June 11 / St. Paul, MN / Xcel Arena
Notes: A later start, after 8:30, but good things come to those who wait, and it was a great night in the Twin Cities. The Star Tribune's Jon Bream -- who has seen his fair share of Bruce shows -- writes, "I haven't seen Springsteen seeming so refreshed and having so much fun since I first saw him in a New York club in 1975 a month before his landmark Born to Run album was released." Always fine tunin', Springsteen made noticeable tweaks to "Open All Night" and "Pay Me My Money Down." (He also might have tweaked his back along the way -- longtime sports columnist Sid Hartman writes that Bruce called on his old pal and pro wrestler Jim Brunzell to help work on it.) "O Mary" moved to the opening slot it last had in DC, and "Long Black Veil" gots its first airing since Europe. The well-rested "Buffalo Gals" also returned to close the show, with Bruce telling the St. Paul crowd, "Thanks for taking a chance on us." Seems like a strange thing to hear coming from the stage at a Springsteen show -- yes, this tour is clearly a different animal, and Bruce knows it. But it was those in the crowd who were the most grateful, including an especially positive reaction for "Bring Them Home."
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Atlantic City/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Johnny 99/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Long Black Veil/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: Bring Them Home/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

June 10 / Des Moines, IA / Wells Fargo Arena
Notes: Bruce finds himself in Des Moines at the same time as the World Pork Expo, the source of a good deal of amusement. "Kind of like coming to New Jersey while there's a Mafia convention going on," he says, "or the Polluter's Ball!" Mark Pender got a chance to shine tonight (as if he didn't every night), being from nearby Kansas City, with his mother in the crowd. Bruce made sure to point her out, and he threw "The Loveman" the solo in "When the Saints Go Marching In," a nice moment. No Patti again, and a similar set to the last show Concord, substituting "City of Ruins" for "Bring Them Home," and dropping "Froggie." What, no Des Moines kids got the memo about bringing a stuffed animal? Well, a plush pig wouldn't have quite the same effect anyway.
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Atlantic City/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Devils & Dust/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

June 6 / Concord, CA / Sleep Train Pavilion
Notes: "Good evening, sinners... and Concordians!" Rumor had it that Springsteen got lost on the way to this far-flung suburb of San Francisco, behind the brown hills of the East Bay. "Where the fuck are we?" he asked before "John Henry." No Patti tonight (maybe she would have made him stop to ask for directions.) Bruce eventually concluded, "Now that I know where this is, I will return. I don't know when, but I will return." Joan Baez got a roar from the Bay Area crowd -- and that was just when she took her seat before the show. She later took the stage (along with another guest, Bruce's nephew Nicky on guitar) for "Pay Me My Money Down." The other notable in the main set was a rare and powerful "Devils & Dust." We'd like to think it was a nod to the show date of 6/6/06 (and she show took place in the shadow of Mount Diablo, too -- seriously!), but as the song was paired nicely with "Mrs. McGrath," Bruce probably had something else in mind. The encore stretched out to six songs for the first time, with another "Froggie" audible brought on by another stuffed frog, this time for Arielle: "How old are you? Nine? Well, this song is 497 years older than you." Word of just how good these shows are seems to be spreading... or maybe it's just that, with only two shows on the entire West Coast, fans have had to flock in from anywhere even close. But Jon Greer tells us: "I thought the crowd was younger and more demographically diverse than recent past Bruce shows. It seemed like a genuinely hot ticket compared to the recent past, when he seemed to be mainly drawing the faithful. I didn't realize how hard the show rocked -- I knew it would be typical Bruce in terms of length, but I was surprised by how relatively loud and driving the show was. I'm tellin' ya, he should have called it Bruce Springsteen and the Wall of Folk."
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Atlantic City/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Devils & Dust/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down (w/ Joan Baez and "Cousin Nicky")
Encore: Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Ramrod/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/Froggie Went A Courtin'/When the Saints Go Marching In

June 5 / Los Angeles, CA / Greek Theatre
Notes: Brother Springsteen's traveling salvation show comes to the Greek Theatre, home of Hot August Night, and Bruce gave the Los Angelenos (including his pal Tom Hanks) a hard time, saying he's almost afraid to ask them to sing along: "you're too cool to sing, with your white stretch Humvees..." And before "Ramrod" he mentioned that the song required "audience participation... though I'm skeptical about that." But Bruce had a unique treat in store for his '90s home away from home, as "Professor" Roy Bittan came out for "Pay Me My Money Down" (making this the second show in a row with an E Street guest). Bruce called for a Professor solo -- and liked it so much he had him do it again. Coming down to the front of the stage with Charlie Giordano, Springsteen shouted, "Look Charlie, I don't believe it -- they're up and dancing!" As the rest of the band filed out to end the song, Roy kept playing along with the drums and tuba; after Bruce dragged Larry and Art away, it was just the Professor all by himself, banging it out on the old upright. Bruce hung out next to the piano with a huge grin on his face, yelling stuff at Roy off mic, and for the big finish Bruce played the last chord along with him, dragging his elbow down the keyboard. A truly special moment. Also taking advantage of the L.A. setting, Springsteen implored any record execs in the house (and there were plenty) to sign Chocolate Genius and get those records out. "It's the least I can do!" "Rag Mama Rag" dropped out, but "Atlantic City" stayed in for the third night running, with a "li, li, li" refrain borrowed from "Brothers Under the Bridge ('83)."
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Atlantic City/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

June 5 / Burbank, CA / NBC Studios
Notes: Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, taped in the afternoon before the Greek Theatre show.
Setlist: How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?

