I finally got my greedy hands on the Seeger Sessions version of “Atlantic City”, which opened the Phoenix show that I attended. This one comes from the Milwaukee show all the way back on June 14th (okay, well, last night). I love this arrangement. It was a great opener in Phoenix, the place just came alive when the band exploded into the song part way into it. Last night in my birth state of Wisconsin, the tune was #3 on the set list. Check it out.

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Atlantic City (mp3) – live at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI

So I recently posted about “Rag Mama Rag”, a song by The Band that Bruce has been playing on this tour. Well, let’s swap spots and hear The Band’s version of “Atlantic City”. This came out on their ‘Jericho‘ album, released in ’93.

The Band: Atlantic City (mp3)

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Music lovers, whether you’ve enjoyed Bruce Springsteen’s work in the past or not, go see this show when it stops through your town. Seeing Bruce and his 17 piece Seeger Sessions band tear through those great old songs last night was something to behold, and never to be forgotten. It’s a total assault on the senses: juke-joint, carnival, revival, you name it…

A favorite part of the show for me was THE HORN SECTION: Eddie Manion on sax, Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg on trombone, Mark Pender on trumpet, and Art Baron on tuba. Those guys in many ways made the show for me. The songs are teeming with life without them, but add them to the mix, and it’s goosebump time. Amazing. They’d parade around the stage, dance jigs and circles around eachother, point their instruments at the drummer and wail… man, it was something to see. If (or when) Bruce tours with the E Street Band again, they HAVE to come along.

Other highlights were Greg Liszt’s banjo, and Marc Anthony Thompson’s vocals. Marc joined Bruce on “Eyes on the Prize” and the closer, the bittersweet and emotional “When the Saints Go Marching In.” He has an amazing voice, low, raspy and soulful. Look for a feature on him in the weeks ahead.

Liszt was great on the banjo, and comes across as quite a character. He’s got a big poofy fro’, and has a cool, laid back stage presence. If you’re familiar with Phish, he reminded me of bass player Mike Gordon with his stage mannerisms. Great stuff. Liszt is in a band called Crooked Still. Look for a feature on them in the weeks ahead too. You can see Liszt open “Jesse James” on AOL Music. They already have the video up from last night’s show.

And on to Bruce himself. It was such a kick to see him having such a genuinely good time. How could you not, leading a band like that, unleashing those great songs in such fashion? I’ve been listening to the bootlegs of the tour so far, and l’ve listened to the CD a bunch of times, but nothing compares to experiencing this music live. Of the set list (listed below), highlights for me were: the opener “Atlantic City”, “Open All Night” (reworked like some sort of 50’s rock n roll sock hop revival), the Tex-Mex, polka infused “Ramrod”, “Saints”, and of course “Pay Me My Money Down”, which wasn’t the same without our 2 and a half year old. She demands to hear it or see it on DVD every single day. She knows it as “Me Me”. “Me Me Dada, Me Me!!”.

Here’s the full set list:

1. Atlantic City
2. John Henry
3. O Mary Don’t You Weep
4. Johnny 99
5. Old Dan Tucker
6. Eyes on the Prize
7. Jesse James
8. Erie Canal
9. My Oklahoma Home
10. Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)
11. Mrs. McGrath
12. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?
13. Jacob’s Ladder
14. We Shall Overcome
15. Open All Night
16. Pay Me My Money Down with Nils Lofgren

17. My City of Ruins
18. Ramrod
19. Rag Mama Rag
20. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
21. When the Saints Go Marching In

I’ll leave you with their New Orleans performance of “When the Saints go Marching In”, as Bruce and Mark Anthony Thompson trade the vocals. Like I said folks, anyone who loves music should make it a point to see this show.

Live from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 30, 2006:

The Seeger Sessions Band has landed safely on U.S. soil. In six short days, my wife and I will be lined up in triple digit heat waiting to enter the Glendale Arena to witness the experience firsthand. Last night was their first show in the U.S. since last month’s New Orleans Jazz Fest performance. Bruce and the Seeger Sessions Band hit the stage in Mansfield, Massachussetts. Peter Wolf joined in for the last couple of songs: “Dirty Water” and “Buffalo Gals”. The show went a little something like this:

May 27, 2006
Tweeter Center
Mansfield, MA

*[Buy We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions]

