Raising Two Americans

I took in the Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band show Wednesday night at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., … my eighth show, … and Bruce, as usual, didn’t disappoint.

The show, which came in about five minutes shy of three hours, was one of the two best Springsteen shows I’ve seen, running neck-and-neck with the show from the Magic tour that I saw in Charlotte.

The seats were good (It’s a relatively small arena), the sound was good and the band was on. Clarence Clemons, the band member I’d consider the least consistent these days, was on and never missed a mark or a note.

And the setlist was good, too.

Setlist and notes for Sept. 16, 2009 in Greenville, S.C.

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out … (spot on)
Badlands … (with Jay Weinberg playing so much harder than his father, this song was really driving)
No Surrender … (nice Born In The USA nonoverplayed song)
Hungry Heart … (Never thought I’d hear this live as it’s fairly rare that he plays it.)
Outlaw Pete … (Definitely better live than on Working on a Dream)
Working on a Dream
Seeds … (second song I never expected to hear … is there a bad economy theme here with the “Badlands,” “Atlantic City,” “This Hard Land,” and “Hard Times?”)
Johnny 99 … (A driving full-band version of a stark Nebraska classic)
Atlantic City … (Made my father-in-law a happy man)
Raise Your Hand
This Hard Land … (by fan’s request … his sign read something like, “I skipped school and drove seven hours to hear This Hard Land” … Bruce made light of the fact Jay Weinberg didn’t know it)
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction … (first ESB cover of this Rolling Stones song … “Wait a minute,” Bruce said as he held up the sign. “It might suck. Don’t get excited.” Nope)
Ramrod … (another fan request)
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day… (first of three Rising songs … he let two little girls have the mic for a while)
The Promised Land … (one of my five favorites)
Backstreets … (This is the whole show for me)
Radio Nowhere … (the only Magic tune for this show, slightly disappointing to me)
Lonesome Day
The Rising … (sounded better than on that tour)
Born to Run … (believe it or not, never gets old … he sings it like he means it every time)
Hard Times … (name another rock band that covers a song from 1854 in concert … Bruce’s comment, “health care for every American” before the song brought a lot of cheers mixed with groans)
Double Shot of My Baby’s Love (w/ the Swingin’ Medallions) … (corny, yet cool … brought out the original Medallions who are from Greenwood, S.C. … classy)
American Land … (the ones who built this country, we’re always trying to keep down)
Glory Days … (my friend Sean would have been happy)
Detroit Medley … (sweet)
Dancing in the Dark … (a deceivingly up-tempo sad song … also the song playing in the delivery room when Dylan was born)
Thunder Road … (Bruce just didn’t want to quit … the band had already taken it’s bows twice, and Jay had given away almost all of his drumsticks)

Jay Weinberg is as good as advertised filling in for his father, Max, on drums, … and he’s just 19. And he can’t wear 140 pounds soaking wet.

Here’s some more coverage of the show: here, here, here, here. And the show brought in some much-needed cash for the local food bank.

If I had money, I’d be buying Charlotte tickets this weekend since it came out today that the band will be taking a hiatus after this tour … Little Steven even hinted this could be it.