After the house lights went down, Bruce was one of the first on stage. When the lights came up, his was front-and-centre and ready to go. No grand stage entrance like previous tours. I took it as a symbolic gesture of being ?just one of the band?.
John Henry ? Worked really well as the show opener. High energy from the first notes. The floor seats got straight to their feet and most never sat down for the whole show. The back and sides of the arena look a bit left out from all the fun.
Johnny 99 ? Fitted well in the context of the show as a folk tale, but was probably the weakest rearrangement of his own material.
Dan Tucker ? Introduced as a ?150 year old Bob Dylan song?. The stage rush came just 4 songs into the set. Bruce was surprised, saying ?the stage has been rushed for a 150 year old song?. Security spent the next hour or so half-heartedly trying to return people to their seats, until finally giving up at the end of the main set. Seats on the floor was a mistake.
Cadillac Ranch/Mystery Train ? Bruce tried to get the crowd to sing the ?Mystery Train? refrain, but nobody new the words (except Elvis fans like me, of course). He said the crowds effort was ?real fucked up? and ?we need some professional help?. He then got Patti to teach the crowd the refrain and tried again. It was a bit better. Still, great fun.
Erie Canal ? ?The only love song to a mule, but mules are important.?
?My Oklahoma Home? ? Introduced as a song about people displaced from their homes in the 30?s. Something he thought we would never see again in America ? but we did. This was one of perhaps a half dozen references to New Orleans during the show.
How Can I Keep From Singing ? Tour premier! Nice, but took all the energy out of the crowd.
How can a Poor Man Stand Such Times & Live ? Bruce bashed Bush for ?playing politics with peoples lives? and got a big cheer. One of the clear highlights of the show.
Jacob?s Ladder ? Got the crowd dancing again.
Open All Night ? Wow! Fantastic reworking with a big band sound and Bruce shouting/rapping the lyrics. Good vocalising from Patti/Suzie/Lisa. Lots of band play-acting, with the tuba player setting his moment in the spot light. This tour?s ?Rosalita?. For me, the best part of the show.
We Shall Overcome ? Nice, solemn arrangements, but the crowd got restless with the long acoustic intro, with calls of ?Born in the USA - Where were your born Bruce??
Pay Me My Money Down ? Raucous and fun. Another barn stormer.
?When the Saints?..? ? Very reminiscent of the Reunion tour arrangement of ?If I Should Fall Behind?, with Bruce sharing lead vocals with other band members. Great arrangement, but strange ending to the show. Bruce needs to add an uptempo finale.
Great, fun show. If you ain?t seen it yet, you are gonna love it.
Gotta go, I?m off to Hamersmith.
Chris
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