Bruce Springsteen Rocks Dallas
He had me, once again, at “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” It was the opening song played last night by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the AAC. Sad to say that the show was not a sell-out, but the geezers like us who showed up to rock, did so. Despite the kick-sass opening number, the Boss had to kick-start the geriatric crowd. It took him about 45 minutes to get people to loosen up. Hell, the once raucous sax man, Clarence Clemons, was a dreadlocked shadow of his former self. He stayed put in his front stage-right position all night. It was like somebody tied him to a post to hold him up. Mrs. Boss, singer Patti Scialfa, was a no-show. She had to fly back to New Jersey to take care of “a situation” with the couple’s teenage kids. Bruce said something about the neighbors reporting that the Springsteen kids were rolling kegs of beer down the driveway of their mansion. He shook his head and said that when you have teenage kids “it gives a whole new meaning to homeland security.”
Guess who showed up to sing “Glory Days”? One overly coiffed Jon Bon Jovi, who looked extremely nervous as he shared the microphone with his idol. As usual, the band shuffled the set list and played a mix of old (”American Land”) and new (”Radio Nowhere”). (Here is a copy of the handwritten set list.) He also brought “Dancing in the Dark” out of retirement when he spied a group of teenage girls from Fort Worth jumping around in the general admission area on the floor. I think some dancing teacher was pushing to get them onstage before the show (speculation here, it was loud) and it obviously worked. He pulled the whole group up for the dance number made famous by Courtney Cox back in the ’80s. It was cute — a fact that left Bruce shaking his head like “WTF am I turning into here? I have teenagers, not hot chicks, dancing in my show. Maybe I should just go home and count my money.” But I doubt he is capable of that. He will rock — and politicize — until he falls over.
Oh, today I feel so old. Yet so young and restless. And tired.
11 Comments to “Bruce Springsteen Rocks Dallas”
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Shouldn’t the headline have been “Springfield Ricks Dallas”
Didn’t this guy do Jesse’s Girl so many years ago?
Ah, the fun of riling up Springsteen fans.
Jeez, Nancy — how much did the Boss pay you for the Happy Ending on that massaged review?
I too am a Lifelong Springsteen Fan: but the reality of last night’s show reminded me as to why I don’t typically attend school reunions.
While Bruce hasn’t physically morphed in tragic fashion into the corpulent, balding former Golden Boy Football Captain, his performance at the AAC provided amply evidence that his music lacks a timeless quality of some of his Reclycled Rock Peers. Frankly, the trademark muscularity of his showmanship last evening failed to disguise the surprising reality that his showcase anthems by and large were borne of a dated nostalgia that does not well withstand the test of time.
(And the guy who was running the muddled mix through soundboards for the show’s P.A. system last night should never, ever work that facility again.)
agreed, the sound was off, really off, but not due to the band but whomever was mixiing it…and i, for one, think while much of bruce’s stuff can seem dated, i’m happy to go back to that time with him at the helm
and i also thought bruce said “…black choppers were dropping off cases of beer in the back yard” just before the line about homeland security
and those girls when tweens at best, as maybe the oldest was 14 and most looked to be 10,11 or 12. it was weird, real weird and looked like grandpa singing Xmas carols around the piano surrounded by generations of family, which, i guess, it kinda was
I just wish I has been there. Thanks Nancy, I am out of town working, but I still woulda died to see my boss once again. who cares about sound and stuff… its the songs!
you guys who were there were lucky for sure. I haven’t scene the dude live since River tour at Reunion. it rocked too.
brian.
I saw Bruce Springsteen during the Born In the U.S.A. tour and I was embarrassed for him and for everybody else in attendance. He wiggled him rear and they show it on the Jumbotron. Most tasteful thing I ever sit still for. And then the audience members get wet all over like with red white and blue slime. So I guess they come to some kind of awful climax.
Actually, I’m pretty sure Courtney Cox WAS a teenager when that video was made.
But, granted, not as young as those girls last night.
We have degenerated to the point where parents are pimping their little girls for video bites.
Sad. Very sad.
Look for pics of Jodie Foster in the film Taxi Driver for their model…
Sheesh. Meaning and relevance are wonderful things, but don’t offer much without joy. Fourth time I’ve seen the man, and we had fun.
Jeez, what is up with you people? The guy is in his fifties and most of his fans are older than 40. Take the show for what it was, a fun night of nostalgia. The music was fine. He’s not the “Boss” from 1974 – 1985 anymore. The show is still better than 90% of the concerts put on by groups touring today (young and old.)
I’ve got to jump in here. You people who are so quick to criticize this concert - what did you really expect? Like Tom says, that concert was better than 90% of anything else out there - young or old. Want to see something pathetic? Go see the Stones in person.
And who cares that a bunch of young teenaged girls got the thrill of their young lives. It was shtick in a good way.
The song selection was the best I had seen at a Springsteen concert in years and I have been going to these since 1980. Sound was muddled for sure but you can’t blame that on the band. These musicians can still rock. Clarence was in one place because he had both knees and a hip replaced some time back.
Perhaps some of you are just plain too picky. Perhaps some of you wouldn’t know a quality concert if it up and slapped you in the face.
BEEN A FAN FOR YEARS AND FINALLY GOT MY WISH. DROVE 6 HOURS TO DALLAS TO SEE BRUCE AND THE E-STREET BAND. I CAN HONESTLY SAY IT WAS WELL WORTH THE TRIP. I COULDN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF HIM, I BELIEVE I WAS ACTUALLY MESMERIZED. THE SONGS WERE AWESOME AND I GOT TO SAY THAT WE WERE 2ND ROW OFF THE STAGE IN THE PIT AND IT ALL SOUNDED GREAT FROM THERE.