(Photo courtesy of Backstreets)

Bruce’s Magic tour rolls on with ferocity. With every show, Bruce and the band seem to get looser, honoring requests from the audience with more frequency (if you’re in the pit, bring a sign, odds are he’ll play it!), and honoring Phantom Danny Federici’s memory by going back to their roots with an infusion of (even more) joy, energy, and longer shows.

A couple of Saturdays ago, the train rolled into Charleston, South Carolina. The audience got treated to an opener of “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)”, and a closer of “Twist & Shout”. In between was a spirited set of tunes, including “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart”, “No Surrender”, “Spirit in the Night”, “Growin’ Up”, “Two Hearts”, and “Out in the Street”.

I meant to send this only on to a friend, but when the goosebumps hit during “Double Shot”, I knew I couldn’t keep this to myself.

Bruce Springsteen
August 16, 2008
North Charleston Coliseum
Charleston, SC

Intro > banter
Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love)
Radio Nowhere
Out In The Street
Two Hearts
Intro to…
Spirit in the Night
Intro to…
Light of Day
Growin’ Up
Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart
Audience
No Surrender
Atlantic City
Because the Night
She’s The One
Livin’ In The Future
Mary’s Place
Hungry Heart
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Encore applause

PSA
Streets of Fire
Jungleland
Born to Run
Rosalita
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Encore applause
Twist and Shout
Applause / outro

[courtesy of Perez Hilton]

Nice photo of the Boss with Señor Sting at Thursday’s Police finale at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Rewind 20 years to a nice version of “The River”…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-zOKTOajaI]

Photo from Yahoo (AP)

When I first checked out the set list and Backstreets review of last night’s Boss show to benefit the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Then I had to check the calendar to make sure Backstreets wasn’t pulling another of their infamous April Fool’s jokes.

But it’s true. Last night, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played Darkness on the Edge of Town – in sequence, in its entirety. After a break, they played Born to Run – in sequence, in its entirety.

Holy bleeping bleep!! The search begins…

Setlist:
Badlands
Adam Raised a Cain
Something in the Night
Candy’s Room
Racing in the Street
The Promised Land
Factory
Streets of Fire
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
* * *
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (w/ horns)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River (w/ Mark Pender)
Jungleland
* * *
So Young and in Love (w/ horns)
Kitty’s Back (w/ horns)
Rosalita (w/ horns)
Raise Your Hand (w/ horns)

• Rolling Stone’s Rock & Roll Daily
• You can get the encore over at Boss Tracks
• As for the rest of the show? A peek at the comments section may help….

A couple of quality show reviews have already been posted on Backstreets and by Mr. Malchus at Popdose, so let me convey my Monday night Boss experience the following way….

picture courtesy of Backstreets.com

Top Ten Moments from Monday, April 7th
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
The Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Before I jump on a plane and head back to Arizona, let me share the highlight of last night’s Boss show at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) joined Bruce and the band for “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, and – oh – basically brought the house down. My GAWD – Morello did an amazing job of trading verses with Bruce, and harmonizing on the chorus – but the true jaw=dropping madness began when he launched into a blistering, effects-laden guitar solo for the song finale. I have a new found respect for Tom #%^@# Morello.

Here’s the vid…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJT1EdKRF2g]

I made it the whooole day without falling for an April Fool’s prank. That is until I read the Backstreets review of last night’s show in Vancouver, BC. Good God, I believed the Anne Murray bit. I believed until I saw the Photoshopped Weird Al on stage with Bruce. *shakes head*

Here’s the opener from Seattle a couple of nights ago: Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped” – a tune that also made it into last night’s non-April Fool’s Vancouver set list!

Trapped (mp3 from Seattle, March 29th)

Ever heard the Jimmy Cliff original? Vastly different than the E Street version…

Jimmy Cliff – Trapped (LastFM full track)

photo from Backstreets.com

The Boss made his Magic stop through Columbus on Monday night, and the crowd got treated to not one, not two, but three tour premieres:

Something in the Night (mp3, live from the show) – a killer rocker-ballad from Darkness on the Edge of Town. They shorten it up a bit, but no less powerful. The Boss can still belt out the wails in this one: “Waaaaaaaa-aaaaaaa!” Love it.

You’ll Be Comin’ Down (mp3, live from the show) – This is one of my favorites from Magic, and somehow it didn’t see its live debut until this week. Hopefully it becomes a set list staple, and I see it live in Anaheim in 12 days!

Sherry Darling (mp3, live from the show) – From Side1 of The River. Always elicits the party atmosphere

photo from Backstreets

Bruce’s back to back nights in Rochester and Buffalo at the end of last week ranked up there as two of the tightest, most energetic shows of the tour. Among the breakouts and non-standard fare was a spirited “Because the Night” and a deeep “Racing in the Street” in Rochester.

The following night in Buffalo, the crowd was treated to a Magic tour premiere of “Detroit Medley”. I can’t recall seeing it on too many set lists from the Rising or Reunion tours, but I could be wrong. Always good to see a classic E Street staple back in the set.

Racing in the Street (mp3) – Rochester, NY – March 6th, 2008

Because the Night (mp3) – Rochester, NY – March 6th, 2008

Detroit Medley (mp3) – Buffalo, NY – March 7th, 2008

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill – link)

Last night marked the 2008 resumption of Bruce’s Magic tour. He and the E Street Band (minus Patty and Danny F. – still) kicked this leg off in Hartford, Connecticut. From the report on Backstreets, this wasn’t one of those safe warm-up gigs after a break. The band “were immediately up to speed, and Hartford was a hot, high-energy show.”

Three – count ’em – three high quality tour premieres last night:

• “So Young and In Love” (mp3 from the show) – This kicked off the show! The studio version found on Tracks was recorded in January 1974.[audio:hartford01.mp3]
• “Loose Ends” (mp3 from the show) – an outtake from The River.[audio:hartford02.mp3]
• “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart” (mp3 from the show) – One of my favorites from the Born in the U.S.A. sessions. Last night, Nils Lofgren took the second verse – his “first recorded vocal with the E Street Band”, according to Backstreets.[audio:hartford03.mp3]

Next up on the calendar? Sunday night in Montreal. Look out Quebec.

LOOKING FOR TICKETS….. Since it doesn’t look like a Phoenix date is going to happen (!), I am in the market for two tickets to see Bruce in Anaheim on Monday, April 7th. If you or anyone you know has a couple available, please let me know (pete at ickmusic.com).

The full set list from last night’s Hartford show after the jump…