PREVIEW: Bruce Springsteen And The E-Street Band - MetLife Stadium - August 30, 2016

Tomorrow, August 30, 2016, I will be attending my 20^th Bruce Springsteen concert. It will be my third time seeing him at MetLife Stadium and my 11^th time seeing him in a stadium setting. As any fan or setlist gazer knows, the last two shows at MetLife Stadium were two of the most epic shows in his storied career. Opening with “New York City Serenade” and closing with “Jersey Girl” on both nights is super rare and ultra special. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen “New York City Serenade” performed live, but I would love to see it again. Hopefully he will make it three for three by opening with that song on the final night at MetLife Stadium.

I’ve already emotionally abused myself for not going to the other two shows at MetLife Stadium. I wanted to go, but figured that one concert would be enough. After seeing the setlists for the first two nights, I just got angry with myself. “I should have done all three,” I constantly repeated in my head. It was a 3 hour, 52 minute performance on night one, and a 3 hour, 58 minute performance on night 2. And I missed them both. What was I thinking? “Backstreets,” “Lost In The Flood,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (which I’ve NEVER seen live), “Something In The Night,” Spirit In The Night,” and “No Surrender” all performed and missed out on. A special guest appearance by Tom Morello, missed out on. An onstage wedding proposal, missed out on. All because I told myself one show was enough.

But I do have that one show coming up tomorrow night. And I am hopeful that it will be even better than the first two nights. And knowing Bruce performances as well as I do, it’s not out of the range of possibilities that he performs for 4 hours or more on Tuesday night. But as many women will tell you, length isn’t everything; it’s the performance itself that matters. And with that in mind, as much as I want the longest show ever performed in the USA, I also want the best show ever performed in the USA. I want to see super rarities and cuts so deep that even I have to scratch my head and go “what song is this?” I want to rock so hard that I literally hurt the next morning and need four ibuprofen and three cups of coffee just to get out of bed. And I know that Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band can deliver.

With that in mind, here are some of the rare songs that I would like to see performed live tomorrow night:

Stray Bullet (from The River Boxset)

For a tour supporting The River Boxset I am surprised that more songs from that box set haven’t been performed. Other than “Meet Me In The City,” none of the previously unreleased material was performed live. I’m still not sure how that is possible. Springsteen could make up for that on Tuesday with a rousing rendition of “Stray Bullet.” It is the best outtake on The River Boxset and it is a hauntingly beautiful song that I would love to hear in concert.

Incident On 57^th Street (from The Wild, The Innocent, and The E-Street Shuffle)

Always amazing to see in concert, Springsteen performed this one in Europe to open a show. It was just him, the piano, and this song. I wouldn’t mind seeing a reenactment of that. If the band chooses not to open with “New York City Serenade,” this would be an excellent backup choice

Hunter Of Invisible Game (from High Hopes)

This is a terrific song from an underrated album that I have been listening to a lot more lately. I didn’t find High Hopes to be spectacular when it first came out and I ranked it very low on the overall Springsteen album ranking. Yet over the last two weeks, I’ve listened to High Hopes quite a bit, and I must say that I truly enjoy it. One of the hidden gems on that record is “Hunter Of Invisible Game”. It is a beautiful song that has gotten almost no attention since it was released. That’s a real shame

All Or Nothing At All (from Human Touch)

Springsteen rarely plays songs from Human Touch or Lucky Town and when he does, it is almost always one of the title songs. “All Or Nothing At All” is a gem of a song that has almost never been played live. I had the joy of seeing a rare performance of the song at my first ever Bruce Springsteen concert back in 1992 and it was amazing. “All Or Nothing At All” is a powerful song that packs a mean punch. It’s a rocker that would get the crowd moving whether they know it or not. It may have a lot of people pulling out their phones to see what song it was, but it would be an amazing moment to hear this song live again. And it would breathe some much needed life into the Human Touch/Lucky Town albums.

Magic (from Magic)

“Magic” was played almost every night on the Magic tour. Then it was put up on the shelf and as far as I know it was never brought out again. I am not certain how this song would go over in a stadium setting, but Springsteen made “Empty Sky” work in a stadium, so anything is possible. “Magic” is one of the best songs Bruce has written in the last ten years. And while it is politically filled, it is still a brilliant song. And yes, I want to see this song for selfish reasons. I missed the Magic tour, thus I’ve never seen this song performed live. And I want to.

Of course there are other songs that would make the night super special as well. “Trapped,” “Cynthia,” “It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City,” “Save My Love,” and “Born In The USA” are all rare enough songs that have a realistic chance of being performed. And any of them would make night three at MetLife Stadium a real treat. Whatever happens, I know the night will be special, because, let’s face it, any Springsteen concert is. If you’re heading out to the show enjoy it! And even if you’re not, be sure to check back here for my full concert review. I’ll try to have it up by next weekend.

The Rolling Stones - September 28, 2002

In 2002, the Rolling Stones granted their fans a huge treat with a 2-disc greatest hits package. This set was rare in that it not only featured a disc of their recent hits combined with four brand new songs, but it also contained a disc full of their early smashes (previously only available on Decca Records). This was a fan’s fantasy collection. The set was entitled Forty Licks. Shortly after its release, the band announced they would embark on a world tour in support of this phenomenal double album. A tour behind a greatest hits package could only mean one thing---greatest hits being performed live.

As part of this tour, the Rolling Stones were offering a very unique opportunity. For the right price, which if memory serves me was $400, fans could actually sit on the stage where the Rolling Stones were performing. While that was a tempting offer, a hard working lad such as I, could not afford the experience. Thus I was relegated to getting the best possible tickets that were not on the stage.

This concert arrived at a surreal time in my life. I was a divorced guy who had just split up with my first post divorce girlfriend. Life was strange. I wasn’t dating anyone, nor seeing anyone, and the girl I was interested in had a boyfriend. Not having anyone to go the Stones concert with, I purchased two tickets in anticipation that someone would want to attend the show. Honestly, I was hoping it would be the girl I was crushing on, and that’s probably the real reason I bought the tickets.

I was also at a low point in life. As mentioned, I was divorced and had recently split up with my girlfriend. I had a crush on a friend who was in a serious relationship and only wanted friendship, and I was working at a job I did not like and was not excelling in. On top of that, I was living with my grandfather and most of the friends from my youth had moved out of state. It was an odd time to be me.

After asking several people if they would like to attend the concert, and subsequently receiving a lot of “no, thank you” responses, I wasn’t sure what to do. This was the Rolling Stones! Living legends! And no one wanted to see them with me. I couldn’t understand it. I recall telling one woman that I had an extra ticket for the Rolling Stones and she said that she might want to go…“as a friend.” I wasn’t asking for marriage! However, I suppose she didn’t want me to get the wrong idea. Needless to say, she did not attend the concert.

