Springsteen @ Copps on Monday

[M]

Awesome show last night!

Bruce Springsteen Setlist: Copps Coliseum Hamilton, Ont - March 3 2008

No Surrender

Radio Nowhere

Lonesome Day

Gypsy Biker

Magic

Reason to Believe

Because the Night

She's the One

Livin' in the Future

The Promised Land

Waitin' on a Sunny Day

Darkness on the Edge of Town

The River

Devil's Arcade

The Rising

Last to Die

Long Walk Home

Badlands

Encore:

Girls in Their Summer Clothes

Thunder Road

Kitty's Back

Born to Run

Dancing in the Dark

American Land

~~~~

Review: Hamilton Spectator

by Graham Rockingham

Glory Days: Springsteen doesn't disappoint

The Big Guy on sax may be getting a tad frail and it's hard to look at Little Steven without seeing his Sopranos' mobster TV persona, but the The Boss is still The Boss.

Bruce Springsteen is a lot easier on the furniture. He doesn't climb up the speaker columns anymore (because there aren't any) and he keeps his feet off those high-price keyboards. As a matter of fact, at 58, he does a lot more walking than running these days.

But it doesn't matter.

Last night he put on one of the better rock 'n' roll shows this town, or any other for that matter, will see in a long long time.

I haven't had the good fortune of being in the audience for a Springsteen/E Street Band performance in more than 20 years. Back in those days the shows easily ran more than three hours, sometimes four, with a setlist of about 25 songs. The audience left almost as exhausted as the Boss himself.

Last night's show attended by some 17,500 fans at Copps Coliseum ran about two-and-a-half hours, but he still managed to cram almost 25 songs into it. The difference is less banter, some trimmed solos and no intermission. Tighter. More compact. Brilliant. Garage rock at its finest.

Springsteen managed to run through the entire show without a break ... right into the incredible multi-song encore that featured the relatively rare and killer classic Kitty's Back (from The Wild, The Innocent And the E Street Shuffle), plus the nostalgic Thunder Road.

But I digress. As old as The Boss (and his fans) may be, this wasn't some nostalgia show. Springsteen performed some seven tracks from the new CD, Magic, that easily stands up to the classics. Living In The Future, Long Walk Home, Last To Die and Devil's Arcade were all loaded into the back end of the show, sitting strongly next to well-established show stoppers like The Rising and Badlands.

We got also got plenty of fan favourites like She's The One, Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark, Promised Land, Thunder Road and Because The Night.

This is street poetry as good as anything pop culture offers. But what makes it truly special is a work ethic that surpasses anything else in the world of rock.

The fans paid more than $100 for a ticket and Springsteen made sure they got their money's worth, and more.

Nonetheless, there are some creaky spots.

Sax player Clarence Clemons -- lovingly known as The Big Guy -- is probably the best known of the E Street gang next to The Boss himself. He can still blow the pipes as he proved several times last night. At 66, however, you've got to wonder how much longer he can keep up with Springsteen's pace -- even with that big comfy take-a-break chair behind him.

Little Steven Van Zandt's guitar has long played second fiddle to those of Nils Lofgren and Springsteen. And fans of The Sopranos know that Van Zandt isn't that "little" anymore. Still it's nice to have the rocker-turned-mob-actor along for the ride. It wouldn't be the same without his kerchiefed head.

The E Street Band was missing two regulars last night. Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa was absent for her third straight show. And that's understandable, it's hard to run a family with both parents on the road. Besides, I'm not sure if I really wanted to see her perform one of her solo songs. We came for Bruce, right?

Otherwise, organist Danny Federici is still off receiving treatment for melanoma although Springsteen said he expects him to return later in the tour.

Federici has been replaced by Charles Giordano, who worked with Springsteen on the Seeger Sessions record and tour. Springsteen has still got a lot of rock 'n' roll in him and this E-Street tour looks like it'll be stretching through the summer.

That's great news because, let's face it, it's hard to imagine this band getting together for another record and tour.

Can Clemons keep this up into his seventies?

[Kanada Kev]

!!! Kitty's Back !!!

WOW! Show highlight for me for sure. What a performance. This one really highlighted how good these guys can perform and how well the Boss's early material holds up. What a treat/surprise! Much like hearing Thundercrack back at the ACC, I was surprised at how many fans out there were clueless about this song. Then they go nuts for Dancin' In The Dark (which by comparison is such fluff to Kitty's Back, IMHO).

I had a blast at the show. I felt that it was a much tighter performance that the one at the ACC last year and it was also kinda nice not having to have a Bruce song replaced by a Patti song in the setlist (she has stayed home with the kids). As Bruce said, "you've got 3 teenagers, somebody's gotta stay back to make sure the house doesn't burn down"

We were able to get a friend into the show well before the start time for $40. I'm sure you could have gotten in even cheaper. Anyone who was on the fence for this one should be kicking themselves for not going ... or making plans to get down to Buffalo for the Friday night gig

TimmyB, good seeing you again at the show. Got your text message after the show too. I totally agree with you on the other highlights (The River, Thunder Road and Because The Night). I'll hopefully see you at Steve Earle tonight

[NewRider]

Anyone who was on the fence for this one should be kicking themselves for not going

Done and done!

[Esau.]

Well, it turns out my friend didn't have to work so I ended up not being able to go, I just couldn't spend the money this week, so a free ticket was my only option. Sounds like a great show though.

Luckily, my night wasn't a complete write off, I did get to take one of these for a test drive...

2008 Harley Davidson Rocker C

[TimmyB]

!!! Kitty's Back !!!

WOW! Show highlight for me for sure. What a performance. This one really highlighted how good these guys can perform and how well the Boss's early material holds up. What a treat/surprise! Much like hearing Thundercrack back at the ACC, I was surprised at how many fans out there were clueless about this song. Then they go nuts for Dancin' In The Dark (which by comparison is such fluff to Kitty's Back, IMHO).

I had a blast at the show. I felt that it was a much tighter performance that the one at the ACC last year and it was also kinda nice not having to have a Bruce song replaced by a Patti song in the setlist (she has stayed home with the kids). As Bruce said, "you've got 3 teenagers, somebody's gotta stay back to make sure the house doesn't burn down"

We were able to get a friend into the show well before the start time for $40. I'm sure you could have gotten in even cheaper. Anyone who was on the fence for this one should be kicking themselves for not going ... or making plans to get down to Buffalo for the Friday night gig

TimmyB, good seeing you again at the show. Got your text message after the show too. I totally agree with you on the other highlights (The River, Thunder Road and Because The Night). I'll hopefully see you at Steve Earle tonight

It was good to see you as well, even if it was brief. Hopefully we will see each other again tonight at Steve Earle.

"Kitty's Back" was by far the best part of the gig for me last night. It was my only personal debut at Copps and I've always loved Springteen's second album and I'm so happy that I've been hearing songs off it at recent performances.

It was a greatest hits type show at Copps and I often complain about that when I have seen an artist as many times as I have seen the Boss, but when it comes to that Jersey Boy it's all good.

I'm seriously debating on going to see him again in Buffalo on Friday night at HSBC Arena which is never sold out.

Peace,

Tim

[secondtube]

I had a fun time....

the show was ok....

if i was a huge springsteen fan, i might have recognized more songs....for a so-called greatest hits night, i guess i dont know many of his hits...

his band was tight. Max W, well, i wish he would have went off a little more, ala stu copeland, but nonetheless, he was entertaining....

was a good length of good songs...what more can you ask for in hamilton? (would have much rather paid $40 from scalpers though)