From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #80 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Thursday, August 29 2002 Volume 09 : Number 080 NOTE: Sale/trade posts should be emailed to luckytown-ads, *NOT* to luckytown. That includes tix wanted/tix grovels, post them to luckytown-ads, please. Contents: San Jose and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" ["Mark Landefeld" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 09:46:54 -0700 From: "Mark Landefeld" Subject: San Jose and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" Just a note about the San Jose show and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" . For everyone who feels this song is too light for "The Rising" material, there was a moment of revelation in San Jose, when Bruce found a group of six-or-seven year olds to sing the chorus . with everything that 9/11 and the aftermath has presented to our children . fear, uncertainty and real images of terror . a Dad needs a song to sing with the kids . When I have children, this will be our song for the back seats of the minivan . _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 04:49:53 EDT From: QuadAxel83@aol.com Subject: My San Jose experience Just got back from the show and wanted to share my experience!!!! First of all, (to get this out of the way) the person who threw the bra onstage during Ramrod was my best friend. She tried to make it look like it wasn't her, but it was. I did not know the people who grabbed Bruce's butt during Ramrod, but I wish I was standing next to them! Ok, now then... I have to say, GA is THE WAY TO GO!!!!!!! I think it's a FANTASTIC way to make sure the diehard fans are the ones who get the closest. 2 previous times this month, I thought I had experienced the best night of my life. Tonight tops all of that. It was worth every penny I paid and MORE. And I paid for 2 tickets to this show. The GA pit isn't just about seeing a concert, it's a whole EXPERIENCE. I haven't stopped smiling since 6:15 this evening. My friend Lizzy and I got to the arena around 9:30, and got green wristbands numbered 21 and 22. The San Jose GA line was GREAT. The arena staff ran the whole thing, and made sure we went in numerical order. Around 10:30, they realized that the green wristbands were numbered wrong so they started passing out orange wristbands, so our real numbers were 61 and 62. The time in line passed very quickly... Lizzy and I spent most of the time playing Scrabble. :-) At 6:15, they let us into the arena, one at a time. We had our tickets scanned and received blue wristbands for the pit. The arena staff continued to look after us really well. As soon as we got into the pit, Lizzy found a guitar pick on the floor and gave it to me. It was Bruce's!!! I was so excited! We staked out a spot directly in front of Bruce's microphone, about 5 people back. Around 15 feet away from Bruce. GREAT location!!! Everyone around us in the pit was SUPER friendly. It was so great being surrounded by real fans rather than the losers who sat near me in New Jersey. (Suzanne, who guarded the area behind us, and the pizza guy - who bought pizza for the whole GA line at noon - were the coolest people we met). There was one annoying guy, who somehow appeared near us even though no one recognized him. He ignored us when we asked him where he came from, and during the show he danced annoyingly (circularly like a washing machine, rather than up and down like everyone else). As for the show..... OH MAN!!!! AMAZING! I can't even compare it to the NJ show, because everything is so much more intense up close. One thing that struck me was when the band came out, how they just looked really happy to be there. They did look like they were having fun. It was so cool being able to see up close, where you can see everything, every facial expression, every drop of sweat... And when Bruce stepped in front of his microphone to play his guitar solos... WOW. It does not even compare to watching on the big screen. Before Empty Sky, Bruce was asking for quiet and people were still BRUUUUUCE-ing and he said "I know my name, you don't have to keep yelling it." During the band intros, he introduced Patti as "natural Viagra" and then said "Come on up for the rising..." For those of you who are worried that "THE" guitar has been retired, it made an appearance during Prove It All Night and Thunder Road. We got an extra song this show. The first encore was Dancing In The Dark, Ramrod, Born To Run. The second encore was Thunder Road, My City Of Ruins, Born In The U.S.A., Land Of Hope And Dreams. The main part of the show was exactly like the early shows. Dancing In The Dark flat out ROCKED!!!!! My first "favorite Bruce song of the moment". I was grinning so hard during it, I thought my mouth was going to split in half. I was looking at Nils, and he saw me and smiled back. Being close to the stage is so great because the band really plays to the pit. It felt like I was at a Bruce concert with 299 other people, not 18,000. I made eye contact with several band members throughout the show. Anyway, I can not believe what a great time I had tonight. Sure my knees and my neck hurt really bad afterward, but it was worth it!!!! - -Liz QuadAxel83@aol.com "I'm just a prisoner of rock and roll!" [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 13:38:33 -0500 From: Barry Kaplovitz Subject: 'Those 9/11 Songs: Are you with Springsteen or Keith?' (National Review Online) From National Review Online August 27, 2002 Those 9/11 Songs Are you with Springsteen or Keith? By Stanley Kurtz http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz082702.asp ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 14:10:11 +0300 (EEST) From: luckyman@nic.fi Subject: A DISGRACEFUL Stockhom ticket release! Hi there fellow fans, I am from Finland, a neighbor country of Sweden. Yesterday me along with many many Finnish (and other Scandinavian) friends tried to get tickets online to Bruce's Stockholm show on 24/10. Needless to say, Stockholm is our only chance to see Bruce live. The other choice would be to spend thousands of dollars for travelling + hundreds of dollars for scalper tickets to go to central Europe, virtually impossible for most of us. There is no other way of buying tickets for this show from any other outlet. The ticket agencies in other Scandinavian countries are helpless, since they have not been given ANY portion of the tickets. Ticnet, the site/company selling the Stockholm tickets (www.ticnet.se) advertises itself as selling tickets to happenings across Scandinavia. So, it seemed that after some hours of queying online me and some of my fellow Finnish fans (and I bet a thousands of other Scandinavian fans) were able to reserve tickets online. Some of us got to be so lucky that after some OnLine dialogue we were able to get to the point where we could reserve the seats tentatively. Then to give our addresses. BUT THEN: the system informs us that "Only people inside Sweden are able to buy the tickets online"!!! And this was our only chance. This info was nowhere to be seen on the site, on any advertising about the concert, nowhere!! On the contrary, reserving by foreign customers is encouraged (for example OnLine dialogue while reserving is offered). *This is really discrimination in the true sense of the word*. These people were already allowed inside the system and were allowed/offered to reserve the seats in temporary manner. Even if Ticnet want to practise these discriminating principles is one thing, but not to let people know of them officially/in advance, and keeping up false hopes is another thing, and a completely needless. And truly shameful. When Ticnet was contacted by fans afterwards, they explained that at the last moment they decided to cancel Credit Card as a payment method. They did this, knowing that it would keep anyone else from getting the tickets besides the Swedes. This is not to accuse the Swedish fans of course: they worked as hard as anyone to get their tickets. This is to state that Ticnet handled this VERY unprofessionally, and did not even regret this in their very brief explanation: quote: "We can only apologise to those who were left without tickets for different reasons and to wish that BS would soon come to Scandinavia to give one of more concerts". So they just decided to ignore the thousands of people's dreams to see Bruce live (a dream of at least two years now, and much longer for many of us). We would just like an equal opportunity and fair chance! Or at least a notification beforehand that it is not allowed to us to buy the tickets no matter what. I wonder if Bruce or Jon Landau Management is aware of these kind of practises when the tickets are sold to Bruce's concert(s) in Sweden? I trust that they do not know of these disgraceful things... You can really imagine the disappointment and even anger which is now felt by thousands of people. Sincerely, Kalle Lehto Turku, Finland luckyman@nic.fi ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 04:48:02 -0500 From: Steve Leftridge Subject: more thoughts from Steve Leftridge I'm not exactly Mr. Popularity at this point (although I received lots of like-minded, supportive emails), but here are some thoughts on the recent barrage of angry missives following my negative post last week. First, the assertion that those who are critical of decisions Bruce makes are not "real" fans amuses me. Personally, I fit all the requirements of a die-hard: Springsteen has been my favorite artist for years; my wife thinks it's an obsession; I traveled 2000 miles just to see Asbury Park and the Stone Pony; I formed a Springsteen cover band (The Mighty Mighty Boss Tunes -- cute, yes?); dozens of shows, bootlegs, Backstreets subscriber, on and on. I think Bruce is the greatest live performer in the history of popular music. In my opinion, he's a better