1. 1. John Henry
   2. O Mary Don’t You Weep
   3. Johnny 99
   4. Old Dan Tucker
   5. Eyes on the Prize
   6. Jesse James
   7. Cadillac Ranch
   8. Erie Canal
   9. My Oklahoma Home
   10. If I Should Fall Behind
   11. Mrs. McGrath
   12. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?
   13. Jacob’s Ladder
   14. We Shall Overcome
   15. Open All Night
   16. Pay Me My Money Down

Encore:

1. Introductions
2. Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)
3. Ramrod
4. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
5. When the Saints Go Marching In
6. Dirty Water*
7. Buffalo Gals*

*joined by Peter Wolf

Well, the time is upon us. Bruce kicks off his US leg of the Seeger Sessions tour tomorrow night in Mansfield, Mass. To tide us over, here are a few from last Saturday’s show in Oslo, Norway.

Bruce Springsteen & TSSB: My City of Ruins | Devils & Dust | Pay Me My Money Down (my 2 yr old daughter’s song of the year!) – Live, Oslo, Norway – May 20, 2006

From May 12th in Milan, Italy, here’s the Seeger Sessions debut of “Ramrod” (original version found on ‘The River‘). You should be able to hear the music through the screams and singing of many many loud Italians. So yeah, the quality aint great, but it’s still fun to hear. The vino was flowing May 12th in Milan….

Bruce Springsteen & TSSB: Ramrod (mp3) – live 05/12/2006 Milano

Three nights ago in Paris, Bruce debuted this Pete Seeger tune, Pete’s anti-Vietnam song, Bring Them Home (If You Love Uncle Sam).

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Bring Them Home (If You Love Uncle Sam) [mp3] – May 10th 2006, Palais Omnisports Bercy, Paris, France

For those like me that need an updated live Bruce fix on a regular basis, here’s the Boss and the Seeger Sessions Band from Saturday night (May 6) in London. It was Bruce’s first appearance at the Hammersmith Odeon (renamed the Apollo) since the 1975 concert that showed up on the 30th anniversary Born to Run box set. I’ve been on the lookout for the New Orleans Jazz Fest performance (anyone?), but this one popped up on my radar first. It’s an audience recording from the front of the stage-right speaker stack. The quality isn’t fantastic, but we beggars can’t be choosers, can we?

Note: if you’d like Bruce-related posts sent to your inbox, send me your email address and I’ll add you to the list (which I also do for Prince – I know, makes perfect sense). Don’t worry, your email address is safe with me. I am not nor will I ever be affiliated with the evil dolts who flood me with spam.

Regarding the tour, I bought General Admission floor seats for the Glendale Arena show on June 3. I’m trying to determine if there are going to be seats down there on the floor, or whether we’ll all be standing (or both). I promised my wife there are seats down there. I hope I’m right. Uh-oh.

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band
{Buy ‘We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions’}
May 6, 2006
Hammersmith Apollo
London
{Read a review of the show from London’s Evening Standard}

1. Intro
2. Oh Mary Don’t You Weep
3. John Henry
4. Johnny 99
5. Old Dan Tucker
6. Eyes on the Prize
7. Jesse James
8. Cadillac Ranch / Mystery Train
9. Long Black Veil
10. Erie Canal
11. My Oklahoma Home
12. How Can I Keep from Singing
13. Mrs. McGrath
14. Intro
15. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?
16. Jacob’s Ladder
17. We Shall Overcome
18. Open All Night
19. Pay Me My Money Down
20. My City of Ruins
21. Buffalo Gals
22. You Can Look (But You Better not Touch)
23. When the Saints Go Marching In

There’s a new Bruce / Seeger Sessions Band tune up on the Boss’ site taken from recent tour rehearsals in Asbury Park – “straight off the soundboard”. They have it streaming in Real, Quicktime, and WMA right now. Here’s a taste…

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live? (mp3)

Tomorrow is Bruce & the band’s tour debut at Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

There was no better way to start off the last day of my vacation this morning than by watching the Boss and his Seeger Sessions Band perform “Jacob’s Ladder” on Good Morning America. I was seriously moved as Bruce and his 17 member band ripped the top off the convention center in Asbury Park, NJ and let the Lord’s light shineth down below (and I’m no religious dude, mind you). WOW. It was moving to see and hear. My two year old was yelling for more Bruce as it cut away to a commercial break. Can’t blame her, really. Boy, I really have my little girl on the right track!

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Jacob’s Ladder (mp3) – live on Good Morning America, April 25th, 2006

• Check out the GMA web site for a lot more.
• See what Bruce listens to on his iPod.
• Buy We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (released today in the US)