Who did end up going? My ex-wife. I bought two tickets to see The Rolling Stones in concert figuring that someone would want to go on a date and I got to take my ex-wife. These were strange times, indeed.

Having answered the question of who would attend the show, Nancy (my ex) and I went to Giants Stadium to see the Rolling Stones. Nancy and I still got along, having dissolved our marriage on the fact that we married too young, but I still viewed it as a personal failure that I had to take my ex-wife to the Stones. It put me in a depressive state.

I started wondering if I wasn’t date worthy to any of these girls that I asked. The fact that I was asking the wrong girls (one had a boyfriend for six years, one was my cousin’s best friend, and one was a woman that I worked with) never entered my mind. Add in the fact that I was confused about my job and not certain that it was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and it summed up to one big hot mess. Yes, that was me driving to the Rolling Stones concert with my ex-wife in tow.

We laughed about the situation, but it didn’t help me feel any better. It’s hard to sob to your ex about how you’re having trouble finding a date. It just creates an awkward, uncomfortable situation. By the time we arrived at Giants Stadium, I tried to shake it off and enjoy the night. I was going to see the Rolling Stones, for crying out loud. This would only be my second time watching them perform live and knowing that they would play nothing but the hits had my anticipation running wild.

Once we found our seats and settled in for the evening, I immediately noticed something. The seats that fans paid $400 for the honor of sitting on the stage were awful. I was under the impression that if a seat on the stage was purchased, it was literally a seat on the stage. Close enough that you could jump in with the band if desired. While the seats were technically on the stage, they were far from what I had imagined. On the stage, behind the band, were what can only be described as giant rafters that the fans on the stage sat in. The below picture provides clarity. If I had paid $400 for those seats, I would have been pissed off!

The Stones kick started the evening with a roaring and rocking version of one of their biggest hits, Brown Sugar. Mick sounded incredible. Ron Wood looked great. Keith was as crazy as ever, having a grand time on stage, and Charlie Watts was the coolest man in the stadium. The Rolling Stones had come to play, celebrating 40 years of greatness. It’s Only Rock And Roll came next and was followed with a rousing Start Me Up. Three songs in and I was a madman, enjoying the inconceivable performance that was the hits of the Rolling Stones.

That night I became a huge fan of Keith Richards. While I had always appreciated his guitar and songwriting ability, I never found Keith to be the greatest member of the band. All of that changed when it was time for Keith to perform lead vocals on a couple of “Keith” songs. He opened his two song soliloquy with Slipping Away, a slow, jazzy number from Steel Wheels. I always felt that Slipping Away was an underrated Rolling Stones tune. The music is fantastic and Keith’s vocals are spot on for the love ballad song. He sounded great that night and the live performance only helped cement my love for the track.

Next up, was the much beloved (and crowd favorite) Happy. This was the moment when I became a permanent Keith fan. Seeing the vast amounts of happiness that erupted from this man’s soul onto the stage, well, I couldn’t help but to be happy. My sorrows were lifted and tossed aside. Keith was the healer to those of us that were hurt, upset, and unsure about life. Keith was the grand fixer of all things upsetting. And he did it with the simple play of a song. By the end of Happy, I was euphoric. Keith had ailed my blues.

The hits kept coming for the rest of the evening. Sympathy For The Devil, Miss You, Gimme Shelter, and of course (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. All of them sounded crisp and ageless. The Rolling Stones performed a phenomenal concert and thanks to the magic of Keith Richards, I left the show feeling better than I had in years. I was optimistic about my future and no longer bothered by the weight of my worries. The Rolling Stones showed me that all would be right in the world, I just had to roll with it and enjoy the moments I was in, regardless of what was going on in the world around me. Keith showed me how to enjoy life that night, and I’ve been heeding his advice ever since.


Setlist
Brown Sugar
It’s Only Rock And Roll
Start Me Up
Don’t Stop
Tumblin’ Dice
Undercover Of The Night
Angie
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Monkey Man
I Can’t Turn You Loose
Slipping Away
Happy
Sympathy For The Devil
You Got Me Rocking
When The Whip Comes Down
Miss You
Gimme Shelter
Honky Tonk Women
Street Fighting Man
Jumping Jack Flash
Satisfaction

Bon Jovi - July 27, 2001

For those of you who may not know, long before Cousin Ryo was the author of The Rock And Roll Guru blog, I was a soundman/DJ for a comedy show in Northern New Jersey. I spent several years working for The Mickey Who? Comedy Show and had a lot of fun doing it. Mickey (the producer and host of the show) was a close friend and we were both huge Bon Jovi fans. So on a cold February night, I talked Mickey into getting tickets to see Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium that July. It would be the first time I witnessed the beloved boys from the Garden State live in concert.

Mickey had concerns that he would end up sitting next to a big burly guy instead of some hot babe, which is actually quite funny. If you factor in that more than 70% of Bon Jovi concert attendees are female, then it’s obvious that percentages were on Mickey’s side for sitting next to a babe. However, if you knew Mickey well, you’d know that he had a better chance of sitting next to the burly bouncer guy, because that’s just Mick’s luck. I assured him that if a burly biker dude ended up cramping his style, he and I could switch seats. I think that finally sold him on getting a ticket.

On a hot summer afternoon in July, we packed up my car and headed over to Giants Stadium for some afternoon tailgating complete with Nerf football, cold drinks, and grilled pizzas. Have you ever grilled a Mama Celeste pizza for one? If not, I highly recommend it. Mickey, a pizza connoisseur, loves them. We hung out in the warm summer sun, enjoyed good food and good company. There were not many concerns about what time we went into the show, neither of us cared if we missed Eve 6, but we both wanted to see Sugar Ray prior to Bon Jovi taking the stage for the night.

As we entered Giants Stadium, we caught the very tail end of Eve 6’s set. I don’t even remember what song it was. It’s possible that they were performing Inside Out, but I can’t be certain. Mickey and I were more interested in the t-shirt stands then the band. It’s not that I don’t like Eve 6, because I do, I just wasn’t overly excited to see them perform a condensed set.

Sugar Ray was up next and while I don’t recall which songs they performed, I know they were good. By the time Sugar Ray took the stage, Mickey and I had already found our seats and settled in. Sugar Ray played a tight, 45 minute set that was a lot of fun. They performed all of their hits and I think the closer was Fly, which is a great song. By the time Sugar Ray’s set ended, no one had shown up to sit next to Mickey. We were still wondering if he would get the babes or the bikers.

On my left was a 12 year old girl dressed in a Superman T-Shirt. She was a cute kid, attending the concert with her parents. The excitement was written all over her face and it was obvious that she was a huge Bon Jovi fan. What I didn’t realize was how huge of a fan she was.

