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Setlists: 2004
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December
19 / Asbury Park, NJ / Harry's Roadhouse
Notes: This seaside bar was the smallest venue in recent memory
for Springsteen's two holiday jams on a cold winters' night. While music
was piped outside for those who hadn't scored tickets (no more than 500
for each performance), crowds out in the street dwindled as the temperature
(and snow!) dropped. Inside, there was plenty of heat. Backed by Bobby
Bandiera and his band, complete with Jukes horns (who all pulled this
off with very little rehearsal), Springsteen turned in two sets heavy
with his own songs, and lighter on the special guest "revue"
element of years past. Holiday chestnuts were sprinkled here and there
-- "Run, Run Rudolph" at the beginning, and the requisite "Santa
Claus" at the end -- but the setlists reflected the roadhouse vibe:
rarities like "From Small Things," "Stand on It,"
"Rendezvous," and of course "Seaside Bar Song"; a
blessedly up-to-speed album version of "Further On (Up the Road)";
and deck my halls, the return of the long-lost "All That Heaven Will
Allow." Springsteen even came out into the crowd on "Tenth Avenue
Freeze-out." He started both shows alone with a three-song acoustic
set, breaking out "Bus Stop," "Wild Billy," "For
You," "Working on the Highway," and "This Hard Land"
over the two concerts. As for additional "friends," Southside
Johnny guested in the afternoon performance-- not for "Talk to Me,"
a song Bruce wrote for the South and sang himself here, but later in the
set for "The Fever." No Southside in the late show, but Bruce
reprised "The Fever" anyway as an audible, and a guest spot
from Patti Scialfa gave the crowd a taste of the RCDS shows, backed by
Bobby & Co. on "Tell Him" and an "It Takes Two"
duet with Bruce. Also in the late show, Hero of Holiday Shows Past, Max
Weinberg took over the drums from "Seaside Bar Song" through
the end. Each performance closed with a favorite from the Vote for Change
tour (debuted by Bruce at last year's holiday shows), "(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." Beneficiaries of these
concerts (besides the Asbury Park merchants, who had more than 35,000
contest entries filled out in their stores): Interfaith Neigbors, Hope
Academy Charter School, Salvation Army, Family & Children's Services,
Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, Prevention First, Epiphany House,
Asbury Park Citizens on Patrol, The Center, Hispanic Affairs & Resource
Center, and Save Tillie Inc.
4:30
Setlist: Does This Bus Stop at 8nd Street? (solo acoustic)/Wild Billy's
Circus Story (solo acoustic)/This Hard Land (solo acoustic)//Run Run Rudolph/From
Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)/Two Hearts/Rendezvous/Further On
(Up the Road)/Talk to Me/Spirit in the Night/All That Heaven Will Allow/Seaside
Bar Song/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/The Fever (with Southside Johnny)/Stand
on It/Darlington County/Bobby Jean/If I Should Fall Behind (solo acoustic)/Tenth
Avenue Freeze-out/Santa Claus is Comin' to Town/(What's So Funny 'Bout)
Peace, Love and Understanding
8:30 Setlist: For You (solo acoustic)/Working on the Highway (solo
acoustic)/This Hard Land (solo acoustic)//Run Run Rudolph/From Small Things
(Big Things One Day Come)/Two Hearts/Rendezvous/Further On (Up the Road)/Talk
to Me/Spirit in the Night (with Patti Scialfa)/All That Heaven Will Allow/Seaside
Bar Song (with Max Weinberg, from here on)/It Takes Two (with Patti)/Tell
Him (with Patti)/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Stand on It/Merry Christmas, Baby/Hava
Nagila/Darlington County/The Fever/If I Should Fall Behind (solo acoustic)/Tenth
Avenue Freeze-out/Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (with Patti and Willie
Nile)/(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
December
2 / Pittsburgh, PA / Heinz Hall
Notes: Flood
Aid '04, benefitting Pennsylvanians who suffered damage from Hurricane
Ivan in September, brought Joe Grushecky and Bruce Springsteen together
again, less than a month after their Light of Day performance -- and this
time, on Joe's home turf. Just across the river from PNC Park, Springsteen's
last stop in Steeltown, Flood Aid featured a similar batch of songs as
LOD5 at the Pony, but in a vastly different setting: a beautiful old theater
with chandeliers, red carpet and gold trim. With wreaths hung and egg
nog sold in the lobby, we got our official start of the holidays with
the show-closing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." That was the
setlist's only nod to the season, but far from its only treat. Springsteen
first joined Exit 105 for "All Along the Watchtower" (no Neil
Young this time, but a strong performance). Later, before the Houserockers
took the stage, Bruce turned in a surprise three-song solo set featuring
a rare solo-acoustic performance of "Land of Hope and Dreams"
(first played at the 2001 Clearwater Festival). It was a respectful, pin-drop
crowd for "If I Should Fall Behind" and "For You"
as well, the latter dedicated to "all the old fans." Afterward,
Springsteen played the entire headline set with Joe & the Houserockers,
including many of the duo's standards like "Code of Silence"
and "Never Be Enough Time," with Boccigalupe joining in on keyboards
for "Murder Inc." Springsteen's own songs in the set included
"Johnny 99," "Atlantic City," "This Hard Land,"
and -- the "goosebump moment" of the night -- "Factory."
