Last month we talked about the mixed fan reaction to Bruce Springsteen’s latest album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Bruce and the band have just returned from a hugely successful European tour and opened the U.S. leg on May 27 at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Having seen Springsteen perform both with the E Street Band and solo, I was looking forward to this configuration.
If there were any doubts left in the minds of the audience last night that this was the right time, the right band, and the right music, I suspect those doubts vanished shortly after the evening began.
Starting the show with the steel-driving “John Henry,” Springsteen and this huge, lively band, eighteen members strong, immediately got the packed house to its feet, and then proceeded to take us on a two-hour plus joy ride that consisted largely of the folk music that he has so invigoratingly reinvented on The Seeger Sessions, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
Fresh from the European leg of the tour, the band is polished, but not too polished. This is not the E Street Band working to find a way to make “Rosalita” sound fresh and new for the umpteenth time — this is a band that’s still on the edge of new, and is likely rediscovering itself with every performance. As befitting its rustic roots, the music is raw around the edges, and rowdy — this is working music, dancing music, and church music all rolled into one. All of the musicians and singers are given ample opportunity to strut their stuff, and there’s fine stuff to strut, the horn section and the violins in particular lifting much of the evening’s performance into the stratosphere, accompanied by wonderful background vocals that nicely complemented Springsteen’s gruff and gravelly delivery.
Throughout the show, Springsteen was an ever-moving presence on stage, larger than life, dancing, conducting, cajoling, and playing to the audience as only he can. The audience, in turn, was clearly up to the task of holding up its end, and the fans are already learning their parts in the Seeger Sessions sing-along, which rose to a peak during “Pay Me My Money Down,” the song which marked the lively end of the first set prior to the band re-taking the stage for a six-song encore, which included a guest appearance by Peter Wolf, who joined the band for a “Dirty Water/Buffalo Gals” medley. And if you didn’t think that “Buffalo Gals” could rock, well — guess again.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
great review lisa. yea, it was a special night, eh?
now that the details has stopped swarming around in my head, i'll have to come up with a review of my own.
2 - Lisa McKay
I'm still smiling from it! I'll look forward to reading your take on it, Mark.
3 - Richard Marcus
The one and only time I saw Springsteen was about thrity years ago, 76 or 77, just when he was first starting to crest that wave that was fairly or unfairly calling him the next Bob Dylan.
He was far too young at the time to have that hung around his neck, but the sence that he was speaking for people was still already there. Personally I've never found that his own music has ever quite hit that mark, he always seems just a little self aware or self consciouse of the role he's supposed to be playing.
But whenever he's be freed up to play the music of the originals, like Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger, he's able to hit it right on the head with perfect interpratations. Making what's old new again.
It could be that the simplicity that made those songs so "real" just doesn't exist anymore, the issues aren't black and white and we don't quite believe the way in which we used to. It was like after the Arlo Guthrie concert when my wife turned to me and said, it's sad that we can't really live this way outside of this moment in time.
You can't right the music that doesn't exist anymore to be written, so I'm grateful we have people like Springsteen who bring the old songs alive again for a new audience. Maybe that can recreate those feelings which will allow them to be written again.
Wow Sorry about that Lisa, I didn't mean for that to happen, great review and I wish I could see that concert. I'll have to keep an eye out for the CD, I loved Springsteen on the Woody Guthrie/Leadbelly tribute and this sounds right up there.
Richard.
4 - Glen Boyd
Nice review Lisa.
Doesn't look like the show is going to play Seattle unless Uncle Bruce extends the tour. And as much as I was pleasantly surprised by Seeger Sessions, this is not one of those tours i'm going to travel elsewhere to see (already doing that next month for Radiohead anyway).
What you review says pretty much backs up everything I've heard though. The shows are part tent revival, part hootenanny, and pretty much 100% raucous, joyous affairs.
Plus, he always seems to pull out all the stops for Boston doesn't he?
Hopefully Bruce will extend this with a few more dates up here in the Northwest (as he did with Devils & Dust last year), and we'll get our chance to join the party.
Glad you had a great time though Lisa. Looking forward to hearing Saleski's take as well.
-Glen
5 - Lisa McKay
Thanks, Glen. Rumor has it that there will be a second US leg to the tour this fall, so hopefully you'll get a chance to see him close to home.
6 - Mark Saleski
i liked the show so much, i would consider traveling to seattle for another one. seriously.