HARTFORD – Bruce Springsteen provided an intense three and half hour set to his adoring faithful at the XL Center in Hartford last Thursday night as part of his “Wrecking Ball Tour,” providing a timely reminder of why he is not only an icon of American music, but also still “The Boss.”
The cheapest tickets for the concert were a steep $80, including service and handling fees. However, Bruce and his extensive E Street Band earned every cent, setting a bench-mark for many other artists to give audiences proper value for their money.
The concert began in blistering fashion, with no supporting act, as Springsteen came out to the “Magnificent Seven” theme and went straight into “Held Up Without A Gun” to set the tempo for the rest of the evening. The massive 26-song set list was comprised of cuts from Springsteen’s extensive catalogue – from classic albums like “The River” and “Born in the USA” to his latest, politically-charged effort “Wrecking Ball.”
Throughout the show, Springsteen was backed by his ever-reliable E Street Band, whose members provided their own memorable solo performances on guitars, drums and saxophone. It’s a testament to Springsteen’s stage presence that his impressively vast and diverse E Street Band doesn’t overshadow him. On top of the planned set list, Springsteen took requests from signs the crowd thrust at him, including a rousing rendition of “Pink Cadilla”’ and a heartfelt, potential highpoint of the evening “For You” that he played solo on the piano.
Although a majority of the concert was up-tempo fun, Springsteen did slow it down in the middle with an extended version of “Spirit In The Night” as he asked the crowd to remember the ghosts and spirits no longer with us, hinting towards his long standing saxophone player, Clarence Clemons, who passed away in 2011.
The show ended on an emotional “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” that was coupled with a montage of Springsteen and Clemons over the 30-plus years they spent performing together. Clemons has been replaced by his nephew, Jake, in the E Street Band – who performed superbly throughout Thursday’s show and would have made his uncle proud.
It’s hard to believe that Springsteen is 63 for not only does he sing with as much vigour and heart as ever, but he also seems to have become more energetic with age.
Springsteen charged around the stage, seamlessly moving from playing guitar to diving in the crowd to impressively rolling back the years with some crowd surfing through “Hungry Heart.” The crowd fed off his energy and his direct interactions with its members only increased his cult status amongst them. He even got an unsuspecting youngster to reluctantly sing “Waitin’ In The Rain.” Despite virtually no breather for the whole three hours, Springsteen never dropped the tempo and energy.
He saved his best, most recognizable songs for a final encore that included the classics “Born To Run” and “Dancing In The Dark,” during which he invited a lucky lady from the crowd to dance with him.
As soon as the unmistakable drum roll of “Born To Run” began, members of the crowd were sent into rapture, singing along in unison with their hero, a worthy climax of an epic show. Sadly there was no performance of “Born in the USA,” but Springsteen did more than enough to make up for it.
Springsteen and his band played as if it was their last performance, giving everything they had for an almost perfect concert. The venue itself, the XL Center, barely has a bad seat (apart from an unlucky few behind the stage) and felt intimate. The XL Center also had excellent sound and acoustics, which really provided clarity for Springsteen’s rough vocals.
It’s safe to assume that Springsteen, even at 63, remains one of the best live acts out there.
Jonny Smith can be reached at [email protected].
