Bruce Springsteen Live Downloads Review: March 24th, 2016 – Seattle, WA – Keyarena at Seattle Center

After a solid follow-up to their momentous finale inside the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, Springsteen and the E Street Band seek to maintain the form they’re on with what is to this point the second longest gig of the tour in Seattle – it’s short on L.A. night three by a minute. With three hours and forty-three minutes awaiting, will quality and quantity blend together on this occasion? Let’s find out.

“Good evening Seattle! We’re so glad to be in your beautiful city tonight! Are you ready to be entertained?! Are you ready to be entertained?! Are you ready to be entertained?!!“

As I begin this revisit of a show that has long been a stand out night on this stage of the tour for me, it’s interesting pressing play and hearing The River sound rather ragged. Coming off of the exceptional performances in Los Angeles and Portland, this is rough and at times even messy in comparison to the standard that has been set. Yet for as worrisome as this can be, we’re comforted in the fact this one is never uneventful and always an absolute joy to listen to. “Meet Me in the City” instantly highlights both sides of the coin, as while Bruce’s vocal is very rough, instead of lessening the performance quality it amplifies the intensity of his and the Band’s performance. It must be said too that the latter is no way poor as a typically storming effort from the men and women beside and behind Bruce, and for its consistency it’s actually highlighted best by new, unique harmonies from a buoyant Patti at 3:30. Upon the song’s conclusion Bruce’s opening monologue for the album is hindered, albeit nicely complemented, by a few stumbles in his recitation, and as he talks to us about his “Coming of age record,” hearing him sound so aged only enhances how reflective his words actually are.
There are no stumbles in “The Ties That Bind,” but positives and drawbacks can certainly be found in this first sequence of The River, as while the opener sets us on our way strongly with passionate vocals (1:14) and an especially animated finale (3:17), “Sherry Darling” afterwards is affected by a lot of wear and tear from Bruce. Yes, his strained approach allows for a more vitriolic tirade against his lover’s mother, but it does also restrict what he’s capable of in relation to his vocals. Thankfully for any downsides here he’s backed well by Stevie’s glimmering guitar work at 2:30 – and even more so at 2:47 – as well as a spirited vocal effort from Nils at 2:59. Imperfections are around the corner for the E Street Band, but in these opening stages they’re showing us once again how a great band is one the frontman can rely on.
Thankfully Bruce doesn’t need them to account for any missteps in naturally sublime and emphatic versions of “Jackson Cage” and “Two Hearts” – he steps up his game big time in the former, going through a range of emotions and giving us otherworldly deliveries on more than one occasion (0:56; 2:36) – however their contributions become extra important in “Independence Day” as he stumbles and hesitates at 3:32. Of course, we can also look at these ‘drawbacks’ as indicative of his demeanour while singing this song, and through them we can infer a strong sense of confusion and sadness in his tone. Notwithstanding, by this stage of the song we’ve already heard several examples of sadness in Bruce’s voice, going back to before it officially starts courtesy of another reflective monologue, which is elevated all the more by his desolate addition of “and so it goes” (2:14). As the song goes on there’s also more confusion from him, as he still seeks to find solace in something that can’t be changed, and it’s from the moment he stumbles his words that he begins talking us through the lyrics, briefly stepping away from the song performance and opting to talk more directly to Seattle as he struggles to understand what was hindering the relationship between him and his dad. In hearing the positives to all of these arguable drawbacks, as well as the poignant way in which Springsteen and the E Street Band combine at 5:30, this mightn’t be the most refined start to The River we’ve heard recently, but there’s enough to keep us entertained, if not optimistic for what’s to come.

