springsteen live from new york

To be fair to Elvis, Springsteen did not tour every year in, year out like Elvis did in the 1970s. And Elvis toured amidst personal and physical problems. Plus, he also bored easily.

Had his schedule been changed and he had taken some time off during those down years, the lapses we saw in the 1970s probably would not have happened. This is not to say that he doesn't bear personal responsibility for doing those things just that it wasn't any kind of contempt or disregard for the audience that prompted his lapses.

To be fair to Elvis, Springsteen did not tour every year in, year out like Elvis did in the 1970s. And Elvis toured amidst personal and physical problems.

A great deal of Bruce's past 35 years have been spent on the road, with some time off in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982-83, 1986-87, 1989-91, 1994, 1998, and 2001 for recording in the studio. And beginning in 1978, each show ran at least three hours!

And Bruce has indeed dealt with personal and physical problems while working on his tours.

The original point is to draw contrast between what Bruce has maintained for his entire career -- dedication, commitment, thoughtfulness and creativity -- and the fact that, after 1970, Elvis did not.

Knowing how upset Springsteen was after Elvis' tragic demise, it's not far-fetched to assume he took it up a notch on his famous 1978 tour -- and ever after -- directly because of it.

DJC

I know that. I just think there's something to be gained by exploring why that turn of events occurred. I do think 1970 is a little bit early a date. In 1972, Elvis was still clearly into it in both the recording studio (even if he wasn't that into "Burning Love") and on the road.

The point that I was trying to make was that Bruce and others had the luxury of learning from Elvis' mistakes, such is the circle of life. It would have been great for Elvis to have toured every couple of years, keep him fresh and then get him into the studio. A challenged Elvis brought him to a level way above everybody else. Still, he performed many, many great shows in the seventies, just not at the level of that from 69/70. That two year period was a tough measuring stick to live up to given how the dynamics had changed.

The Boss gave a great, compelling solo show last night in Charlotte. I was somewhat apprehensive as to whether he could sustain interest for 2-1/2 hours(the show was actually 2 hours 20 minutes), but he certainly pulled it off. The majority of the songs were from Devils & Dust and The Rising, although he dug into his now extensive catalogue going back to his first album for Blinded By The Light and his second for the ultra rare Wild Billy's Circus Story. Interestingly, nothing was performed from Born To Run and Born In The U.S.A. I Can't remember all the songs, but here's what I do remember (in no particular order): Racing In The Street; The Promised Land; The River; Highway Patrolman; When You're Alone, You're Alone; If I Should Fall Behind; Real World; Further On Up The Road; Empty Sky; The Rising; Into The Fire; Devils & Dust. There was a bunch more that I just can't remember, mostly from the Devils & Dust album, but also 1 or 2 tunes from the Tom Joad album whose titles elude me, and also cover song. Bruce played guitar (mostly acoustic but he used an electric for a couple of songs), piano, electric piano, organ, and harmonica. I was pleasantly surprised to find him a pretty decent piano player, not just a claw hand chord banger.
He performed 1 bluesy song with just harmonica while stomping his foot for beat. He did The Promised Land tapping on his guitar for percussion effect, simultaneously hitting a chord now & again, which was very interesting.
All in all a great, often mesmerizing show!

The Boss gave a great, compelling solo show last night in Charlotte. I was somewhat apprehensive as to whether he could sustain interest for 2-1/2 hours(the show was actually 2 hours 20 minutes), but he certainly pulled it off. The majority of the songs were from Devils & Dust and The Rising, although he dug into his now extensive catalogue going back to his first album for Blinded By The Light and his second for the ultra rare Wild Billy's Circus Story. Interestingly, nothing was performed from Born To Run and Born In The U.S.A. I Can't remember all the songs, but here's what I do remember (in no particular order): Racing In The Street; The Promised Land; The River; Highway Patrolman; When You're Alone, You're Alone; If I Should Fall Behind; Real World; Further On Up The Road; Empty Sky; The Rising; Into The Fire; Devils & Dust. There was a bunch more that I just can't remember, mostly from the Devils & Dust album, but also 1 or 2 tunes from the Tom Joad album whose titles elude me, and also cover song. Bruce played guitar (mostly acoustic but he used an electric for a couple of songs), piano, electric piano, organ, and harmonica. I was pleasantly surprised to find him a pretty decent piano player, not just a claw hand chord banger.
He performed 1 bluesy song with just harmonica while stomping his foot for beat. He did The Promised Land tapping on his guitar for percussion effect, simultaneously hitting a chord now & again, which was very interesting.
All in all a great, often mesmerizing show!

