A Bruce Springsteen concert is an experience, with no show being exactly the same and each show having it's own personality. He changes the set lists up nightly, has numerous false endings on songs, plays sign requests and calls audibles to the set list on the fly. Let's see any other stadium and arena acts, do this with their same "show" every city, with pre-programmed lights, choreography, etc., do something unplanned or unrehearsed.
Yes, there are parts and set pieces that fall into the same pattern. And yes, he has routines and schticks he uses. But they can and do go off-key, which is usually just laughed off and makes the concert experience better. Bruce is still a musician in addition to being a showman.
I saw Mr. Springsteen for third time, this time in Kansas City at the Sprint Center, Saturday night. I was hoping for a St. Louis date, but one never materialized (at least this year) on his Wrecking Ball Tour. Well, with the vacation days I had and not doing much else, I would have probably double dipped anyway.
Me and my dad got there about 6:30, just at they were opening the doors for the 7:30 show, which we knew wouldn't start until about 8:20. Once we got to our seats and having just seen McCartney at Scottrade a week ago, we noticed, even though having been there before, that the Sprint Center was smaller seating wise. And the fact the opposite side of the arena wasn't as far away as the Scottrade Center.
I got decent seats this time, 19 rows back in the second section over stage right and still a nice view of the video screen. There was an older guy, with a green shirt, who was totally psyched once it started getting close to start time. He was jumping around in his seat, clapping and chanting, "Bruuuuuuuce." And once the concert started he was jumping around playing air drums.
The lights went out and Big Boss Man started playing, it was time to rock. And he opened up with a song that me and my dad talked about him likely playing and Bruce said, "We can't resist playing this one whenever we come to Kansas City, so we're going to start off with it," and the E Street Band launched into Kansas City. With the horns(including Curt Ramm a native Kansas Cityian and who's played on a lot of Springsteen records tours) and back up singers he's now carrying it was cooking jazz version with a little Hey Hey Hey Hey thrown in like the Beatles did. It also set the mood for the show, in that it was going to be a festive affair. Then it was right into the Roy Bittan's piano introduction of one of my favorites, Prove It All Night. I knew it was going to be a good show.
After his march to the middle platform during the singalong that was Hungry Heart, he asked, "Is there any strong men in Kansas City?" before doing his crowd surfing back to the front. Apparently not, as he almost got dropped.
The new songs off of Wrecking Ball, held up pretty good. Though the title track wasn't "new." He opened with it when I saw him in the 2009 in St. Louis and Land of Hope and Dreams dates back to the reunion tour. Death to My Hometown with his Irish brogue singing sounded better live than on record.
Before My City of Ruins, he asked, "....Kansas City, Missouri right? The Show-me State?....We've traveled all this way, we're gonna fucking show you something tonight!" He also saw a jawbreaker on stage, "We don't have Twinkies, but we still have Jawbreakers. I had to turn my
three-year-old upside down once to stop him from choking on one of
these." Then someone threw up a large blue bra with a song request on it, which he replied, "Now, that's a jawbreaker and a surefire way to get your request played. We'll get to it later." I could make out the word "me" and got a chuckle when I figured it out.
A few songs later the sign gathering started, and after going through some, Bruce said, "Little Steven pointed this one out," which on a bright orange sign was Fire, which pleased the crowd. The next request played was Incident on 57th Street, which seemed to go against the mood and flow of the show. Before it started, Bruce hollered at Nils, "Are you ready Nils?" before telling us, "Last time we played it Nils fucked it up badly." It was a good performance, but just seemed sort of out of place being one of his more epic story songs. But that lead into another of my and a crowd whipping frenzy of Because the Night.
Then the bright blue bra made its return which read, Cover Me. Heh-heh. That lead straight into two more Born in the USA songs, Downbound Train and I'm On Fire. Bruce had to cancel KC in 2009 after his cousin and crew member was found dead in the hotel, but he was originally planning to play the entire album of Born in the USA that night.