The night wore on and we waited for the headliners to take the stage. As the sun started to settle over the western horizon, the lights for the stadium went out and the roar of the crowd exploded. Bon Jovi walked onto the stage and tore into their opening number, One Wild Night. What a great way to start the show!

As the song played on, the burly dudes arrived, just as Mickey had predicted. Cramming into the aisle next to him were about 6 dudes, all hugging and humping one another. They weren’t gay, just obviously intoxicated, and of course they started moving into Mickey’s space. I looked over at him with a laugh and asked if he needed to switch seats. He was ok at the time. He was willing to give the dudes the benefit of the doubt that they would shuffle off to their own seats after the first song.

Raise Your Hands came next, one of my favorite Bon Jovi tunes ever, and I went nuts. Singing and clapping along, I was euphoric in the moment. Mick was enjoying it as well, but the dudes had not left and I noticed that he kept glancing in their direction. When You Give Love A Bad Name was performed and the dudes still hadn’t left, I knew it was time to intervene.

“Do you want me to take care of this?” I asked.

Mickey looked at the guys again and I could see him contemplating. I know he wanted to be a nice guy, but was also torn over the fact that the dudes might try to hump him next. No heterosexual male wants to be humped by some drunk guy at a Bon Jovi concert – that’s a fact. Mick nodded, putting the nice guy inside him away, and I moved immediately. I approached the dudes and politely asked them to move away from us. When my request was denied (by the actions of them not moving) I sought a higher power. Security came in and finally had the drunks find their seats. Now we could enjoy the rest of the night hump free.

Bon Jovi just continued to roll with the hits. Jon was a superior frontman on stage, getting the crowd into it, and singing with the power that he can bring. He made sure the fans were getting their money’s worth and having a great time. After a spectacular rendition of Bed Of Roses, it was Richie Sambora’s turn to take the microphone. That’s when I would find out just what a huge fan the 12-year old girl sitting next to me was.

Not only had she sung every word to every song thus far, but when Richie took the lead vocals for Stranger In This Town she sang along with that song too! While most folks were heading for the rest rooms, this girl was singing like the band was playing Living On A Prayer. Now that was a real fan!

The hits continued after Richie’s solo spot. It’s My Life, Keep The Faith, Blaze of Glory, Lay Your Hands On Me, and Bad Medicine were all performed with a ferocity. It was Saturday night in New Jersey and Bon Jovi was rocking the hometown crowd. Their performance was legendary and though I had seen a lot of concerts up until that point, this show was fighting for one of the best I ever witnessed. I sat in wonder as to why I had never seen the band live before that night.



The encore was exceptional with Always, Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night, Wanted Dead Or Alive, and a great version of Twist and Shout. Bon Jovi proved to be everything that I had hoped for and more. The band was amazing and their concert was incredible.



This would also be the last concert that I ever saw before 9/11. The world changed after that, becoming a darker place, and perhaps that is why I remember this concert so fondly. It was the last carefree rock moment that I had.

Setlist
One Wild Night
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love A Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
Livin’ On A Prayer
Bed of Roses
Stranger In This Town
It’s My Life
I Got The Girl
Just Older
Keep The Faith
Blaze Of Glory
Wild In The Streets
Lay Your Hands On Me
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Bad Medicine
Encore
Always
Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Twist & Shout

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - August 31, 2003

Show 6 of 6

It was the final night of the band’s historic ten-night, sold out run at Giants Stadium in support of The Rising. For their last New Jersey show, Springsteen and the band pulled out all the stops. They played rarities, classics, unexpected crowd pleasers and more. This was one of Bruce’s finest moments in New Jersey and I was a proud member of the audience.

On the final night of the Giants Stadium leg of The Rising tour, Cathy and I spent time tailgating in the parking lot with her co-worker and her co-worker’s husband, drinking and talking Bruce Springsteen. The husband, ironically named Bruce, had attended close to 50 shows at that point. I was impressed as it would only be my 12th Springsteen concert. Bruce had travelled all over to see Springsteen in concert and was a huge fan.

Cathy laughed as it was only her 2nd time seeing Bruce (both of them with me). With excitement surrounding everyone, we finished our drinks, said our goodbyes to Cathy’s friends, and made our way to the seats. We were pretty high up for this concert, but I was just happy to be there. Bring on the band!

Anytime that Bruce Springsteen opens a show with a rare treat like Cynthia, well, you just know that it is going to be a grand night. Such was the case at the end of the summer in 2003.From the opening notes of the opening song, the entire audience knew that this show was going to be special. Cynthia filled the stadium, and as this was the first time I ever heard the song live, I loved every moment of it. It was one of the greatest ways to kick off the night, and shattered my expectations for what type of show we were in for.



The next two songs were standard, and that was to be expected. Two more rare treats were next – Night, which was nice to hear, followed by Lucky Town, which was totally unexpected. I am one of the minority fans that loves the 90s solo Bruce albums. Lucky Town and Human Touch are two strong albums, in my opinion, and anytime Bruce performs them in concert with the E-Street band makes me very happy. 5 songs in and Bruce had already thrown us 2 rarities. We were going to have fun on that night!



A couple more “standards” were played then a rousing rendition of Spirit In The Night, followed by a blistering Because The Night, graced our ears. Springsteen’s guitar was on fire for the performance of that song, and Max was mighty on the drums, keeping perfect time and slapping the skins with a mission. The band was tight, together, and on tempo, performing with ferocity.

After another hard rocking performance of Mary’s Place, which found Bruce Springsteen once again preaching to the crowd about a house of love built by members of the E-Street band (including their individual introductions), things got really heated. Lost In The Flood was trotted out, and the insane live version left jaws hanging open. Just when the crowd thought that Springsteen might think about coasting to the end of the show, he pulled out a rarity from the first album. A song that doesn’t get many live performances, Lost In The Flood was much appreciated, and the crowd roar emphasized that fact.

Oh, but the fun (and the rarities) didn’t end there. The first encore found the E-Street Band delving into their second album with a ten-plus-minute performance of Kitty’s Back. Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, and Nils Lofgren, all took turns with the solos and Roy Bittan and Danny Federici dueled on the piano and organ respectively. By the time Bruce took the microphone for the chanting of “Kitties back in town!!!” the entire crowd was singing and grooving along. The whole stadium was swinging and jiving.

As with most (if not all) Springsteen concerts, the energy didn’t end there. Glory Days and a show stopping Born To Run were up next and the crowd found a new surge of energy to sing, clap, and dance along. Bruce practically demanded that everyone be standing and jumping in the aisles. The New Jersey fans were more than happy to oblige.

