Europe! Are You Ready to Be Transformed?!

[Julie in the rv mirror]

We've got him all warmed up for you!

YouTube Video

So, I attended The Boss' Bon Voyage party the other night in Newark, and it was a blast! I got an awesome spot in the pit in front of Soozie (she's been moved to the other side of the stage to Nils' right), and I managed to snap a few decent pictures (and a bunch of blurry ones- that man will not stay still! lol) before the camera battery died. (Dummy me forgot to charge it. )













As always, an excellent show by Bruce and the band. The diehards were treated to a real "Holy sh*t" moment when he played "Bishop Danced", which had only been played once before ever, when Bruce was "a baby child" as he put it. It wasn't a total surprise for the pit crowd, because we had heard them soundchecking it when we were first let into the arena. Still, it was a whole lot of fun, with Charlie and Soozie featured prominently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RL6PTdFIlg

The true highlight of the night, though, was played in response to a sign which said, "Play one for Levon", referring to Levon Helm of The Band, who just passed away recently. Bruce chose "The Weight", and it was an incredibly moving performance, with the audience singing along- louder than can be heard in the video. It was gorgeous- a real goosebump moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMT5TvxdpqM

Well, that's it for me until September- it's going to be a long Summer.

Once again, have a ball all of you who are going to see Bruce (as if you won't). Take good care of him, okay?

[evil nickname]

Sounds like a cool show.

Is it June 10th already? His Bossness only plays a festival in The Netherlands, so I chose to make a trip to Florence, Italy to see him there.

[AndyK]

Can. Not. Wait.

[Michael Marxen]

As much as I am looking forward to see the boss in Cologne May 27 - don`t get why he is rated as the second coming whereas Meat or Jim always had to fight for reputation.

[stretch37]

thanks for a great laugh and a fun few mins watching that! fack how does he pull off that energy and keep his vocal range :) he rocks !

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by Michael Marxen

As much as I am looking forward to see the boss in Cologne May 27 - don`t get why he is rated as the second coming whereas Meat or Jim always had to fight for reputation.

As tempting as it may be, I'm not going to get into a Bruce vs. Meat/ Jim contest here. In the end, does it really matter who has the better "reputation", as long as you enjoy the music and the shows?

Personally, I wish Bruce were less popular, because then I wouldn't have to fight like crazy for tickets, like I did again today.

Originally Posted by stretch37

thanks for a great laugh and a fun few mins watching that! fack how does he pull off that energy and keep his vocal range :) he rocks !

I know- I wish I had half his energy! That "Rosie" above was the second to last song in a three-hour show, without a break. He definitely feeds off the energy of the crowd. He loves the fans, and they love him. Not many artists are that trusting that they literally jump into the crowd. (He's been crowd-surfing again )

I don't know if you noticed him say, "Sing, Ma!" at one point- (right after the "Play some pool, skip some school" section) his mother was there, as she often is. She was sitting in the section right off the floor next to the stage- she's an adorable little lady.

His voice has been very good so far this tour- definitely better than the end of the last one.

Edit to say I LOVE the two boys he pulled up on stage at the end. They are twin brothers who had been following the tour a bit, and I guess he got a kick out of them going crazy up front. lol

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by Michael Marxen

As much as I am looking forward to see the boss in Cologne May 27 - don`t get why he is rated as the second coming whereas Meat or Jim always had to fight for reputation.

Changed my mind- what the hell, I'll bite. I'm a little bored on a Saturday night.

Truthfully, I would love to have a serious, rational discussion about this; not to make an argument over who is "better", but to address your actual question. By "reputation", I assume you mean within the music industry?

You say that you're looking forward to seeing Bruce, yet I get the feeling that you think his accolades are a bit misplaced- and it's cool if you feel that way. I'd also like to see an example of where he's "rated as the second coming". He has his "fans", but he certainly has plenty of detractors if you look a little.

IMO, this is also a bit of apples and oranges; Bruce is different than either Meat or Jim, in that Bruce both writes and performs all his own music, whereas Jim for the most part writes and produces, and Meat for the most part is a performer.

BTW- I realize this is going off the original topic, and I'm fine with that seeing as I started the thread, but if the mods feel differently, I have no issue with starting a separate thread.

[Sarge]

Thank you for the report and the pics, Julie. Too bad the camera stopped working. Nice version of The Weight. I didn't know that Levon Helm died in April.

Originally Posted by Michael Marxen

[...] don`t get why he is rated as the second coming whereas Meat or Jim always had to fight for reputation.

You sound like Meat Loaf.

[...] Critics tend to want to dismiss me [...] if U2 had have done ‘Peace on Earth,’ it woulda been the second coming [...]

