Springsteen’s First Night

Did Springsteen & Company start on time? Hell, no. Experienced Springsteen concertgoers know the band doesn’t take the stage until shouts of “Bruuuuuucccceee!” are loud enough to shake the rafters. Even though the showtime listed on tickets was 7:30 p.m., many people were still walking through the turnstiles 30 minutes later.

Overheard a few minutes before 7:30 p.m. was a woman’s conversation with an usher, who assured her the band would start at the time stated on the ticket.

“They gotta catch a 10:30 flight,” the usher told her. Of course, Springsteen and E Street travel in a chartered jet so there was no flight “to catch.” But that didn’t keep the lady worrying about the schedule, and that imaginary 10:30 deadline.

The house lights eventually dimmed at 8:30 p.m. and the stage was set for a serious workout.

Springsteen wasted no time showing the crowd he was there for business and fun. Opening with “Badlands” followed by “Outlaw Pete” from the new Working On A Dream album, it was clear from the get-go that this was going to be another blow-out adventure in E Street Land.

Fans were treated to a rapid-fire set with Springsteen and the band quickly segueing from one song to another. From “Outlaw Pete” to “My Lucky Day” to “No Surrender” to “Out In The Street” the band was tight and the sound was crystal. Surprises included a cover of “Good Rockin’ Tonight.” Sure, it was from the E Street archive of opening songs, but last night’s placement in the middle of the set was an unexpected pleasure for both the audience and the band.

Other highlights included a full-band assault on “Johnny 99” and the reemergence of “Seeds,” a song that used to be a tour staple back in the ‘80s but has been a rarity during the past few road trips.

Springsteen did grant a few requests, although not nearly as many as on the last leg of the Magic tour. About 90 minutes into the show, a few signs were passed up to Springsteen, including a birthday wish for “Growing Up.” Another request consisted of a poster for an old Robert Mitchum flick about moonshiners and fast cars titled – you guessed it – “Thunder Road.”

By the time Springsteen and the band finished the evening’s closer – “American Land” – two hours, 40 minutes and 26 songs had gone by, but it seemed like mere minutes.

Next stop is Glendale, Ariz., for a Friday night gig at the Jobing.com Arena. Showtime is whatever Bruce says it is.

Set List
Badlands
Outlaw Pete
My Lucky Day
No Surrender
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Good Eye
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Darlington County
Growin’ Up
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Kingdom of Days
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Born to Run

Encores
Hard Times
Thunder Road
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land