June 3 / Phoenix, AZ / Glendale Arena
Notes: As Springsteen goes West, the tour moves inside for the first time on this leg. On a 112-degree day in Phoenix, he jokes that next time he'll make sure to play outside so everyone will be more comfortable. As in Indy, "Atlantic City" opens the show, with Bruce himself taking an impressive solo -- rarer on this tour, with so many other musicians to get those spotlight turns. Changes from Indy were "Bring Them Home" replacing "Froggie," and an audible adding to the encore with a spontaneous "Ramrod" before "Rag Mama Rag." Some competition from the NBA playoffs tonight, and more than a few eyeballs were glued to TVs in the concession areas; no mention of the Suns' season-ending loss from the stage, but though only about half-full, the arena was the perfect place to chase the blues away. And a special guest: Arizona resident E Streeter Nils Lofgren was in the house, joining the band to sing and strum on "Pay Me My Money Down."
Setlist: Atlantic City/John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 31 / Indianapolis, IN / Verizon Amphitheatre
Notes: The show opens with one of Springsteen's own tunes for the first time, the tour premiere of "Atlantic City." Different from any previous arrangement, this one sounded like it would have fit perfectly on the Seeger Sessions album. A second premiere came midway through the night, as "Froggie Went a Courtin'" was played for a seven-year-old boy, front and center, holding out a stuffed frog. Observed Bruce: "I think we have a request here!" Musicians nodded as he checked to make sure everyone was up for the debut, laughing, "I love the false confidence from the band!" The boy, whose name was River -- "I could do that one too!" Bruce teased -- got a harmonica afterwards. With tonight's "Froggie," "Shenandoah" is the only yet-unplayed song from the new record. The Band's "Rag Mama Rag" had its second performance; Bruce said, "Last night it was like a big carnival ride," and tonight it was a big hit in the encore once again. But rarities aside, the high point of the show is still Bruce's reworking of the Depression-era anthem "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" -- a horn-heavy powerhouse of a protest song, for folks tired of comin' out on the losin' end. As one Indy showgoer told us tonight, "He needs to get that on iTunes right now."
Setlist: Atlantic City/John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Froggie Went A Courtin'/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 30 / Columbus, OH / Germain Amphitheatre
Notes: A humid night and a sparse crowd in Columbus, and with a tiny G.A. area, the stage seemed almost as crowded as the pit. But as Bruce said while gearing up for the audience participation of "Old Dan Tucker": "We are not great in numbers, but we are mighty!" And it was, by several accounts, a mightier show than DC. "Bring Them Home" moved to the main set for a strong Memorial Day pairing with "Mrs. McGrath," and "My City of Ruins" was back in the opening encore slot. What followed "My City" was the big surprise of the night, as Bruce intro'd a song by J.R. Robertson (why does that name ring a bell?) and said "We ain't never played this one before." Turned out to be a cover of the Robbie Robertson-penned "Rag Mama Rag," from The Band's 1970 self-titled album. From their work with Dylan on The Basement Tapes to their own unique fusion of traditional musical styles, The Band were modern godfathers and propagators of this kind of eclectic Americana, clear forerunners to what Springsteen is bringing to the stage every night. So tonight's world premiere was a very appropriate tip of the hat -- and a rocking one at that, pretty true to The Band's original. After that was a new bit of shtick: earlier on the tour Bruce had laughed that they were playing everything but the kitchen sink on this tour, and one of these nights they'd have to actually bring a kitchen sink. We figured he was kidding. But tonight, that's exactly what they did. Drummer Larry Eagle bashed away on some dishware, and Bruce told him to take it easy: "Patti's gonna kill me if we bust those fucking plates!" Patti herself was absent tonight, and as a result so was the scat portion of "Open All Night." Can't say it didn't work better without it. "Buffalo Gals" didn't come out tonight, and neither did "Ramrod" -- both were listed as possibles after "When the Saints Go Marching In," but a venue curfew cut the night short at 20 songs. But a tremendous show, and a reminder, if anyone needed one, that Springsteen gives it his all no matter how full the house.
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Adam Raised a Cain/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 28 / Bristow, VA / Nissan Pavilion
Notes: "Good evening, sinners!" Springsteen hollered at the DC-area stop of his traveling sin & salvation roadshow. Like the previous opening night in Boston, the Seeger Sessions tour was blessed with a beautiful night for this outdoor amphitheatre concert, as Bruce noted: "It's nice to play outside! I always played inside, just so the wind wouldn't mess up my hair.... It's a good, still night -- a good hair night." Not that he seemed very concerned with mussing it up, as the night was once again all about making noise and having fun. "You have exactly 20 seconds to rise from those seats," he shouted as the intro to "John Henry" built up steam, adding, "I warned you!" as the crowd leapt to its feet and the song exploded into the verse. "This is a night for dancin' and some singin'," he said before "Old Dan Tucker," chuckling, "amongst many other things." One of those other things was a timely reminder of our soldiers overseas (who we were already thinking of during "Mrs. McGrath"), as he said "We'll send this one out special for Memorial Day" before an encore of "Bring Them Home." Here on the outskirts of Washington there were no jabs at the White House, no partisan politics, just lyrics that rang clear and true -- If you love this land of the free / Bring 'em home, bring 'em home / Bring them back from overseas -- a first verse which raised such a cheer from the crowd that Bruce had to pause and take a step back to let it die down before continuing. On the lighter side, he offered some marriage advice before that beautiful new waltz arrangement of "If I Should Fall Behind." "It took me 20 years and many mistakes" to figure it out, he said, noting, "I'm getting dirty looks [from Patti] already... I'm speaking extemporaneously here -- always very dangerous on this subject." The advice was this: "When Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy. When Mama happy... everybody's happy. That's all you need to know! You can put all those books away." "Ramrod" was sent out to guitarist Frank Bruno’s dad -- the original "Cousin Frankie” -- and to sis Christine on her birthday, too. And my favorite line of the night came in "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)," just scratching at the way this tour distills and compresses more than a century of music and history: "What can a poor boy do but play in a ragtime band?"

