• Rock

    Bruce Takes NYC Down To The River

    With only four shows left on the Working On A Dream tour (wrapping up in Buffalo on November 22nd), and with much buzz about how the band will be taking some sort of extended hiatus, now’s the time to savor and cherish what Bruce and the Band have been bringing all year – and that’s night after night of powerhouse performances.

    The tour started out in April with a healthy dose of tracks from Working On A Dream. Last night in Detroit, only the title track was played. The tour has morphed into more of a special treat for the fans – including full album performances, sign requests, and even Bruce regularly crowd surfing during “Hungry Heart”.

    As I mentioned in last week’s The Wild, The Innocent post, a couple of special nights took place in New York City last weekend. Saturday was a full performance of The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle,  and Sunday was Bruce’s 1980 classic The River.

    The River is special to me because it was the album in which I first became aware of Bruce Springsteen. I was only 10 years old, but my older brother Dave became a fan – and he got the chance to go see Bruce when the tour rolled though Minneapolis. “Fade Away” was the first 45 I ever owned. Sides 3 and 4 (“Point Blank” thru “Wreck on the Highway”) have probably had more playtime in my life than any other album (okay, right along with Purple Rain)…  it’s the slow burners like “Point Blank”, “Stolen Car”, “Fade Away”, “Wreck on the Highway”, and of course “Drive All Night” that still resonate so deeply within me. The River is a masterpiece, in my opinion, and last weekend, he played it straight through for an appreciative NYC crowd…

    Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
    Madison Square Garden – New York City
    November 8, 2009

    Part I
    Wrecking Ball
    Introduction to the River
    Ties that Bind
    Sherry Darling
    Jackson Cage
    Two Hearts
    Independence Day
    Hungry Heart
    Out in the Street
    Crush On You
    You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)

    Part II
    I Wanna Marry You
    The River
    Point Blank
    Cadillac Ranch
    I’m a Rocker
    Fade Away
    Stolen Car
    Ramrod
    Price You Pay
    Drive All Night
    Wreck on the Highway

    Part III
    Waiting on a Sunny Day
    Atlantic City
    Badlands
    Born to Run
    Seven Nights to Rock
    Sweet Soul Music
    No Surrender
    American Land
    Dancing in the Dark
    Can’t Help Falling in Love
    Higher and Higher