I saw the show on 5/19 in New Jersey - pretty solid, though I was hoping he'd pull out Incident on 57th Street.

The number with the just the Bluesy harmonica is "Reason to Believe" from Nebraska. I didn't like the way Promised Land came off.

Here's the full setlist from backstreets.com:

July 24 / Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Coliseum
Notes: To come
Setlist: Into the Fire**/Reason to Believe/Devils & Dust/Empty Sky/Long Time Comin'/When You're Alone***/Two Faces*/The River*/Part Man, Part Monkey/All I'm Thinkin' About/Highway Patrolman/Reno/Nothing Man***/Real World*/Racing in the Street*/The Rising/Further On (Up the Road)/Jesus Was an Only Son*/If I Should Fall Behind/The Hitter/Matamoros Banks//Blinded By the Light/Wild Billy's Circus Story/The Promised Land/Dream Baby Dream**
*=piano
**=pump organ
***=electric piano
****=banjo

BTW: What did you think of Dream Baby Dream?

I'm going to see the Boss tonight in Charlotte! I've been a Bruce Springsteen fan since the Born To Run days back in '76. I've seen Bruce in concert in August '78; Dec. '80; July '84; Feb. '00 (the E-Street Band reunion tour); and summer '03. While I'm not as rabid a fan as I once was, I still enjoy his music, and in particular his live shows.


I remember when Springsteen did the Darkness On The Edge of Town tour. These concerts ran 3 to 3-1/2 hours long. This caused other male rock singers, and other rock bands in general, to increase the length of their live shows. So in that regard Bruce certainly raised the bar.

The Darkness Shows were the best he ever did - I was only 1 at the time so I sadly missed them. But I have heard several and they are among my favorite Bruce boots. Five were broadcast on radio. The intesity and committment of Bruce was unbelieveable during that period.

Pete: Where did you see him in August of 1978 and December 1980?

And we can please stop knocking Bruce. Yes, he doesn't have the vocal range or prowess of Elvis, but he can write better songs than Elvis could. And both are exquisite showman on stage, though in different ways. Elvis was a little more playful, whie Bruce is more intense.

Bruce has done a lot since Elvis died to keep the one thing that mattered in the public's mind - Elvis music. Bruce has performed numerous Elvis covers at shows (obscure ones too) and spoke reverentuly about the man. He is a true fan who wishes that Elvis could have gotten a lot better then he actually did.

Minkahed's points are well-taken, however much I was distracted.

Still, a lot of non-fans could stand a reappraisal of the best of Elvis in the '70s, given the beating his image took (deserving or otherwise) since then.

Minkahed's points are well-taken, however much I was distracted.

Still, a lot of non-fans could stand a reappraisal of the best of Elvis in the '70s, given the beating his image took (deserving or otherwise) since then.

It originally started as somebody commenting how he awful he thought Springsteen sounded during a particular show. Haven't we all listened to certain shows of Elvis' where for some reason his voice wasn't as good as others. It's not a critisim but more of an observation. Again minkahed's comments would lead newcomers or younger fans to believe that after 1970, Elvis basically was a misfit on stage.

We're all Elvis fan "family', here, right? Let's freely admit where he slipped....! No harm in that.

Point taken Greg. We are all fans and I'd like to think that even though we don't always agree, we disagreed without the name calling, or making it personal. Everybody I think makes valid points and the passion was there during this thread and by no means do I disrespect Bruce now because I disagreed with minkahed's original comments. Besides, I did learn how Springsteen is spelled, so it wasn't all bad.