Not having made it over to Europe, last night was my first show since the Asbury rehearsals. And it’s come a long way, baby. Without losing an ounce of the fun that was the hallmark of those nights at Convention Hall, the show has been refined, arrangements nailed down, transitions smoothed out, backup singers given more chance to shine. What we like to call "Mystery Cadillac," that mash-up of "Cadillac Ranch" and "Mystery Train," is finally running smoothly on its rails. The power of the group vocals -- whether blasting out on "Jesse James" or swelling on "We Shall Overcome" -- is stunning. But none of it's so polished as to lose the charm of rough edges that's part of making music on the fly -- the continuing revelatory aspect of the show. And on the bigger stage with a bigger crowd, there's more a sense of the familiar, too, with Springsteen swaggering across the rim and working the people into a frenzy. Yeah, folks were into it last night: swing dancing in the pit to that "Chicken Shack Boogie" arrangement of "Open All Night" (another one that has come into its own, now a real showstopper); continuing to sing "Pay Me My Money Down" unaccompanied until Bruce had to come back and conduct it to a close to start the encore. Is that what it feels like in a European crowd? I'm sure you Europeans would laugh and beg to differ, but to these eyes and ears it was a great surprise to be surrounded by such a fired-up crowd in Northern Virgina on this tour.

On this tour -- let's talk about that for a sec. I've heard so much chatter about how some shows aren't selling out, and what that might mean.... Well, for one thing, it means that fans who should be there, who would have a blast, may not know what they're missing. For anyone who has traveled to more than one show on previous tours in hopes of catching something fresh and new, here's an entire show of fresh and new -- and as one buddy of mine said, half of it gives you chills. On the upside and flipside, as a couple people told me last night with a big grin, it means that tickets are that much easier for the rest of us. True. But I can't help feeling that, for every unsold seat or every unclaimed spot on the lawn, there's someone waiting for a moment that just don't come, while missing the chance to see a liberated Springteen, clearly having the time of his life (hell, find someone on stage who isn't!) doing a 180 from the Devils & Dust tour with a raucous, shout-along, musically overpowering hootenanny. But what it doesn't mean -- as I found myself thinking and fearing between shows -- is that people who are there aren't having a blast. Man, what a feeling to turn around in the pit -- as you might look around in an arena during an E Street Band houselights-up version of "Born to Run" -- and see what looks like an endless sea of people stretching to high on the hill, Virginia asses out of their Virginia seats, all with their hands in the air, all singing along, just like a... well, like a Springsteen show. What'dja expect?
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/If I Should Fall Behind/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 27 / Boston, MA / Tweeter Center
Notes: After a ten-city European tour, Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band return to the States to play to a typically fine Boston audience -- "A great way to start off the American leg," Bruce said, "Every crowd should be like this!" The band's first U.S. date since their stunning turn at Jazzfest in New Orleans nearly a month ago finds them even tighter, and as the confidence level has risen, songs have stretched out with more solos. Patti was back on stage tonight after bowing out of Europe early, signifying the number of shows she missed with just four wiggling fingers. What we've thought of as the European horn section was still part of the proceedings tonight, too; Mark Pender and LaBamba joined in halfway through to bring the horn count to six -- and, with their style and power, helped raise the energy level for the show's back half. A six-song encore began with the first U.S. performance of "Bring Them Home," which debuted in Paris, played tonight specifically with Memorial Day in mind. It took the place of "My City of Ruins," dropped for the first time on tour. Another surprise in the encore, per tradition, was the just-for-Boston special, "Dirty Water." Local showgoers have been treated to this Standells classic regularly on recent tours, from the E Street garage stomp version at the Fleet Center and Fenway Park, to Bruce's solo voice-and-harp holler on the Devils & Dust tour. It was given a different twist with this new band tonight, of course, but the more things change the more they stay the same -- old pal Peter Wolf was on hand once again for this one, staying on stage as "Dirty Water" moved right into "Buffalo Gals" and adding ad libs about a "redheaded girl."
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Dirty Water (w/ Peter Wolf)/Buffalo Gals (w/ Peter Wolf)