While a stripped-down version has turned up at E Street Band shows semi-regularly
in recent years, it's been a while since most had heard it like this,
as Grushecky noted in an intro. After the penultimate "Lucky Town,"
the stage filled with many of the night's performers -- as well as Jesse
Malin and his band, some elves, and Santa himself -- for the typically
and joyously chaotic finale.
with
Exit 105: All
Along The Watchtower
Solo Acoustic: If I Should Fall Behind/Land of Hope and Dreams/For
You
with Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers: Talking to the King/From
Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)/Homestead/Code of Silence/Johnny
99/Never Be Enough Time/Atlantic City/True Companion/Factory/Everything's
Going to Work Out Right/Murder Incorporated/This Hard Land/Pumping Iron/Lucky
Town/Santa Claus is Coming to Town
November
6 / Asbury Park, NJ / The Stone Pony
Notes: For
the fifth year running, Springsteen played the Light of Day benefit for
the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, jamming with Joe Grushecky and his
band (including son Johnny) for an hour and a half. Four songs into the
Houserockers' set, at 1:00 a.m., Bruce joined in starting on "Idiot's
Delight" (a Springsteen/Grushecky co-write with a St. Peter's-eye-view
of Earthly goings-on) followed by a Stone Pony-rocking "From Small
Things." In addition to some of the standard Bruce & Joe fare
-- like "Murder Inc.", "Code of Silence," "Never
Be Enough Time," "Johnny 99" (a highlight), "Mustang
Sally," etc. -- Springsteen added a couple to the repertoire. Making
their LOD debuts along with "Idiot's Delight" were "Atlantic
City" (with Boccigalupe turning in fine work on keyboards) and, another
high point of the night, a powerful "This Hard Land." For anyone
looking for some kind of post-election statement, these songs also held
riches, from "Maybe everything that dies someday comes back"
to "Stay alive if you can, and meet me in a dream of this hard land."
Some in the crowd wanted their say as well. After "This Hard Land,"
Light of Day organizer Bob Benjamin -- who started Light
of Day five years ago, organizes the benefits each year, and has Parkinson's
himself -- was presented with a birthday cake; he made a speech in which
he addressed stem cell research and the outcome of the election, and praised
Springsteen for standing up for what he believes in. That's when a few
audience members started chanting "Four more years!" We don't
think they were talking about Light of Day 9. One Pony-goer told us: "It
was a little weird, and that's coming from a guy who voted for Bush. It
was ugly. Almost Terence Trent D'arby ugly." Benjamin tells Backstreets
that the chant didn't register much onstage, where they were "more
concerned about what the encore was going to be." Bruce and crew
kept pushin' to the encores with "Light of Day," the birthday
boy taking vocals as per LOD tradition, and closed out the night at 2:30
a.m. with "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin'
Goin' On." Other artists from the night joined in for the big encore
jam including JoBonanno, Danny White, and Willie Nile. Correction:
Michael J. Fox was not present, as previously reported.
To contribute to the fight against Parkinson's Disease, visit www.pdf.org.
Setlist
: Idiot's Delight/From Small Things/Homestead/Johnny 99/Code of Silence/Atlantic
City/Murder Inc./Talking to the King/Never Be Enough Time/Mustang Sally/This
Hard Land//Light of Day/Great Balls of Fire/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin'
On.