Our optimism is rewarded with spirited versions of “Hungry Heart” and “Out in the Street,” of which the only concern is the amount of strain in Bruce’s voice during the latter. With that being the case we’re free here to enjoy two stellar Band performances (5:21 in “Hungry Heart” continues to stand out as the song’s summit) and though Bruce sounds slightly subpar in “Street,” we can give him the benefit of the doubt on account on those 3:25 harmonies in the Side Two opener. As noted, Bruce’s weaknesses are made up for by the Band’s playing, and it must be said Seattle play their part in these songs as well, showing great eagerness to drive those in front of them on. Stevie also seems to be particularly driven based on his sublime backing vocals at 4:18, and his guitar riffs a minute later at 5:18 are worthy of such praise too; to be able to hear him play them so, so clearly is telling of how these audio mixes are improving with every release, and this still can’t be taken for granted.
Now we come to the song where Springsteen and the E Street Band surprise us, and fittingly they do so in a song that has been surprising us since the tour began. Tonight “Crush on You” begins in raging fashion, and for the first two minutes it enthrals us as it’s been doing since January as the ironic “hidden masterpiece” title becomes all the more legitimate. When we come to 2:19 though, don’t adjust whatever device you’re listening on, because what you’re hearing is indeed the sound of the E Street Band trailing off. Yes, sometimes even the most reliable house band in all the land can make mistakes, but Bruce knows more than you and I just how reliable this Band are. Joyously declaring, “Keep going boys! To the five! C’mon Steve!… We’ve just f*cked this whole thing up so bad! The E Street Band knows how to save the day!!!“, the man is right once again as they certainly save it, giving us a nice little extended finale for our troubles. “Nothin’ to it!“.
A relatively rare misstep from the E Street Band, and it won’t be the last one during this performance of The River, but until we get to that we get to enjoy how they react to making such a mistake – as trivial as it, and the song it happened in, may be – and “You Can Look” gives us an instant retort as an even more motivated rendition of the song, complete with staggering guitar playing (1:24 wows us) and brilliant banter between Bruce and Stevie. Bruce’s spirited declaration of “but you can’t have it!” at 2:52 is equally an excellent affirmation of the song’s essence, and of the reality for those of us wanting another perfect album performance here in Seattle!
Fortunately for those looking for magnificence, the song of mild seduction, “I Wanna Marry You” and its “Here She Comes Walkin'” prelude are next up, and though this isn’t the most ideal example of what these twelve minutes can be on this tour, it isn’t a far cry away from being it. Opening with Bruce commending Seattle for embracing their romantic side (“Sometimes we go where nobody’s in love! Can’t stand each other some places we go!“) and with him making me crave the Western Stars outtakes in saying, ““Baby Steps of Love!” I’m gonna use that one again somewhere! My next record!“, this one continues its fantastic trend of being unique each night, and it gets better. Though this one admittedly stays consistent to the night so far in not giving us Bruce at his vocal best (4:02), his ardency shines through, and yes there are voice breaks along the way (4:32), but for every cloud there is sometimes a snippet of “Sad Mood” as there is here from 6:27. As a result of those vocals this one isn’t as delectable as the interpolations of “Chapel of Love” and “Pretty Flamingo” in L.A., but this is still a very nice addition and one I’d be happy to hear nightly. Swiftly followed by not only a gorgeous rendition of “I Wanna Marry You,” but also a good, strong version of “The River” that sees Springsteen and the E Street Band putting their all into it, as the first half of the album comes to an end we can continue looking optimistically to the rest of the night knowing this man and his Band won’t be deterred by any sort of setback.