May 21 / Stockholm, Sweden / Hovet Arena
Notes: With the surviving members of Led Zeppelin in town to accept the Polar Music Prize (an honor Springsteen received in 1997), Jimmy Page was in the house for the Stockholm show. Alas, Bruce didn't seize the moment and bring him up for "When the Levee Breaks" -- Page stayed in the crowd. (Heartbreaker, huh?) But he surely didn't stay in his seat, as this European tour-closer had everyone fired up, on stage and off. A Whole Lotta Love from the enthusiastic crowd, a contrast to the previous night in Oslo as Bruce hinted, joking, "I don’t have to mention any names...." It was a longer set, giving No Quarter at 22 songs and over two-and-a-half hours. And while most of the Songs Remained the Same, Bruce worked in a few of the rarities from this leg: "Bring Them Home," "Long Black Veil," and "Adam Raised a Cain" (introduced as "an old song written by a very old man"). Springsteen gave a special Thank You to his Friends in Sweden and noted how long it's been Since I've Been Loving You: "This is the 31st year we’ve been coming here," he said fondly, adding that since he's only 30 years old, "It’s a true miracle!" Of the European tour as a whole: "We had a wonderful time the past three weeks. I wish it could have been twice as long." Sounds like he'll be doing something about that come the fall, with more Dancing Days ahead for Europe... for now, he's gonna Bring It on Home. Next: U.S. fans, Your Time is Gonna Come: No more Over the Hills and Far Away... Springsteen and the band take a Night Flight back across the Ocean to start the U.S. leg in Boston this Saturday. (And of course, soon after that, they're Going to California.) Hot Dog, We're Gonna Groove!
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Adam Raised a Cain/Long Black Veil/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 20 / Oslo, Norway / Spektrum Arena
Notes: Springsteen got to town on May 18, just missing Norway's National Day on the 17th, as he told the audience. Having relaxed in Oslo for a couple days -- in fact, they were all in town long enough that some of the band (sans Bruce) scratched a jamming itch at a downtown blues bar, The Muddy Waters -- Bruce was in fine form and great spirits. The crowd took some coaxing, but he finally "got those Norwegian asses off those Norwegian seats!" with "Jacob's Ladder" in particular revving things up. After skipping Norway on the Devils & Dust tour, Bruce made up for it in Oslo by giving them a special taste of that title track as a tour premiere. "Some anti-war songs are new and some are old... this one's new," he told the crowd, then followed "Devils & Dust" immediately with the nearly 200-year-old "Mrs. McGrath." And perhaps a taste of things to come: "My Father's House" was in the soundcheck.
Setlist: Old Dan Tucker/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/John Henry/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Devils & Dust/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 17 / Frankfurt, Germany / Festhalle
Notes: Springsteen has clearly found a set he likes, with the same songs as Amsterdam, just the first four songs shuffled. Frequent German guest Wolfgang Niedecken joins in for "Buffalo Gals," the new show-closer now for four nights running.
Setlist: Old Dan Tucker/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/John Henry/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Long Black Veil/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 16 / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Heineken Music Hall
Notes: Includes "Long Black Veil."
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Long Black Veil/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 14 / Badalona, Spain / Pavelló Olímpic
Notes: As we've all seen on DVD, a "live in Barcelona" Springsteen performance is bound to bring out a devoted, animated crowd. Not to be outdone by the Italians, Spanish fans on Sunday night loudly sang "Pay Me My Money Down" -- before the show even started! And of course, they kept up the crazy for the duration of the show -- like Milan, a 21-song set with "Ramrod" in the encore and "Buffalo Gals" to close; the significant setlist change was "Adam Raised a Cain" in for "Cadillac Ranch." On this Mother's Day, Bruce dedicated "If I Should Fall Behind" to wife Patti, this Barcelona show apparently being her last of the European leg. At the end of the night, the Spanish fans got a beautiful reward -- as in Italy, Bruce announced that he'd be back in the fall.
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Adam Raised a Cain/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 12 / Milan, Italy / Forum
Notes: Bruce has often talked about the audience and performer being "in concert," and if ever there was a tour that truly benefits from audience participation, this is it. Welcome to Milan! Springsteen's visits to the Motherland always bring nights to remember, and this one, with a typically passionate Italian audience, was no exception. Annalena Mainardi tells us it was "a real blast! Bruce was absolutely at ease with all our singing and interacting with all songs -- many times he had to hush us in order to start the following song... but he did it smiling!" With Bruce and the crowd taking each other higher, one regular show-goer (fresh from the Manchester, London, and Paris stops), puts this one in his top ten Bruce shows of all time. Some setlist-shuffling at the beginning, opening with "Jesse James," but bigger surprises came in the encore. Bruce debuted a "Texicali" arrangement of "Ramrod": "the first time... and the last if it stinks!" "Buffalo Gals" closed the show as a semi-audible, listed on the handwritten setlist with a question mark, and gave the Italians one more vocal chord workout as the show continued past "Saints" for the first time. And perhaps the biggest smiles came from these five words: "See you in the fall!" In case anyone thought they misheard, Springsteen repeated and even translated that mouthwatering promise: "Ci vediamo in autunno!"
Setlist: Jesse James/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/John Henry/Eyes on the Prize/Old Dan Tucker/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/Buffalo Gals