November
1 / Cleveland, OH
Notes: In
the battleground state of Ohio, on the eve of the election, Springsteen
joined John Kerry for their fourth rally together. Senator (and astronaut)
John Glenn introduced Springsteen, who laughed as he took the stage, "Senator,
you made me feel like I blasted off into space! Like I went around the
world!" In addition to "The Promised Land" and campaign
theme "No Surrender," which Bruce played at the previous rallies,
Bruce added a third song, an acoustic "Thunder Road" as a special
dedication: "I met a lady tonight, Kristen
Breitweiser, who is actually a neighbor of mine, just a few minute
away from me in New Jersey. And she was one of the 9/11 widows known as
the Jersey Girls, who, when the administration was stonewalling the 9/11
Commission, held their feet to the fire and got the truth out. So I want
to do this tonight for her." After
"Thunder Road," Springsteen gave a stirring speech, longer and
more fleshed-out for this final rally than we'd heard before, including
a call for "an open American government that's unburdened by unnecessary
secrecy." He concluded: "So tomorrow, get Grandma, get Ma, get
Pa, get 'em all out there and vote!" Before his own speech, headliner
John Kerry had words of appreciation for Springsteen: "He's a great
poet, he sings from his heart, he writes from his heart, and he writes
about real people and the struggles of life itself." He also thanked
Bruce for a gift: his lucky guitar pick. "He said, 'Take it to the
White House, this is gonna bring you good luck!' And I'll tell you, this
pick is going to play in the White House."
Setlist:
The Promised Land/Thunder Road/No Surrender (all acoustic)
October
29 / Miami, FL
Notes: Fresh
Start for America Rally with John Kerry.
Setlist: The Promised Land/No Surrender (both acoustic)
October
28 / Columbus, OH
Notes: Another
Fresh Start for America Rally with John Kerry,
as in Madison earlier in the day.
Setlist: The Promised Land/No Surrender (both acoustic)
October
28 / Madison, WI
Notes: Springsteen
appeared with Senator John Kerry at a Fresh Start for America Rally, performing
two songs on acoustic guitar (including one of Kerry's campaign themes,
"No Surrender,") and introducing the Democratic candidate. Between
songs, Springsteen gave
a brief speech similar to his Vote for Change tour P.S.A. He added, "We
had a sax player... we need a guitar player in the White House!"
and introduced Kerry as "the next President of the United States."
Setlist: The Promised Land/No Surrender (both acoustic)
October
13 / E. Rutherford, NJ / Continental Airlines Arena
Notes: The
final night of Springsteen's VFC tour brought a unique bill to the Meadowlands,
with Patti Scialfa and her band opening this homecoming show, and Jackson
Browne in for REM. While Bruce joined REM at each of the previous concerts,
tonight we had a trifecta as he played in the opening set with Patti,
in the second set with Browne, and one of the longest headlining sets
of the run (rivaling St. Paul in both length, at 21 songs, and performance).
Speaking of trifectas, surprise guest Eddie Vedder joined the E Street
Band for a powerful trio of "No Surrender," "Darkness on
the Edge of Town," and Pearl Jam's "Betterman." And continuing
to speak of trifectas, the encore opened with not one, not two, but three
classic CCR songs with Fogerty. But the emotional highlight of an emotional
show had to be in the post-"Rising" slot (formerly occupied
by "Because the Night" with Michael Stipe), when there was an
audible gasp as Browne came out for "Racing in the Street."
As one concertgoer said, "all the air was sucked out of the building."
In a good way. Browne's own set included topical songs like "For
America" and "Lives in the Balance," and Little Steven
finally took a bow on a song of his that has cropped up at several other
VFC shows this month, joining Jackson for "I Am a Patriot."
A fine end to a righteous tour.
