In which Lori says "Wow!"
Auburn Hills, September 8, 1999

I knew it would have to happen sooner or later. It's a sign of age, or maturing, perhaps. We couldn't go to the Springsteen concert early, because... we had to pick up the babysitter. This wasn't my first Springsteen concert (#35), nor was it our first use of a babysitter (less than 35), but it was the first time they've been combined. I got over the trauma soon enough -- getting over having to skip dinner and not being allowed to bring my bag of apples into the arena would take a bit longer - -- but the line about being ready to grow young again kept cycling through my head all night. I didn't hear the song with the line about growing young again last night, but, in the end, it would have been redundant. The whole show screamed that theme. Bruce took the stage at a quarter after 8 and, after a brief introductory passage, tore into a furious rendition of The Ties that Bind. By the time the third song, a frenetic Two Hearts, was completed, Lori just shouted into my ear, "WOW!" Bruce apologized for having to reschedule the show, and promised to try to make it up. No problem there for most of us.

I'm not going to try to convince anyone that last night's show was the best ever, or anything like that. After all, I wasn't in DC last week, or Boston the week before. And there's still tonight. The setlist was fairly standard for this tour. I finally got to hear the latest reworking of "Born in the USA" -- still with the 12 string slide from the Joad tour, but with some of the melodic elements from the 1986 Bridge arrangement mixed in. I wish he wouldn't insist on mumbling the chorus though. "Mansion on the Hill" was georgeous, with a beautiful steel guitar solo by Nils. And, notably unlike the shows in New Jersey, the crowd in Detroit mostly stayed to hear it. Over the course of the evening, not one person stepped out from my row to go on a beer run. Not one. They were there to sing and to listen and to dance. What a pleasure! To be able to pay *complete* attention to the slower songs without having to make way for someone carrying their beer!

Of course, the show was dominated by the rockers, and I sure didn't mind. Bruce opened the encores by asking, "Are you ready to RUMBLE!!!!!" before launching into a version of Ramrod complete with a harmonized final verse. Before Hungry Heart, Bruce asked, "Is anyone hungry?," and, goddam, by this point I was starving. How did he know? For Born to Run, it seemed just like the way old days, with people hanging over railings and screaming out the words. And, during Light of Day, we got a brief triple guitar assault on C.C. Rider, perhaps forshadowing events to come.

And then it was over. Not before Land of Hope and Dreams, though, with its nearly visible energy waves between Bruce and Max, and a suddenly beautiful sax solo. 3 hours, and home late to the babysitter. Nice tip. I was in a good mood. Picked up Chinese food on the way home. And the best part is, we get to do it again tonight.


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The Setlist
Introduction
The Ties that Bind
Prove It All Night
Two Hearts
Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Promised Land
Mansion on the Hill
The River
Youngstown
Murder Inc.
Badlands
Out In the Street
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out w/ Take Me to the River
Working On the Highway
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Born in the U.S.A.
Jungleland
Light of Day

Ramrod
Hungry Heart
Bobby Jean
Born To Run

Thunder Road
If I Should Fall Behind
Land of Hope and Dreams
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The Orel Family
Email: matt@orel.ws
URL: http://matt.orel.ws/