A sub–par audience means low energy and too many people making too many beer runs. This lack of enthusiasm can literally suck the joy out of a die-hard Springsteen fan, because it seems an offense against the man himself. On stage is a band, all in their 50s and 60s, who put everything they have into every song, and it seems (to this observer, at least) that the least Bruce and the Band can expect are respect and energy in return. In short, this means do not sit down during an absolutely blistering performance of “Kitty’s Back”! Which, alas, too many people did last night. Why? Because DC shows attract too many politicos, lobbyists and people with inside access to already-impossibly-hard-too-get tickets who see an opportunity to network, or simply to say they were there.

The second potential pothole is the sound at the Verizon Center. Alas, the sound mix at Verizon is notoriously muddy, too loud, and — frequently — painful. Worse, some sections are victims of awful sound while other sections get crystal-clear sound. Which section gets which quality sound is completely random.  A good set of ear plugs can mean the difference between hearing every word in “Badlands” and asking the person in the adjoining seat what song he’s singing, but most people don’t know that (or simply don’t want to use ear plugs) and then rant about the crummy sound the next day. And well they should. Poor sound has been a problem at every E Street Band show that’s been held at the Verizon Center (previously known as the MCI Center), and it can ruin a show. I don’t know what the answer is, but the problem is real and it needs to be fixed.

Those were the concerns going in to the venue last night. So when the house lights dimmed at 8:24 p.m. and I realized I’d lost my ear plugs, I expected the worst. Imagine my relief, then,  when I heard the opening strains of “Badlands” in all of its perfect, crystal clear splendor. We had great sound (in our section, at least), great seats close to the side stage, and the promise of a great show.

Of course, Bruce delivered. Whenever Bruce and the Band out and the audience erupts, I’m reminded of Jon Stewart’s observation after he attended a show on the “Magic” tour in 2008. “Are you a fan of joy?” he asked, and then launched into yet another one of those wild-eyed, did you see that? reviews that a Springsteen show typically elicits. Every fan in every city is convinced that they saw the best show on the tour, which is a tribute to Springsteen and the E Street Band. I won’t go so far as to say that I saw the best show on the tour last night, but I will say that I saw the best Springsteen show I’ve ever seen in D.C. — and if it were the only show I see on this tour, I’d still be happy and full of, yes, joy.

On paper, the setlist from Verizon represents a good balance, though since the tour, in theory at least, is in support of the Band’s new album, Working on a Dream, a few more tracks from it would certainly be welcome. “Surprise, Surprise” and “Queen of the Supermarket” could be worked into rotation in place of, say, “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day”, or “Outlaw Pete”, and perhaps they will as the setlist continues to evolve and Bruce works in new material.

But Bruce is the Boss, he picks the setlist, and it’s pointless to compare one setlist to another. Just know that you’re getting the songs he wants to play in that city, at that particular show.

And what did D.C. get? Nearly three hours of high-energy, rapturous rock and roll delivered in the great tradition of the E Street Band. 23 songs (25 if you count the brief snippets of Hava Nagilah and Hail to the Chief played as humorous intros to “Little Latin Lupe Lu” and “Rosalita”) that lifted the sold-out crowd to heights of euphoria in a shared, communal experience — with Springsteen playing the roles of preacher and band leader extraordinaire. Wife Patti Scialfa returned after being absent from several shows (reports are that the was injured in a fall from her horse), and Bruce was clearly happy to have her back. This time, instead of simply dedicated “Kingdom of Dreams” to her, they shared vocals on a song that’s a touching tribute to adult love well lived, in the mold of “Girls in their Summer Clothes” from last year’s Magic. Patti goes to great lengths to connect with audience members on her side of the stage, frequently singling out individuals for a smile, wink or a nod that are always enthusiastically received. This is also the first show since early in the tour that featured legendary E Street drummer Max Weinberg exclusively, as he’s been sharing the job with his 19-year-old son Jay, in preparation of Max’s absence from several European dates due to his commitment as the band leader of Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show, which debuts in June.

