1e officiële rehearsal-show:
Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
John Henry
Johnny 99
Old Dan Tucker
Eyes on the Prize
Jesse James
Adam Raised a Cain
Erie Canal
My Oklahoma Home
Devils & Dust
Mrs. McGrath
How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?
Jacob's Ladder
We Shall Overcome
Open All Night
Pay Me My Money Down
Encore:
My City of Ruins
Buffalo Gals
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
When the Saints Go Marching In
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The first rehearsal show, and the public debut of Springsteen with his 17-piece Seeger Sessions Band. And the first words out of our reporter's mouth after the concert: "Do you like music? Do you like Bruce Springsteen? Then you're gonna love this show." A spirited Dixieland romp, already a success that the '92-93 experiment with other musicians reached for and arguably never achieved. The rehearsal aspect was evident, as Bruce acknowledged, with some rough edges, miscues, and sound problems; but as he directed his stageful of players, under a pair of old chandeliers, it was that rare thrill of music being made right before your eyes -- a glorious noise. A glorious lament, in a way: there was a political edge throughout the night, subtle yet unmistakable, particularly in the three-pack of "Devils & Dust," "Mrs. McGrath" (dedicated to Cindy Sheehan), and "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" The last of these is a Blind Alfred Reed song from the '20s, covered more recently by Ry Cooder and the Del-Lords. Springsteen took the time to set up many of tonight's numbers, offering some history to introduce songs like "Old Dan Tucker" and "Eyes on the Prize." In all, the band performed eleven songs from the album plus "Buffalo Gals" from the flipside; and six Bruce-penned songs from his catalog: "Johnny 99," "Adam Raised a Cain," "Devils & Dust," "Open All Night," "My City of Ruins," and "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)." Bringing the total up to 20 songs (the show started at 7:30, ended at 9:35) were two unreleased covers: the aforementioned "Poor Man," and the show-closing "When the Saints Go Marching In." For another idea of the sound, as another concert-goer told us, "Think 'Walt Whitman's Niece,' from start to finish." Take the weekend to break out your copy of Billy Bragg & Wilco's Mermaid Avenue if you need a refresher... and we'll be back for more on Monday night.