with Patti Scialfa: As
Long As I (Can Be With You)/Love (Stand Up)
with
Jackson Browne: Running
on Empty
Setlist:
As Long As I [Can Be With You] (with Scialfa)/Love [Stand Up] (with Scialfa)//Running
on Empty (with Browne)//The Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/Lonesome
Day/No Surrender (with Vedder)/Darkness on the Edge of Town (with Vedder)/Betterman
(with Vedder)/Johnny 99/Centerfield (with Fogerty)/Deja Vu All Over Again
(with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/The Promised Land (with Fogerty)/The
Rising/Racing in the Street (with Browne)/Mary's Place/Born to Run//Proud
Mary (with Fogerty)/Bad Moon Rising (with Fogerty)/Travelin' Band (with
Fogerty)/(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with
all)/People Have the Power (with all)
October
11 / Washington, DC / MCI Center
Notes: In
the city that will host a Presidential Inauguration in a little more than
three months, the Vote for Change tour finale brought many of its artists
together for the first time in the President's backyard. Springsteen,
Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, Dixie Chick Martie Maguire, and Michael Stipe
greeted the crowd as the five-hour-plus show began, the REM frontman offering
a simple and clear rejoinder to the "shut up and sing" contingent:
"We are all Americans, and we have all been U.S. citizens longer
than we have been singers, songwriters, pop stars, public figures, celebrities
with a public voice. We are each of us placing our yardsigns in our front
yards. Our front yard just happens to be a stage. And tonight it is this
stage; thank you all for listening." It was a revolving stage, allowing
for expedient equipment changes to keep the concert moving at a fast clip
considering the number of artists; the show still ran an hour longer than
scheduled. But Sundance kept the cameras rolling as the tour's flagship
act, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, rocked the show to a close
well past the midnight hour. It was an abridged version of their standard
VFC set that hit most of the highlights (alas, no time for "Johnny
99"), including the collaborations with Stipe for "Because the
Night," and Fogerty for "Fortunate Son." Springsteen's
refined PSA got huge cheers from the D.C. crowd (the least Bruce-partisan
audience of the tour), as did a new to-the-point exhortation during "Mary's
Place": "All this fuss about 'the swing voter'... All I wanna
say is, it's October 11, what the hell are you waiting for? You
mislead the nation to war, you lose your job. It ain't rocket science!"
As the standard encores from Bruce's shows ("Peace, Love and Understanding"
and "People Have the Power") brought the concert to a rousing
close, the stage filled with the night's artists (including John
Mellencamp, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson
Browne, Keb’ Mo’, REM, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, Jurassic
5, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and John Fogerty) to share the vocals.
Mellencamp started the evening, with highlights throughout including Browne,
Raitt, and Keb' Mo' doing Little Steven's "I Am a Patriot" (the
songwriter himself conspicuously absent here, unfortunately); a golden
set from Jurassic 5; and Eddie Vedder joining REM for "Begin the
Begin." The Pennebaker/Maysles documentary footage included REM learning
"Born to Run" ("We can only hope that he didn't change
keys downwards over the years!"), Springsteen rehearsing with Fogerty
(and marveling at the output of CCR in just two-and-a-half years), and
Bruce handwriting an early setlist that would have started his set with
"Devils." "Devils and Dust" is a song Bruce rehearsed
with the band but never did play... but waitasec, did we say this was
the tour finale? As Springsteen said tonight, "Hold on, New Jersey
-- we're comin'!"
Setlist:
Man on the Moon (with REM)//The Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/No
Surrender/Deja Vu All Over Again (with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/Because
the Night (with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born to Run (with Mills and Buck)//(What's
So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with most)/People Have
the Power (with all)
October
8 / Orlando, FL / TD Waterhouse
Notes: The
importance of Florida as a battleground state was not lost on the artists
tonight, with Bruce glad to be in "the Sunshine State... or as I
like to call it, the Scene of the Crime!" Springsteen also acknowledged
the recent hurricanes: "We were worried about you up north -- we
thought you were going to get blown away before we got here!" This
was the last of the originally announced run of shows, the last to include
a full set from R.E.M., and Bruce called it "bittersweet": "I
knew it was gonna be a pleasure," he said of sharing the stage with
his VFC tourmates, "but it ended up being a thrill." Notable
moments tonight involved such collaborations. Taking inspiration from
old friend Neil Young, Nils Lofgren joined R.E.M. tonight for "Country
Feedback" -- thanks to Lofgren's distinctive style it sounded worlds
different than in St. Paul. They also shook up one of the Bruce duet slots,
doing "Permanent Vacation" with the Boss (who shared vocals)
instead of "Bad Day." Orlando opener Tracy Chapman came back
out during Springsteen's set for a duet of "My Hometown." Other
highlights in Springsteen's set: the tour debut of "Prove It All
Night," part of the blistering opening run; a stand-out version of
the always-fine "Johnny 99"; and "Bad Moon Rising"
with Fogerty in the encore.
