Danny Doom’s Booze Cabinet

This is what I’m talking about. From Bruce’s Giants Stadium show, first of five, he played “Born to Run” in its entirety, but…look how he leads in and goes out:

07 “Working On A Dream”
08 “Thunder Road”
09 “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
10 “Night”
11 “Backstreets”
12 “Born To Run”
13 “She’s The One”
14 “Meeting Across The River”
15 “Jungleland”
16 “Waiting On A Sunny Day”

Yes, he played 29 songs. And many were classic tunes. But man, I don’t like that placement! Let it breathe! Give it some air! That’s all I’m sayin’.

Just reading about Van Morrison’s performance of “Astral Weeks” (listening to it now–genius!) and how he played songs before and then a mini-medley after. “Anti-climactic” in the reviewer’s eyes, that final piece, which I can understand. I saw Bruce play “Born to Run” last week and he did a similar thing, playing a full set before, then the album, and then in true Springsteen fashion going off and playing another 13 songs or so.

Let me just say that hearing “Born to Run” in its entirety, in exact sequence, was amazing. A great album, every song a classic, and performed perfectly. “Meeting Across the River” was especially cool, such a moody and interesting song that isn’t heard much and probably not performed much if at all in concert. Awesome.

After the last notes of “Jungleland” Bruce barely paused to consider the weight of this moment and shifted gears, going into “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day,” which is a song from a recent album (most recent?) and whoa, the shock I felt was huge. Really, Bossman? You’re gonna follow up that masterpiece with this?

There were a few more good songs (“Promised Land,” Badlands”) but as far as I was concerned the concert was over after “Born to Run.” I wished he had either started the concert out with it and then took a break and come back with the second set, or ended with it. The comparison just kills it, putting a lightweight tune after such heaviness and going from there. And the request section, where fans shouted out for old 50′s tunes like “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Rockin’ Robin”? Uh uh. No. We already felt like the youngest folks there but this was like being in a lame-o suburban 60-something nightmare! Not for me.

I am sad to report that we actually left before he played the set-closing “Rosalita,” which may be my favorite of all Bruce tunes. It just didn’t seem like he was going there, and it was Sunday night and well, no excuses, but we thought we’d get a jump on the suburbanites and fly outta there. I never do that, for shows, for Cubs games, never leave early! But it happened. Oh well. Arena rock kinda kills me after a while, numbs the brain.

No, I didn’t see Eddie Vedder last night, thanks for asking. Mr. Vedder is a bit older than I am, but I’m happy to see that his first concert, like mine, was Bruce Springsteen. Although mine was about 8 years later than his. And of course, my favorite Cubs player was Bill Buckner, not Jose Cardenal.

Vedder reminisced about being in “the worst seat in the house� at the same venue in 1978 to see his first concert: Bruce Springsteen. He talked about whiling away afternoons in Wrigley Field watching his favorite player, the Cubs’ Jose Cardenal, and he addressed his fellow “foul-weather fans� in an ode to the perpetual North Side losers.

- Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune

UPDATE:

On the other side, Jim Derogatis gives a surprisingly warm review as well:

The highlights were many, the missteps negligible, but there can be no denying that the night’s most emotional moment came when Vedder was joined onstage by Tomas Young, a Kansas City native and army veteran who was paralyzed after he was shot while riding in an unarmored humvee in Iraq in 2004.

Now an outspoken anti-war activist undergoing physical therapy in Chicago, Young co-wrote the song “No More” with Vedder, and it was included on the soundtrack of the Phil Donohue-directed documentary “Body of War.”

Thursday night, the vet sat in his wheelchair beside the musician. Young nodded his head ever so slightly as Vedder howled the simple but poignant words and the crowd, which remained standing after giving Young a lengthy ovation, joined with full throats on every chorus: “No more war. No more war.”

It’s been a long time since Pearl Jam produced a moment so simple but moving, spontaneous but theatrical and ultimately unforgettable. And fans who didn’t bother to listen truly missed out.