wouldn't they? All night, the man in charge, no matter if he was strutting across the stage or skipping, was grinning as far as his 58-year-old face would allow.
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG]
25th March 2008 09:21 AM
sweetcharmedlife
Great show Meg. I hope he saves something for us folks out here on the left coast......Plus OSU won. Good night for Columbus all the way around.
25th March 2008 09:22 AM
PartyDoll MEG
Oh and before I have to go into work for a meeting found this...Sandy and DANNY!!
25th March 2008 02:10 PM
glencar
This
"MARCH 24: BACK ON TRACK IN COLUMBUS(backstreets.com)
For anyone who took negative reports from Cincinnati as some kind of death-knell, or the start of a downward trend, tonight's performance showed Cincy to be an abberation, just a weird blip. Springsteen quashed any fears not with a sledgehammer, or any kind of apparent vengeance, but by doing what he and the E Streeters typically do night after night after night. A strong performance with inspiring solos and band interaction, Bruce feeling the material and the crowd, for a great night of rock 'n' roll. And just like that, we're back in business."
is known in the rock critic bidness as "Cliche #9." I believe Eliot Spitzer overpaid for it.
25th March 2008 02:10 PM
Left Shoe Shuffle
Wheeee doggies!!!
25th March 2008 02:15 PM
PartyDoll MEG
Glad to see you made it home, Leftie..
I hope your hearing is intact!
25th March 2008 05:31 PM
sweetcharmedlife
Well it looks like the radio station contest song winners for California are going to be:Spirt In The Night for Sac,Fire For SJ and Because The Night for Anaheim. At least according to Backstreets. We'll see if it really happens. I can easily live with all of those.
25th March 2008 05:40 PM
PartyDoll MEG
Just a little more than a week to wait, SCL!!!
He has mixed it up so much...who knows what you'll get by then...
25th March 2008 06:28 PM
robpop
quote:Left Shoe Shuffle wrote: Wheeee doggies!!!
I'm jealous. I had every intention of making the drive, but that bullshit at work......
25th March 2008 07:21 PM
Left Shoe Shuffle
quote:robpop wrote:
I'm jealous. I had every intention of making the drive, but that bullshit at work......
Too bad you couldn't make it.
It was ALL that.
Friend and his wife changed their plans and I was the lucky recipient of a free ticket to a smokin' show and some great C-town hospitality.
Hung out with a coupla yinzers who did make the drive.
They was some very happy boys...
25th March 2008 07:31 PM
Gazza
quote:PartyDoll MEG wrote:
Oh and before I have to go into work for a meeting found this...Sandy and DANNY!!
From Indianapolis I presume?
25th March 2008 07:35 PM
PartyDoll MEG
quote:Gazza wrote:
From Indianapolis I presume?
Why of course, kind Sir!
26th March 2008 06:42 PM
robpop
Lefty, Meg....
How did Incident on 57th Street sound? Did Rosie sound more polished than the tour debut?
26th March 2008 06:51 PM
Gazza
quote:PartyDoll MEG wrote:
Why of course, kind Sir!
Nice to see that clip and to see him back. Never seen him wearing a cap before - presumably his hair hasnt grown back since his treatment.
He looks a lot healthier in that clip than he did at his last appearance 4 months ago in Boston, when he looked absolutely skeletal.
26th March 2008 07:25 PM
PartyDoll MEG
quote:robpop wrote:
Lefty, Meg....
How did Incident on 57th Street sound? Did Rosie sound more polished than the tour debut?
Incident was wonderful..
Rosie was still a little rough if you compare it to the "olden days", probably because they don't play it that much, but with so many people singing and dancing does it really matter.
And Gaz, I though Danny looked pretty good in that video too! I imagine he'll be back for your leg of the tour
26th March 2008 09:03 PM
Left Shoe Shuffle
quote:robpop wrote:
Lefty, Meg....
How did Incident on 57th Street sound? Did Rosie sound more polished than the tour debut?
Thought they both sounded real good.
Quite frankly I was more relieved than excited when they played 'Incident'.
Some mook was holding up a BIG sign for it all night, blocking my view of Bruce.
IMO everything was top notch - especially 'Because The Night', which was the only tune I was really hoping to hear.
And 'Something In The Night' was indeed something...
BTW, The Big Man really shined on Monday.
He's got a noticeable hitch in his giddyup, but he can still blow.
See yinz on the Summer leg!!
27th March 2008 10:30 PM
robpop
One minute from the Columbus show. I would not waste my time posting one minute, but this is incredible footage and sound. Whoever you are that taped this, I hope you have more and you want to share.
27th March 2008 11:33 PM
sweetcharmedlife
Good enough for me. I'm glad he's kept that one in the set.