The second half begins excellently, albeit hauntingly with “Point Blank” and with the usual support of damning piano, bass, cymbals and (in particular at 2:09) guitar to set the mood and help us envision the settings Bruce sings about, Bruce is free to take whatever approach he feels like in order to tell his story. Seemingly employing every emotion possible, there are a few that stand out above the rest for me, and it’s at 5:34 as he sings “once I dreamed we were together again… baby you and me” that first strikes me on account of his vocal tone. A lyric that stands out amongst the rest on first listen due to its positive connotations, the bitterness he sings it with here certainly doesn’t make it sound like a delightful dream, and ultimately this only adds to the sobering story he’s told us up to this point, and what follows it over the next five minutes. These five minutes are highlighted best by powerful declarations and eerie contrasts, and whether it’s the distant cry of “one false move away!” at 8:20 or his hushed repetition of “point blank” from 9:13 that unsettles you most, what’s for certain is that you’ll be left disturbed by this harrowing start to part two of The River.
As always, the impact of “Point Blank” calls for an uplift and Seattle certainly get that in the form of a rousing and eventful “Cadillac Ranch.” Emphatic from the off, Bruce maintains his robust approach for forceful declarations of lyrics such as “RIDES LIKE A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN!” (1:00) and “like a big old GUITAR!” (2:10), and the latter leads into the first notable aspect of the song, as it segues swiftly into the return of Miami Steve for a searing solo! Sunrise wasn’t a one-off after all! The superb instrumentation doesn’t end with Miami Steve either – oh no – as Nils and Soozie follow with strong spotlight solos, and all players soon combine for stimulating work from 3:13 in the build-up to a whirlwind of a finale. The finale is tumultuous too, because when Bruce exclaims “ONE MORE TIME AROUND I SAID!” at 4:39, it’s from this moment we hear our second big Band misstep of the night! Two E Street Band blunders are rarer than one, but after more laughs and (of course) more magic in the form of the guitar playing at 5:13 and the efforts of Charlie, Roy, Max and Garry alongside it, the E Street Band get the job done with a fantastic second finale (6:41) to make for the longest rendition of this one on the tour so far. Like I said, never uneventful, always enjoyable!
“I’m a Rocker” follows in fierce, but straightforward fashion next as the rest of this sequence flows solidly, only impacted by the wear and tear in Bruce’s voice. When we listen to this one it’s easy to understand why he sounds so worn too, because if he hadn’t already overstrained himself in “Caddy,” the way he emphasises “Kojak!” and the way he manically screams from 3:18 are undeniable examples of a man likely to have a sore throat the next day.
We hear the grit in Bruce’s voice immediately as “Fade Away” and the “little soul music” it exudes gets underway, and his harsh sound is complemented by the beauty of the E Street Band, in particular the delicate guitar (1:20) and towering organ. It’s a similar story in “Stolen Car” as evidenced in how we can hear the gravel building up in Bruce’s voice as he sings “when our love was young and bold” and “one hundred years old” from 3:00, but unlike the song prior the playing of the E Street Band here is elegiac, with guitar, organ and harmonies emphasising the terror that awaits our fallen character, instead of calling out alongside him as an admission of his sins.

As Springsteen and the E Street Band get down and dirty at the Roadhouse for “Ramrod,” Seattle (and those of us listening too) are ultimately surprised by a rendition that more or less sounds back to its typical Reunion era sound. Yeah, there are a few instances of Bruce embracing the nonchalant approach that has taken the month of March by storm, but on this night he and the E Street Band let loose with the intensity we’re more than accustomed to. That doesn’t just apply to the vocals either, because 2:20 gives us a savage call of “Let’s ramrod!;” 2:51 sees Bruce urging Jake on immensely with calls of “Bring it to the four!;” and an essential cry of “Boss Time!” from Stevie (4:10) leads into devastating drums and guitar for a finale played with the same level of ferocity as “Cadillac Ranch.”
A damn good start to this final sequence of The River gets even better with “The Price You Pay” sounding spotless from the first note to the last. I noted how this song had a few off moments last time out in the Portland review, and perhaps Bruce and the Band felt similar, because this is a significant improvement, one that finds itself up there with the elite up to this point on The River Tour. That shout of “E Street!” we hear upon the song’s conclusion is well earned, and this goes to show us that even when songs aren’t entirely perfect on one night, that can seemingly have its positives on the next.
“Drive All Night” brings about an equally strong vocal from Bruce (I’m still bemused as to where he pulls it from) and performance from the E Street Band, who give us another gorgeous, heartfelt version of the song. Oozing with passion and commitment, Bruce makes it clear to us this is the intention when he pleads “Let me work for your love” from 8:27, and when the work he brings features such a mesmerising combination of vocals (I love the way he sings “tender charms” at 1:41), saxophone and intensity (8:54), I can’t see why anyone would turn him away.
“Wreck of the Highway,” in all of its beautiful bleakness, closes us out and after the robust pair of songs preceding, fittingly for this rough rendition of The River a touch of strain returns to help Bruce tell this final story. As the E Street Band back him so elegantly with gorgeous guitar licks, blissful piano and organ riffs, Bruce almost painfully recites this tragedy (listen out for the voice break at 2:17) and this leads into a truly wistful closing monologue, one that echoes the words he’s just sang to us as a reminder of how fragile time is, and how “once you enter the adult life, you have a limited amount of time, to do your work, to raise your family, and to try and do something good.” We’ll see what good Springsteen and the E Street Band can do with The River next time in Madison Square Garden.

“That’s The River!“

There’s an hour and a half of music yet to be played in Seattle before focus shifts to New York, and while The River wasn’t played to perfection on this night, the House Party that follows is one of my favourites from this opening U.S. leg, and a big reason why this show landed in my Best of guides back in 2018. The songs selected by Bruce for tonight’s post album sequence are a relative breath of fresh air to what he’s been favouring regularly over the last two months, and we begin with the second tour performance of “I’m Goin’ Down” for a nice, upbeat kick off following “Wreck on the Highway.” Brimming with sleazy, stirring guitar, the music played here is so boisterous that it even towers over Bruce at 0:54, and while we can look at that as a negative, it’s really a gleaming, positive example of the exuberance that comes with this song – for more of that energy look to 2:02. Admittedly, another potential drawback here is that Jake’s first sax solo ends a touch imperfectly, however his work in the finale only adds to its immensity, and a finale as immense as this one can only be capped off by Bruce’s rowdy scream and allusive call of “Kiss me baby! I’m goin’ down!” (3:27).
Max’s rumbling drums help Bruce make his way down, and they help launch him right back up for “Badlands” too, as the energy continues flowing at a very high tempo. The tempo they’re playing at is so high, in fact, that the music overrides Bruce in this song as well, with 2:13 as an exclamation of the E Street Band’s excellence immediately following The River. That’s with a lot of this song left to go, let alone the concert, and it manages to get better as they add to their highlight reel with riveting guitar (3:23) and Max dominates an outstanding, relentless sequence from 4:24 that culminates over two minutes later in a cathartic finale led by guitars and audience. Essence.
The Band segues masterfully into “She’s the One” and Charlie’s organ intro next, and of course this is another unrelenting tour de force. Driven on by even more forcefulness from Bruce, Stevie and Max in particular, there’s evidently something in the post-River album air here in Seattle because the increase in intensity is staggering, and it only increases more with the tour debut that follows.
In its first of only two outings in 2016, “Adam Raised a Cain” bubbles in its build, and it explodes in the fiery and vitriolic manner we can only hope for when it appears in the setlist. As we’d expect this one begins reflectively and apprehensively from Bruce, and his vocal gets all the more furious as he contrasts “Independence Day” with the other side of his relationship with his father. Where Bruce’s sombre vocal on Side One closer of The River is met by wistful work from the E Street Band, in this one his rage is complemented by scathing guitar and pounding drums, and 2:29 up to the detonation of 4:30 is Bruce finding solace in a completely different manner. It’s a shame we can’t hear this song played in multiple shows from across this tour – interestingly it wasn’t played once on the original River Tour back in 1980/81 – but when a single performance is as expressive as this, I suppose too many of them may well have been too hot to handle for Springsteen, the E Street Band and audiences around the world!