May 10 / Paris, France / Palais Bercy
Notes: A world premiere tonight: echoing his "bring 'em home" sentiment from this year's Grammys, Springsteen broke out Pete Seeger's "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)" in the encore. In 2003, Seeger updated his Vietnam-era anti-war song for a re-recording with Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco and Steve Earle, available on Appleseed Recordings' Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. III -- follow that link to listen to the song via Real Audio. You can also hear Seeger talking about the song on NPR.org as a "Web Extra." Back to the show: the waltz arrangement of "If I Should Fall Behind" had its first tour performance, after a few workouts at the Asbury rehearsals. And for "Buffalo Gals," somehow they found room on that packed stage for two more, as both Elliott Murphy and Garland Jeffreys joined in.
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals (w/ Elliott Murphy and Garland Jeffreys)/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 9 / London, England / St. Lukes Church
Notes: Not a bad spot for the Seeger Sessions Band's brand of gospel: this show was recorded for the BBC at St. Luke's, an 18th Century church restored by the London Symphony Orchestra as an intimate concert hall. "If they were attempting to give this the atmosphere of a country hoe-down in a village hall, then they more than succeeded," Peter Raymond tells us, "but the sheer exuberance and quality of the performance set it way apart from any local jamboree I've ever been to." BBC DJ Johnny Walker greeted "the luckiest 300 people in the world" -- many of them BBC contest winners, with Emmylou Harris, Stephen Merchant, and the Old Grey Whistle Test's Bob Harris also spotted -- before bringing on Bruce and the band. Springsteen quickly dismissed the riotous applause by joking, "you just practiced that -- it doesn't count!" Bruce and the band set aside original material to focus on the Seeger Sessions songs (plus the "Poor Man" centerpiece) from the main set. "How Can I Keep From Singing" went on despite the fact that "We forgot to bring that friggin' organ... we can't let that stop us, can we?" With retakes of "O Mary" and "Mrs. McGrath," the performance lasted 80 minutes, ending promptly after a rousing "Pay Me My Money Down" finale (and despite a persistent audience chanting for more). Nick Corr tells us: "Given it was meant to be a media showcase performance, I thought Bruce and the Band played a storming show, enahnced by the much smaller venue and closer environment... the entire crowd was well into the vibe, which the band seemed to pick up on and play off -- so despite the shorter set, it was the best of the three UK shows I witnessed. If the recording picked up even half the magic of the performance, it should be a fantastic radio and TV broadcast on the BBC!" BBC Radio 2's Sold on Song program will air on this Saturday, May 13, at 9 p.m., to be followed by the TV special on BBC 4 (May 19, 10 p.m.) and BBC 2 (May 20, 11:30 p.m).
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/How Can I Keep From Singing/Mrs. McGrath/Mrs. McGrath/My Oklahoma Home/Jacob's Ladder/O Mary Don't You Weep/We Shall Overcome/Pay Me My Money Down

May 8 / London, England / Hammersmith Apollo Theatre
Notes: "Finally, London is ready for Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band!"... as, three decades on, Bruce returns to the site of his first UK shows for Born to Run. The tour premiere of "Long Black Veil" as an ad-lib after "Cadillac Ranch" makes this the longest set yet. Although the crowd knew the "Mystery Train" chorus to "Cadillac Ranch," Bruce seemed not to want to risk a poor response two nights running. But the crowd was really up for this show, with plenty of singing along, and the smaller, more intimate venue certainly helped. The "blowed away" response in the chorus to "My Oklahoma Home" nearly knocked Bruce back, and "Open All Night" (love the swing version) and "Pay Me My Money Down" were raucous as hell. Bruce is so relaxed and obviously enjoying himself -- there seems to be no pressure. He referred to his previous visit here twice during the concert: an opening mention of the venue seeming familiar, and a lengthy speech before "Saints" about how each show has its memories and ghosts, and how good it was to be playing here again 30 years later. This was a stunning show. With apologies to Jon Landau, I have seen the future of folk/gospel/jazz/blues/rock 'n' roll/soul/rockabilly fusion and its name is Bruce Springsteen. In the audience: former Director General of the BBC, Greg Dyke.
-report by Nick Mays
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Long Black Veil/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/How Can I Keep From Singing?/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 7 / Manchester, England / Manchester Evening News Arena
Notes: "How Can I Keep From Singing," one of the DualDisc's bonus tracks, premiered in Manchester, a near-acapella performance lead off by Patti Scialfa. And returning to the set after "we fucked this up so bad back in Asbury we haven't been back to it since" was "Cadillac Ranch," replacing "Adam Raised a Cain" on the handwritten setlist. While it was a rowdy, boozy crowd, that didn't carry over to the sing-along on this one... after calling for crowd participation on the "Mystery Train" chorus, Bruce observed, "That was miserable -- we need some professional help!" But you can't say the crowd wasn't into the party in general; they made up for the sing-along in "Pay Me My Money Down" at the end of the set, and for "Old Dan Tucker" four songs in, as Bruce put it, "The stage has just been rushed to a 150-year-old song!" "If I Should Fall Behind" (not played) was an alternate for "My City of Ruins" on the setlist. And good news for nosebleed ticketholders -- the Man in Black was back, filling up the front row!
Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/How Can I Keep From Singing?/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 5 / Dublin, Ireland / The Point
Notes: A spirited European tour opener has the well-rehearsed Seeger Sessions Band firing on all cylinders. As one showgoer tells us, "This really rocks, flows, smacks... and the horns and the beautiful fiddle from Soozie, pure magic... lovely, just lovely!" In the home of "Mrs. McGrath," an Irish folksong "known from a Dublin broadside of 1815," according to Dave Marsh's liner notes (and a song which, coincidentally enough, happens to mention today's date), Bruce offers the correct Irish pronunciation of "McGraw." Setlist-wise, he re-expanded the trimmed-down set from New Orleans for a two-and-a-quarter-hour show, slipping "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Erie Canal" back into an otherwise identical line-up. Hey, if it ain't broke...
Speaking to David McCullagh in Dublin for RTE, Springsteen talked about the Irish influence on this music: "That's where it came from! So we're excited about coming and starting in Dublin for that very reason -- those influences are all through the whole night. Watch interview and performance footage here. Of the show, McCullagh tells Backstreets: "More fun than I've had with my clothes on. I had my doubts about the whole Seeger thing, but those doubts have been taken out, stomped on a good few times, and told never to come back to Buffalo."
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Adam Raised a Cain/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