Waitin' on a Sunny Day in concert features Bruce pulling out a young kid form the audience to sing along with the chorus. This night he pulled a young girl probably around four or five, and her parents said she could pull it off. But once up on the walk with Bruce, she froze up, just mustering a few whispers, even with encouragement from the audience. Bruce laughed it off, "She'll be scarred for life." Like I said, not everything in concerts is planned or panned out right.
During Raise Your Hand he made his way back to the middle platform and picked up Santa Clause hat on his way back, foreshadowing a song later on. Then it was on to the rock and roll fire of favorites The Rising and Badlands to start closing down the main set, with Land of Hope and Dreams and Light of Day.
The encore started off with a shout out of to the local charity helping out homeless for the KC area and am mention of the canceling the last time and a dedication to his cousin, with My Beautiful Reward. A slower song that didn't seem as out of place in this spot. Then it was house lights on with classics the rest of the night Born to Run and Dancing in the Dark. During the "dancing" part, signs requested to dance with Jake Clemons and Nils Lofgren were granted. And Bruce got one for a mother and daughter to dance with, which lead to a comical struggle to get the mother pulled up with help from Steven. As well as the Bruce and Steven having to herd the women off stage.
Speaking of Jake, having big shoes to fill in for his uncle, the Big Man, he did a marvelous job on playing. He might not be a stage presence like him, but playing wise gets the job done. And speaking of excellent playing, Max is still a firebrand of a drummer. Anything the video screen was on him, you could just see the focus on Bruce and where the song was going. And as my dad said, he has to be on it, when Bruce calls to start a new song with no break in between. And he was pounding away as Mad Max every time I looked at him on stage.
After that the Santa Hat returned, which led into Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which fit the mood of the show and was another treat. Then it was my personal favorite Springsteen song, as well as my dads and the finale of Tenth Avenue Freeze Out. Before the song Bruce, yanked his shirt off, down to his undershirt. It was a struggle for the roadie to get his shirt off (even though I knew he was going to be wearing a tie, there's just something un-rock and roll about it. Even though it was common pre1970's rock. That and I don't trust people in or who wear ties.), with Bruce almost falling down. He started the song atop the piano and made his way to the middle platform again, and after the important part of, "...when the change was made uptown the Big Man joined the band," the band stopped and the video screens showed pictures of Clarance, which led to applause and cheers for a couple of minutes, before the band picked it back up, then Bruce brought it home.
Another awesome show, at a hair over three hours. I don't know if it's the best one I've seen out of the three, but as I've become a bigger fan, I probably enjoyed it a lot more. Even if he is a Obama supporting liberal, you'd still have fun at his show. Probably helps more if you are though, but thankfully he saved any liberal clap trap talk from us.
Now I'm just ready for a St. Louis date in the Spring...
Backstreets review and KC Star Review
Set List
Kansas City
Prove It All Night
Candy's Room
She's the One (with Not Fade Away intro)
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
The E Street Shuffle
Fire
Incident on 57th Street
Because the Night
Cover Me
Downbound Train
I'm on Fire
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Raise Your Hand
The Rising
Badlands
Land of Hope and Dreams
Light of Day
----------------
My Beautiful Reward
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
I Saw A Beatle; Paul McCartney 11/11 Concert Review
There are very few people from the early Rock and Roll era that still have the stature and drawing capability of Paul McCartney. Heck, few contemporaries have his stature. And at 70 years old, he still has a lot of the charm and attitude that he had 50 years ago. "
These days he mostly plays small runs of five to seven dates and mostly baseball stadiums in America. But along with Minute Maid Park in Houston and a few dates in Canada, he placed St. Louis at Scottrade Center on his "On the Run" tour, with it being the first date and first in St. Louis since 2002. And his drawing power was strong, "selling out" within minutes. Though I went a week later on Ticketmaster and got seats. Expensive, but worth it to see Macca.
