The Boss-Gillette Style

WOW! What an unbelievable set-list for tonight’s show. I was surprised that we didn’t get more tracks from the Wrecking Ball album, but I am not complaining. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the album but like most fans I prefer the old stuff and that is what we got a steady diet of tonight. After opening with ‘My Love Will Not Let You Down’ Bruce dove into a combo from Born to Run and The River that included ‘Night’, ‘Out In the Street’, and ‘Hungry Heart’ He then followed that up with three songs in a row from the new album and he would only do one more new one all night (Tuesday at Fenway he did six songs from the new album). After ‘My City of Ruins’ where he once again introduced the band The Boss proceeded to launch into a six song set that came all from the past and delivered for the hardcore fans in the house. It started with ‘Spirit In the Night’ and next went to a request for ‘Open All Night’ from the Nebraska album. It took a moment to gather steam as Bruce tried to get everyone in the right key then Roy kicked things off with a boogie woogie thing on the piano and then this is where having those E Street Horns behind the Boss really paid off.  Bruce grabbed a sign that wasn’t a request, it merely said, “Let’s Go Horns” and he laughed that it didn’t request a song and said, “They will go on this song”. This version sounded like the Seeger sessions live in Dublin version and it was rockin’. The horns were front and center and blaring loudly. The third song in this oldies but goodies treasure trove was yet another request this time for ‘Growin’ Up’ and then he had another tune from the Greetings album in ‘Lost In the Flood’. Next up was ‘Because the Night’ and the final song in this awesome set was ‘She’s the One’. Most of the rest of the night was similar to the Fenway shows, but you know Bruce, he had to pull out some surprises. “Racing In the Street’ was one that I haven’t heard live in a while that was appreciated and though not a surprise cause he didn’t play it earlier in the week so it almost had to come up in the rotation was ‘Jungleland’. Close to the end Bruce struggled with a fans request for the old Dobie Gray tune ‘Drift Away’, but he and the band eventually worked it out and it sounded good.

 

Overall this show had a great set list but it did have a few of drawbacks. First of all I missed my wife and my Springsteen buddy of 27 years. Nothing against whom I went with and I hope that he doesn’t take offense, but when you have a history with certain friends you can feel a little lost without their presence. On the positive side of this it was cool to watch the friend that I attended with get a chance to see his buddies in the parking lot before the show. As you know from my blog that is what I feel it is all about. It is that bond, that sharing with your friends, that camaraderie that you have built up over the years together. Tonight I didn’t get that, and that was strange. Another drawback is that I wanted that ten more minutes that I got at Fenway earlier in the week. This one clocked in at 3 hours and 19 minutes and I am greedy for more. My final drawback was there was no room for me to dance like a “squirrel on coffee” (see post from Fenway earlier this week).  I need to do my thing and shuffle around, Bruce gives a lot to the crowd and I feel that it is only fair that I reciprocate and dance like a madman for him and the band.

 

My next stop on my Boss journey is to go see the Springsteen R&R Hall of Fame exhibit that is currently at the Constitution Museum in Philly. I’ll let you know how it is.

 

Can You Feel The Spirit?

 

Setlist:

1)    My Love Will Not Let You Down

2)    Night

3)    Out In the Street

4)    Hungry Heart

5)    We Take Care of Our Own

6)    Wrecking Ball

7)    Death to My Hometown

8)    My City of Ruins

9)    Spirit In the Night

10) Open All Night

11) Growin’ Up

12) Lost In the Flood

13) Because the Night

14) She’s the One

15) Working on the Highway

16) Shackled & Drawn

17) Waitin’ on a Sunny Day

18) Racing in the Street

19) The Rising

20) Radio Nowhere

21) Badlands

22) Jungleland

23) BTR

24) Bobby Jean

25) Dancing in the Dark

26) Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

27) Drift Away

28) Twist & Shout

 

3 hours and 19 minutes

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