May 2 / Asbury Park, NJ / The Stone Pony
Notes: How's this for a gear shifter: just a couple days after he played to 70,000, providing a spiritual lift to New Orleans, Springsteen was back in Asbury Park, playing to a crowd a fraction (of a fraction) of the size and providing a financial lift for his kids' school. Completely different set with a completely different band. Yes, it was Rumson Country Day School Benefit time again tonight, Springsteen's fifth annual shindig for RCDS parents and teachers at the Stone Pony. Now there's a teaching job with fringe benefits -- though with Bruce's kids just about gradumacated, this will likely be the last, as he mentioned a few times during the show. Backed again by Bobby Bandiera's band, who played a couple numbers before Bruce took the stage for the dear departed Wilson Pickett's "634-5789," Springsteen played a mix of originals and covers very similar to last year's set. Patti Scialfa's absence tonight necessitated some changes: Bruce added "From Small Things," brought back the wonderful "Sugar Sugar" from 2003, and broke out a full "Detroit Medley." But Southside Johnny was on hand for "The Fever" and "This Time It's For Real" -- and to yell "I hated school!" -- and once again the show closed with a stagefull of attendees for "Twist and Shout."
Setlist: 634-5789/Talk to Me/Seven Nights to Rock/Two Hearts/Spirit in the Night/Rendezvous/From Small Things/All That Heaven Will Allow/Sugar Sugar/Further On (Up the Road)/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/The Fever (with Southside Johnny)/This Time It's For Real (with Southside Johnny)/Darlington County/Seaside Bar Song/Stand on It/Shake/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Detroit Medley (inc. "Devil with the Blue Dress," "Good Golly, Miss Molly," "C.C. Rider," and "Jenny Take a Ride")/Twist and Shout

April 30 / New Orleans, LA / JazzFest
Notes: Quite an important night for Springsteen -- when's the last time he really had to prove himself to an audience? Closing out the first weekend of the New Orelans Jazz & Heritage Festival, following Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, it was to a decidedly non-partisan crowd; Bruce wasn't preaching to the choir for the first time in a long time, he had a brand new band to boot, and this their first non-rehearsal show. The Seeger Sessions Band was a 20-piece crew again tonight, with all six horns, and as one longtime fan told us -- fascinated to watch them win over the non-Bruce crowd -- "they sold some records tonight!" Yes, on this humid New Orleans evening, Bruce and his band more than met the challenge, playing the sun into the ground for a two-hour set that had the slow-to-come-along crowd eventually eating out of the palm of his hand. Springsteen was up against the Meters, perhaps the quintessential JazzFest band -- so it's a good thing he turned in a quintessential performance, one which demonstrated exactly why he's got that legendary live rep. Calls of "blow'd away!" came from the audience during "My Oklahoma Home," but it was "Jacob's Ladder" that was probably the turning point when he took control of the crowd. By the encore, he was egging them on as if it were the second false ending of "Badlands." "I ain't feeling the love!" Bruce cried, and the untrained audience poured it on. Earlier in the show, in a quip before show highlight "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?," he dedicated the song to "President Bystander." Springsteen also talked about getting to town the previous day and heading down to the lower 9th: "I saw some things I never thought I'd see in an American city." The emotional "My City of Ruins" that began the encore might as well have been written on that visit; during the song, the whole packed fairgrounds field had hands in the air. Bruce was clearly touched by the spontaneous reaction from this particular crowd; you could see it on his face, and he stepped to the mic and said, "Yes, yes, yes... Yes, yes, yes." "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)," the last of only four originals of the night and an obscure one at that, had 'em all going nuts and singing along. And closing the show, naturally, was "When the Saints Go Marching In." Bruce talked about going through an old songbook and finding some verses he hadn't known existed, said they'd play the song "even though there are 100 bands in the city that can do it better than we can," and dedicated the performance to the city of New Orleans. A night to be proud you're a fan. Yes, yes, yes.
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

April 26 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: The fourth and final rehearsal show opened with the debut of a stunning "Long Black Veil," sounding pretty faithful to The Band's rendition; Bruce brought "Adam Raised a Cain" back to the set, dropping "Jesse James," "Erie Canal," and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Closing the show in place of "Saints" was another debut: "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze." (Seriously. Think "Wild Billy's Circus Story" meets Tom Waits.) But not everything was done with the greatest of ease at this 5:30 show: the lower-energy crowd wasn't quite as "in concert" with the performers (chalk that up to the matinee timing, perhaps), and "Cadillac Ranch" was a Mystery Trainwreck. "We needed to fuck up!" said Bruce after that one, suggesting better now than later -- this was still a rehearsal, after all. And with that out of their system, and the rehearsing behind them, this is a band that's primed and ready for their big New Orleans debut this Sunday.

In a new Associated Press story, Springsteen looks ahead to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and says, "We're rehearsing, but we're also thinking, 'What do you want to say to those folks?'" And indeed, throughout these rehearsals, it's been clear to the preview audiences that thoughts of New Orleans hover over the whole proceedings. That begins with the sound itself, which embraces musical traditions from the Crescent City -- in Asbury, Bruce mentioned his band's "debt to that melting pot of R&B and jazz." But it extends to the show's topicality, too. "There's a lot of music we have that cuts right to the heart of what's going on there," Bruce told the Associated Press. "When the Saints Go Marching In," played at three out of the four rehearsals, is an obvious one, but songs like "We Shall Overcome" and "My City of Ruins" are imbued with new meaning post-Katrina, and "My Oklahoma Home" took on modern relevance with Bruce's intro: "The biggest displacement of American citizens since the Dust Bowl has been New Orleans."