There were some stand outs in the night’s set list. “Outlaw Pete”, from the new album, is reminiscent of “Jungleland” in the grandeur of its music and lyrics. Vocally, it’s a challenge for Bruce in both melody and range, and he rose to the challenge as his voice soared in the upper registers. It’s a song that definitely needs to be seen live to be fully appreciated. “Raise Your Hand” is the audience’s prompt to raise those song request signs high in the air, and Bruce has plenty of fun running back and forth pulling signs out of the audience to fill the wild card slots in the set list. We were treated to “Out in the Street” courtesy of a delightful nine-year-old whose sign read “Jonas Brothers, Shmonas Brothers…Real Nine-Year-Olds Prefer Out in the Streets.” When Bruce pulled her on stage to sing with him, she took the mic and sang like a true E Street Band fan, much the the delight of her parents and the crowd. Another sign elicited “Little Latin Lupe Lu” in yet one more unsuccessful attempt to Stump the E Street Band (truth be told, the band played it last summer in Europe) that had the audience on its feet. The best of the signs put the tour premiere of  “Blinded by the LIght” in a wild card slot, and Bruce and the Band sang it with as much polish and swagger as they did back in the 70s, when it was a setlist standard.

But the real highlights came in the encore. At a Springsteen show, the encore comes after a ridiculously short three-minute intermission, so it’s perhaps a stretch to call in an encore. However you choose to describe it, the final six or seven songs are the capstone to the setlist. This is when the house lights come up, and Bruce commands that everyone stand and stay standing until he decides the show is over. No amount of praise for “Kitty’s Back” last night would be too much. Charlie Giordano (keyboards), Roy Bittan (piano) and Bruce took extended solos that dared anyone to even hint at the suggestion that this might be an E Street Band farewell tour. Even Clarence, clearly inspired by their virtuoso display, rose to the challenge as he rose to his feet and took command of the audience with a spot on sax solo that reminded everyone why he will always be The Big Man. Anyone who chose to stay seated despite the performance they were witnessing should be banned from any future Springsteen shows.

“Land of Hope and Dreams,” which ended every show on “The Rising” tour in 2002-2003, has returned to its rightful spot in the encores on this tour. This song is everything that is joyous and hopeful about the music of Bruce Springsteen and it is, perhaps, the most euphoric audience pleaser in the modern E Street canon. As spiritual and comforting as any music you might hear in any American church on any given Sunday, and then that much better, LOHAD baptizes you in the Church of Bruce and, once a member, always a member. “Rosalita” which closed out the night was another sign request, at the request of one Barack Obama (at least that’s what the sign suggested), and it was probably the most rowdy, raucous version played in quite some time. Or maybe it just seemed that way in our section, because so many of the VIPS we’d been surrounded by had all ready left, and those remaining felt free to let their Bruce freak flags fly high, which led to much fist pumping, screaming and dancing in the aisles.

And then, just like that, after nearly three hours, the house lights went dark and it was over. Once again, Bruce Springsteen, belying every one of his 59 years, left it all out there on the stage. Those of us who laid witness to it were left exhausted and awed. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band do not do ordinary. Perhaps those baptismal waters come from the Fountain of Youth. One certainly hopes so, because we all hope we can ride this train forever.

—
Setlist:
Badlands
No Surrender
Outlaw Pete
She’s The One
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Out In The Street
Little Latin Lupe Lu
Hava Nagila
Blinded By The Light
Waiting On A Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Kingdom Of Days
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run
Encore:
Hard Times
Kitty’s Back
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Rosalita
———

- Alex Young, Founder/Publisher

I’ll confess right now that I’ve never seen a Springsteen show I didn’t love. A veteran of some 20+ shows, I’ve seen Bruce and the E Street Band perform at stadiums and arenas in Philly, New York, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Richmond, VA. And I’ll lay claim right here that Monday night’s show at the Richmond Coliseum was the best Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band I’ve seen. Ever.

Bruce has some serious love for Richmond because, as he puts it, “back in the early days, the only places we could play were Richmond and home.” One of his earliest bands was Steel Mill, and Richmond resident Robbin Thompson – not Bruce – was lead vocalist. The result? Bruce, Robbin and Steel Mill logged thousands of miles riding up and down I-95 between Richmond and NJ/Philly.