R.E.M. set: The One I Love/What's
the Frequency, Kenneth?/Begin
the Begin/Leaving New York/Star 69/Final Straw/Country Feedback (with
Nils Lofgren)/Walk Unafraid/Around the Sun/Losing My Religion/Permanent
Vacation (with Springsteen)/Man on the Moon (with Springsteen)
Setlist:
Permanent Vacation (with REM)/Man on the Moon (with REM)//The Star-Spangled
Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/Prove It All Night/No Surrender/My
Hometown (with Tracy Chapman)/Johnny 99/Youngstown/Centerfield (with Fogerty)/Deja
Vu All Over Again (with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/The Promised
Land (with Fogerty)/The Rising/Because the Night (with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born
to Run (with Mills and Buck)//Bad Moon Rising (with Fogerty)/(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)/People Have the
Power (with all)
October
5 / St. Paul, MN / Xcel Energy Center
Notes: Nothing ragged about this one--just full-on guitar glory
as Neil Young came out and cranked up the energy for the best VFC show
yet. "Any Canadians for Kerry in the house? I thought I saw one here
earlier..." said Bruce. And yeah, Young had been out earlier for
"Country Feedback" with REM, but that didn't diminish the "holy
shit" factor as Neil faced off with Bruce for monster jams on "Souls
of the Departed" and a fierce "All Along the Watchtower."
Even Clarence got swept away. Blow, Big Man, blow! Wail, Shakey, wail!
And the wind began to howl... Neil was back in the encores trading off
vocals with Bruce on "Rockin' in the Free World" along with
Fogerty, all of REM, and Neil's wife Pegi. Fogerty got a huge cheer when
he announced "I got a final score for you: Minnesota Twins 2, Yankees
nothin'!" Yeah, everything seemed to go the Twin Cities' way tonight.
At the end of the show, Bruce presented Conor Oberst with a commemorative
jacket to mark the end of his run with the tour. Bright Eyes, we'll miss
you in Orlando--that's the next stop, Friday night.
Bright Eyes set: Same as 10/1
R.E.M. set: The One I Love/Begin the Begin/What's the Frequency,
Kenneth?/Leaving New York/So Fast, So Numb/Final Straw/Country Feedback
(with Neil Young)/Walk Unafraid/I Wanted to Be Wrong/Losing My Religion/Bad
Day (with Springsteen)/Man
on the Moon (with Springsteen)
Setlist:
Bad Day (with REM)/Man
on the Moon (with REM)//The
Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/No Surrender/Lonesome
Day/The River/Souls of the Departed (with Neil Young)/All Along the Watchtower
(with Young)/Johnny 99/Centerfield (with Fogerty)/Deja Vu All Over Again
(with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/The Promised Land (with Fogerty)/The
Rising/Because the Night (with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born
to Run (with Mills and Buck)//Proud Mary (with Fogerty)/Rockin' in the
Free World (with REM, Fogerty, Neil and Pegi Young)/(What's So Funny 'Bout)
Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)/People Have the Power (with
all)
October
3 / Detroit, MI / Cobo Arena
Notes: Stringent union rules in the Motor City had the show running
at a faster clip, and it was over well before midnight; but still a two-hour
set for Bruce and the E Streeters, who played from 9:42 - 11:35. Three
main changes in their set, with "The Ties That Bind" replacing
"Lonesome Day," "Darkness on the Edge of Town" in
the "Lost in the Flood"/"River" slot, and "Travelin'
Band" the CCR song of choice to kick off the encore. In addition
to the post-"Mary's Place" PSA, and the
pre-recorded interview clips that run between acts (featuring Bruce, Max,
and other VFC artists), Bruce makes some state-specific comments before
"Johnny 99": "Michigan has been particularly hard-hit.
140,000 manufacturing jobs gone. 7,500 citizens serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We salute them and honor their service, and want them home as soon as
possible."
The
encore each night has included all the performers-- enlivened, it oughtta
be said, by Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), holding his own among legends
-- and tonight the stage was even more packed by the end. Special guests
the Dixie Chicks showed up for the final song, fresh from their Fox Theater
gig. Bruce asked, "You girls haven't started any trouble, have you?"
That show closer, "People Have the Power," was written by Patti
Smith while she was living in Detroit, inspired by a Diego Rivera mural
at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
For R.E.M set watchers ("We drew straws," says Bruce, "and
you're gonna hear beauty before age tonight"), this show finally
brought "Exhuming McCarthy" -- and as Document fans,
we're holding out hope for "Finest Worksong" with Bruce before
tour's end. Tonight, Springsteen joined them again for "Bad Day"
and "Man on the Moon," trading verses on the latter.
Bright
Eyes set: Same as 10/1
REM
set: The One I Love/Animal/Exhuming McCarthy/Leaving New York/So Fast,
So Numb/Final Straw/She Just Wants to Be/Wanderlust/Losing My Religion/Walk
Unafraid/Bad Day (with Springsteen)/Man on the Moon (with Springsteen)
Setlist:
Bad Day (with REM)/Man
on the Moon (with REM)//The
Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/No Surrender/The Ties
That Bind/Darkness on the Edge of Town/Johnny 99/Youngstown/Centerfield
(with Fogerty)/Deja Vu All Over Again (with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with
Fogerty)/The Promised Land (with Fogerty)/The Rising/Because the Night
(with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born
to Run (with Mills and Buck)//Travelin' Band (with Fogerty)/(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)/People Have the
Power (with all, plus the Dixie Chicks)
October
2 / Cleveland, OH / Gund Arena
Notes: Night
Two brings two changes to the Springsteen set, with "The River"
in for "Lost in the Flood" and "Bad Moon Rising" replacing
"Proud Mary." Highlights again include "Because the Night"
(with Michael Stipe) and "Fortunate Son," with a non-stop-hopping
John Fogerty having a blast. R.E.M. (the "pearls before the swine,"
as Bruce says) shook up their set a bit more, including "Cuyahoga,"
"Life and How to Live It" and "Imitation of Life."
Springsteen joined them for two songs this time: "Man on the Moon"
again, plus "Bad Day" with a scorching Bruce guitar lead to
close.
Bright
Eyes set: Same as 10/1
REM
set: The One I Love/Animal/Leaving New York/Life and How to Live It/Cuyahoga/Final
Straw/Imitation of Life/I Wanted to Be Wrong/Losing My Religion/Walk Unafraid/Bad
Day (with Springsteen)/Man on the Moon (with Springsteen)
Setlist:
Bad Day (with REM)/Man
on the Moon (with REM)//The
Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/No Surrender/Lonesome
Day/The River/Johnny 99/Youngstown/Centerfield (with Fogerty)/Deja Vu
All Over Again (with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/The Promised
Land (with Fogerty)/The Rising/Because the Night (with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born
to Run (with Mills and Buck)//Bad Moon Rising (with Fogerty)/(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)/People Have the
Power (with all)
October
1 / Philadelphia, PA / Wachovia Center
General Notes: The
Vote For Change tour launched its opening night in Philly with the emphasis
placed firmly on hard rockin' rather than grandiose speechifyin'. Bruce
played MC, appearing on stage very shortly after the ticketed start time
with REM's Michael Stipe to greet the crowd. Bruce officially declared
a "No BRUUUCE Zone," saying "I will come out and slap you
silly. We have too much great music tonight. No BRUUUCING!" He also
set out the overall mission of the night: to "fight for a government
that is open, forward-looking, rational, and humane -- and we plan to
rock the joint while doing so." Next, Bruce introduced opening act
Bright Eyes as "someone whose record floored me when it came out."
After
a solid 30-minute Bright Eyes set, Springsteen returned around 8:30 to
introduce REM by saying that they had inspired him for the last 20 years.
They played for an hour; Bruce shared lead vocals with Stipe on the set-closing
"Man on the Moon," having fun goofing on Elvis. Hey baby!
Main
Set Notes: Shortly
after 10:00, Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage for a two-hour
set, beginning with Bruce's solo instrumental, 12-string accoustic version
of "The Star-Spangled Banner." That
led into a relentless, high-intensity opening barrage with not a moment
wasted -- those first eight songs formed a tight, thematic segment that
rocked nonstop, including a full-band version of "Born in the U.S.A.,"
"Lost in the Flood," and the very welcome return of the full-band
"Johnny 99" from the very end of the Rising tour.
John
Fogerty came out for 4 songs backed by Bruce and the band, including a
hard-driving "Fortunate Son" (a real highlight of the night)
and ending by trading off vocals with Bruce on "The Promised Land."
Guests came and went for much of the rest of the 19 song set, with Patti
Smith devotee Stipe joining in for "Because the Night" (Stipe
and Springsteen trading off on the Smith version of the lyric), REM's
Mike Mills and Peter Buck clearly having a blast on "Born to Run,"
Fogerty on "Proud Mary," and all the night's performers
on "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding"
and an explosive closer of Patti Smith's "People Have the Power."
Along
with some laying-on-of-hands preacher shtick, "Mary's Place"
included a new P.S.A. ("The moment everyone's been waiting for...my
Public Service Announcement!") that was tailor-made for an evening
of inspirational words and music.