The horn-fueled "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" -- the show's centerpiece, literally and otherwise -- is the most overt reference to the Gulf Coast disaster and its aftermath. On Monday night, Springsteen introduced it by telling the crowd that it's "important that we do what we can to help that area get back on its feet," adding, slightly off-mic, "and force our government to do something about it." On Tuesday, he explained the new twist he put on Blind Alfred Reed's Depression-era song: "I kept the first verse, and rewrote the second three, in true folk fashion." His new lyrics include "bodies floating on Canal," "I got family scattered from Texas to Baltimore," and a not-so-subtly-veiled description of President's Bush's response to the tragedy: "He took a lok around and gave a pep talk / Said 'I'll be right here' then he took a little walk..." But Bruce, and the show, manages to avoid any heavy-handedness. What's on its way to New Orleans for its most fitting official debut this weekend is a rousing, hootin', hollerin', joyful noize -- in that great American musical tradition, transforming pain into jubilation.
Setlist: Long Black Veil/O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Eyes on the Prize/Adam Raised a Cain/Old Dan Tucker/Cadillac Ranch/My Oklahoma Home/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: If I Should Fall Behind/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze

April 25 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: "Welcome to the evening show! Oh my god were we up early this morning... it was terrible. Everybody's all bright-eyed... I hate that." But any lack of sleep took no toll on the show, which continues to tighten up -- as Bruce said tonight of these rehearsals, thanking the Asbury crowd, "You have honed us into a well-oiled, swingin' machine." Damn skippy. He tinkered with set a bit, opening with a spotlight on Greg Liszt and his banjo for "Jesse James," and switched the order of a few other songs, too. And in the encore, "Turn! Turn! Turn!," sent out to Pete Seeger, took the place of "My City of Ruins." Its first public performance here included a beautiful vocal turn by Mark "Chocolate Genius" Thompson. (Thompson also adds stand-out vox to "Eyes on the Prize" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," which closed the show again tonight.) As for originals, Bruce kept "You Can Look" in its bring-the-house down penultimate slot, and "Mystery Cadillac" and "If I Should Fall Behind" stayed in the set from last night as well. Before the "Fall Behind" waltz, he got a big laugh: "A lot of people tell me they've used this as their wedding song. I'd like to think of it as an emergency preventive divorce song." The band was breaking in its full European horn line-up tonight, and when, mid-set, LaBamba and Mark Pender joined back in as well, we were looking at a six-man horn section and, lordy, 20 people on stage. Thankfully, Bruce's traffic control remains up to the task, for one big, glorious noise. Look out, New Orleans -- just one more rehearsal show to go between them and you. You're gonna like it.
Setlist: Jesse James/O Mary Don't You Weep/Johnny 99/John Henry/Eyes on the Prize/Old Dan Tucker/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: Turn! Turn! Turn!/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

April 25 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: Today's early show -- and we mean early. When a dissheveled Springsteen shuffled to the mic around 7 a.m. to greet the crowd assembled for Good Morning America, his first words were: "This is awful!" He went on: "I salute you early risers... I must really wanna sell records!" The amusing patter went on for most of the morning, as he offered to give the GMA weather report himself -- "Weather looked pretty damn nice out there today" -- and ran through some songs with the band "so we don't fuck up in front of millions." Two songs were broadcast in full during GMA's 8 o'clock hour; including those warm-up run-throughs, the Convention Hall crowd got seven performances: two times each through "Jacob's Ladder," "O Mary Don't You Weep," and "Old Dan Tucker," plus once through "When the Saints Go Marching In." At one point between takes, Bruce began whistling to keep the crowd (and himself) amused, and had an idea: "When they come back, I'm gonna do that. Just three minutes of whistling." And a plan began to come together: "No more 'The Boss' -- I'll just be 'The Whistler.' Hey, the Whistler is coming to town! You know that guy who whistles? He's coming. The Whistler." Though night time is surely the right time, performance-wise, such was the sleepy, stream-of-consciousness fun of being up early with the Boss. "Thanks for coming out so damn early," Bruce said as he waved see-ya to the crowd, "Ouch!" And lastly, with a laugh, "I finally got my voice!"
Setlist: Jacob's Ladder/O Mary Don't You Weep/Old Dan Tucker/When the Saints Go Marching In/Jacob's Ladder/Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep/Old Dan Tucker

April 24 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: Tomorrow morning comes early, so we'll keep this short and sweet... rehearsals are doing what they're meant to do, with tonight's (the second of four dress rehearsals) noticebaly tighter than Thursday's, but no less raucous and fun. Two changes in the set: replacing "Adam Raised a Cain" was "Cadillac Ranch," weirdly but quite effectively mashed up with "Mystery Train"; and in place of "Devils & Dust," "If I Should Fall Behind" -- a new arrangement in three-quarter time that owed a great deal to "The Tennessee Waltz." Before the newly worked up "Fall Behind," Bruce called for a couple of shots for himself and the missus -- "sort of a disclaimer for whatever happens next." By the end, though, no apologies: "That mid-set pop really greases the wheels, man!" Bruce laughed. "Should have thought of that 30 years ago!" Yeah, the band was greased, the crowd was greased, it was a stellar show and a good time was had by all -- we'll just see how everybody feels at 6:30 a.m. Said Bruce with both a laugh and a cringe: "See you in the mornin'!"
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

