Lovesongs on the Rapids (Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, August 3, 2005)

Lovesongs on the Rapids (Van Andel Arena, August 3, 2005)

As Bruce Springsteen's Devils and Dust tour has progressed, the setlists have indicated less and less reliance on the material from his latest studio work, and a greater exploration of his back catalogue, in particular songs from the "Tunnel of Love" album and also some more obscure songs that he's rarely played in concert.

This has helped create a feeling among fans that "anything can happen" when entering an arena for a show; most recent shows have included at least one tour -- if not world -- premiere. So, yesterday, as we made the trek across Michigan to the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, thoughts naturally gravitated to what the night's surprises might be.

The arena itself is on the small side. Its capacity is listed at 12,000, but with the rear stage roped off it's considerably less. The seats are also relatively close in, so it has a more intimate feel than some of the other arenas being used for this tour. It appeared to me that there were probably about 5,000 in attendance last night; while that's more than what most shows had during the tour for "The Ghost of Tom Joad," it also meant that the upper bowl was virtually empty.

Bruce cam on stage earlier than I recalled from past shows, just past 8pm. After asking for quiet, he kicked off the show with the one song from the "Tunnel of Love" album that he hadn't yet played on this tour -- the title track. Very nice rendition, on electric piano. Simple chords, but at the end of the song he showed off just how much he has improved as a pianist, even since the start of this tour. The coda just flowed, both on the piano and with his vocals, and it set the tone for the evening.

Another tour debut was Bruce's favorite summer song, "Sherry Darling," also on the electric piano. Here he amused himself -- and the audience -- with a piano solo that largely mimicked the original guitar solo; when it was over he earned a standing ovation for it.

Bruce was in a good mood throughout. Whether it was having fun with lyrics of "Long Time Comin'," making faces at stray bits of confetti that must have been left over from a previous arena event and were just coming down from the rafters during the show, or actually enjoying the moment when his mike failed prior to "I Wish I Were Blind." I expect he's out on Grand River this morning, looking for the Rapids; he said he'd already found the Grand.

The highlight sequence for me combined new, old and rarely played love and relationship songs. A rousing "Cynthia" (love impossible) followed by "One Step Up" (love going bad) and "Reno" (love lost), and then "Nothing Man" and "I Wish I Were Blind." I couldn't help grimacing when he sang the line about the cottonwoods, but that's one small wart in a mighty grand sequence.

The other show highlight for me came in the encores, which, by the way, have improved tremendously since the first leg of the tour. After Saint in the City, Bruce came out with a big, white electric guitar that I haven't seen before, launched in to a Bo Diddley style riff, finally going into a loose, rollicking, "Ain't Got You."

The one real downer of the evening, oddly, was the song that was the highlight for me way back at the tour opener in Detroit -- Reason to Believe. The spark on this one was just gone last night, and it just didn't click at all.

One last note: Bruce's onstage patter included what I believe was a new introduction for The Hitter. After starting off with a somewhat standard note about us all having the seeds of our good works and our destruction, he then veered off in to one of the more interesting sidebars I've yet heard out of him. In quick succession, he expressed doubt at parts of the notion of choice in this, and led in to a discussion of why getting kicked out of Eden was inevitable. "Take a walk around the garden one more time... AND THEN WHAT???" I'd like to get the full text of this one, I've got a use for it.