And naturally it was raining steadily Sunday night. Paul must bring something when he comes to St. Louis as when the Beatles played the original Busch Stadium in 1966, it was a down pour that helped spur the Beatles away from live gigs on the road. And to make matters even better, I-64 was out and traffic on Market street was backed up horrendously. I eventually got out of the car, so I wouldn't miss anything.
I marched through the rain, made it in, got a piss in a still had ten minutes to spare til 8 PM. I knew I was going to be "behind" the stage, but thought more parallel. Oh, well, still fairly close and a video screen right up top for us. And my dad was able to verve off and find a parking spot and made it in, before McCartney hit the stage, a little before 8:30 and the place looked very much sold out, even in the upper levels all around.
He came out, energetically and opened with Magical Mystery Tour, a pretty good choice for an opening song for him and his four piece band. Macca spent most of the night playing his Hofner bass, but also played electric guitar, acoustic, piano for several numbers throughout the night switching back and forth and he played the ukulele on Something, which I was expecting in his tribute to George Harrison.
And he still had the humor from his Beatle days to match his energy. In greeting the audience, he was saying St. Louie instead of St. Louis, till he asked the proper way to say it. The crowed roared, "Yes," when he said, "St. Louis." To which he replied, "Okay, now I know." Which I told my dad later, he probably got, from listening to Chuck Berry. Listen to Sweet Little Sixteen and Back in the USA...
And my favorite moment was during a guitar switch, he took a good natured swipe at the practice of constantly switching guitars out. "...It's just to show off. We have them...And this guitar was used on the recordings..um for this next song, before kicking into Paperback Writer..."
He took his jacket off after about six songs, saying, " This is the only wardrobe change of the evening." And later when his drummer was dancing, he said, "The only choreography of the evening," and later added, "Wardrobe changes and choreography what more do you need?
A real shock was the only pyrotechnics, which blasted away during Live and Let Die, which really made sure everyone was paying attention. Afterwards, running down the stairs, he tripped to the ground.
One other cool feature was during Band on the Run, they set the lights up to make it look like a bunch of bars around the stage. Then, during the tempo change after, "...If we ever get out of here," they busted down.
Set List
Magical Mystery Tour
Junior's Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Drive My Car
Sing The Changes
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It> Foxy Lady(instrumental)
Paperback Writer
The Long & Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I'm Amazed
I've Just Seen A Face
And I Love Her
My Valentine
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band on the Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back in the USSR
I've Got A Feeling
A Day In The Life>Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live & Let Die
Hey Jude
- - - - - - - - - - -
Lady Madonna
Birthday
Day Tripper
Get Back
- - - - - - - - - -
Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
The biggest highlights for me, was that he played one of my very favorite Beatles songs, I've Got A Feeling, and my favorite solo song of his, Jet and the biggest surprise song, was Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, which I wasn't expecting. And he still kept the lyric flub as in the original recording, "...And Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face..."
Naturally after we were on our way home, Dad did his usual figuring out which songs, McCartney didn't play. With "his" Beatles songs, Wings and solo songs, there was going to be no way he hit all of them. Even at nearly three hours and 37 songs. The only real surprising omission was he didn't play I Saw Her Standing There.
He played the majors, Yesterday and Hey Jude, which everybody was rightfully singing along to. There would be something seriously wrong with you if you weren't. And he left on the very appropriate Abbey Road medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End, another highlight for me. "There's a point which the show has to end." To which some crowd members were shouting, "No," to which Paul cheerfully replied, "Yes," several times.
It was a good time, even with shoddy weather and not super great seats. Again, I don't know what sane person, could hate these songs. And in the end, I've seen a Beatle.
Post Dispatch review and Riverfront Times review.