The P.S.A.: "We remain a
land of great promise. But it's time we need to move America towards the
fulfillment of its promises that she's made to her citizens: economic
justice, civil rights, protection of the environment, repsect for others
and humility in exercising our power at home and around the world. These
core issues of American identity are what's at stake on November 2. I
believe hat Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards understand the important
issues and I think they're prepared to help our country move forward.
"America is not always right. That's a fairy tale that you tell your
children at night before they go to sleep. But America is always true.
And it's in seeking those truths that we find a deeper patriotism. Don't
settle for anything less.
"So we've got some work to do between now and election day -- if
you share our concerns, find the best way to express yourself, roll up
your sleeves, and get out there and do something. And remember, the country
we carry in our hearts is waiting."
Bright
Eyes set: One Foot in Front of the Other/Old Soul Song/Trees Get Wheeled
Away/You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will./Travelin' Song/Poison
Oak/I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (Road to Joy)
REM
set: The One I Love/Begin the Begin/Leaving New York/Animal/World
Leader Pretend/Final Straw/She Just Wants to Be/Bad Day/Around the Sun/Losing
My Religion/Walk Unafraid/Man on the Moon (with Springsteen)
Setlist: Man
on the Moon (with REM)//The
Star-Spangled Banner/Born in the U.S.A./Badlands/No Surrender/Lonesome
Day/Lost in the Flood/Johnny 99/Youngstown/Centerfield (with Fogerty)/Deja
Vu All Over Again (with Fogerty)/Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)/The Promised
Land (with Fogerty)/The Rising/Because the Night (with Stipe)/Mary's Place/Born
to Run (with Mills and Buck)//Proud Mary (with Fogerty)/(What's So Funny
'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)/People Have the Power
(with all)
VOTE
FOR CHANGE TOUR REHEARSALS
Sept.
27-29 / Asbury Park, NJ / Convention Hall
Notes: Springsteen
and the E Street Band spent three days in closed rehearsals, gearing up
for the October 1 tour kick-off. Rehearsals included a new song not yet
played live ("Devils and Dust") though previously soundchecked
on the Rising tour, and a few covers: Patti Smith's "People Have
the Power," Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love
and Understanding," and numerous John Fogerty/CCR songs. Fogerty
himself was in the house on 9/29.
9/27:
Songs rehearsed included: Badlands/No Surrender/Lonesome Day/Souls of
the Departed/My Hometown/Youngstown/Promised Land/The Rising
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Mary's Place/Born To Run/Land of Hope and Dreams/(What's
So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding/Chimes of Freedom/Lost in
the Flood
9/28: Songs rehearsed included: Devils and Dust/Badlands/No Surrender/Lonesome
Day/Lost in the Flood/Johnny 99/Youngstown/The Promised Land/Held up Without
a Gun/The Rising/Because the Night/Mary's Place/(What's So Funny 'Bout)
Peace, Love and Understanding/Centerfield/Fortunate Son/People Have the
Power
9/29: Songs rehearsed included: Mary's Place/Centerfield/Deja Vu
All Over Again/Fortunate Son/The Promised Land/Proud Mary/Bad Moon Rising/Travelin'
Band
September
25 / Los Angeles, CA / The Roxy
Notes: It
was a Saturday Night Music Club at the Roxy, as Springsteen and Sheryl
Crow joined Patti Scialfa for her tour-closer. The L.A. show made the
trifecta for Mr. Scialfa, who joined Patti for the third time on her five-show
tour for "As Long As I (Can Be With You)" and "Love (Stand
Up)." A few songs prior, Crow was onstage for "City Boys."
Setlist:
As Long As I (Can Be With You)/Love (Stand Up)
September
21 / New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom
Notes: When
Bruce joined Patti Scialfa's band onstage in Asbury Park last week, she
warned the crowd that he wouldn't be at the next show in Boston. But she
didn't say anything about shows after that.... Sure enough, when Patti's
tour hit NYC after shows in Boston and Philly, Bruce was back onstage.
Mr. Scialfa pitched in once again on guitar and backing vocals for the
same pair of songs as in Asbury.
Setlist:
As Long As I (Can Be With You)/Love (Stand Up)
September
15 / Asbury Park, NJ / Paramount Theatre
Notes: Springsteen
joined in for two songs as Patti Scialfa and her band (featuring E Streeters
Nils Lofgren and Soozie Tyrell) began a five-city tour on the Asbury Park
boardwalk. Bruce shared a mic with Nils, playing a 12-string Telecaster
on "As Long As I (Can Be With You)" and taking an extended lead
on "Love (Stand Up)." While Patti's tour will continue in Boston,
Philly, NYC, and L.A., Patti told the audience that they shouldn't go
on the internet and say he'll be in Boston, because he won't. Bruce leaned
into her mic and said, "I got kids to watch!"