April 20 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: The first rehearsal show, and the public debut of Springsteen with his 17-piece Seeger Sessions Band. And the first words out of our reporter's mouth after the concert: "Do you like music? Do you like Bruce Springsteen? Then you're gonna love this show." A spirited Dixieland romp, already a success that the '92-93 experiment with other musicians reached for and arguably never achieved. The rehearsal aspect was evident, as Bruce acknowledged, with some rough edges, miscues, and sound problems; but as he directed his stageful of players, under a pair of old chandeliers, it was that rare thrill of music being made right before your eyes -- a glorious noise. A glorious lament, in a way: there was a political edge throughout the night, subtle yet unmistakable, particularly in the three-pack of "Devils & Dust," "Mrs. McGrath" (dedicated to Cindy Sheehan), and "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" The last of these is a Blind Alfred Reed song from the '20s, covered more recently by Ry Cooder and the Del-Lords. Springsteen took the time to set up many of tonight's numbers, offering some history to introduce songs like "Old Dan Tucker" and "Eyes on the Prize." In all, the band performed eleven songs from the album plus "Buffalo Gals" from the flipside; and six Bruce-penned songs from his catalog: "Johnny 99," "Adam Raised a Cain," "Devils & Dust," "Open All Night," "My City of Ruins," and "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)." Bringing the total up to 20 songs (the show started at 7:30, ended at 9:35) were two unreleased covers: the aforementioned "Poor Man," and the show-closing "When the Saints Go Marching In." For another idea of the sound, as another concert-goer told us, "Think 'Walt Whitman's Niece,' from start to finish." Take the weekend to break out your copy of Billy Bragg & Wilco's Mermaid Avenue if you need a refresher... and we'll be back for more on Monday night.
Setlist: O Mary Don't You Weep/John Henry/Johnny 99/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Adam Raised a Cain/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Devils & Dust/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Buffalo Gals/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In

February 8 / Los Angeles, CA / Staples Center
Notes: At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, Springsteen performed "Devils & Dust," a song nominated in three categories: "Best Rock Song," "Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance," and "Song of the Year." As opposed to many of the splashy collaborations of the night, Bruce played this one alone, just as he did on tour, on acoustic guitar and harp; in one of the only social commentaries of the night, he finished the soldier's-eye-view tune with a call to "Bring 'em home!" In the case of Grammy statues, make that "Bring it home": The Academy honored Bruce with one out of the five awards for which he was nominated. That award -- "Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance" for "Devils & Dust" -- was given off-stage prior to the show, as were the vast majority of this year's Grammys. It's the same award Bruce won last year, for "Code of Silence," and in 2003 for "The Rising" -- seemingly the Academy's preferred method of throwing the Boss a bone. In the other four categories, U2's "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" got "Song of the Year" and their "City of Blinding Lights" got "Best Rock Song"; John Prine's Fair & Square got "Best Contemporary Folk Album"; and the Scorsese-directed Dylan doc No Direction Home got "Best Long Form Music Video." Bruce was back on stage at the end of the night for the combo tribute to New Orleans and Wilson Pickett that closed the show. Back together for the first time since the 2003 holiday shows, Bruce and Sam Moore joined the assembled throng of Elvis Costello, The Edge, Bonnie Raitt , Dr. John and others for "In the Midnight Hour"; Bruce and Irma Thomas shared the mic with the Soul Man. While you could feel producers' eyes on the clock -- the whole finale felt compressed and rushed to bring the broadcast to its 11:30 close -- Springsteen managed to find a spot mid-song to shout out why they were doing this in the first place: "This is for the 'Wicked Pickett!'" (And for those Disciples of Soul fans out there, who else noticed that Sly Stone was rocking the Jean Beauvoir look?) See the full list of Grammy winners here.
Setlist: Devils & Dust (solo acoustic)/In the Midnight Hour (with Sam Moore and others)

February 6 / Los Angeles, CA / L.A. Convention Center
Notes: Grammy Week kicked off with the annual MusiCares benefit, honoring their Person of the Year James Taylor. Springsteen took the stage around 10:45, speaking of JT (a Chapel Hill, NC native) as "an authentic Southern voice" before going into "Millworker" on acoustic guitar and harmonica. Taylor wrote "Millworker" for the Broadway musical Working, releasing his own version on his Flag album in 1979, the same year that he and Bruce would play the MUSE/No Nukes concerts together. 27 years later -- honored by other artists including Sting ("Close Your Eyes"), Alison Krauss ("Carolina in My Mind"), and Bonnie Raitt ("Rainy Day Man") -- Taylor told the crowd, "It's strange to be at an event like this and still be alive. It's very moving, very terrifying and very wonderful to hear these songs done live."
Setlist: Millworker

January 14 / New York, NY / World Financial Winter Garden
Notes: As the the New York Guitar Festival began with "The Nebraska Project" on Saturday night, who should show up to wrap up the night but the architect of the original Nebraska project, Bruce Springsteen himself. After artists like Mark Eitzel, Michelle Shocked, Jen Chapin, and Chocolate Genius took turns covering the album song-by-song, Springsteen joined the ensemble for an encore of Woody & Jack Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills." John Oudens tells Backstreets: