photo by Mònica @AliCiel
Setlist
1. Night
2. The Ties That Bind
3. We Take Care of Our Own
4. Two Hearts
5. Wrecking Ball
6. Death to My Hometown
7. My City of Ruins
8. Spirit in the Night
9. The E Street Shuffle
10. Jack of All Trades
11. Trapped
12. Downbound Train
13. Because the Night
14. Working on the Highway
15. Shackled and Drawn
16. Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
17. The Promised Land
18. Racing in the Street
19. The Rising
20. We Are Alive
21. Badlands
22. Ramrod
23. Rocky Ground
24. Born in the USA
25. Born to Run
26. Bobby Jean
27. Dancing In The Dark
28. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
End Time 1:00 a.m.
Start Time: 9:49 p.m.
Setlist
1. Badlands
2. We Take Care of Our Own
3. Wrecking Ball
4. No Surrender
5. Death to My Hometown
6. My City of Ruins
7. Out in the Street
8. Talk to Me
9. Jack of All Trades
10. Youngstown
11. Murder Incorporated
12. Johnny 99
13. YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH)
14. She’s the One
15. Shackled and Drawn
16. Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
17. Promised Land
18. The River
19. Prove it All Night (source says with 1978 Intro)
20. Hungry Heart
21. The Rising
22. We Are Alive
23. Thunder Road
24. Rocky Ground
25. Born In The USA
26. Born To Run
27. Bobby Jean
28. Dancing In The Dark
29. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
End Time: 1:01
photo by Barracuda Rock Tour @Vacirca_BRTOUR
Setlist
1. We Take Care of Our Own
2. Wrecking Ball
3. Badlands
4. No Surrender
5. Death to My Hometown
6. My City of Ruins
7. Out In The Street
8. Jack Of All Trades
9. Seeds
10. Prove It All Night
11. TWO HEARTS
12. WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY
13. Shackled and Drawn
14. Waitin’ On a Sunny Day
15. The Promised Land
16. Apollo Medley
17. THE RIVER
18. The Rising
19. Lonesome Day
20. We Are Alive
21. Land of Hope and Dreams
22. BORN IN THE U.S.A.
23. Born to Run
24. Bobby Jean
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
End Time: 12:26 a.m.
[Editor's note: The Rev. Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz is the author of the highly recommended book "The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen." He recently delivered a sermon based on Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball," and offered to adapt it for us in the essay below.]
Photo: brucespringsteen.net
The darkness is no longer on the edge of town. It is now at the very heart of our nation.
Almost 30 years ago in “My Hometown,” Bruce Springsteen wrote about factory closings and jobs heading south. The tone was something of sadness, as a young man and his wife lie in bed at night, discussing whether or not to uproot their young son, in search of (perhaps) better economic prospects elsewhere. The insinuation in the song is that they will stay put. It probably wasn’t a good decision.
Now, in the face of the economic devastation that came to a head with the financial meltdown of 2008, the “whitewashed windows and empty stores” of 1984 seem almost quaint. Thirty years of greed, speculation and unfettered, robber baron capitalism have brought, in Springsteen’s words, “Death to My Hometown.”
Even worse, perhaps, is that no one has been called to justice for the devastation. Not a single person has been prosecuted for the crimes that nearly toppled our entire financial system; instead the perpetrators “walk the streets as free men now,” Springsteen sings. He warns that they and their mayhem will be back – unless we unite to “Send the robber barons straight to hell.”
Springsteen’s tone isn’t one of resignation any longer. Wrecking Ball presents a word of prophecy and judgment, with plenty of blame to go around—and plenty of work for all of us to do.
There are other allusions to Born in the U.S.A. here, as well. “We Take Care of Our Own” speaks of “the promise from sea to shining sea,” with American flags again waving in the breeze. But like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan, we have come answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?” much too narrowly, Springsteen believes. The years have killed something in us, and the American spirit is circling the wagons and drawing in on ourselves. Almost in desperation, he cries out for eyes that can see, and hearts filled with mercy. But the only answer that comes — the refrain, “We take care of our own,” over and over — sounds like the icy sarcasm of a Scrooge, slamming the door in the face of the solicitors ask him for charity.
All higher values seem to have left the field. From “Easy Money” — the shallowness of a life lived for material gain alone — we’re led to being “Shackled and Drawn,” part of a universal chain gang, cogs in a great neo-feudal economic machine. But while for working people, all notions of the dignity of labor lie buried by the side of the road, “Up on Banker’s Hill, the party’s going strong,” Springsteen sings, and again, our memory drifts to earlier times. In “Mansion on the Hill” from Nebraska, a young boy and his sister also listen to the music coming from a big house on the edge of town. Back in 1982, even amid the grittiness and starkness of Nebraska, there was still some sense of longing and at least a glimpse of hope. Now, 30 years later, it is as though the young boy is again standing at the foot of the rich man’s hill, but this time with his legs in irons.
Only slightly better off is the “Jack of All Trades” of Wrecking Ball’s next song, about an ever-optimistic handyman who clings to a positive outlook on life. He is one of those countless hard-working souls who kept America functioning for so many years. But times have changed for him, too. It is as though a great storm has come through, and he’s still waiting for the clouds to break and for things to change. But they won’t. Not this time. Not given how severely our civic fabric has been frayed.
Wrecking Ball is freighted with images of storms. The decimation of the poor and working class neighborhoods of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 marked a milestone in the radicalization of Springsteen’s message. Combined with the financial meltdown of 2008, the effect is highly combustible — indeed, explosive. Now, even our ever hopeful “Jack of All Trades” offers only a shotgun and a firing squad as his solution for repairs on our body politic.
“Sometimes tomorrow comes soaked in treasure and blood,” Springsteen sings, and he reminds us that drought is often followed by flood. History often teaches of the rage that festers beneath an unjust social code, and of the mayhem that can be unleashed when these tensions finally explode. Springsteen even dares to hint that it can happen here.
How then, do we channel the anger that “This Depression” — psychological no less than economic — has wrought? The album’s title track, “Wrecking Ball,” gives some hints.
The song is ostensibly about the demolition of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands of East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 2010. But its opening lines could be a fragment of Springsteen’s own autobiography: “I was raised outta steel here in the swamps of Jersey, some misty years ago …”
In any of our lives, we tell our own stories, play our own game, and bear witness to the giants whose paths have crossed ours. But time is relentless, and when “all our youth and beauty has been given to the dust,” it’s time for destiny’s wrecking ball to level what has been, so that a new creation may rise in its stead. This is the inevitable pattern of the lives of any of us; even more, it is the call of justice and history.
It is in the choice between holding onto our anger or giving in to our fear that the redemption of our lives lies, Springsteen says. Fear freezes us in the present; it stops us in our tracks. It leads us onto “Rocky Ground” but then just leaves us stranded there.
But anger can empower. It can clear the way for a new day. Anger can lead to righteousness, and righteousness to action, and action can lead to hope; and hope — yes, to change.
Our anger doesn’t make the ground any less rocky. It does not solve all our problems or make pain and sorrow any less than they are. Indeed, anger might actually bring more pain, more challenge, into our lives. But often, the only way to the Promised Land is over “Rocky Ground.”
But moving forward requires leaders who understand that the essence of leadership lies not in pretty speechifying and eloquent sloganeering, but in decisive action (even if that means divisive action, at times — like Jesus with the money changers). Real leadership lies in the power of example and courage and will. Nothing will change if all our good intentions remain ideas alone. Our hearts are made sick by leaders who are too quick to compromise with evil and reaction.
So, Springsteen calls upon us all, as shepherds to “Rise up” and seek again the higher ground. There will be difficult times ahead. The rocky ground will seem to go on forever. The night will grow dark. We will despair. We will be alone. We will cry out, but will be greeted by only silence in return.
But the still, small voice of hope will abide. And a glimmer on the horizon will remind us that, indeed, “A new day’s coming”– if we cling to our faith, and hold onto one another in love, then we will find, at last, our hope.
Just as Clarence Clemons, Springsteen’s dearly departed comrade and friend, offers an extended saxophone solo in Springsteen’s reprise of the defiantly hopeful and inclusive epic “Land of Hope and Dreams,” so, too, the voices of the dead sing out on the album’s final song, “We Are Alive.” So, too, sing out all the other dear souls who have lived and died and fought and loved and bequeathed their lives’ lessons and their hard-won wisdom to us.
If we keep faith with those who have come before — that blessed communion of saints and sinners — then they will rest in peace, indeed. But they will not simply rest. Rather, they will abide with us still, though they may be long gone. They will continue to inspire us and enlighten us, as we, too, take our own stumbling, unsteady steps into an unknown future. They will abide with us still, and testify to us that the music we make in our lives resounds not only in these times in which we live, but also in the days of generations yet to be born.
photo by Esquire Espana @EsquireEs
Setlist
1. Badlands
2. We Take Care of Our Own
3. Wrecking Ball
4. The Ties That Bind
5. Death to my Hometown
6. My City of Ruins
7. Trapped (sign request)
8. Out in the Street
9. Jack of All Trades
10. Candy’s Room
11. She’s the One
12. Darlington County
13. Shackled and Drawn
14. Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
15. Promised Land
16. Apollo Medley
17. Because the Night
18. The Rising
19. Lonesome Day
20. We are Alive
21. Land of Hope and Dreams
22. Rocky Ground
23. I’M GOIN DOWN
24. Born To Run
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Bobby Jean
27. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
Philly 3/29/12 photo by Moish Soloway
Before we look forward to Europe, let’s look back at the USA leg of the Wrecking Ball tour. The USA leg was a stretch of 22 shows in just under two months (22 if you include the Apollo and SXSW shows, 20 if you don’t). During these shows, ten songs were played every night and four were performed in 20 of the 22 shows.
If you’re a setlist watcher like me, you already have an idea of what these were. Five of the songs played each night were from the Wrecking Ball album: “We Take Care of Our Own,” “Death to My Hometown,” “Jack Of All Trades,” “We Are Alive,” and “Rocky Ground.” The other five constants included the “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” tribute to Clarence Clemons, and yes, “Waitin’ On a Sunny Day.” I must admit as the tour continued, “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day” grew on me; mostly because of the fun Bruce was having with the kids he brought on stage. Time to get my own 8-year-old twins singing lessons! Can you imagine a pair of twins pulled onto stage by Bruce? They’d be a shoo-in!
There were many surprises during this leg. Thirty-six songs were debuted and played only once, some were classics, some covers, and some never before played by the E Street Band; each show brought its own unique experience.
Now the question remains: “What will concerts in Europe bring?” We watched the E Street Band evolve during this leg and Europe will add it’s own flavor. So, onto Europe! In the meantime, check out the list of songs with number of times played during the USA leg. Can’t wait for Europe? Click on a few links and enjoy the vids. You won’t be disappointed.
Songs Played During the USA Leg (with number of times played)
Mansion On The Hill – 1
Hold On, I’m Coming – 1
I Ain’t Got No Home – 1
The Harder They Come – 1
Time Will Tell – 1
Many Rivers To Cross – 1
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place – 1
This Land is Your Land – 1
American Land – 1
Radio Nowhere – 1
Glory Days – 1
Streets of Philadelphia – 1
Adam Raised A Cain – 1
The Promise – 1
So Young And In Love – 1
Lion’s Den – 1
Spirit In The Night – 1
Incident on 57th Street – 1
Rendezvous – 1
Mountain Of Love – 1
Point Blank – 1
Darlington County – 1
Downbound Train – 1
Janey Don’t You Lose Your Heart – 1
Light Of Day – 1
Something In The Night – 1
California Sun – 1
Bobby Jean – 1
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live – 1
Something You Got – 1
Oh Mary Don’t You Weep – 1
Pay Me Your Money Down – 1
When The Saints Go Marching In – 1
Bishop Danced – 1
It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City – 1
The Weight – 1
Talk To Me – 2
Atlantic City – 2
Jackson Cage – 2
Seaside Bar Song – 2
Night – 2
Kitty’s Back – 2
Ramrod – 2
No Surrender – 2
My Love Will Not Let You Down – 2
The Ghost of Tom Joad – 3
Darkness on The Edge of Town – 3
Racing In The Street – 3
Murder Inc. – 3
Backstreets – 3
Youngstown – 3
Seeds – 4
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street – 4
Thundercrack – 4
Rosalita
Raise Your Hand – 4
The Ties That Bind – 4
Candy’s Room – 4
Johnny 99 – 4
Because The Night – 6
Prove It All Night – 6
Trapped – 6
The E Street Shuffle – 8
She’s The One – 8
American Skin – 9
Out In The Street – 9
Shackled and Drawn – 10
Lonesome Day – 10
Easy Money – 12
Land of Hope And Dreams – 15
Thunder Road – 16
Badlands – 17
The Promised Land – 20
Apollo Medley – 20
Born To Run – 20
Dancing in The Dark – 20
We Take Care of Our Own – 22
Wrecking Ball – 22
Death to My Hometown – 22
My City of Ruins – 22
Jack Of All Trades – 22
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day – 22
The Rising – 22
We Are Alive – 22
Rocky Ground – 22
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out – 22
Thank you Professor Dave Lifton for giving me access to your geeky setlist spreadsheet.
That lady second from left is Wendy, we're assuming.
I had never heard of Wendy Williams (turns out I was thinking of Wendy O. Williams, who is an entirely different person), but if she’s on in your market you can probably still catch “Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Choir” on today’s show. That’s Cindy Mizelle, Michelle Moore and Curtis King, who will perform the the Apollo Medley from the Wrecking Ball tour. It’s an interesting move — could this trio have a post-tour future together?
But that’s not all — check out the links for the latest Springsteen news you really probably shouldn’t oughtta miss. I’m just saying.
• Peter Ames Carlin’s upcoming Springsteen biography, “Bruce,” has a release date.
• Bruce Springsteen — more than a little bit country? So argues Billboard, which charts the country stars influenced by the Boss.
• Springsteen and race: Can “41 Shots” counteract “The Huxtable Effect”? You be the judge, via the Huffington Post.
• Share your “Springsteen Moment” and win big Philly prizes from the National Constitution Center.
• Hear Glee sing “Glory Days” … if you dare!
• Are you ready to get your pants blown off? Rolling Stone on the Jimmy Fallon album.
Springsteen played Fenway in September of 2003 -- could he be making a return trip?
Earlier this year there was much chatter about as many as two Fenway Park shows for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band this summer — but those rumors seemed put to rest when he announced his Aug. 18 Gillette Stadium show.
But not so fast! Now, the Boston Bruce rumor mill is buzzing with talk of a Fenway concert coming after all — sometime in the week prior to the Gillette show, perhaps as early as Saturday, Aug. 11. Gillette isn’t quite sold out yet (you can still get nosebleeds), but many Gillette ticket-holders would undoubtedly double up and check him out at Fenway as well. (Or ditch their Gillette tix in favor of seeing Springsteen at the home of the Red Sox — let’s face it, Foxboro is a lot better suited for football than it is for rock concerts. )
As you probably know, Springsteen performed the inaugural rock show at the venerable ballpark in 2003. So what have you heard about a possible return engagement? Let us know in the comments if you’ve been privy to any of the Fenway concert talk.
photo by a Joe Schreiber @JoeMattmarPro
1. No Surrender (with house lights up)
2. We Take Care of Our Own
3. Wrecking Ball
4. Badlands
5. Death to My Hometown
6. My City of Ruins
7. BISHOP DANCED (first time since 1973, first time ever with full band)
8. It’s Hard to Be A Saint in the City
9. Jack of All Trades
10. Candy’s Room
11. She’s the One
12. Shackled and Drawn
13. Waiting on a Sunny Day
14. The Promised Land
15. Talk to Me (Flynn McLean from BTX’s birthday sign request. Happy Birthday Flynn!)
16. Apollo Medley
17. The Rising
18. Lonesome Day
19. We Are Alive
20. Land of Hope and Dreams
21. THE WEIGHT (TAKE A LOAD OFF ANNIE) (sign request for the late Levon Helm)
22. Rocky Ground with Michelle Moore
23. Born to Run
24. Dancing in the Dark
25. Rosalita
26. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
End Time: 11:29 p.m.
If Stevie really wanted to intimidate those Idol kids, he should have showed up like this.
Consider it a consolation prize for those of us not lucky enough to be going to the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert tonight in Newark (Newark! What’s next — Bayonne?): Little Steven himself will be on American Idol tonight, we’re he’ll presumably school the well-coiffed Idol children on how to craft real, gritty, loud rock ‘n’ roll that will never, ever get played outside of the Underground Garage. (“More reverb!”)
No matter what you think of Idol, this is bound to be a hoot, particularly when Steve mixes it up with his old friend Jimmy Iovine. Friend of Blogness @MVZaGoGo (that’s Maureen Van Zandt to you) broke the story on Twitter, but she and hubby will no doubt have to set the DVR, as Steve himself confirms he will be live and in person in Newark tonight with his boss.
We’re looking forward to see what Jersey celebrities show up for the Newark show — we hear there’s already a cot set up for the governor, and expect the show to end when Mayor Cory Booker carries each of the 16 band members to safety on his shoulders.
Meanwhile, while you’re killing time until tonight’s concert, or Idol, some Springsteen-related links you may have missed:
