Joad is definitely not Nebraska, I agree. Nebraska was an accidental triumph that couldn't be replicated. Joad is frequently compared with Nebraska because, at least superficially, it shares that minimalist aesthetic (albeit with markedly different outcomes). Joad seems to be Springsteen's concerted effort to focus on the lyrics almost at the detriment of musical accompaniment. A song like "Galveston Bay," for instance, is a poignant and ultimately hopeful set of lyrics but it's not easy to recollect the melody. Personally, I wish the entire album had been recorded with the small ensemble that accompanies him on the title track, "Straight Time," "Youngstown," "Dry Lightning," and "Across the Border." That said, the concert made a lasting impression at least partly because (with a small handful of notable exceptions on The River tour), it was the first time he had played theaters and concert halls since the Darkness tour. And with it being just him (with an occasional behind-the-curtain keyboard accompaniment), particularly in the waning moments of the pre-omnipresent smartphone era, you could almost literally hear a pin drop while he was storytelling. He drew me in and blew me away.
Meanwhile Bruce has made a podcast with a former POTUSA. Take that Petty! (Kidding about the second part of course). Currently addicted to Janey Needs a Shooter. Wow
Yeah the podcast is apparently 8 episodes. Says they’re going to discuss ‘the state of America’. (And how great it is to own massively powerful media production companies that film them sitting around discussing the state of America).
I did see several Rising tour shows that were mostly blah. And despite the significance of the Buffalo show that ended up being Clarence’s final show (and the performance of Greetings), I thought that show dragged on with too few songs to fire up those in the audience not into the rarities.
I got through about 15 minutes of it. Pretty much what you would expect. Two guys that are very, very impressed with each other.
I saw the show just prior to it in Baltimore, Born To Run. It was one of the best I’d ever attended, Bruce or anyone. A different vibe, but equal to any of the shows I saw ‘74- ‘84. It being at a venue from my youth (it got smaller or I got a lot bigger) and taking my 18 year old son added immensely to the experience.
And themselves. Anyway, I'm going to put Letter to You a notch above Magic---based on the three "deep cuts" and better overall sound. But still a bit behind Western Stars.
It was/is a novelty that added to the show. In some cases, you heard songs that would never normally be performed. I only saw BTR & The River. The glass half empty to The River is that it's a double album, and that took some of the 'What's he gonna pull out of his hat?' for a the balance of the show.
Darkness was the first LP I got in '85 and when I saw them in '14 they played the whole LP. Great stuff. Letter To You and Western Stars are preferable as a whole to anything post Tunnel Of Love. Magic is the only other one I can remember playing recently.
I love the former POTUS and Bruce but I have absolutely no interest in this podcast. I enjoyed Springsteen's pandemic Sirius radio show but between his autobiography and the Broadway show, I've no desire to hear him talk anymore.
I think another objective was to get full-band/full album performances on tape/film for potential use in future archival projects, the way the Paramount (no audience) performance was used on The Promise box set. I attended a MetLife show during the River anniversary tour in 2016 and I feel like I lucked out in that Bruce's first nine or ten songs that night were from the first two albums. He largely dispensed with The River that night. It was a great show.
I don't think ticket sales, other than maybe parts of the south, have been an issue. I figured the full album shows were something different for the band and the fans. With the exception of The River tour which was to support the deluxe reissue release. What I enjoyed about the River tour was with the album being a double there were fewer signs being brought in. That gimmick, along with pulling a kid onstage to sing Waitin' for a Sunny Day, got old fast.
I didn't realize he had different backing for various songs. My favorites on the album are Dry Lightning and Youngstown, so there you go. It does sound like I missed some powerful shows on that tour. Thanks!
I liked the Request Signs, helped to keep things loose, and was a line of communication between Bruce and the fans. I agree totally regarding pulling a kid out of the crowd, but in the ‘09 Baltimore show, a young girl in the front of the stage had a Newsboy Cap on, and Bruce took it and went into Spirit In The Night....”In honor of the hat!”.
I have all four. The first one (from Belfast in March of '96) is a terrific representation of the original vision of the tour with a heavy focus on the new material. But it might be the least appealing document for a casual fan who would probably be better served with either the St. Rose of Lima show from Freehold or the Asbury Park show (both from November of '96), as those are more celebratory in tone and backward looking in terms of song selection. The latest release (France '97) straddles the fence between those two poles.
I happen to think that the Belfast 1996 nugs show is one of the best shows in the archive series. Great sound and amazing playing. I was lucky to attend one show that tour (front row tix, btw) but the memory had faded a lot. When the nugs show came out, I was mesmerised. Fans tend to say that in terms of acoustic tours, 2005 was the better tour, but I disagree. The intensity, intention, set list and performance in 1996 is totally unbelievable. J
Oh I thought the Joad tour was miles better than the 2005 tour. The Joad tour had a drama and intensity to it that just wasn’t there in 05.