These days he mostly plays small runs of five to seven dates and mostly baseball stadiums in America. But along with Minute Maid Park in Houston and a few dates in Canada, he placed St. Louis at Scottrade Center on his "On the Run" tour, with it being the first date and first in St. Louis since 2002. And his drawing power was strong, "selling out" within minutes. Though I went a week later on Ticketmaster and got seats. Expensive, but worth it to see Macca.
And naturally it was raining steadily Sunday night. Paul must bring something when he comes to St. Louis as when the Beatles played the original Busch Stadium in 1966, it was a down pour that helped spur the Beatles away from live gigs on the road. And to make matters even better, I-64 was out and traffic on Market street was backed up horrendously. I eventually got out of the car, so I wouldn't miss anything.
I marched through the rain, made it in, got a piss in a still had ten minutes to spare til 8 PM. I knew I was going to be "behind" the stage, but thought more parallel. Oh, well, still fairly close and a video screen right up top for us. And my dad was able to verve off and find a parking spot and made it in, before McCartney hit the stage, a little before 8:30 and the place looked very much sold out, even in the upper levels all around.
He came out, energetically and opened with Magical Mystery Tour, a pretty good choice for an opening song for him and his four piece band. Macca spent most of the night playing his Hofner bass, but also played electric guitar, acoustic, piano for several numbers throughout the night switching back and forth and he played the ukulele on Something, which I was expecting in his tribute to George Harrison.
And he still had the humor from his Beatle days to match his energy. In greeting the audience, he was saying St. Louie instead of St. Louis, till he asked the proper way to say it. The crowed roared, "Yes," when he said, "St. Louis." To which he replied, "Okay, now I know." Which I told my dad later, he probably got, from listening to Chuck Berry. Listen to Sweet Little Sixteen and Back in the USA...
And my favorite moment was during a guitar switch, he took a good natured swipe at the practice of constantly switching guitars out. "...It's just to show off. We have them...And this guitar was used on the recordings..um for this next song, before kicking into Paperback Writer..."
He took his jacket off after about six songs, saying, " This is the only wardrobe change of the evening." And later when his drummer was dancing, he said, "The only choreography of the evening," and later added, "Wardrobe changes and choreography what more do you need?
A real shock was the only pyrotechnics, which blasted away during Live and Let Die, which really made sure everyone was paying attention. Afterwards, running down the stairs, he tripped to the ground.
One other cool feature was during Band on the Run, they set the lights up to make it look like a bunch of bars around the stage. Then, during the tempo change after, "...If we ever get out of here," they busted down.
Set List
Magical Mystery Tour
Junior's Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Drive My Car
Sing The Changes
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It> Foxy Lady(instrumental)
Paperback Writer
The Long & Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I'm Amazed
I've Just Seen A Face
And I Love Her
My Valentine
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band on the Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back in the USSR
I've Got A Feeling
A Day In The Life>Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live & Let Die
Hey Jude
- - - - - - - - - - -
Lady Madonna
Birthday
Day Tripper
Get Back
- - - - - - - - - -
Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
The biggest highlights for me, was that he played one of my very favorite Beatles songs, I've Got A Feeling, and my favorite solo song of his, Jet and the biggest surprise song, was Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, which I wasn't expecting. And he still kept the lyric flub as in the original recording, "...And Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face..."
Naturally after we were on our way home, Dad did his usual figuring out which songs, McCartney didn't play. With "his" Beatles songs, Wings and solo songs, there was going to be no way he hit all of them. Even at nearly three hours and 37 songs. The only real surprising omission was he didn't play I Saw Her Standing There.
He played the majors, Yesterday and Hey Jude, which everybody was rightfully singing along to. There would be something seriously wrong with you if you weren't. And he left on the very appropriate Abbey Road medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End, another highlight for me. "There's a point which the show has to end." To which some crowd members were shouting, "No," to which Paul cheerfully replied, "Yes," several times.
It was a good time, even with shoddy weather and not super great seats. Again, I don't know what sane person, could hate these songs. And in the end, I've seen a Beatle.
Post Dispatch review and Riverfront Times review.
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