In the storied history of rock and roll, no act has amassed a more vaunted reputation for putting on outstanding concerts than Bruce Springsteen. Even now, nearly three decades after the release of his first album, Springsteen proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that there is still no better concert attraction on the planet.
Before a packed house in Boston's Fleet Center, Springsteen joined his famed E-Street Band for a three-hour marathon of emotionally charged rock music. While Springsteen included a heavy sampling of tunes from his new album, "The Rising," he also satiated the needs of long-time fans of the Boss by delving into numerous classic standards from the Jerseyite's previous releases.
Starting the show with two up-tempo numbers from his new record -- "The Rising" and "Lonesome Day" -- the Boss immediately had the audience in the palm of his hand. The sing-a-long chorus of the title track from "The Rising" proved to be the perfect opening song; the thousands in attendance rose to their feet and sang in gleeful unison with the Boss.
Springsteen played the next selection "by request": the driving "No Surrender" from the "Born in the U.S.A." LP. The song took became an especially poignant choice considering the current mindset of the country in relation to Sept. 11, and Springsteen's raw intensity was palpable as he sang his heart out into the microphone.
The first euphoric peak for the devoted fans in the audience came with two back-to-back tunes from 1978's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album: "Prove It All Night" and "Candy's Room." The buoyant pop-rock of "Prove It All Night" "--one of Springsteen's only true hit singles -- launched the crowd into a frenzy, while the simmering crescendo of "Candy's Room" exploded into a volcanic chorus, thanks to the frenetic drumming of Max Weinberg and the agile piano playing of Roy Bittan.
Nearing the middle of his set, the Boss asked the raucous audience to quiet down for a pair of songs. Those tunes, "Empty Sky" and "You're Missing," two of the most heartrending tracks from the September 11 inspired album "The Rising," were played virtually solo. All the energy the Boss put into his harder rocking numbers was parlayed into these emotionally moving songs.
After the E-Street Band regrouped behind him, Springsteen broke out his acoustic guitar for the rollicking stomp of "Waitin' on a Sunny Day," a song that instantly revitalized the crowd. During this song, Springsteen demonstrated his prowess as a showman by walking around the stage and into the crowd while encouraging the crowd to join him in belting out the chorus.
As great as the music was throughout the performance, the showmanship of not only the Boss but also the band in general made the show that much more fun to behold. Whether Springsteen was slapping hands with the crowd, engaging in mid-song dialogue with guitarist (and "Sopranos" star) Steven Van Zandt or allowing a few female fans in the front row to drum on his rear end, the Boss constantly enthralled his adoring fans with his charm and personality, as well as his musicianship.
The most captivating sequence of tunes occurred during the second half of his set, with song choices culled from a wide range of his albums: "Promised Land," "Worlds Apart," "Badlands," "She's The One" and "Mary's Place." The searing violin of the Eastern-tinged "Worlds Apart" led directly into the classic "Badlands," which segued right into the lesser-known but stellar "She's The One," an underrated album track from his 1975 tour de force, "Born to Run."
Springsteen's knack for stretching a three-minute studio track into a 10-minute opus on the stage was best showcased in "Mary's Place." As the band played on, the Boss introduced his band, saving the "big man," saxophonist Clarence Clemons, for last. Every Clemons sax solo was met with a massive swell of cheering from the audience, as the charter member of the E-Street Band was clearly a fan favorite in Boston.
After a string of high-octane rock, the mood was toned down again with "My Hometown," a quiet, personal, reflective piece. Then, Springsteen sat down at the piano and performed a rare gem from his debut album, "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.," the ballad "For You."
"Into the Fire," another selection from "The Rising," ended the set. But Springsteen and the E-Street Band were far from done.
The band had barely made the bottom of the stairs off the stage before they returned to a wild ovation. Then, their first set of encores made up the finest group of songs of the night.
The Boss sent the crowd into a frenzy with the first encore song, "Dancing in the Dark." Though many die-hard Boss fans like to dispel "Dancing in the Dark" due to its unabashedly pop nature, it's still undeniable that the song is awesome live. Following next was another great live standard, "Ramrod."
Next came "Workin' on the Highway," which was the most fun number of the evening. After going through the popular song, the band suddenly picked up such instruments as the mandolin, banjo, fiddle and washboard, formed a tight circle at the front of the stage and finished off the tune in a thoroughly enjoyable down-home country manner.
The fourth and final song of the first encore set was "Born to Run." The band captured all the vigor and emotion of Springsteen's signature song perfectly. After such an electric performance, the audience was at its loudest and they simply refused to let the Boss leave. Springsteen obliged, and he and his band returned for another group of tunes.
The second encore set had a politically charged theme, with such songs as "My City of Ruins," "Born in the U.S.A." and "The Land of Hope and Dreams." While Springsteen had typically ended his shows after this trio of tunes on the vast majority of his dates over the course of this year's tour, the band returned for a third encore with a cover of the Standells' "Dirty Water."
Before the song, the band brought out Peter Wolf, the lead singer of the Boston-based J. Geils Band, to help perform the song. "Dirty Water" was an apt pick; the chorus line of "I love that dirty water/Boston you're my home" again roused the crowd.
The dynamics between the members of the E-Street Band were amazing to watch in action. In the middle of the musical hurricane was the Boss, who was always the center of attention. The group, consisting of Weinberg, bassist Gary Tallent, Bittan and organist Danny Federici, remained still, acting as the four pillars that held the eclectic band together. Background vocalist Patti Scialfa " Springsteen's wife " pranced joyfully around the stage, singing into any microphone she could get her hands on. Clemons, a mountain of a man, stomped around with his saxophone in tow. Guitarist Nils Lofgren slinked back and forth while his counterpart Van Zandt stalked across the platform in his trademark hunched posture.
The E-Streeters meshed musically with the inherent chemistry that can only occur within groups that have played together as long as this collection of musicians has. Additionally, every member of the band looked like they were having a genuinely enjoyable time playing the show, an attitude that rubbed off postively on the members of the audience.
During a monologue in the performance of Mary's Place, Springsteen said, "If you're going to have a house party, the music has got to be righteous!" Well, there was one hell of a party in the Fleet Center Friday night, and the music was most definitely righteous.
