My dad just called me and is talking about getting some tickets for tonight. I'm beat right now but I'm considering joining him. Anyone?

Considered it, but I cannot justify dropping a hundred bucks to sit in a goddamn summer shed, the ultimate in low-rent concert experience.

It's like date night at a McDonalds.

I love the record and the whole thing, but I'm sitting this one out for that reason alone. I'd go if your dad took me, though.

Our review from Friday's show:

Memo to the Boss: A little brass band goes a long way - but more on that later.
Bruce Springsteen brought his folkster army to DTE Energy Music Theatre Saturday night for a nearly three-hour lesson in American music history.
With his wife sitting this one out, Springsteen made due with the remaining 16 members of the Seeger Sessions Band to help him guide fans through a kaleidoscope of musical genres.
Swinging an invisible 30-pound hammer over his head during the rousing opener "John Henry," Springsteen made it clear that he and the band were ready to work in the 90-degree heat.
Banjo, accordion, fiddle, steel guitar and horns each took center stage during "John Henry," in what would prove to be a pattern for the night's hootenanny feel.
Unfortunately, this collective approach eventually became wearying as later songs fell into a similar pattern that overwhelmed songs such as the outlaw lament "Jesse James." Subtle touches on Springsteen's Pete Seeger tribute "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" were lost in a bombast of brass.
The majority of the 22-song set was dedicated to the works of others, but it was Springsteen's own songs that benefited most from the roots treatment. A bluegrass "Atlantic City" felt even more desperate than its standard telling, while "Cadillac Ranch" had a gospel burlesque that somehow felt just right.
The highlight, however, was the reworking of Blind Alfred Reed's "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?"
Reflecting on the government's handling of post-Katrina New Orleans, Springsteen fired a broadside at President Bush and the gutting of federal disaster aid.
"It's all in a day's work these days," said Springsteen.
With a song selection that varies little from city to city, the show lacked the spontaneity that has defined his work with the E Street Band for so many years.
Momentum that built during an outstanding boogie-woogie "Open All Night," came to a thudding stop with "Pay Me My Money Down" that threatened to turn into a hokey vaudeville act with Springsteen marching the entire band off the stage.
There was also something just not right about the sight of fans who paid $92.50 each to sing "We Shall Overcome" and wave lit cellphones to the war protest of "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)."
I don't think Pete would have done it that way.

I've heard nothing but good things about this tour. I'd love to go. If your dad is popping for tix I'd go.

I head when he played New Orleans Jazzfest he did "My City of Ruin" in front of thousands of locals and that it was pretty damn inspiring.


BTW, nice entry on your blog about baseball. At least you're still not getting "Mambo #5" played in Philly. Christ.

Wish he would have stuck to theaters for this one. I don't think he's pulling much more than 5000 people a night...

Hope to God the Boss carries some of this energy and spontaneity into his next project.

well it turns out I'm going. I'll try and post more on this later.




thanks. I was so irritable and drunk at that game it was awesome. It's only a matter of time before the Mambo finds its way into Citizen's bank park, I'm sure.

it was actually a great show. If you've heard the album you pretty much know what to expect, but it was extremely high energy, and the crowd (which seemed about sold out or close to it) was definitely into it, which surprised me. I thought the horns worked really well in the context of the songs (i.e. not overused), and it was funny to see that he swiped the horn section from the Max Weinberg 7 for these shows. He played different versions of "Atlantic City", "Cadillac Ranch" and "My City of Ruins". During "Pay Me My Money Down", he brought out Joe Grushecky on guitar and Southside Johnny on harp, further cementing his rabid PA/Jersey following.

All in all I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised.

and Swiateck, Patti Scialfa was there for us, singing backup behind everyone.