29th March 2008 09:10 AM
PartyDoll MEG
Times getting closer for you, SCL.. Just 2 more shows to go and then it be BROOOCE time!!
Portland got For You, which was a cheap sign request on the back of a ticketfast receipt, and Lost in the Flood along with Jungleland(sign request)... So you should be in good shape to hear that one, SCL!!
Bruce has been pretty loose on the stage, adding "sexy time" to his "What time is it" question in Glory Days. Well apparently, he did some further ad libbing again last nite with his lyrics in American Land. He changed the lyric "from the Germans to the Jews" to Lesbians and the Jews for a group of 5-7 girls in the PIT with tee shirts saying "LESBIANS heart BRUCE." Gotta love that guy!!
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG]
29th March 2008 09:29 AM
glencar
were they lipstick lesbians?
29th March 2008 12:49 PM
PartyDoll MEG
For you Joey...
29th March 2008 01:06 PM
PartyDoll MEG
The guy who shot this video last nite had the camera between his legs because of security watching him-lol
29th March 2008 01:30 PM
sweetcharmedlife
quote:PartyDoll MEG wrote:
Times getting closer for you, SCL.. Just 2 more shows to go and then it be BROOOCE time!!
Portland got For You, which was a cheap sign request on the back of a ticketfast receipt, and Lost in the Flood along with Jungleland(sign request)... So you should be in good shape to hear that one, SCL!!
Bruce has been pretty loose on the stage, adding "sexy time" to his "What time is it" question in Glory Days. Well apparently, he did some further ad libbing again last nite with his lyrics in American Land. He changed the lyric "from the Germans to the Jews" to Lesbians and the Jews for a group of 5-7 girls in the PIT with tee shirts saying "LESBIANS heart BRUCE." Gotta love that guy!!
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG]
Yeah Meg. Gettin excited for sure. But I think the whole sign thing is getting out of hand. Maybe I should just show up with a sign that has a 24 song setlist written out on it. Think Bruce would play the whole thing?
29th March 2008 01:34 PM
Gazza
quote:sweetcharmedlife wrote:
Yeah Meg. Gettin excited for sure. But I think the whole sign thing is getting out of hand. Maybe I should just show up with a sign that has a 24 song setlist written out on it. Think Bruce would play the whole thing?
As long as "The Price You Pay" isnt on it, anything's possible.
For some bizarre reason, he never plays that one.
29th March 2008 01:53 PM
PartyDoll MEG
quote:sweetcharmedlife wrote:
Yeah Meg. Gettin excited for sure. But I think the whole sign thing is getting out of hand. Maybe I should just show up with a sign that has a 24 song setlist written out on it. Think Bruce would play the whole thing?
Hey..
It is a bit out of hand..
especially if they are standing in front of you holding up the sign!
Even CowTown had upteen thousands of signs.
And while we are moaning..
Who in their right mind would bring a little kid on the floor?!! It is hard enough being a vertically challenged adult. Then to top it all off, they want you to move out of the way..so Junior and Mommy can get closer to see Bruce!!
As Gaz would say ..never me..
F**K OFF, WILL YA!!!
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG]
29th March 2008 02:25 PM
sweetcharmedlife
quote:Gazza wrote:
As long as "The Price You Pay" isnt on it, anything's possible.
For some bizarre reason, he never plays that one.
So Gazza have you made your Human Touch sign yet?
29th March 2008 04:53 PM
Left Shoe Shuffle
quote:sweetcharmedlife wrote:
But I think the whole sign thing is getting out of hand.
It is.
But since Bruce is obviously reading 'em and then calling audibles, it can only get worse...
BTW, ticket sales for the Gillette Stadium show today are pretty sluggish.
Rumored second show there seems unlikely.
Hope that'll prompt somebody into rethinking the venues on the next leg.
29th March 2008 05:06 PM
glencar
quote:Left Shoe Shuffle wrote:
It is.
But since Bruce is obviously reading 'em and then calling audibles, it can only get worse...
BTW, ticket sales for the Gillette Stadium show today are pretty sluggish.
Rumored second show there seems unlikely.
Hope that'll prompt somebody into rethinking the venues on the next leg.
I thought about it but it's quite a hike & it is a ton of a venue.
29th March 2008 05:16 PM
Left Shoe Shuffle
quote:glencar wrote:
I thought about it but it's quite a hike & it is a ton of a venue.
But on the plus side it will prolly cost you more to park than for your ticket...
29th March 2008 05:25 PM
Gazza
quote:sweetcharmedlife wrote:
So Gazza have you made your Human Touch sign yet?
It's gonna be "Chicken Lips & Lizard Hips" for me! (Now THERE's an obscurity..)
):
, which was a cheap sign request on the back of a ticketfast receipt, and Lost in the Flood along with Jungleland(sign request)... So you should be in good shape to hear that one, SCL!!