Bruce Tour

[ericm]

yeah, i have the event page saved to my favorites and plan on checking in daily. there's always hope.

Some pretty sweet side stage seats just released for the Yum show. Section 104. 

[slappymoe]

ended up getting two from a guy i work with.

unfortunately, upper level, which i swore i wouldn't do.  but they're mid-court, second row.  hoping that makes it more tolerable. 

i have a feeling i'll just be glad i was there.

[ericm]

ended up getting two from a guy i work with.

unfortunately, upper level, which i swore i wouldn't do.  but they're mid-court, second row.  hoping that makes it more tolerable. 

i have a feeling i'll just be glad i was there.

No question about that!    I've had to pass on a local show and probably a road trip I've had planned because of a health issue but fingers crossed I'll be able to make one of the Brooklyn shows or the rescheduled MSG one.

I've seen him do the whole River album in 09 and it was fantastic. I'd imagine this time around it'll be even better as they've probably got it down perfectly by playing it every show. The post River slots look like the ones that are changing a bit with some great tunes in those slots no matter the rotation.

Enjoy the show and looking or ward to hearing your thoughts.

Just a heads up...... there's no intermission or encore break, just 3+ hours straight through. Most have run at least 3:15. 

[ericm]

yeah, i have the event page saved to my favorites and plan on checking in daily. there's always hope.

Some pretty sweet side stage seats just released for the Yum show. Section 104. 

Nice singles and pairs in 105 just released.

Damn, I hope MSG2 has a drop of sweet seats like the Yum is getting! Anyone in the area on the fence about going tonight should grab these tix.      

[slappymoe]

needless to say, a fantastic show.  live rock n' roll doesn't get any better

[ericm]

needless to say, a fantastic show.  live rock n' roll doesn't get any better

Longest setlist of the tour so far at 35 songs and pretty close to the longest show time wise as well.   

Definitely a good sign for the rest of the tour that you guys got another song after Shout. First time this tour it wasn't the closer, and sets the stage for anything goes for the rest of the shows. 

[ericm]

Any Jim sightings in the building last night?

[slappymoe]

No sign of Jim, but if he was there I doubt he was stuck in the upper deck with us commoners.

[rincon2]

Well, I was wrong. I did go to the Dump that Jumps. Got a call on the 16th to go to the St. Paddy's day show at the Sports Arena. They are tearing it down after tonight's show. Sat behind Roy Bittan, 3 rows up. No blocking of the stage from there. 3.5 hours, nonstop. Got more energetic as the night went on. Seen him 5 times between 81-99. Never as wild as this week. The sound was a little muddy, but it was DrumpfXBernieX10 as far as pure fuckin energy goes. Never seen the lights on with 100% of a venue going nuts and the star dead in the middle of the GA section. Almost religious.

[ericm]

Well, I was wrong. I did go to the Dump that Jumps. Got a call on the 16th to go to the St. Paddy's day show at the Sports Arena. They are tearing it down after tonight's show. Sat behind Roy Bittan, 3 rows up. No blocking of the stage from there. 3.5 hours, nonstop. Got more energetic as the night went on. Seen him 5 times between 81-99. Never as wild as this week. The sound was a little muddy, but it was DrumpfXBernieX10 as far as pure fuckin energy goes. Never seen the lights on with 100% of a venue going nuts and the star dead in the middle of the GA section. Almost religious.

Pretty amazing he's still doing 33-35 songs, 3.5 hours nonstop at 66 years old.   

I'm not crazy about lights on for the encore but he's been doings it for years now, and I think he likes seeing venues rocking out like you said the Sports Arena was. I think he feeds off that towards the end and it's almost like he's going toe to toe with the fans. I'll see your rocking and raise you with pogoing on stage for a tune. Call or fold? It gets really great when a venue sees his raise and ups the ante because he never folds!

