Bruce in Richmond Virginia

[richardkelsey]

Headed there tonight on a late invite. Looking forward to the show -- though not the ride.

[richardkelsey]

The show was awesome. I mean -- it was really really great. I still can't hear this morning -- but it was a great show in a small venue with about 14 thousand people.

I was a guest of some old friends originally from Freehold, and our seats were top shelf. We sat with Bruce's family. Still not sure why so many of them were there for the Richmond show. His mom rocked all night -- and was very nice.

Bruce said on stage that he had a special tie to Richmond. (see more on that from Backstreets review below) He has been playing there since he was 19, and he said it was the first place that would let him play outside of New Jersey.

Here is the set list from "backstreets.com"

Setlist:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Out in the Street
Prove It All Night
Lonesome Day
Spirit in the Night
Stand on It
Cadillac Ranch
Backstreets
For You (solo piano)
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
I'll Work for Your Love
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands

Crush on You
Quarter to Three
Born to Run
Rosalita
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Twist and Shout (with Robbin Thompson)

Here is the write-up from backstreets about the show:

AUGUST 18, RICHMOND, VA: C'EST MAGNIFIQUE!
Bruce to Backstreets in 2007, when asked about "The Price You Pay": "It's become a thing just because I haven't played it. If I had played it, nobody would give much of a d**n if they heard it or not! Just because it hasn't been played.... My recollection is that it's been a while since we've played 'Crush on You.' And I'm not sure that one's going to be popping up in the set any time soon, either, you know?"

Tonight, Springsteen breaks a 28-year streak -- not with "The Price You Pay," but with the first "Crush on You" since December 16, 1980. "Crush" was played frequently on the 1980 leg of the River tour, but never again... until tonight. Reacting to a sign, Bruce himself seemingly couldn't believe they were actually about to play it. Steve even more so, from the look of him. "We firmly believe this is the worst song we ever put on a record," Bruce laughed, also revealing that he took the riff from the Car 54, Where Are You? theme. Still, butt of jokes though it may be, it was one of the biggest holy-nuts moments of the tour to date, kicking off the encore with a blast of energy. On one hand, it's a throwaway River rocker... on the other hand, it's... a throwaway River rocker! The perfect kind of thing (as "Ramrod" has long shown) for encore time. The only thing we like better is some vintage rock 'n' roll, like, you know, "Quarter to Three." Yep, the Gary U.S. Bands classic was next (last played at Shea in 2003), as the nightly E Street Band-as-cover-band history lesson continues -- with "Twist and Shout" closing the eight-song encore to boot. Local boy Robbin Thompson, Bruce's Steel Mill bandmate, guested for this final song of the night.

But it's not like they saved all the good stuff for the end. In a very solid main set, a sign that read "My band just broke up -- please play 'Backstreets'!" brought us the majestic '75 epic, which led into a rare solo reading of "For You." Sitting at the piano, Bruce introduced it with some memories of Richmond, "an essential audience that allowed us to get out of town," and dedicated it in particular to old friend Russ Clem, who always introduced Steel Mill at their Richmond shows.

A welcome return from the Magic record, "I'll Work for Your Love," was in part a celebration of Clarence -- "The Big Man just got married!" -- who raised his arms victoriously. "The Promised Land," though setlisted, got a needed rest for the third show running. In all, 13 songs not performed at the previous show in Charleston, also including "Cadillac Ranch" and, previously played only in Amsterdam on this tour, "Stand on It." "This is a little obscure," Bruce said to introduce the latter, "but that's why we're here!" With only five shows left on the tour, ain't it nice that we're all on the same page?