songwriter than Dylan, Waits, Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, or anyone else. But for me, being a "real" fan does not mean blindly consuming whatever an artist produces and later fashioning it as delicious because it fits our self-appointed fanatical identity. Doesn't true faith require questioning that to which we are faithful now and then? What is this -- NSync? Where teenage girls scream so loud that no one can hear what everyone is screaming about? Moreover, it is precisely DUE TO my love of Springsteen and the band that I felt compelled to write a post expressing the displeasure with the current musical and commercial direction of the new material, a viewpoint shared by many others who are, like it or not, big, genuine, knowledgeable Springsteen fans. Second, I'm not stuck in the past, despite comments that alluded to previous tours. I am disappointed in the quality of the present, while holding out hope for whatever future is left for Bruce and the band. I know every chord change and lyric on The Rising, and I think it's a decent album. But, I also think it contains two or three of Springsteen's all-time worst songs. I think the album is bursting with lyrical cliches. I think his songwriting sounds forced and hurried. I think the album is hampered by lackluster or gimmicky production that chokes the life out of the E Street Band, cloaking the elements that made them great to begin with. And, perhaps most disconcerting, I think it is inherently problematic to turn tragedy into commerce. I believe that with Springsteen, this project probably comes from a good, pure core of inspiration. But, it still smacks of opportunism and it provides no life for these songs beyond this moment. All this choreographed mourning and sloganeering reduces "Rise Up" to the next "Let's Roll" -- in other words, these sentiments become cheapened cliches, and does the victims of 9/11 (all of us, to some extent) only cold comfort. I agree that Springsteen is better gifted to write on this subject than, say, Bon Jovi or Neil Young, but the endeavor is still disquieting. Will Bruce be in writer's block until a dirty bomb goes off in an American city and kills 10,000? Think of how many albums he'll be able to sell from that tragedy! May have to be a double album! Third, the idea that it is "audacity" to demand that Bruce play to and for his established fans is ridiculous. It is not the casual fan that has provided Bruce with his fortune and mystique. It is not the housewife that can only name two Bruce Springsteen songs. It is not the first-time concert goers who are really into the Darkness album and are peeing their pants at the thought of hearing "Prove It All Night" (how many of these do you suppose there are in each city, Johnny from Albany?). The people who bought Bruce the mansion on the hill, and allow him to play 15 nights in one venue, and buy his T-shirts, and spend the extra money on the Limited Edition release, and fight to get tickets they can't really afford before they sell out -- are the people who are reading this degest, the hard-core fans. That said, I certainly think we deserve more respect than to have to sit through the umpteenth version of "Prove It" or "Bobby Jean" or a rote, pat, phoned-in setlist. I think the new show is a compromised effort from an artist that is allowing himself to be artistically jaded and lazy, and I would hope that someone would tell him that a percentage of his "real" fans feel this way. I appreciate the new songs -- bring 'em on; he can play all 15 of them, if that's what he wants to do. But in the other 10 or 12 spots, I've heard or can think of no explanation why he doesn't award his true fans with variety, surprises, and a thoughtful, exciting event, as opposed to the mechanical, predictable, highly-choreographed play-mourning out there now. And to respond to some of your comments, tickets were 60 bucks last time, not 75. I saw fifty-something Tom Petty the other night who played nearly 3 hours at 20 bucks. I saw Willie Nelson, at 68, who played 2.5 hours and 42 songs (!) a few nights ago. Bruce is holding back, and as a long-time, loyal fan, I find his effort to be substandard, and I'm not alone. I appreciate how lucky we all are that Bruce is recording and touring. Half-assed Springsteen is still better than almost anyone. But, I disagree with the choices he's making, and there is certainly room for honest criticism amid the usual hero worship. Thanks for your responses and to the operator of Luckytown for letting me stick my neck out. Steve Leftridge St. Louis ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 15:02:37 -0700 From: gxcumber@srpnet.com Subject: Phoenix, the crowd and Thunder Road In answer to Eric's question in the last post, the floor crowd IS seperated by a barrier, hence the gap between the two sections. And as for the show - WOW. I was in the front standing section and Bruce seemed SO happy to be in Arizona. The crowd loved every second, especially his comment stating that although he's old, he KNOWS he's from New Jersey and no-one needs to remind him, no-one shouted out in response to 'Eye for an Eye' and people around me seemed surprised there was no extra song(s) after 'Land of Hope and Dreams'. If any night so far deserved it, this was it. Superb, excellent, great show. 