Springsteen live!

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
Monday, March 17, 2008

When Bruce Springsteen and the recently reconvened E Street Band kicked off his Magic tour last fall, the set lists leaned heavily on the new album, along with the signature mix of deep cuts and a handful of hits. Though little changed on the outing’s second leg, the audience was much more familiar with the new material, making the hearty helping of tracks from the album seem less like time fillers until the next tune and actual assets to the set list.

Of course, the Bradley Center exploded with the opening cries of “No Surrender” (a resplendent Born In The U.S.A. alum), but the momentum continued with the ripe riff rocker “Radio Nowhere” and the relatively recent “Lonesome Day” (complete with a shouting match and guitar duel between The Boss and a poorly aging but still potent Steven Van Zandt). Though the band has been somewhat consistent with its song choices on this outing, the Milwaukee visit was sprinkled with a handful of unexpected surprises, most notably the “Streets Of Fire” tour premiere (a coveted album track from 1978’s Darkness On The Edge Of Town).

Granted, that growling rendition and the subsequent fresh tracks “Gypsy Biker” and “Magic” did little for the singles faction of his fan base, but the troupe did oblige on a few early occasions, including a fiery “Prove It All Night” and the somber “My Hometown” (the latter of which would’ve worked better in theater settings due to its hushed delivery and sparse simplicity). Unlike his recent acoustic solo tours, Springsteen ditched a newly acquired Southern accent to transform into a fire and brimstone preacher (though with a much more jovial demeanor). He turned the low-key Nebraska track “Reason To Believe” into dirty, Delta blues, spraying the audience with saliva from his harmonica.

And as has become a Bush-era tradition, The Boss also turned preachy when introducing “Livin’ In The Future,” during which he blasted the current administration. But after the brief rant, Springsteen and company let the music do all the talking, including the September 11th-inspired “The Rising” and the blue-collar angst of “Badlands” (with the “Big Man” Clarence Clemons turning in the evening’s most spirited saxophone solo). Drummer Max Weinberg also showcased his flawless technique, setting the militant tone of “Jungleland,” which counted off straight into the classic “Born To Run” (with the houselights blaring).

While many shows have followed-up with “Dancing In The Dark,” this gig scrapped the more commercially minded cut for the old-school urgency of “Ramrod.” Returning to protocol, the night was capped off with jovial pub fare of “American Land,” which was beefed up with an extra shot of Celtic influence as a shout out to St. Patrick’s Day. Even with less spontaneity than yesteryear and a four-hour marathon nowhere in sight, the romp was still a fitting finale to the 25 tracks that found the 58-year-old ringleader in more-than-respectable form.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly