Bruce Springsteen Rocks Vancouver with two accordions on stage!
Well
Bruce is looking a lot older than when I first saw him in 1984 from the 3rd row floor seats in Vancouver's Pacific Colliseum. Today, I wore the “Tunnel of Love Express Tour” shirt that I got from the Tacoma WA show in 1987. While I was working at the library, during my four hour shift 10 people saw my t-shirt and asked me how the concert was. Nine of the people must have been over 50 years old. I started feeling dated. But then… it was great telling everybody what an incredible, wonderful and great concert it had been.
We sat up in the balcony row 10,
about 5 rows down from the very top. But we were just in front of the
stage. so it was still a good view. I rarely used the binoculars
because there was large screen on the side of the stage. I was really
glad not to be sitting behind the stage. My girlfriend looked at the people
standing like sardines on the General Admission floor (no seats) and wondered about who she would be willing to stand on the floor for.
“Bryan Adams” was her answer.
Bruce opened with a full band version of “Atlantic
City” rom the 2001
New York concert cd, which we had been earlier playing on my car cd player on the way to the show. Talk about coincidences and fate.
At times… watching the too many close-ups of his face on the big screen…. I thought “Gee… he looks like Neil Diamond.”
But
his energy is anything but Neil Diamond. He comes walking out towards
the mic stand… grabs it in one hand, swings around it like a pole
dancer… certainly not acting his 58 years of age.
The crowd
really got going during the surprise song of “No Surrender” ressurrected
for this 2007/2008 tour. On “Trapped” the crowd was punching air
towards Bruce everytime he sang the word “trapped.” I remember hearing it for the very first time at the '84 Colliseum tour. I was enthralled then.
Hearing the opening piano lines of “Because the Night” the crowd REALLY went wild. The guy sitting in front of us to the left, went completely went nuts. With his 2 buddies and one girl buddy, he had been singing along to every song. Now he was dancing in the aisle. He was hugging and hitting his friends everytime a “forgotten chestnut” of a song was played. He was about 55 years old. I worried he would get a heart attack. But that's the kind of fervent fans that have made Springsteen concerts legendary. They can sing every song. They call themselves “tramps” from the “Born to Run” lyrics – “Cause tramps like us, Baby we were born to run!”
On
his 2005 solo tour for “Devils and Dust” album, he played the GM
concert bowl August 13. There were only about 12 rows of seats on the floor and we sat right centre 3 rows up. Amazingly close. On the D&D
tour, in Vancouver… the last night of the 2005 summer tour – it was
the only night he played “Because the Night” sitting at the piano –
electrifying. But last night with the live E Street Band band in GM Place in 2008, it was 9 X
electrifying with Nils, Little Steven, Clarence, Gary, Max, Roy, + Gary
on keyboards and Suzie Tyrell on violin/rhythm guitar.
The main set closed with Badlands… the lights dimmed and the crowed yelled Bruuuuuuce!!!!!
They returned for an encore including: Tenth Avenue Freeze-out, Rosalita and Born to Run. Then surprise…. Dancing in the Dark!
Spot the accordion in the picture! picture from the March 24th concert in Columbus Ohio – photo Ace Aceto
Then
I saw a guy standing next to the stage wearing an accordion. There had
been an accordion on stage next to Charlie Giordano (taking the place of Danny
Federici) all night long… but never touched. The guy was pacing, ready to run up the steps wearing the accordion. The lights went dark as “Dancing in the Dark” ended.
One more
song. The lights came up, and the band stood up front beside Bruce with two guitars, two accordions and one violin. Two accordions side by side at a Bruce Springsteen concert. Wow! Roy Bittan and Charlie Giordano wearing black piano accordions – just like mine! They played the Pete Seeger song American Land,
with a real celtic accoustic rave-up feel. The lyrics played across
the screens, across the images of Bruce and the E Street Band having
fun on the stage. It doesn't get any better… unless Bruce plays accordion on stage. Heck, Sheryl Crow plays accordion!
Springsteen is the man and the E Street Band is one of the all time greats. At age 58 and some of the band members a little older even, they can outrock so many younger bands that it's ridiculous. That was one hell of a show and even the younger generation is taking notice. Music just isn't made like this anymore, and it's a shame.
That's a great review Todd. You're right too, some of those songs made people go completely berserk! 🙂