'Dancing' was a GREAT version, and makes up for what I think is a lack-lustre version of Thunder Road. If a song that has so much power, with great vocals, isn't going to be given the treatment (I think) it deserves, then I'd rather he rest it. I don't like the new vocal arrangement....! Gary ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 11:08:16 -0400 From: "Robert Fisher" Subject: Thunder Road Compromise, MCOR, My 4 year old Having read the numerous show reviews stating that Thunder Road is a bit tired and is being performed without much enthusiasm from Bruce or the band, (as well as having seen it in person 3 times this year) I would suggest the following compromise that would benefit both the causal fan and the aficionados: play WINGS FOR WHEELS in that slot. A high energy number that would be a "nugget bonanza" for the crazies like myself but would also be identifiable "in some fashion" to all. Now this assumes that, as an informed fan noted recently, Bruce actually remembers this tune. This is an artist who has forgotten more classics than most artists in the rock and roll hall of fame have written. If there is anyone out there with some influence, please take out your '75 Main Point bootleg and take a listen; its pure magic. On the subject of Bruce's innate ability to re-work his own material, it occurred to me that we now have 4 distinctly different versions of MCOR (5 if you count the 45 seconds from Sonny's Southern Cuisine on last night's VH1 special). I'm wondering which one you all think is the best. For what it's worth, here are my rankings: 1. Tribute to Heroes: heartbreaking, pure emotion, in a word: unbelievable 2. Live 2002: great intro, full sound, really packs a punch 3. Album version: very soulful with the choir behind him, crisp 4. Holiday Shows '00-'01: saying that this is the worst of the 4 is like choosing your least favorite sexual position, but imho it does not measure up to the others My four year old daughter has been indoctrinated into the CoB. But not in the way in which you would think it would've happened. With my wife not being a fan, I was reluctant (ok, threatened) not to play Bruce material in front of my daughter. So, she winds up hearing The Rising and Mary's Place on the radio on the bus to camp and she comes home one day and declares that Bruce Springsteen is her favorite singer and asks me on an hourly basis if we can sing the "Li, Li" song and Mary's Place together. [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 18:14:46 -0400 From: HANK.HELLEY@chase.com Subject: Tacoma Cost of 5 extra GA's for Tacoma = $417.25 Proceeds from sale of only 3 of those GA's to guys who had seats, but wanted floor access for just a few songs = $30 Dancing (in the Dark) all night long with Jean from Washington = Priceless Thanks, H H H ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 01:06:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael West Subject: Portland Review Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Portland, Oregon - 8/20/02 The Professor meandered onto the stage at approximately 8.20pm, the first of the band members to enter the Rose Garden proper. The rest of the group followed close behind with Bruce bringing up the rear and, naturally, receiving the biggest ovation. I had 200-level reserved seats on the Big Man's side, and rose with a tear in my eye to applaud them all. Personally, I wouldn't have minded standing for the entire show, but as The Rising began people around me started to take their seats again so I followed suit. My immediate impression of the concert was that the mix was too muddy. Perhaps this was simply due to my position, as the arena itself is fantastic and I'm assuming has great acoustics. Regardless, at this point Gary's bass was "wobbly", Bruce's vocals were a touch overpowering and I would have liked Max to be more prominent. These technical problems slightly shadowed my enjoyment of the opening song, but my eyes showed me that the intensity from everyone was present from the very off. The band shifted into Lonesome Day with a nice segue, and although the sound wasn't perfect for this number either, I was delighted to see Bruce's body language at this point. He was positively brimming with passion and energy. For my money, Bruce was the show's MVP by an astronomical distance. For a man of his age, the amount of zest and punch he had from start to finish was breathtaking. Not only that, but I struggle to recall when I've ever seen him in such a good mood! Broad smiles, belly laughs and more besides. A far