The biggest and best treat, however, came on the very last song of the evening. If Cynthia was an unexpected opener, and Lost In The Flood and Kitty’s Back were deep cut rarities that we never expected to hear, then what did that make the show closer? Bruce pulled out his always fine version of Jersey Girl for the last song at Giants Stadium that year. Hands immediately went up in the air and all the guys grabbed their girls (me included) to sway in time and sing about how we were in love with a Jersey girl. It didn’t even matter that my wife was raised in New York. On that night, she, along with every other female in the audience, was definitely a Jersey girl – stamped with Bruce Springsteen’s approval.



For the final night of an excellent New Jersey Run, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band gave a brilliant performance. No one walked away disappointed. It would have been impossible to.

Setlist
Cynthia
The Rising
Lonesome Day
Night
Lucky Town
Empty Sky
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Spirit In The Night
Because The Night
Badlands
Two Hearts
No Surrender
Mary’s Place
Lost In The Flood
Into The Fire
The Promised Land
First Encore
Kitty’s Back
Glory Days
Born To Run
Second Encore
My City Of Ruins
Land Of Hope And Dreams
Rosalita
Dancing In The Dark
Jersey Girl

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - July 26, 2003

Show 5 of 6

Night five of my six night run with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band at Giants Stadium found some set changes, unexpected gifts, and a pretty solid setlist overall. While this was one of the shortest performances I witnessed during this run, it made up for the lack of quantity with plenty of quality. It never ceases to amaze me how brilliant a performer Bruce Springsteen can be.

My friend Kerry was returning to New Jersey after many years of living out west. When I found out that she was coming home around the same time Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band were performing at Giants Stadium, well, I had to get us tickets. Kerry and I attended one of the best Springsteen concerts I ever saw back in 1993, and I knew what a huge fan she was. What would be a better way to say “welcome back” to a dear old friend other than to get tickets for one of the shows?

Our concert fell on a Saturday, which meant no work that day. We got to the parking lot early and settled in. A little grilling, a little drinking, and a whole lot of fun was what we were looking for. It’s also what we had. We reminisced about the 93 concert, shocked by the fact that 10 years had gone by since then (and now you can add another 7). Where does the time go?

The band walked on stage to the usual Summer Wind backdrop and the humongous roar of the New Jersey crowd. It was Saturday night, it was summertime, and it was Bruce Springsteen, the future of rock and roll! The band lit into an opening number of Adam Raised A Cain and Kerry’s face lit up. I had mixed emotions. It’s not that I dislike Adam Raised A Cain, because I don’t. I think it’s a fantastic song; it’s just not one of my favorites. I was hoping for more of a rarity to open the show, but that would have to wait until August.

Standards came next in The Rising and Lonesome Day. A blistering The Ties That Bind followed by a very smooth Atlantic City had the night off and running. Good evening New Jersey! Saturday night in The Garden State! Bruce appeared to be happy about Saturday night, but something about his performance suggested otherwise. He was less playful that evening, more focused. It almost seemed that he came on that night to do his job as an entertainer, instead of allowing himself to have fun. The performance was still stellar, but the seriousness was a different approach that I had not witnessed so far during that tour.

Rarities included Darlington County, Two Hearts, and My Hometown. The latter of those songs holds a very special place in my heart, so to hear it live was an enormous treat. When I was 18 and living next door to my dad in Florida, he used to sometimes blast that song all night. Over and over and over again Dad would play My Hometown and think about New Jersey. He had left the state many years prior and was not planning to return. However, he missed his hometown and Bruce’s song would transport him back there, albeit for a few minutes at a time.

The first encore opened with an amazing version of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out that had the whole stadium on their feet and screaming as loud as they could. Forever a classic, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was so much fun to dance along to. The rest of the encore was pretty standard for that summer run and left me slightly befuddled. I wouldn’t say that it was a bad performance, but it was definitely not a strong Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band performance. As previously mentioned, the Boss had a certain tone to him that evening. He was serious. He had work to do and he wanted to do it and move on. With that being said, even serious Bruce is a darned good concert. Out of the 6 nights that I saw the band that summer, this was by far the weakest of the nights. That doesn’t make it a bad show, just below expectations. And since Bruce always sets the bar sky high, expectations are way above average to begin with. I wouldn’t see the band perform for another month, but when I did, they would make up for this performance in more ways than I could imagine and take future expectations to an even higher level of greatness.

Setlist
Adam Raised A Cain
The Rising
Lonesome Day
The Ties That Bind
Atlantic City
Empty Sky
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Darlington County
Worlds Apart
Badlands
Two Hearts
No Surrender
Mary’s Place
My Hometown
Into The Fire
The Promised Land
First Encore
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Glory Days
Born To Run
Second Encore
My City Of Ruins
Land Of Hopes And Dreams
Rosalita
Dancing In The Dark

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - July 24, 2003

Show 4 of 6

My fourth show found Bruce and the band in top form. This concert would compete with July 18th for the best of the 6 that I attended. Packed with power, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band gave a blistering, hot performance, on a cool, dry New Jersey Night.

A dry Thursday evening in July found me sitting in the stands of Giants Stadium for the 4th of 6 Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band performances that I would be attending. I went to my 4th Springsteen show of that Giants Stadium summer run with my ex-wife, Nancy. By the time that concert rolled around, I was pretty well versed in the Bruce Springsteen stadium concerts. I had a good idea of what to expect and what the bulk of the show would contain. That made the small surprises even grander.

Our seats were way up in nosebleed land, not quite as bad as night 2, but still high up and nowhere near as good as show 1 or 3. We waited in anticipation, speculating what song Bruce and the band would open with, what rarities we would hear that night, and what songs we looked forward to the most. We also reminisced about the 1999 arena shows.

The band walked onto the stage with the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly playing over the house PA. That was a fun way to kick off the event. Without saying a word, they took the stage, grabbed their instruments, and kicked into The Promised Land to launch the night. What a spectacular choice for an opener! Just like that, night 4 was off and running.

The setlist was exceptional for that Thursday evening, and the first few songs of the night proved it. The Promised Land gave way to The Rising, which fed into Lonesome Day. The first rarity of the evening came with a brilliant, jaw dropping performance of Streets of Fire. The band sounded amazing and Nils, Bruce, and Steven’s guitar work was exceptional! I was blown away and we were only 4 songs into the set. I knew this was going to be an amazing evening.

My favorite song from Tracks came next (My Love Will Not Let You Down) and we were off and running from there. The blistering setlist never stopped with hit after hit after hit. Empty Sky was the only slow and quiet moment out of the first 13 songs. Bruce and the band were executing at a blistering pace and having an incredible time while doing it. Perhaps it was the weather (the first dry night in 3 shows), or maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it’s because cousin Ryo was in the audience – whatever the case, this was a solid performance. I was coming off the stupendous marathon rain concert from July 18th that was going to be hard to top. However, The E-Street Band was up for the task and trying their hardest to give a better performance than that one.

When a very special Meeting Across The River was segued into Jungleland, I got goosebumps up and down my spine. This was a moment in live Springsteen history that I had been waiting years for. To finally see it unfold before my eyes left me speechless and tingly. The band didn’t stop there though. They continued into a stunning rendition of Into The Fire that left the audience slack jawed. How was Springsteen bringing so much energy on that night?

The main set closed out with a fine version of No Surrender, and the audience was left to catch their breath while the band walked offstage. We needed every moment of the break to do so. Springsteen had us sweaty, rocking, and enjoying the fine summer night.
The encores were where things really got intense. The first song of the first encore was none other than the classic 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy). How’s that for a show stopper? It rolled right into a boogie-woogie, piano driven, roadhouse rendition of Ramrod that found the band dancing all over the stage and even walking off to leave Professor Roy Bittain to do a little piano solo of his own. The E-Street Band then waltzed back onstage to finish with fire. But Bruce wasn’t done. Born To Run kicked off and while I thought it would be impossible, the crowd got louder. They had to hear us in New York City by that time.

The evening would finish off with the standard encore songs that were played during that Giants Stadium trip, which were fantastic, but not as powerful as the rare beauties that Springsteen had performed for us that evening. The fourth concert of my series was running a very close race with the third concert for best performance of the group. Springsteen and company brought their all and delivered another amazing performance. It only made me yearn for Saturday night when I would be back for my fifth show of the tour.

Setlist
The Promised Land
The Rising
Lonesome Day
Streets Of Fire
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Prove It All Night
Empty Sky
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Working On The Highway
Worlds Apart
Badlands
She’s The One
Mary’s Place
Meeting Across The River
Jungleland
Into The Fire
No Surrender
Encore 1
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Ramrod
Born To Run
My City of Ruins
Encore 2
Land Of Hopes And Dreams
Rosalita
Dancing In The Dark

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - July 18, 2003

Show 3 of 6

The third night of Bruce’s historic ten night run at Giants Stadium found me once again sitting in the audience, this time with my girlfriend (who became my wife), Cathy. It was her first ever Springsteen concert. She couldn’t have picked a better one. And on a rainy Friday night in Jersey, Cathy and I truly fell in love, Bruce and the band performed one of their most amazing concerts ever, and I made some new friends (even if it was just for one night).

Excellent seats. That’s the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of the third night that I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band on their 2003 Giants Stadium summer run. The seats that we had that night were simply amazing. No, they weren’t on the field, but they were 3rd row, dead center in the lower bowl. End Zone seats, if you will. And for the Bruce concert they were simply outstanding.

The second thing that comes to mind when reminiscing about that night is the weather. We got rained on pretty much all night long, and we really didn’t care. Once a certain level of wetness is achieved, all you can say is “bring it on!” The weather obliged, but Cathy and I survived.

The third thing that comes to mind regarding that night (and the first thing Cathy always mentions) is the gentleman who fell in love with me. A happy drunk concert attendee who sat next to Cathy and I professed his love for me on more than one occasion. At one point, we were even singing with our arms around each other like we’d been friends for years. It was one of the most surreal moments in my concert history, but pretty awesome none the less.

When we arrived at the stadium, the clouds were filling in and it was only a matter of time before the rain would start. To me, that was good and bad. Rain meant that The E-Street Band was most likely going to perform a cover of Who’ll Stop The Rain. That was terrific, because it was a song that I had never seen the band perform in concert. The downside of the rain was that, well, we were going to get seriously wet. Neither Cathy nor I had brought a raincoat or a poncho, and it was inevitable that we would just have to soak it up.

We settled into our seats and waited for the band to make their grand entrance. Cathy and I had only been dating for three months, so our relationship was still exciting and new. We could sit there and stare at each other, not having to say anything and the moment was perfect. We talked a little, but mostly we just enjoyed one another’s company.

The sounds of Frank Sinatra’s Summer Wind filled the stadium and we all knew what that meant. It was time for some Springsteen. The band casually strolled to the stage to the Summer Wind and took their positions. Bruce and Clarence came out together (last) and a colossal roar broke out from the crowd. Once Bruce and the Big Man were in position, the opening notes of none other than Who’ll Stop The Rain filled the air, and I knew that this was going to be a magical night.

Who’ll Stop The Rain led into The Rising and was followed by Lonesome Day; The Ties That Bind; and My Love Will Not Let You Down. During those songs, the seats filled to capacity and the man who would become my best buddy for the night took his seat next to us. We sang along to the first 5 songs overjoyed. A Springsteen concert has the tendency to do that to people.

Bruce addressed the crowd for the first time after My Love Will Not Let You Down and joked about the rain. The band then broke into Something In The Night and I screamed my head off. Anytime that any song from Darkness On The Edge Of Town or Born To Run is performed, it’s just fantastic. To me, those have always been the two greatest Springsteen albums ever produced. Hearing Something In The Night live was a rare treat for me and I sang every word of the song.

Later in the concert, the band would perform Racing In The Street, to which I would once again go nuts and sing every lyric of the song. It was at that point that my new found friend, who had been casually talking to Cathy and I between songs, professed his love. “I ;ove this guy!” he exclaimed, putting his arm around me. “He knows every word to ever song! Now that’s a true fan!”

Cathy was laughing and found it quite amusing that this guy was almost hitting on me. I smiled and laughed too. It felt nice to be recognized for being the die-hard fan that I was (and still am). It made an impression on my new buddy, and that made an impression on my new girlfriend (Cathy and I had only been dating for a little over 3 months at that point). It was a fun way to spend a Friday night.

Special songs from that night were plenty. In addition to the two aforementioned Darkness songs, Cadillac Ranch showed up as the first song of the first encore. My new buddy was to my right and my girlfriend was to my left and I had my arms around both of them. We sang and danced to Cadillac Ranch as the rain continued to fall on us. We lifted our heads to the sky and let it rain right on our faces. We didn’t have a care in the world.

As usual, Bruce and the band continued to play, looking like they were never going to stop. Cathy could not believe how long the concert went on for and I enjoyed every second of it, hoping that the night would never end. But, like all grand concerts, this one too came to a close. Dancing In The Dark finished the night off and as the rain finally started to taper off, Cathy and I sat, waiting for the crowd to push out of the way before we made our exit. We sat in our seats holding each other and basked in the glory of what we had just witnessed and participated in. It was a magical night that we would remember forever.

For Cathy, it was her first Bruce concert and it made her a true, die-hard fan. From that moment on, she was a Springsteen fanatic and would attend every concert of his that I would go to in the future. For me, I fell in love with Cathy. She was so happy, so genuine, and so radiant with joy, that there was no way you couldn’t fall in love with her. The two of us strongly bonded that night, and it’s a memory that we will share forever.

Setlist
Who’ll Stop The Rain
The Rising
Lonesome Day
The Ties That Bind
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Something In The Night
Empty Sky
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
You Can Look (But You’d Better Not Touch)
Worlds Apart
Badlands
She’s The One
Mary’s Place
Racing In The Street
Into The Fire
No Surrender
First Encore
Cadillac Ranch
96 Tears
Bobby Jean
Glory Days
Devil With The Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly
Born To Run
Second Encore
My City Of Ruins
Land Of Hopes And Dreams
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing In The Dark

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - July 17, 2003

Show 2 of 6

A standard performance for night two left me slightly disappointed. While it was still a Bruce Springsteen concert, which meant it was great, it lacked the depth that all of the other shows carried. Out of the 6 nights I saw that summer, this one was by far the weakest.

Following the amazing performance given by the band on opening night, I came to Giants Stadium for night two with high expectations. This time around I was attending the show with quite a different crowd from opening night. My colleagues Stephanie and Robin, along with my ex-wife, Nancy attended this concert with me.

Our seats were quite different from opening night as well. While on the first night I was in the low section with a good view, for night two, I was about as high up as you could get. I was literally the second to last row from the top – all the way up, section 325, row 31. I could touch the moon.

Although the ticket listed the start time at 7:30, it wasn’t until almost 8:30 that the sounds of Frank Sinatra’s Summer Wind filled the stadium and the band slowly made their way on stage. I knew from attending the first show that this would probably be the case. I also knew that we were in for a long night of exceptional entertainment.

The band wasted no time and launched right into The Rising, forgoing the acoustic version of Born In The USA this time around. With the title track of the latest album hitting the airwaves, we were underway. Lonesome Day followed and the new album was two for two. The first rarity of the evening was performed next in the form of Night. It was an excellent version that put a smile on my face.

One of the drawbacks of sitting on the moon at a stadium concert is the acoustics. While the sound carried well from the stage throughout the stadium, it was a little hard to hear all the way at the top. It was near impossible to know what Bruce was saying when he spoke to the crowd, and the softer songs were very quiet all the way up there. Although we still enjoyed ourselves, I would be hesitant to sit that high up for another concert.

Classics were hard to come by that evening. While we did get the aforementioned Night, a stunning Candy’s Room, and the timeless Growin’ Up, the rest of the setlist was pretty standard for that Giants Stadium run. The expected songs from the new album were all performed, and the encore was standard fare, with the exception of Hungry Heart.

Don’t get me wrong, it was still an incredible evening, but it lacked the power that the other Bruce shows had during that run. The second night at Giants Stadium wasn’t anywhere near as grand as the opening night. However, I expected there to be some night two letdown. I just didn’t expect that the drop off would be so severe.

Not that there was much to complain about, it was still Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band after all. And the following night would be a stunning concert that would blow me and my girlfriend away – a concert that may end up in the top ten of all time. That Thursday night’s performance was unfortunately the sandwich show in between the killer opening night, and the soon-to-be-legendary night three.

Setlist
The Rising
Lonesome Day
Night
Candy’s Room
Prove It All Night
Empty Sky
You’re Missing
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Growin’ Up
Worlds Apart
Badlands
Out In The Streets
Mary’s Place
Jungleland
Into The Fire
No Surrender
First Encore
Thunder Road
Hungry Heart
Ramrod
Born To Run
My City Of Ruins
Second Encore
Land Of Hopes And Dreams
Rosalita
Dancing In The Dark

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - July 15, 2003

Show 1 of 6

This was opening night of the North American leg of The Rising Tour. I had amazing seats, attended the show with family, and would see one hell of a performance from Bruce and the band. Opening night set the bar very high for the remaining five concerts that I would attend.

My first Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band concert at Giants Stadium was also the first time I had seen the band live in over three years. In late 2002, Bruce and the band held a marathon city tour and only scheduled one night in New Jersey (two if you count the rehearsal night, but that was special invitation only). Needless to say that night sold out so fast the ticketing system crashed. There would be no Springsteen concert for me.

Luckily, The Rising tour was one that would last a long time. In the summer of 2003, Bruce made it up to his Jersey fans by performing an unprecedented 10 shows at Giants Stadium. All of these concerts would sell out, but due to the abundance of tickets, no shows were sold out to me. I attended opening night with my Uncle Steve, Aunt Lorna, my cousin Jane, her husband Greg, and my mother. Mom was my date for that concert, and to this day, I am so glad that I took her to see Bruce at Giants Stadium.

We got to the stadium, found our seats, and settled in. I couldn’t believe how good the seats were and how great the stage looked from where we were sitting. Our tickets were for the lower tier, section 118, with a clear line of vision to the stage. These wouldn’t be the best seats I sat in for the run (those would come on Friday night), but they were pretty close. 4 of the 6 nights found me upstairs in the nosebleeds, but for opening night, I was sitting in style.

We waited and waited, wondering exactly when the band was going to take the stage. The tickets listed 7:30, and while we knew the concert wasn’t going to start at that time, I thought that 8:10 was a safe guess. I was wrong. At 8:25, Bruce sauntered onto the stage with an acoustic guitar and performed a stripped down solo rendition of Born in The USA. It was an interesting way to open the night.

From there, the band came onstage and the rock and roll kicked in. New songs The Rising and Lonesome Day were performed prior to the band ripping into a hard rocking version of The Promised Land. This was followed by an incredible My Love Will Not Let You Down from Tracks, and the crowd pleasing Darkness On The Edge Of Town. All of these songs were played before Bruce even addressed the audience.

With a rousing “Good evening New Jersey!” Bruce finally did address the crowd. He talked about how the band had been around the world and now it was good to be back home. Even though he no longer makes his home in New Jersey (having moved to California in the 90s) the crowd ate it up. A couple of slow songs from the new album were next, and then the E-Street Band really cut loose with a true classic.

Sherry Darling was pulled out and this was the only time I’ve ever seen this song performed live. I was so glad to be there on opening night for it. Sherry Darling is one of those timeless Springsteen songs that you just can’t help but tap your feet to. It’s a feel good song for sure and it felt good to hear it.

Other highlights of the night included an extra long, band introducing version of Mary’s Place, a beautiful The River, and a show stopping Into The Fire. As this was the first time I was hearing The Rising songs performed live, I paid special attention to them, and Into The Fire was without a doubt my favorite new song of the night. A haunting, dark, poetic song, Bruce and the band did it justice in the live setting.

A cover song showed up in the encore, but in typical Springsteen fashion, it was a cool cover song. It was also a song that I had never heard before anywhere. Seven Nights To Rock was a cover of a very stylish, bar band song that the E-Street Band strengthened up and delivered with passion. Everyone in the stadium was in awe and fanatics were frantically scratching their heads to figure out what song Bruce was performing. How could he have pulled out one that they did not know, or know about? This rockabilly bar song was a real crowd pleaser and I enjoyed every second of it.

