By Paul Gotham
VERNON, N.Y. — Maybe it was the moonlit night in Central New York.
Perhaps playing in a venue for the first time had a hand in it.
Possibly the late summer air tinged with a hint of fall created a feeling of desperation.
Whatever the cause, the effect was unmistakable. On a night where the set list was but a fleeting thought, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band treated Vernon Downs to more than three and a half hours of tour premieres, countless requests, twists and turns that will go down as a show to remember for years to come.
On Springsteen’s cue, Curt Ramm appropriately got the show to the gate with a Call to the Post shortly after eight bells, and the race (a race indeed) was on from there. Bruce and band kicked into a raucous version of Out In the Streets that had everyone in attendance howling along. A decided tone of urgency was created by song’s end. With Max Weingberg banging on cymbals, and the hum of guitar notes hanging the air, Springsteen leaped from the main stage to grab a sign request. Without any hesitation he turned to the band, and it was on. A spirited version of It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City ensued, and the requests were just getting started.
With the dueling guitars of Bruce and Little Steve completed, the self-proclaimed “New Jersey Devil” went for another placard, and Mighty Max started the drum beat to Hungry Heart. Another sign fetched the rarely played tour premiere of Stand On It as the Boss noted the song’s history lesson: “Well now Columbus discovered America even though he hadn’t planned on it…”
The early request segment ended with a stomping take of I’m A Rocker.
The show returned to its plan with We Take Care of Our Own, Wrecking Ball and Death to My Hometown from the most recent Springsteen release. Darkness on the Edge of Town followed by My City of Ruins, and the classic E Street Shuffle came after that.
Sign requests returned. Next up came Frankie, an outtake from the Born in the U.S.A. sessions. Open All Night, another request, showcased the band’s ability to, once again, take a cut from the stark recordings of Nebraska, made on the now famous TEAC Portastudio, and transform it into a full band experience. While band versions of Reason to Believe, Johnny 99 and Atlantic City lean on rhythm and blues, Open All Night dripped with the sounds of the Big Easy. What started with Roy Bittan playing stride piano, as if he had just returned from a date at Preservation Hall, ended with the band forming an impromptu chorus line at the front of the stage. If any green grass remained on the infield, fans cut it in the frivolities. Song complete and smiling band members hugged and applauded each other.
Any chance of the band slowing down was quickly dismissed as they headed into Jack of All Trades before unleashing another tour premiere: Human Touch. Played in the earlier sound check, all it was lacking was the duet with Patti Scialfa.
From there, the show continued its breakneck pace with a ’78 version of Prove It All Night. Nils Lofgren joined Bruce and Little Steve at center stage in Guitar Trinity for the song’s romp to the end.
The show continued with hopping takes of Darlington County and Working On the Highway. Cindy Mizelle joined Bruce front stage for Shackled & Drawn. As is custom Bruce found a littlun’ game for singing Waitin’ on a Sunny Day.
The soft-infested summer night rolled on with the haunting Backstreets: “…I hated you when you went away.”
Badlands and Land of Hope and Dreams ended the regular set.
Encores oozed with more energy. Thunder Road, Born to Run (know it’s coming every time and still sounds special), Rosalita and Dancing in the Dark . Bruce traded a harmonica for his dance partner’s bandana.
Just when the show appeared to reach its conclusion with Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, Bruce chided the band into “one for the folks who come out and support them night after night.” Quarter to Three brought down the house. The show closed with Twist and Shout (no sound ordinances to worry about on this night).
As he mentioned, the night reminded Bruce of his youth when he and friends would take advantage of the last of the summer’s heat and go for the season’s final swim in the ocean.
By the end of the night, he thanked his audience.
No, Bruce. Thank YOU.
See you in Rochester.
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