cry from the "serious" figure of earlier shows. They transitioned into Prove It All Night without the customary count-in from Bruce, and this garnered a decent enough reaction from the gathered throng. The mix was noticeably improving at this juncture. One of my (admittedly VERY minor) quibbles about the show was the overall lack of participation on the crowd's part. Yes, the house was only around 75% full (lots of blacked-out front and rear 300-level seats) but those present were still too subdued for my tastes. Additionally, it didn't appear that many folks around my section were overly familiar with the new material. On the bright side, at least they didn't talk all over it! I thought that Prove It started off relatively slow, but picked up speed at a rate of knots. Bruce busted out a KICK-ASS solo as the song neared conclusion, his face scrunched up tight and body contorting with the effort and concentration. It is always a pleasure to watch the Mighty One get completely carried away in this moment, crashing those drums as though his very life depended on it. This was one of many highlights for the night, and as Bruce and Max cast their magic spell the audience began to stand around me, expecting another upbeat track to truly blow the roof off. So, following up with The Fuse proved to be somewhat of an atmosphere dampener. The folks who'd taken more time to warm-up and get into it immediately sat down again. I actually really enjoyed the live performance of this song, and it received very warm applause. It's a very "deliberate" song (if that makes any sense), and I didn't find myself wanting to throttle Patti "I normally sound like a hyperactive rodent base freak" Scialfa, which is practically a first. However, I do feel that it gave the show an odd momentum at this early stage. Nil's solo, in an otherwise quiet show for him where he looked quite bored at times, was excellent. Great to see Bruce sidling up next to him, nodding his head and repeatedly saying "come on" as the Trampoline Man wailed away. Up next was a tour debut! After religiously reading the (predominantly static) set-lists for the previous shows, it had been drummed into my thick skull that Darkness On The Edge Of Town would be in this slot. No questions asked. So, when Max started laying down a different beat it didn't even register with me for a couple of seconds. Then I got to thinking if they had completely altered the arrangement?! After my initial shock had subsided I called it as Atlantic City, and found myself thinking that I'd been very lucky just to get to hear this. I believe that it does fit thematically and musically in this slot, and is an excellent track to rotate in-and-out when Bruce desires. The performance itself was very similar to the last tour's versions. Bruce sang certain sections a little differently, hitting higher and drawing out certain phrases. If I'm going to be overly critical I'd say it sounded a tiny bit rusty, but this didn't make a mark on my Enjoyment Radar by any stretch. Bruce spoke to the crowd before the somber section of the show, asking for some quiet. He went on to talk about how he'd got married here before and that he thought it was a nice place. Realizing his error, he looked across to Patti and said words to the effect of "whoops, I'm in the shit now!". He drew this out for quite some time, to laughter all around, making it the closest thing to a true speech that he's delivered for a while. Empty Sky was another huge plus point of the show. Hauntingly beautiful and much improved over a now plodding and pedestrian album cut. Bruce and Patti harmonized superbly, with The Boss himself in SUPERB vocal form. The look on his face showed how deep he was digging, and he struck gold with a range I don't believe I've ever heard escape him before. Compared to what I thought were very mediocre vocals on the Reunion Tour, it was like witnessing a different person. You're Missing followed, one of my favorites from the album. In concert I feel it is even better. Delicate and touching but still poignant and powerful at the same time, with the everyday lyrics bringing home the reality of true loss. Thankfully, Max isn't as high in the mix as he is on the album, letting the violin, piano and organ do their work masterfully. As The Phantom sees the song home, Springsteen turns away from the crowd to direct him with repeated gestures with his left index finger. I thought Soozie played flawlessly all evening, and her influence on You're Missing had me crying like a crack-whore in a strictly no soliciting zone. Waitin' On A Sunny Day was great, and served well in picking up the audience and the mood. Bruce was particularly active, stalking the stage with his presence and encouraging participation, a la Hungry Heart. The crowd did sing it with him, but compared to how this part had gone on the East Coast it must have been considered disappointing overall. Deafening it wasn't. The