[rincon2]

Well, I was wrong. I did go to the Dump that Jumps. Got a call on the 16th to go to the St. Paddy's day show at the Sports Arena. They are tearing it down after tonight's show. Sat behind Roy Bittan, 3 rows up. No blocking of the stage from there. 3.5 hours, nonstop. Got more energetic as the night went on. Seen him 5 times between 81-99. Never as wild as this week. The sound was a little muddy, but it was DrumpfXBernieX10 as far as pure fuckin energy goes. Never seen the lights on with 100% of a venue going nuts and the star dead in the middle of the GA section. Almost religious.

Pretty amazing he's still doing 33-35 songs, 3.5 hours nonstop at 66 years old.   

I'm not crazy about lights on for the encore but he's been doings it for years now, and I think he likes seeing venues rocking out like you said the Sports Arena was. I think he feeds off that towards the end and it's almost like he's going toe to toe with the fans. I'll see your rocking and raise you with pogoing on stage for a tune. Call or fold? It gets really great when a venue sees his raise and ups the ante because he never folds!

Great description. I was very close, could truly see his face between songs. He looked like he was having the time of his life. The Sports Arena is a huge dump. Had not been there since NY and Crazy Horse, or U2 in 92. Best size for an arena. Like a mini Forum. The biggest small venue, or the smallest big venue. It will be greatly missed.

P.S. There was an old guy in the corner notch front row in front of Steven. He had a Bada Bing T-shirt. Damn I wish I could have taken pics.

[ericm]

Well, I was wrong. I did go to the Dump that Jumps. Got a call on the 16th to go to the St. Paddy's day show at the Sports Arena. They are tearing it down after tonight's show. Sat behind Roy Bittan, 3 rows up. No blocking of the stage from there. 3.5 hours, nonstop. Got more energetic as the night went on. Seen him 5 times between 81-99. Never as wild as this week. The sound was a little muddy, but it was DrumpfXBernieX10 as far as pure fuckin energy goes. Never seen the lights on with 100% of a venue going nuts and the star dead in the middle of the GA section. Almost religious.

Pretty amazing he's still doing 33-35 songs, 3.5 hours nonstop at 66 years old.   

I'm not crazy about lights on for the encore but he's been doings it for years now, and I think he likes seeing venues rocking out like you said the Sports Arena was. I think he feeds off that towards the end and it's almost like he's going toe to toe with the fans. I'll see your rocking and raise you with pogoing on stage for a tune. Call or fold? It gets really great when a venue sees his raise and ups the ante because he never folds!

Great description. I was very close, could truly see his face between songs. He looked like he was having the time of his life. The Sports Arena is a huge dump. Had not been there since NY and Crazy Horse, or U2 in 92. Best size for an arena. Like a mini Forum. The biggest small venue, or the smallest big venue. It will be greatly missed.

P.S. There was an old guy in the corner notch front row in front of Steven. He had a Bada Bing T-shirt. Damn I wish I could have taken pics.

I was at all four of his final Philly Spectrum shows and he said several times over that run how the Spectrum and LA Sports Arena were his favorite venues. Loved the fact they were packed with fans and no damn suites.

Here's one of my all time favorite Bruce moments, and it closed the main set of the final Spectrum show. An audible from a sign he spotted and was running around yelling "curveball, curveball" to the band. They nailed it and blew the roof off the joint. I was almost right where this was filmed from and like your show, you could clearly see how much he was loving it and fun he was having.

I really hope LA gets this one tonight. It was so good he added it to the encore for the remaining shows of the 09 tour.

A cover of Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DytO5K0rPu8

[Gina]

*sigh*  Would love to see Bruce, but a Sunday night ticket over 2 hours away from me and Mark is difficult to do with work at 6 am the next day.  Some day.....he looks like a healthy man. 

Eric - sending you a text message about OBH3.

[ericm]

*sigh*  Would love to see Bruce, but a Sunday night ticket over 2 hours away from me and Mark is difficult to do with work at 6 am the next day.  Some day.....he looks like a healthy man. 

Eric - sending you a text message about OBH3.

Steensboro!!! Another venue he absolutely loves. 

I get the Sunday night thing. It would be rough enough if it was in Charlotte. I know I'm always spent after a Bruce show, and like him, I need a day off in between shows.   