Pete: Where did you see him in August of 1978 and December 1980?

Mike -
The August '78 show was at the New Haven coliseum in my home state of Connecticut. Bruce opened with Good Rockin' Tonight, and later in the show he did Heartbreak Hotel.
The December '80 show was at the Hartford civic center. It was a 4 hour show!

Thanks for the info on Reason To Believe. For some reason the sound system on that song was a bit garbled, so I didn't recognize it. It also sounded a lot different from the album version.

Pete: Where did you see him in August of 1978 and December 1980?

Mike -
The August '78 show was at the New Haven coliseum in my home state of Connecticut. Bruce opened with Good Rockin' Tonight, and later in the show he did Heartbreak Hotel.
The December '80 show was at the Hartford civic center. It was a 4 hour show!

Thanks for the info on Reason To Believe. For some reason the sound system on that song was a bit garbled, so I didn't recognize it. It also sounded a lot different from the album version.

Your welcome on Reason to Believe.

Thanks for letting me know what shows you saw. I chekced the setlist for both and they were awsome. Indeed at the 1978 you got the last performance of Its Gonna Work Out Fine.

If you have ever chance, check out the import DVDs of Bruce's '78 and 80 shows from the Capital Center in Landover, Md. Amazing color video and sound (especially for the 1978 show) for two classic shows.

I saw Bruce in 1999 at Earl's Court in London. I consider myself a fan, in that I have quite a few of his albums and made the effort to go and see him live - not something I do much. He's certainly one of the truly important figures in rock history and gave a kick ass show that night at Earl's Court

The Boss gave a great, compelling solo show last night in Charlotte. I was somewhat apprehensive as to whether he could sustain interest for 2-1/2 hours(the show was actually 2 hours 20 minutes), but he certainly pulled it off. The majority of the songs were from Devils & Dust and The Rising, although he dug into his now extensive catalogue going back to his first album for Blinded By The Light and his second for the ultra rare Wild Billy's Circus Story. Interestingly, nothing was performed from Born To Run and Born In The U.S.A. I Can't remember all the songs, but here's what I do remember (in no particular order): Racing In The Street; The Promised Land; The River; Highway Patrolman; When You're Alone, You're Alone; If I Should Fall Behind; Real World; Further On Up The Road; Empty Sky; The Rising; Into The Fire; Devils & Dust. There was a bunch more that I just can't remember, mostly from the Devils & Dust album, but also 1 or 2 tunes from the Tom Joad album whose titles elude me, and also cover song. Bruce played guitar (mostly acoustic but he used an electric for a couple of songs), piano, electric piano, organ, and harmonica. I was pleasantly surprised to find him a pretty decent piano player, not just a claw hand chord banger.
He performed 1 bluesy song with just harmonica while stomping his foot for beat. He did The Promised Land tapping on his guitar for percussion effect, simultaneously hitting a chord now & again, which was very interesting.
All in all a great, often mesmerizing show!

Hi Pete, I saw Bruce last Tuesday at the Greensboro Coliseum, right after your Charlotte show on Sunday and it was, as usual, FANTASTIC!!!

I was real amazed to see so many young, newer faces, in the audience and the crowd capacity, while not sold out, was real close to it!!!

here's the setlist for Greensboro:

If I Should Fall Behind
Reason to Believe
Devils & Dust
Lonesome Day
Long Time Comin'
All That Heaven Will Allow
Tougher Than the Rest
Part Man, Part Monkey
All I'm Thinkin' About
Galveston Bay
Reno
Valentine's Day
The River
The Rising
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Jesus Was an Only Son
Two Hearts
Leah
The Hitter
Matamoros Banks
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Wild Billy's Circus Story
The Promised Land
Dream Baby Dream

I was also glad to see more than 1/2 of the Devils And Dust material performed.

RENO and ALL THAT HEAVEN WILL ALLOW were definetely highlights for me...