The last time Bruce and the ESB played Richmond was March 6, 2003, during “The Rising” tour – some 30 years after Steel Mill’s last appearance. That was a raucous show, and Bruce played tribute to the city that was there for the early days, before he became “Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Roll Legend.” Both Robbin Thompson and Bruce Hornsby appeared on stage that night, and the City of Richmond rocked in a way it probably hadn’t in, oh, let’s just say 30 years.

I knew when I got GA tickets just seconds after sales started on Ticketmaster that I’d, again, get a special show in Richmond. Just how special it might be slowly dawned on me as the set lists started showing up from summer European shows and the second leg of the U.S tour in Giants Stadium, Foxboro Stadium, Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena and  North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston. First, it was the signs. People always bring signs to a Springsteen show – and Bruce usually ignores them. Until Europe. At some point during that leg of the tour, it morphed from “The Magic” tour into an “All Requests Tour.” So people brought more signs, and Bruce started collecting them from the crowd, playing whatever struck his particular fancy on any given night. Since returning to the U.S., Bruce noticeably leaves three for four slots blank on the set list – to be filled with requests, including some rarities from Springsteen’s extensive catalog.

Armed with our signs and anticipation, we staked out our spots in the Pit. Standing in the Pit at a Springsteen show is a major commitment, akin to a marathon, only longer, standing the entire time – five hours, minimum. It’s also a huge responsibility, because the energy in the pit is what fuels Bruce and the band.

Finally, the house lights dropped at exactly 8:30 PM, and the band hit the stage – minus wife/E Street band member Patti Scialfa, who stayed behind in NJ as eldest son Evan prepares to head off to college. We’ll assume they’ve resolved the hash brownie issue, as Bruce didn’t mention it last night.

“Tenth Ave. Freeze-Out” opened the show. Always a favorite, this song tells the story of the band and has taken on a special poignancy following the death of keyboardist Danny Federici back in March. The crowd responded as enthusiastically as you’d expect, and we were off and running with the first song in what would be a three-hour set and the best show I’ve ever seen.

Ask any Springsteen Tramp, and they’ll tell you that Bruce’s mood often distinguishes a merely great show from an amazing one. If you get Goofy, Chatty Bruce, expect and amazing show.

Bruce was both Goofy and Chatty last night.  The next five songs in the handwritten set list were “Radio Nowhere,” “Out in the Street “, “Prove it All Night”, “Lonesome Day”, and “Spirit in the Night”, all crowd-pleasers, but Bruce kicked it up a notch with a barn-burning “Spirit,” and sustained that energy for the rest of the night. The energy level in the Pit was off the charts, and Bruce soaked it up like a sponge, only to leave it all out there by the end of the song. At one point, Bruce lay back on the center catwalk, while fans from both sides reached out and touched him, Then he lifted one lucky boy up on to the catwalk to sing the chorus with him.

The narrow center catwalk is welcome addition to Springsteen’s otherwise minimalist staging, and first appeared in Europe this summer in the stadiums. Bruce clearly loves the addition, walking out into the crowd too many times to count last night to interact with the fans around it. He crouched and lay on the stage, held hands, serenaded the youngsters, let fans bang out on his guitar, and even laid back into the crowd as dozens of hands reached up to hold him aloft. Just when you think a Springteen concert can’t get any better, some genius engineers a simple center catwalk and, well, holy shit.

After “Spirit”, it was time for the collection of signs. First up was the rarely played “Stand on It”, followed by an enthusiastic “Cadillac Ranch”. At that point, another sign in the crowd caught Bruce’s eye: “My band broke up today. Please play Backstreets.” That the sign was written with pen on a sheet of notebook paper elicited even more sympathy from Bruce who agreed that, yes, “it sucks when your band breaks up,” and then tore into Backstreets. The last request in the main set was “For You”, but not the full-band version. Instead, Bruce sent the band off for a needed rest and sat at the piano to back himself up in a slower, much more passionate version.

Then it was back to the set list.