He is looking healthy but I think having some back issues. He's not jumping around as much, climbing on pianos, or running up into the reserved seats to chug a fan's beer but he's still crowd surfing!

[ericm]

Wow, just wow! I still can't believe what I just saw last night.  the longest Bruce show in the US ever and quite possibly his longest show ever! Gonna have to wait for the soundboard for an official time but by most accounts it was 4:05!!! 

For me it was a setlist for the ages. Didn't venture past 1974 for almost the first two hours of the show. Just amazing. All  night the energy, and performances were as good as ever and even after all these years,this one ranks right up there with the best shows I've ever seen him do.  Still trying to process what I got to see and be a part of last night, but all I know is I'll be doing my damnedest to finish work early enough Friday to head back to Philly and see what he has in store for us on night 2. 



8:04

1. New York City Serenade
2. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
3. It's Hard to be a Saint in the City
4. Growin' Up
5. Spirit in the Night
6. Lost in the Flood
7. Kitty's Back
8. E Street Shuffle
9. Incident on 57th Street
10. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
11. THE FEVER (Sign)
12. THUNDERCRACK
13. Night
14. No Surrender
15. The Ties That Bind
16. My Love Will Not Let You Down
17. Death to My Hometown
18. Jack of All Trades
19. American Skin (41 Shots)
20. The Promised Land
21. Hungry Heart
22. Darlington County
23. Working on the Highway
24. Downbound Train
25. Because The Night
26. The Rising
27. Badlands
******
28. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA
29. Jungleland
30. Born To Run
31. Dancing in the Dark
32. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (Sign)
33. Shout
34. Bobby Jean

12:09

4:05

[LBSUNFLWR]

damn!! that is so incredible.
I love NYC Serenade.

[ericm]

damn!! that is so incredible.
I love NYC Serenade.

Me too, and it was sheer perfection! When I got to my spot in the pit about 1/2 hour  before showtime and saw the chairs for the strings setup, I was thrilled and enjoyed every second of it. Honestly the whole show was that way. Bruce and the band are hitting on all cylinders, and each song was done about as good as I've ever seen them done. Just amazing.

I'm worn out and don't think that show could be topped, but I'll be doing my best to get there Friday night and live it all again, no matter what he wants to play.

[Crispy]

Yeah, I suppose that looks like a pretty okay show...too bad you had to sit through Hungry Heart again, though. And not a single tune from Tunnel of Love?? I dunno, seems pretty ho-hum, I hope night 2 treats you better. 

[APR]

Amazing that after all these years and all those shows he can still blow your mind.  Have a blast tomorrow night.  Let us know if night two tops night one.  I bet there is a chance.

[ericm]

Yeah, I suppose that looks like a pretty okay show...too bad you had to sit through Hungry Heart again, though. And not a single tune from Tunnel of Love?? I dunno, seems pretty ho-hum, I hope night 2 treats you better. 

Haha, I hear ya but honestly after the first almost two hours (songs 1-12) and then getting the next 4 tunes, I didn't care what he wanted to play. The show could've ended there and I would've still been thrilled.

It's funny, last night after that run of tunes I thought back to Forecastle 12 and how I felt after the Under the Overpass soundcheck. I walked away from that feeling if I didn't see another song that day because of the weather  I was ok with it. That's how special the sc set was. Last night I had that same feeling after that start to the show. After the halfway point, the rest was gravy but luckily enough for me he kept piling on last night.

Downbound Train is my favorite tune off of BITUSA, and it was fantastic last night, as was Streets of Philadelphia. The Jungleland was the best one I've seen since Clarence passed, and I've been lucky enough to have seen it a few times on recent tours. Hell, if I'm being honest even the tunes I've seen a ton like BTR, 10th, Dancing etc. were top notch, and done to near perfection.

Amazing to me at his and the bands ages they don't seem to have lost anything off their fastball.    You'd think after all these years they'd lose it a bit or get bored with some of the tunes and just go through the motions but it honestly was just the opposite. Probably a very similar reason why I'm drawn to MMJ. They never phone it in either and just kill it every time as well, and I never tire of seeing them.