Gonna see what all the fuss is about: Springsteen this Monday at Giants Stadium

now THAT'S sad.

 

Re: Gonna see what all the fuss is about: Springsteen this Monday at Giants Stad

I've never understood the cult of Bruce --- or Bob or the Dead for that matter. Brooding "everyman" music just doesn't motivate me after the first 12 dozen times I've heard it. Maybe it's just me...

 

A half-dozen times is about right.

I've seen him three times.

 

In the case of Bruce its never knowing what surprise or curveball he's going to throw at you. What rarity he'll pull out, or how much he'll change the set up. At the start of the Magic Tour the sets were 23-24 songs long and with back-to-back nights, close to one third of the set (7) songs were changing.

For some stadium shows he'll change it up even more. In 2003 I saw him Aug. 30 and 31 at Giants Stadium. The Aug. 30 set was 25 songs long. The next night he played 11 -- that's right -- 11 songs he didn't play the night before - by my count that's one less than half. What other artist can you go see where 1/3- 1/2 of the show changes on successive nights?

 

I'd rather have the screwy setlists than a pretty light show. It rewards return trips, which will happen no matter what. Why can't a band give those fans more incentive? Hell, Rush never changes their set, but people follow them around.

The last major Metallica tour, they changed half the set every other night, a few songs every night. Um, coinciding with their move to sell soundboards of each night for 10 bucks a pop. And it was their best since the Black Album tour. Pearl jam, who I don't care to see, apparently switches it up at will too.

If I'm a Springsteen fan, I go to as many shows as possible, to revel in the possibility of hearing 35 years worth of material.

 

Re: Gonna see what all the fuss is about: Springsteen this Monday at Giants Stad

I'm making the NJ-Boston swing for 4 shows in 7 nights (with Yankee and Red Sox games in between). That'll bring my 35-year total up to about 50.

 

Could not agree more. Nothing more annoying than forking over some serious coin only to be able to predict the set list to the note. I'm looking at you, Mick Jones, and it was annoying in 1995, when you still toured with your Real Lead Singer. I cannot imagine the hubris necessary to charge stupid money to put on the same show every night with a Fake Lead Singer.

 

On consecutive nights in Barcelona last week --the final 2 shows of the European tour before Sunday's homecoming -- Bruce and the band played 43 different songs...43!
Each show ran 3 hours plus, and about 30 songs. That means there were 8 or 9 songs that were played in both shows.
That's why I'm going Sunday and Monday and expect two very different shows. And I'm not paying for lights and smoke and flash. I'm paying for Bruce's music.

 

That's why casual fans don't go more than once or twice.

If you like Springsteen, though, the $65 is worth it once or twice. It's cool to see a guy who could make millions by playing the hits on cruise control--like so many of his contemporaries--continue to mix things up and push himself and his band to the point of exhaustion...and beyond.

 

I've seen two Springsteen concerts within the past year--before then I was a Springsteen virgin. Both shows went right to the top of my best shows seen list.

 

who?

 

If he's the boss, I quit.