Thursday , March 28 2024
The wait is nearly over...

Verse Chorus Verse: Countdown to Springsteen and St. Louis, KC

This is mission control.  We are ready to resume the countdown. 

When my biography is written years from now, 2009 will be remembered as the Year of Springsteen.  I'm heading to two Bruce shows this weekend, my third and fourth of the year.  First up, St. Louis on Sunday followed by Kansas City on Monday.  My fifth and final show of 2009 happens in November in Nashville.  With that in mind, The Boss is about to hijack Verse Chorus Verse

The normal shtick of talk about one song per day is going to take a hiatus today.  Today's entry is going to be the Top 20 songs "I've Never Heard Before" that I hope to hear at these two shows in Missouri.  This is something I did a couple times at my semi-retired home site.  We'll replicate that here.  I had a full rundown of the setlists from the four Bruce shows I've seen to date (two from the Magic tour in 2008, two from the Working On A Dream/"Waiting On A Sunny Day" tour of 2009).  I'll include those at the end. 

The setlists for the WOAD/WOASD tour have been a little static by Springsteen legend. There are two reasons for that and I only know one of them.  The first reason is that Bruce just isn't changing them as much as he's done in the past.  I'm sure he knows why.  I don't.  Others have guessed at motives.  I won't. 

The second reason is easier:  starting with Chicago in September, Bruce has started playing entire albums in sequence during the show.  He's done this with three of his albums:  Born To Run, Darkness On The Edge of Town, and Born In The U.S.A. and he's already announced — for the most part — which albums he's playing at which shows.  I'll be hearing Born to Run twice, Born in the U.S.A. once. 

What that means is some of the suspense is gone for these shows.  It also means I know going in I'm going to cross a few of my songs off.  So today I present my list.  Keep in mind:  these are the Top 20 songs I've never heard live before.  There are plenty of great ones I've heard before I wouldn't mind hearing again (and a few I wish he'd never play again).  Over the next few days we'll talk about a few of these songs and next week we'll wrap up with what I got, what I didn't, and how I feel about it all. 

20. The Promise
19. So Young and In Love
18. The River
17. Atlantic City
16. Gypsy Biker
15. Night
14. Backstreets
13. Candy's Room
12. The E Street Shuffle
11. My City of Ruins
10. Born in the USA
9. Pink Cadillac
8. Kitty’s Back
7. Adam Raised a Cain
6. Tunnel of Love
5. Because The Night
4. Lost in The Flood
3. Ramrod
2. Thundercrack
1. Across The Border

Here are the setlists for the shows thus far seen, if you're curious.

Atlanta 2008:
Reason to Believe
Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Blinded By the Light
Your Own Worst Enemy
Trapped
Murder Incorporated
Prove It All Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
The Promised Land
Bobby Jean
Point Blank
Devil’s Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Rosalita
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

Nashville 2008

Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Spirit in the Night
Good Rockin’ Night
Growin’ Up (w/ the old “G**D*** Guitar” Story)
I’m Goin’ Down
Held Up Without a Gun
Loose Ends
Youngstown
Murder Inc.
Mona/She’s the One
The Promised Land
Mary’s Place
I Walk The Line (Excerpt)/I’m on Fire
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
***
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Thunder Road
Born to Run
I Fought The Law
Rosalita
American Land
***
Dancing in the Dark

Atlanta 2009
Badlands
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Outlaw Pete
She’s the One
Working on a Dream
Radio Nowhere
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
96 Tears
Trapped
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Jungleland
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
***
Hard Times
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
***
Detroit Medley

Greensboro 2009
Badlands
Radio Nowhere
Outlaw Pete
No Surrender
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Seventh Son
Hang on Sloopy
Growin' Up
I'm on Fire
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Human Touch
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Cadillac Ranch
* * *
Hard Times
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
* * *
Glory Days

About Josh Hathaway

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