Setlist:
As Long As I (Can Be With You)/Love (Stand Up)
July
17 / Asbury Park, NJ / The Stone Pony
Notes: At
the Joe Grushecky/Soozie Tyrell show at the Stone Pony on Saturday night,
a certain Jersey Shore special guest was in the house: Madame
Marie! Nah, just kidding -- MM is indeed back on the scene, but it
was Springsteen who took the stage for an hour-and-a-half rave-up. For
his first performance of the summer, after hanging out offstage with Sean
Penn (the two reportedly attended soundcheck together), Bruce joined in
midway through Grushecky's set for "Never Be Enough Time." Soon
Bruce and Joe were trading off vocals on their co-written "Code of
Silence." Joe's son Johnny was there on guitar, after a warm-up set
of his own. Soozie and Patti Scialfa pitched in as well: Soozie (who closed
her earlier set with a cover of Bruce's "All or Nothin' At All")
grabbed her fiddle for "Johnny 99," and Patti came in on "Mustang
Sally." Soloing like a madman as usual, Springsteen jammed with the
Houserockers through the encores; "Murder Incorporated" wrapped
things up around 2:15 a.m.
Setlist:
Never
Be Enough Time
Homestead
Code of Silence
Johnny 99 (with Soozie on fiddle)
Pumping Iron
Mustand Sally/Walking the Dog (with Patti & Soozie)
Talking to the King
Down the Road Apiece
Encore:
Have
a Good Time But Get Out Alive
Murder Incorporated
April
25 / Asbury Park, NJ / The Stone Pony
Notes: For
the third April in a row, Springsteen played a private fundraiser for
the Rumson Country Day School, twisting and shouting the night away for
a small group of RCDS parents and teachers. Bruce's
set was heavy on the '60s soul as usual, with a smattering of originals
mixed in. As in years past, Bobby Bandiera took care of the house band
duties, adding Jukes horns Eddie Manion, Joey Stann, and Chris Anderson.
Patti Scialfa took lead on "Tell Him,"
and Southside Johnny was in the building for just one song, an audibled
"Havin' a Party" in the encore. On
the setlist but not played: "The Boy From New York City," "Brown
Eyed Girl," and "It Takes Two."
Setlist:
634-5789 (Wilson Pickett)
Soul Man (Sam and Dave)
Boogaloo Down Broadway (The Fantastic Johnny C)
Shake (Sam Cooke)
Tell Him (The Exciters)
Seven Nights to Rock (Moon Mullican)
From Small Things
Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Hungry Heart
Darlington County
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Solomon Burke)
Respect (Otis Redding)
Hold on, I'm Coming (Sam and Dave)
Twistin' the Night Away (Cooke)
Hey Tonight (CCR)
You Really Got a Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson)
Mustang Sally (Pickett)
I Thank You (Sam and Dave)
Glory Days
Encore:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Twist and Shout
Havin' a Party [with Southside Johnny]
Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley)
Tequila (The Champs)/Sweet Soul Music [reprise]
April
18 / New York, NY / The Hit Factory
Notes: Springsteen
pitched in at a showcase for Patti Scialfa's upcoming album, 23rd Street
Lullaby, playing two songs with her at both an afternoon and evening
show. Patti's full set at each performance ran about an hour and a half,
debuting many of the songs from her second record, and was filmed for
promotional use. Springsteen joined her band (which included Nils Lofgren,
Soozie Tyrell, and Rising cellist Jane Scarpantoni) toward the end of
each set, on guitar and backing vocals.
Setlist
(early): Love (Stand Up) / As Long as I (Can Be With You)
Setlist (late): Love (Stand Up) / As Long as I (Can Be With You)
March
16 / New York, NY / Beacon Theatre
Notes: 24
hours after inducting him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Springsteen
performed with Jackson Browne, at Browne's Beacon Theatre show in New
York City. After watching much of the show with Patti Scialfa from the
audience, Springsteen came out for the last encore, closing the show with
"Take It Easy." Bruce played electric guitar and sang back-up
on the song that Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey.
Setlist:
Take It Easy
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2004 Setlists
