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Blogness on the Edge of Town

The Best Bruce Springsteen Blog on the Internets!

Updated Apr 15, 2012 @ 07:45 AM

How will Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour evolve?

By Deb Filcman

Springsteen in crowd at Izod Center Living in the Northeast, I’m spoiled; I generally get to see at least a couple of shows per Springsteen tour. The recently launched Wrecking Ball tour has been no exception, and I was lucky enough to catch three on the first U.S. leg of the tour: The TD Garden in Boston, and the second nights at the Izod Center in Jersey and Madison Square Garden in New York City. Already, the show is evolving and I wonder how far it will drift. Here are a few lingering thoughts and questions from the tour thus far:

Who among us didn’t wonder, maybe even worry, how Bruce would deal with the Big Man’s death? We breathed a collective sigh of relief when we heard the first incarnation of the tribute at the Apollo Theater show. The mantra “If you’re here and we’re here, then they’re here,” and later, several minutes of silence from the band and thunderous applause from the audience following “… and the Big Man joined the band” in “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” seems wholly appropriate. The more recent pairing during that moment of footage of Bruce and Clarence has upped the watershed ante. But might such a tribute weigh heavily on the band if performed night after night? Or could it lose poignancy on both sides of the stage if it becomes too routine?
The E Street Band has become a bit of a Jake Clemons Show. He’s a terrific musician, and I love watching him bounce around the stage, from saxophone to percussion to vocals. It’s another tribute to C, and a connection for Bruce, the band and fans to cling to. Like his uncle, he’s talented and charismatic, and the audience pulls for him, buoying his sound with incredible support and energy. But each time – and there are many – Bruce yells “C’mon, Jakie!” my heart breaks a little. I think not only of Clarence but whether the rest of the band ever feels overshadowed – perhaps none more than sax player Ed Manion, who has enjoyed a long and distinguished career, but who now defers to Jake’s spotlight.
Bruce joked at Izod that Jake must be tested with “Ramrod,” but has “Jungleland” been retired forever? What’s his next test?
I prayed for a full horn section – not just on this tour, but every tour. (Have I mentioned how I adore Curt Ramm?) The elaborate arrangements we’re hearing now sound fantastic and I hold out hope that Wrecking Ball will become a The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle-tour. But between the joy of the horns, the emotional focus on Jake and my rapt attention on Bruce, I’m missing the core E Streeters. I was glad to see some of them take a bit of spotlight at the second MSG show, particularly when Bruce stepped back and let Nils shine on his jaw-dropping “Because the Night” solo.
Despite not knowing where to look on stage anymore, it seems Michelle Moore is underutilized. Her voice is strong and beautiful, and she looks a little more confident at each show. With E Street Band membership already ballooning to staggering numbers, why not add one more?
Bruce has thrown some great classic songs into the fray lately, like “Kitty’s Back,” “Spirit in the Night,” “Backstreets” and even “Mountain of Love,” not to mention a few tunes from Tracks. But will more material from The Promise, which he never toured behind, surface soon?
You hear this from me every tour, and it’s safe to assume you always will: Why – how! – is “Waiting on a Sunny Day” so popular? When will he and the audience let it go?
Here’s where I may lose some of you, but do you find the shtick getting to be a bit much? Some of the very antics I used to find adorable (OK, I still find it mostly adorable…) and tout as signs of spontaneity, excitement and athleticism now feel too scripted and self-conscious. Piano climbing. Knee sliding. Crowd surfing. An endless parade of singing, dancing, bowing children, lifted and later handed back to their parents, simultaneously showing strength and sensitivity. (At least I’m not bitter.) And the latest sensation: beer chugging! Will he continue to use the moves that have worked for him or mix it up and surprise us?

As the tour continues (and we now know it will), I hope we’ll focus on Jake a bit more for his musicianship and less for what he symbolizes, and that Bruce will trot out material that today’s audiences haven’t heard. But even if every detail remains the same, I’ll pray to the Ticketmaster gods for a good stadium seat come fall.

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Springsteen fans can follow along as our Blogness on the Edge of Town bloggers — Pete Chianca, Deb Filcman, Leann Pomaville, Anne Haines, Susan McDonald, Rocco Coviello and Sarah Wexler — offer up pithy commentary, breaking news, audio and videos, along with links galore to interesting articles, news items and discussions, all about “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen, and other relevant rock music topics.

Blogness on the Edge of Town

The Best Bruce Springsteen Blog on the Internets!

How will Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour evolve?

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