See Meat Loaf: Critics Like U2 Better Than Me: http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyl...0603-2011.aspx

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

As tempting as it may be, I'm not going to get into a Bruce vs. Meat/ Jim contest here. In the end, does it really matter who has the better "reputation", as long as you enjoy the music and the shows?

Exactly. It's about music, not about envy and people's egos. I already commented on the unfounded whining about Meat Loaf allegedly not getting enough recognition on other threads. I don't get why those complaints primarily arise when someone mentions Springsteen. What the hell has Bruce done to Meat Loaf???

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

We've got him all warmed up for you!

Not only did you have Bruce warmed up for us, he warmed a cold wet crowd from the offset last night in Manchester! It had rained pretty much all the time for the 48 hours prior to the show ... not great when you're in a tent!

The moment he came on the place was bouncing and it was clear that Bruce & co were in a great mood ... at one point Bruce claimed that he was "too happy" and boy did it show.

Highlights have to be Prove It All Night, with the '78 intro, Save My Love, The Promise and E Street Shuffle which with the addition of the horn section was awesome!

Bruce's strip on top of Roy's piano at the end of the show provided her hen night for her.

At around the 3hr 20 min mark it wasn't the longest show of the tour, but if the venue didn't have such a strict curfew then last night may have challenged the leader board.

So many memories of one incredible show, can barely walk and talk today, but it was worth it!

[duke knooby]

was there any banjo?

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by duke knooby

was there any banjo?

Yes. Both Nils Lofgren and Steve van Zandt played electric banjo in a couple of songs.

[duke knooby]

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by AndyK

Not only did you have Bruce warmed up for us, he warmed a cold wet crowd from the offset last night in Manchester! It had rained pretty much all the time for the 48 hours prior to the show ... not great when you're in a tent!

The moment he came on the place was bouncing and it was clear that Bruce & co were in a great mood ... at one point Bruce claimed that he was "too happy" and boy did it show.

Highlights have to be Prove It All Night, with the '78 intro, Save My Love, The Promise and E Street Shuffle which with the addition of the horn section was awesome!

Bruce's strip on top of Roy's piano at the end of the show provided her hen night for her.

At around the 3hr 20 min mark it wasn't the longest show of the tour, but if the venue didn't have such a strict curfew then last night may have challenged the leader board.

So many memories of one incredible show, can barely walk and talk today, but it was worth it!

I was thinking about you yesterday, Andy. It looks like you got an epic show! "Prove It" with the intro and solo piano "The Promise"- I'm sooo jealous! (and happy for you ) "The E Street Shuffle" has been the bomb this tour, too.

I've been at shows where he's in a great mood and looks like he doesn't want to go home- it's amazing!

Speaking of "Prove It"- who did the outro solo? Last time it was Steve. I haven't seen any YouTubes yet. I heard about the strip show, but haven't seen that, either. So awesome he was out there in the rain with you guys!

[AndyK]

Nils did the outro and didn't let us down.

I'll admit to getting very emotional during the sax solo to Badlands ... looking up during the note perfect rendition and seeing Jake and not the Big Man just finished me off, and My City Of Ruins had a similar effect, the tribute during 10th Avenue reduced me yet again. How the loss of man person you've never met can have such an impact is incredible.

Have to hand it to Bruce though for the way in which he's dealt with Clarence's loss on stage, he's handled it perfectly and the small actions say more than words ever could.

Presume you heard about the pit queue fiasco? We ended up running the line and were devastated that all our effort was wasted because the venue were so inflexible in their attitudes, they're lucky no one got hurt in the stampede in those conditions.

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by AndyK

Nils did the outro and didn't let us down.

I'll admit to getting very emotional during the sax solo to Badlands ... looking up during the note perfect rendition and seeing Jake and not the Big Man just finished me off, and My City Of Ruins had a similar effect, the tribute during 10th Avenue reduced me yet again. How the loss of man person you've never met can have such an impact is incredible.

Have to hand it to Bruce though for the way in which he's dealt with Clarence's loss on stage, he's handled it perfectly and the small actions say more than words ever could.

Presume you heard about the pit queue fiasco? We ended up running the line and were devastated that all our effort was wasted because the venue were so inflexible in their attitudes, they're lucky no one got hurt in the stampede in those conditions.

Yeah, I did hear about the line fiasco- that's so awful that all your hard work was in vain. I also read that some of the venue security were total jerks to you guys.

Even here in the States with the lottery, it comes down to the venue staff on how well they deal with it, and sometimes they do a good job, other times not so much. I was at one show in Albany, NY, where they did pretty much the same thing by opening all the doors at the same time instead of letting people in in order. And that was in an arena, with only the "pit people" being let in- I can't imagine a stadium-sized crowd. Hershey Park in '09 was pretty bad, too; they tried to do a lottery, but there were way too many people for that, and in the end the crowd ended up pushing a gate open. I was afraid that time that someone might get hurt (thankfully, no one did). The Harley-Davidson anniversary show, on the other hand, was handled beautifully, so it just varies. No lottery that time, though.