Promised Land hit next. I thought it started off pretty sluggishly, and it was becoming quite apparent that the new material was being performed 100% better than a lot of the old warhorses. It had more energy, more weight, more punch. More everything. To those who complain about the sets without having seen a show, wait 'til you catch one. To those who complain after having seen a show, I suggest you stop living in the past. It's sad. Getting back to the show itself, the Big Man nailed his solo, as he did practically everything all night. I was very impressed with him and he was my #2 MVP behind Bruce. Always smiling, and his weight loss has him being much more active these days. Every crowd loves him to pieces. Little Steven's solo didn't exactly blow me away, nor did any other work from him. Ok, World's Apart. Let me start by saying that I really like the album version a great deal. However, I thought the live version was, overall, a muddy mess. I know the song has great potential but, right now for me, it really does not cut the mustard. To begin with, the intro is nice but too long. Instead of grabbing your attention and holding it, the song begins to meander away from you. Bruce gets very into it at the song's beginning, leaning backwards with his eyes closed, swaying almost imperceptibly. The middle section is ok but the band don't exactly sound well-oiled. There's no separation of the instruments and they seem to blend together in an unspectacular fashion. If they're trying to mould it into a show-stopper they're shit out of luck at the moment. Steve needs to either learn his solo or lose it, as it essentially goes nowhere. Fast. Bruce's solo, like Steve's, is too long and I was struggling to fathom any real pattern or tune to the playing. That aside, I fucking LOVE this track live. Leaves Incident dying in the dirt. Transitioned straight into Badlands, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I was a little under whelmed with it. The versions we saw for The River and BITUSA tours are long gone now. It got the crowd animated, but like the other Darkness tracks took some time to fully kick into life. Though, having said that, I did find a tear in my eye with the "I believe in the love you gave me." section, for no better reason than it is exceptional writing and seeing it live is mind-blowing. This led straight into Bobby Jean. Whatever you think about this song, it DOES fit thematically (at least, a damn sight better than Two Hearts). First time I'd seen it since the Tunnel tour, when I was only seven years old. Always loved the song and cried all the way through it. Got a nice enough pop when it kicked in and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. Sure, it wasn't the most flawless performance of the song I've ever seen, but I am pleased to report that the Big Man nailed his solo (something he didn't do with great regularity on the last tour. er, with anything really). Mary's Place followed. I loved this, but it wasn't without its flaws. I can't help feeling that Bruce brings it to a halt it too many times for the crowd to really grab hold of some momentum and run with it. Bruce was up on the piano at one stage, next to the Big Man. As he jumped down he knocked into Soozie, which brought smiles from both of them. The band introductions were relatively sparse. I thought the blue lighting that washes over the floor to accompany the "Let it rain" lines was a very nice touch, and Bruce's lamentation of "I've been missing you" was beautiful. An emotional moment. Countin' On A Miracle, by way of contrast, was uninspired and, in my opinion, adds absolutely nothing to a generic Bruce-by-numbers album cut. I'd like to see this song receive a SIGNIFICANT makeover (acoustic?) or be replaced by one of the four other album tracks that are not currently in the set. If they want a rocker in this slot, why not opt for Further On Up The Road? Better track, and still serves the purpose of promoting the new material. Same goes for World's Apart if that doesn't improve. Fully expected 41 Shots to be the next song, which would have been great with me as I really rate it. However, was practically knocked out of my seat when Roy started Backstreets! Another tour debut and I literally couldn't believe it. Being perfectly honest, I had tears running down my face for the entire song and can only really remember adoring every second of it. The one thing that stood out as different to the Reunion version was Bruce's delivery at the very end. Instead of the usual multiple moans we got a higher pitched more yodel-like emission. I mouthed a silent "thank you" to the band at the end, which kinda says it all really. Into The Fire had a nice extended intro which kicked into a superb version. At THIS POINT in time I wasn't convinced as to its placement as set closer. Thunder Road opened the encores, and far from Bruce closing his eyes and mumbling his way through it, he was actually