The big hits were yet to come. After My City Of Ruins and Land of Hopes And Dreams kicked off the second encore, Bruce pulled out his biggest gun of the night. The opening chords to Rosalita were picked on the guitar and Giants Stadium erupted with a roar so loud it hurt. The epic, rags to riches, get your girl, Springsteen story in a song is beloved by Springsteen fans worldwide, but none more than in the Garden State. It was a moment of pure enjoyment for us all.

After Rosalita, I was sure that Springsteen was done. What did he have left to pull out? They played Rosalita, they played two encores, it was a wrap. I was wrong. Bruce and the band decided that we needed to hear one more. They pulled out Dancing In The Dark and did a fine rocking version of it. I was very impressed.

That ended the night, and seeing as how it was near midnight on a work evening, I was glad to be heading home. I would hurt the next day, and I would hurt for days to come (due to the number of concerts I attended), but it was worth it. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what the hell I did at work that week (I don’t even work for that company anymore) but I can still tell you what the stadium smelled like moments before Bruce took the stage. That is the power of music. That is the power of concerts. That is why I attend and will continue to attend. That is why I love concerts.

Setlist
Born In The USA (Acoustic)
The Rising
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Empty Sky
You’re Missing
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Sherry Darling
Worlds Apart
Badlands
Out In The Street
Mary’s Place
The River
Into The Fire
No Surrender
Encore
Bobby Jean
Ramrod
Born To Run
Seven Nights To Rock
2nd Encore
My City Of Ruins
Land Of Hopes And Dreams
Rosalita
Dancing In The Dark

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - Summer 2003

In 2003, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band went on an extensive stadium tour, their first in several years. The 1999 Reunion tour was arenas only, so this was their first time the band would perform at stadiums in quite a number of years. During the New Jersey leg of the run, Springsteen and the band scheduled (and sold out) an unprecedented 10 shows at Giants Stadium. These shows were split into two portions, with 7 happening in mid-July, and the final three occurring at the end of August.

Your cousin Ryo was fortunate enough to secure tickets for 6 of these 10 shows. With a little bit of effort, I probably could have attended all 10, but at $85/ticket plus parking and other amenities, it was a little hard to justify the cost. I settled on 6 shows and was joyous with that.

Each show I attended was its own unique experience. Every show was attended with different friends (although Cathy did see 2 out of the 6 with me), Bruce and the band performed a different concert every night, and each evening was a special event of its own. That’s the beauty of a Springsteen concert, every single show is different. If you see him perform 12 nights in a row, you will see 12 different concerts. That’s part of his magic and part of the reason why the man is such an amazing entertainer.

The 2003 Giants Stadium shows hold a very special place in my heart and in my concert history. I will never be able to recapture the experience I had that summer, no matter how many concerts I attend. The summer of 2003 was a special one for me personally and spiritually. I had just turned 30, I had just started dating an amazing woman who would eventually become my wife, and I had just started to understand the bigger picture that life had to offer. The 6 nights at Giants Stadium with Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band helped me explore myself and feel alive in a way that is near indescribable. They were special nights. They were magical nights. They were E-Street nights.

This week at The Rock And Roll Guru, I am going to be posting a review for each of the 6 concerts I attended that summer. If you are a fan of Springsteen, you’re going to love this week. If you’re a Springsteen hater, I invite you to return next week, when The Guru will be back its regularly scheduled programming. In the meantime, strap in, relax, and prepare to time travel with cousin Ryo. We’re going back 7 years to the summer of 2003. Memory lane with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, here we come.

Tomorrow: July 15, 2003: the first of 6 Springsteen shows.

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - October 2, 2009

The last concert I ever attended at Giants Stadium was Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. When Bruce and the band announced they were closing out Giants Stadium with an early fall run, I knew that I had to get to at least one of those shows. Finances prevented me from seeing more, as originally, attending all five was an option given careful consideration.

Unfortunately, a month earlier, the company I worked for closed their doors and I suddenly found myself unemployed along with all of my colleagues. Fortunately for me, I read great personal finance websites and was prepared with an emergency fund. I also knew unemployment would be assisting me, so I did not freak out too much.

However, spending another $100 on a concert, let alone $400 for four more shows, could not be justified. I even contemplated selling my tickets to the show I did attend. That would put an extra $200 back in my pocket. In the end, after talking with my wise wife, I decided to keep the tickets and enjoy myself. It was a sunk cost anyway, meaning the money was already spent.

Am I ever glad that I decided to see that show! Hands down, it was one of the best (if not the best) Springsteen concert ever attended. (And one day, after I’ve posted all of my reviews of the 15 times I’ve seen him in concert, they will be ranked). It was an amazing Friday night in New Jersey, and the best part was that for 3 hours, there were no worries. I was submerged in the power of rock and roll and enjoyed every second of the magic and the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band.

Cathy and I were galvanized as we entered the stadium. Prior to coming to Giants Stadium, Springsteen had announced that the band would be playing 3 albums in their entirety during this historic closing: Born To Run, Born In The USA, and Darkness On The Edge Of Town. We were getting Darkness which made me quiver with anticipation and glee. Cathy wanted Born In The USA, as she wasn’t as well acquainted with Darkness as I.

The show opened with a roaring crowd and a brand new song written (presumably) for this occasion. Wrecking Ball. What a great song! A typical Springsteen rocker with a catchy chorus and sing along charm, Wrecking Ball was an excellent opener and a hell of a new song.




By the second song of the night, I knew this was going to be one special concert. The band charged into Tenth Avenue Freeze Out and the crowd responded with thunderous applause. We were all happy to hear that one performed. The third song was special for Cathy and I as it has a very deep meaning for us and our relationship. No Surrender found us holding each other and smiling. It’s a promise that we did make to each other, cemented in the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen.

After three more great songs, including an excellent version of Hungry Heart (a song I had not seen performed in a long time), it was time for the main course of the show. Darkness On The Edge Of The Town in its entirety. I got chills when the band started the opening notes of Badlands. I knew by the time they had gotten through the entire album, I would have heard a song that I had never heard live before. I would get some beloved classics, and I would be witnessing Springsteen history.

Badlands was as excellent as ever. It is the only song that I have heard live at every Springsteen show I’ve attended (15 and counting). It never gets old. Adam Raised A Cain was nice. Something In The Night washed over me with a wave of euphoria. One of my favorites on Darkness, it had been a while since I heard it in concert and I was glad to hear it on that night.

Then it was time for one of my all time favorite Springsteen masterpieces, Candy’s Room. The crowd knew it was time too, because they went hysterical when Max started tapping the cymbal with the opening percussion. Powerful and seductive, Candy’s Room was brilliant. A gorgeous Racing In The Street followed and that ended side one.