Now, back to the show. I did see Nils' "Prove It" solo on YouTube, and it was awesome! Looks like he got a workout that night- you also got "Youngstown" into "Murder, Inc", which is a combo I've seen and love, especially the Bruce/ Steve guitar duel in "Murder". I love "Johnny 99" as well.

I agree that Bruce has dealt with Clarence's loss in a fitting way, as I knew he would. It is a little strange looking up and not seeing the Big Man there. I think C would be proud of Jake, though.

For duke, I found a couple of banjo videos:

"We Are Alive" from New Orleans Jazzfest (Steve):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFm8pWOoPRI

"Death to My Hometown" from Pinkpop (Nils):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4q42...feature=relmfu

"Shackled and Drawn" from Newark- Steve is playing banjo here, you can't see him much but you can hear him; I love the Bruce and Cindy duet at the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDuR6...eature=related

[duke knooby]

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

For duke, I found a couple of banjo videos:

"We Are Alive" from New Orleans Jazzfest (Steve):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFm8pWOoPRI

"Death to My Hometown" from Pinkpop (Nils):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4q42...feature=relmfu

"Shackled and Drawn" from Newark- Steve is playing banjo here, you can't see him much but you can hear him; I love the Bruce and Cindy duet at the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDuR6...eature=related

cheers..

im hearing a mixture of country, irish folk and gospel in those songs lol

didnt really hear much banjo till the last song... but im pretty sure i heard accordian in the first one

are those songs from his last album??? they're kinda reminding me of hobo chic

[Julie in the rv mirror]

I think you're hearing right. lol

Yep, those are all from the last album.

Me thinks you would have enjoyed the Sessions Band Tour: :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICqY2...eature=related

"Live in Dublin" is a great release.

[Julie in the rv mirror]

One more- I love, love, love this version of "Growin' Up" - even more than the original, which is my favorite song of Bruce's to begin with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xikQH...hannel&list=UL


Oh, heck- here's the whole St. Luke's show broadcast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1AuE...eature=related

[Wario]

I absolutely hate springsteen for having so many live soundboards available

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by Wario

I absolutely hate springsteen for having so many live soundboards available

It's not as if HE puts them out there.

If he released more live stuff officially, the fans wouldn't have to do it themselves.

[LisaT]

I don't really know much about Bruce and his music, but you two are getting me interested! A 3 hour and 20 minute show - wow! How old is he?

[AndyK]

He's 62 going on 18.

3hr 20 is short by recent standards. 3hr 48 was his longest this tour so far and if we hadn't had such a strict curfew in Manchester it's possible he could have been near or exceeded that.

@Julie ... Youngstown/Murder Inc was Sunderland the night before. But we did get the "Stevie double header" of You can Look and 2 Hearts which was awesome.

[LisaT]

That's amazing! Wish I had that much energy NOW, never mind when I'm 62!

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by AndyK

He's 62 going on 18.

3hr 20 is short by recent standards. 3hr 48 was his longest this tour so far and if we hadn't had such a strict curfew in Manchester it's possible he could have been near or exceeded that.

@Julie ... Youngstown/Murder Inc was Sunderland the night before. But we did get the "Stevie double header" of You can Look and 2 Hearts which was awesome.

Wow, was it Sunderland? I guess I got them mixed up. lol I just love the screaming guitar songs- give me "Youngstown" or "Ghost of Tom Joad" and I'm a happy girl!

I love when Bruce and Stevie sing. Stevie likes the stuff from "The Promise" and Disc 2 of "Tracks", as do I, so I hope he can influence Bruce to play some of those songs. My dream is that they would do Stevie's song "Until the Good is Gone"- that would be amazing!

The 3:48 in Madrid (it WAS Madrid, right? lol) wasn't just the longest this tour, it may be his longest show EVER, especially considering that back in the 80's they used to have an intermission, which he doesn't do anymore. I'm betting he's going to break the 4-hour mark before the tour's over, though.

And didn't Curt Ramm fall down during "Twist and Shout"? That might be a reason Bruce stopped there as well, to make sure Curt was OK? It looked like he took a pretty big spill.

@LisaT- If you're interested, I can suggest some of Bruce's music for you to start with, depending on what other kinds of music you like. Or, I'd suggest "The Essential Bruce Springsteen" over "Greatest Hits".

[Adje]

I'm not a Bruce fan in any way but if you're 62 and able to Rock the place for 3,5 hrs and over, you earn some freaking respect!