wearing a big smile across his lips and was really into it. There was a hint of twang early on but it didn't last long enough to become annoying. Indeed, compared to how he ritually SLAYED it with some horrendous versions on the last tour, this was like a breath of fresh air. Yes, it was played slower than is ideal and was a mite pedestrian, but the second half was really fun, the crowd lap it up every time and I guess I'd rather see it than not. Glory Days was, to my great surprise, fantastic. Never really been a fan of either album or live versions before, but the house band brought it to life and it seemed fresh and fun. Most of the band members were patrolling all over the stage, paying close attention to the rear seats and getting everyone back there pumped up. Lots of silly faces and daft dancing, with Bruce and Clarence shaking their booties at the lip of the stage! Born To Run, as always, got the biggest ovation of the evening. Played with the house lights up, this was an excellent version. Thought it might have been played a TOUCH too slow but this is being overly pedantic really. Found myself crying for the "Someday girl, I don't know when." part, which is probably my favorite line of all-time. My City Of Ruins got the second encore underway. Bruce started out on piano for the first verse before handing the reigns back to Roy. Once again, another superb performance of a song from the new album. Born In The USA was preceded with the short speech about the rolling back of civil liberties. No over-the-top count-in from Bruce was the first indicator that he was not going to have this song misunderstood like it was back in 84/85. He didn't want it to be a celebration, so let's not get the crowd into it before its even begun. First impressions was that the song seemed darker, angrier, dirtier and moodier then before. This before Bruce had sung a single line. It sounded fabulous. It is sung markedly differently to the full band versions we've heard before. Bruce delivers a pace where you can't QUITE shout along at the top of your lungs and pump your fist. I thought this was a great ploy. At least it saved me from a potential dumb-ass jingoistic fuck ruining the song for me. No scream from Bruce but some VERY cool guitar work. Again, worked to immense results in tandem with Max, who absolutely OWNS this song. The segue into Land Of Hope And Dreams was a touch rough but the song itself was excellent. Seemed to be played a little bit quicker than the last tour. Bruce's facial expressions and delivery of the "People Get Ready. there's a train coming" lines was worth the admission fee alone. It's the one image that continually returns to me when I think of this show. So, in conclusion I guess. The show length is ABSOLUTELY FINE. Nigh-on perfect I'd go as far as saying. Doesn't seem like "only" 2 hours 30 minutes. Again, for the losers who have been complaining about the show length without actually GOING to the concert, your parents have my sympathy. The band was VERY tight for this early in the tour. Surprisingly tight, I thought. Personally, I'd like the pacing of the show to be looked at a little bit. It has an undulating momentum in my opinion. In hindsight, with my shows arriving very early on in the tour I wish I'd had the willpower to stay away from reading the set lists. I'm thankful I didn't know any of the arrangements for the material that was offered up, but can't help feeling that the overall excitement factor would have been higher for me. The price you pay for being a fanatic, I guess. At THIS POINT I would have liked another hard rocker to close after LOHAD. Overall, an absolutely AWESOME show, marred only marginally due to a pretty quiet crowd and less-than-perfect acoustics in my section. Absolutely one of the best shows I've ever seen. I'd pay double the admission fee to see it. Tacoma Review Coming Soon! Michael West. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #80 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** LuckyTown WWW URL ** The LuckyTown FAQ, back issues, web-based subscription/unsubscription, and many other things can be found on the LuckyTown WWW Page: http://www.luckytown.org ** LuckyTown mailing list addresses ** You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown Digest to: luckytown@luckytown.org You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown-Ads Digest to: luckytown-ads@luckytown.org Any questions for the list admin should be emailed to: owner-luckytown@luckytown.org To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: unsubscribe luckytown-digest To get further information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe/change your subscription address, as well as the other available commands, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: help ********************************************************************* The contents of this digest are not necessarily approved by the list admin.