Highlights from the main set included:

• The powerful one-two punch of “Youngstown” and “Murder Incorporated” As usual, “Youngstown” allowed Nils to shine during an amazing, extended solo that had him spinning, crouching and shredding his guitar while Bruce looked on like a proud papa. Bruce, Nils and Steven traded guitar riffs during “Murder,” and Bruce proved to the jubilant crowd that he can still kick ass on the guitar.

• “Mary’s Place” was absolutely transcendent in Richmond.  A track from The Rising, it’s continued as a set list standard on the “Magic” tour that typically sends tour regulars (who hear it at every show) running for the beer stand. If you did that last night you missed something powerful. Bruce took it to an entirely different level — up from where I don’t even know. Those in the pit realized we were getting something special and, when he reached out into the crowd to hold onto a woman’s hand while he sang, well, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one whose eyes filled – not from sadness, but from sheer joy and respect for a performer who sees no boundary between himself and his audience. I fully expected Bruce to propel himself in the crowd as he ran into a knee slide that only ended when he ran out of stage.

• ”I’ll Work for Your Love”, has inexplicably been missing from most of the “Magic,” tour, which is too bad because it’s one of the best tracks on the cd. We got it last night, thanks to a woman who simply refused to have her request denied and kept her sign up. One woman’s passion with a sign quickly becomes an annoyance to the people standing behind her, but her faith was rewarded when Bruce took her sign, “Drive All Night” (one of my favorites) was dropped from the handwritten set list to make room for “I’ll Work for Your Love,” but I’m not bitter. Really.

The band left the stage for a  one-minute intermission (yes, one minute, after a two-hour main set), and then returned for the encore set.

And, oh boy, what an encore!

Once again, Bruce headed out into the crowd looking for signs. He took one for “Freehold”, and the crowd exploded at the idea that 13,500 Richmond fans would be lucky to hear Bruce’s highly personal autobiography put to music.

Alas, it was not meant to be as Bruce reached out for another sign – lime green and rolled up into a long tangled scroll. His curiosity piqued, Bruce untangled it and read the words “Crush on You”. Laughing, he proclaimed this probably the stupidest song the band ever recorded –  which probably explains why it’s remained unplayed since 1980. Still, we’d been enjoying a goofy Bruce all night and he decided to let it roll. After Steven ran through the chords with Nils, the band kicked it in and the Coliseum rocked out to a crazy version of “Crush on You”. Even after 28 years, the crowd still knew all the words and treated the band to a full-fledged sing-a-long. Dropped from the handwritten set list was Thunder Road, but I don’t think many would complain.

And why would we, because “Crush On You” obviously inspired Bruce to extend the encores, because he then inserted “Quarter to Three,” last played at Shea Stadium during the final show of “The Rising” tour, ahead of “Born to Run.” Bruce loves a house party, and this encore set was all about starting one. The crowd danced and stayed on its feet while the house lights stayed on during “Born to Run”, “Rosalita”, “Bobby Jean”, and “Dancing in the Dark”. When fiddler Soozie Tyrell broke into the familiar bluegrass intro of “America Land,” usually the last song in the show, we in the Pit knew that wouldn’t be the end. Sure enough, Bruce brought out Robbin Thompson, his former Steel Mill band mate, and the house party continued with “Twist and Shout,” Robbin, again, taking on the lead vocals for most of the song. Bruce whipped the crowd up into a frenzy, only to take them down to catch their breath before whipping them all back up again. Just when we could stand it no more, Bruce wound it down as the crowd cheered them off stage.

Another show in the books, another one for the ages.

Twenty-eight songs in a three hour show. Bruce Springsteen will be 59 on September 23.

Setlist:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Out in the Street
Prove It All Night
Lonesome Day
Spirit in the Night
Stand on It
Cadillac Ranch
Backstreets
For You (solo piano)
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
I’ll Work for Your Love
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Encore
Crush on You
Quarter to Three
Born to Run
Rosalita
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Twist and Shout (with Robbin Thompson)

Additional photos can be found on backstreets.com…

———–

Videos:

“Mary’s Place”

Collecting signs

“Crush on You”