Side two was up next and the band ripped right into The Promised Land which was as grand as always. What followed was a song that I had never seen live in concert before. While tailgating prior to this show, I had actually heard the band performing it during sound check, which I thought was pretty wild. Factory was performed for the first time in ages. The band was a little nervous, but in typical professional fashion, they nailed it and it sounded brilliant.




The incredible Streets of Fire was next and delivered with power and passion. I’ve always loved this song and The E-Street Band really gave it their all. Prove It All Night and the ever popular Darkness On The Edge Of Town closed out the album performance and the crowd showed their appreciation. History had been made. However, the night of surprises was only beginning.

Perhaps as a warm up for the next night’s show, Springsteen pulled out I’m Goin’ Down and I went nuts. This was another beloved song that I had never heard in concert before. I leapt up and sang every word as loud as I could.




And the surprises still kept coming. The rarely played Be True was played next, followed by an on demand, impromptu performance of Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock which the band did justice to. For a song they pulled out on the spot (thanks to the sign requests), the band was spot on. Springsteen joked about how the song had too many verses, which got a laugh from the crowd.

For the second night of their five night closing run, Springsteen and company were on fire. At the tail end of a long world tour in support of Working On A Dream, they still brought the energy and delivered for the fans. It was a Friday night of fun and celebration in New Jersey.

Filled with surprises, an entire album performance, a brand new song, and some unexpected, rarely played gems, this one of the final concerts ever at Giants Stadium was an amazing experience. And as the last Springsteen concert I’ve ever seen (for now), it was a hell of a way to close out a run.

Setlist
Wrecking Ball
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
No Surrender
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working On A Dream
Badlands
Adam Raised A Cain
Something In The Night
Candy’s Room
Racing In The Street
The Promised Land
Factory
Streets of Fire
Prove It All Night
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
Raise Your Hand
I’m Goin Down
Be True
Jailhouse Rock
Thunder Road
Long Walk Home
The Rising
Born To Run
Encore
Cadillac Ranch
Bobby Jean
American Land
Dancing In The Dark
Rosalita

Net Aid - October 9, 1999

Every Saturday The Rock And Roll Guru gives a comprehensive review of a live concert.

Net Aid was the brainchild of musician Wyclef Jean who wanted to organize an incredible concert that was simulcast across the globe in order to help world hunger via the internet. It was a highly ambitious project that unfortunately fell short of expectations. With concerts being held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, Wembley Stadium in London, and Palais des Nations in Geneva, expectations for an exciting interactive experience were high.

Unfortunately for the US, the ticket sales were poor with the stadium being half full for most of the concert. When I learned which bands were performing (Sheryl Crow, Sting, The Black Crowes, and of course Wyclef) I was interested. My wife at the time (Nancy, my first wife) also wanted to go, so we went online to get our tickets. I figured we would be sitting way upstairs, but much to my surprise we scored seats on the floor. Whoa! The floor! I had never sat that low at Giants Stadium before. That alone was going to make this concert a worthwhile one.

Walking into a concert at Giants Stadium when you are on the floor is a breathtaking experience. First, you have to go in through a separate gate, away from the rest of the plebian people who only scored “regular” seats. Then you are escorted through a special entrance and you walk out onto the field. At first look, it’s mesmerizing. I was thinking about all of the sporting events played on the field, all the concerts held on that grass; it was a surreal moment.

We were 25 rows away from the stage, which was a wild experience. I can’t remember what order the performers came to the stage, but I can give you the highlights of each one that I remember. Before the big acts even came out, Wyclef, Bono and a cast of other took the stage to sing the Wyclef/Bono compilation, New Day. This would kick the day off. (Notice in the video that there is no one sitting in the upper deck seats.)



Counting Crows
This was before I became a bigger fan of the Counting Crows, so I really only knew one or two of their songs. They played Mr. Jones, their big hit, and I don’t recall what else. Each performer was limited to four songs, so their selections were tight. I suppose each band was on a time limit. Overall, the Counting Crows were decent, but nothing spectacular.

Sheryl Crow
I was excited to see Sheryl Crow, as was Nancy. We were both huge fans and Crow was supporting a new album at that time, The Globe Sessions. She performed at least one song from that album, My Favorite Mistake, I believe. Sheryl Crow was excellent for her short time on stage. She has a great voice and while she doesn’t rock out like a lot of hard rock frontmen, she draws you in with her limited mobility and entertaining voice. When her last song was played, I was disappointed. I wanted to hear more.

The Black Crowes
This was without the doubt the worst performance of the night. However, it was not the band’s fault. Halfway through their opening song, the sound cut out on lead singer Chris Robinson’s microphone. It was out for the rest of that song and all of the next one. We sat through two instrumentals that were not supposed to be instrumentals. We could see Chris singing into his mic, and he obviously had no idea what happened. Personally I would have fired those sound techs after that show. 8 minutes without a working microphone is just unacceptable.

Sting
I was very enthusiastic about seeing Sting. I had never seen The Police before and I grew up a big fan of both The Police and Sting’s solo music. I was hoping to hear his awesome a capella version of Roxanne, or some other Police classic. I was also wishing that he would perform If You Love Somebody Set Them Free. Unfortunately for us, Sting was in the strange period of his career. He had strayed from rock and roll and was into very experimental music (that included a lute) and more opera and classical type of performances. He performed two songs this way, which just about put me to sleep. I was so disappointed with his decision to do this. I wanted classic and I got classical. Not quite the same. He did perform his latest song, Brand New Day, so that was a fun way to close out his set.

Wyclef Jean
Other than his hits with The Fugees, I knew very little about Wyclef, but I was open to hear what he could do as a solo artist. He was the last act of the night, the big headliner, as Net Aid was his project. Wyclef did not disappoint. He came out with a guitar and a backing band and played his hip/hop-rock hybrid music that sounded exceptional. The one track I distinctly remembering him playing is Gone Til November which is an incredible song that sounded even better in concert.

Wyclef played approximately six songs before calling it a night. By the time his set was winding down, most of Giants Stadium had filed out, which was sad, but also showed that perhaps he should not have been the headline act. When he played his last song of the evening, there couldn’t have been more than 8,000 people left in the stadium. And while it wasn’t a sell out by any means, there were a lot more people there when the day began.

I know that there were other performers (perhaps shown on a video screen from the other countries), but I can’t recall exactly who, or what they played. The concert was over six hours long, and it’s sad to learn that barely any money was made to help their charity. In the end, what was supposed to be a huge concert in the vein of Live Aid, turned out to be a bust. I was glad to have attended. I got to see a lot of bands that I would not have seen otherwise, and experienced a concert from the floor of Giants Stadium. That in itself was worth the price of admission. However, we left feeling that it could have been so much more and pondering exactly what went wrong.