It isn’t a complete revamp of the House Party sequence – as evidenced by “Badlands” and “She’s the One” – because the usual suspects remain and “Because the Night” follows strongly from that blistering “Adam.” Starting off with a more dreamlike tempo complemented by a gravelly Bruce vocal, it doesn’t take long for this one to echo the song prior once all of the E Street Band join in. Mind you, it isn’t a consistent echo from this point forward, as from 1:18 we can hear an interesting shift in Bruce’s approach despite the Band’s fiery playing; thankfully it doesn’t take too long for him to ensure us his own fiery passion hasn’t subsided and his singing alongside Patti and Nils at 1:54 is superb. This combination of the three is an additional example of the grand team effort this song (if not all of them) is, and that’s perhaps emphasised best at 3:09 as, while Nils is the star, this moment isn’t entirely solo because the support of his bandmates is so emphatic and so, so mint.
Then in another awesome transition, “Because the Night” flows majestically into “Tougher Than the Rest,” and that’s with this Tunnel of Love track being a complete shift in tempo and atmosphere! In what we can look at as the prelude to the Darkness outtake, this tender love song sees prominence for Charlie (1:10) and a less forceful, albeit still profound performance from Bruce and the rest of the E Street Band. Bruce noticeably sings with strain, but he’s solid and determined, especially when duetting with Patti, and the instrumentals of the men and women beside them simmer nicely, leading to a robust finale driven by a lovely blend of harmonica and guitar. “Tougher” is the final eye-catching song in this sequence, but it isn’t the final song or the last to be played well, as this portion of the show concludes in typical fashion with “The Rising” bringing immense power (1:28) and more unique Patti harmonies (4:26), and “Thunder Road” giving “The Price You Pay” a run for its money as another tremendous, spotless rendition on this night. With more still to come, upon the end of this one there’s enough here to remind me why I’ve long considered this an elite night of this leg.

Bridging us into the encore is the nightly shout out to those trying their best to do something good, and tonight Bruce not only gives a call to support to those in the house from West Seattle Food Bank, but adds that Pearl Jam will match whatever money is raised by this show’s audience. That leads into a mighty cry of “Eddie!!“, a rapturous ovation for the Pearl Jam frontman – acknowledged by Bruce who quips, “I get booed in my hometown!” – and for the first time since February 26th, 2014 we get Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder singing together in an E Street Band show. The song selection isn’t “Highway to Hell,” in fact it’s a complete shift in tone with “Bobby Jean,” but the execution of the performance is equally enjoyable and at times truly delectable. Vedder’s vocals are perfect for this one, with his fluidity and emphasis on certain lines sublime and the way he combines with Bruce and the Band is fantastic. The guitar licks and organ we can hear at 1:05 simply amplify a performance made all the more emotional by Eddie’s presence and yarling, and the stunning way his vocal blends with Bruce’s voice at 2:51 for the final lyrics is breathtaking – for Jake to then follow them with that sax coda just makes this rendition otherworldly.
No major surprises in the rest of this typically shaped encore, but as always there are notable aspects to every song. “Born to Run” sees Bruce singing nicely after his fine, albeit overshadowed efforts in “Bobby Jean,” and where the finale of the song prior was coated in melancholy, this one is particularly joyful (3:55), which aptly takes us into a breezy, but ardent performance of “Dancing in the Dark.” Intensity does cut through at times (2:55), but this one buoys Seattle greatly, and it serves as a celebration of an ultimately successful trip down to The River – 1:47 shows us we’re still finding things along the way too, as Bruce gives a little 1984-esque vocal in this revamped rendition for the modern era!
Giving Seattle reason to stay excited next is “Rosalita” – which remains a treat on this tour akin to “Stolen Car” and “The Price You Pay” despite its consistency – and of course, after what I wrote in the Portland review, in this recording there’s a very nice balance between Bruce’s vocal and the E Street Band’s instrumentals behind him as the song begins. It isn’t completely clear as we can note it’s still a little echoey, but it’s clear enough to make me consider rescinding my words.
The eight minutes of madness in “Rosie” (not just from Bruce, as Stevie’s rambling shows us at 2:15) has its repercussions for Bruce in “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” because while the E Street Band’s ability to play this one strongly is unaffected, he certainly struggles vocally in a heated version. As always, I can’t fault his commitment, but his ferocious approach to telling the E Street Band’s origin story doesn’t make for the easiest listen of the song that we’ll ever hear. Here’s hoping whatever magic helped him in Los Angeles returns in the near future!
While we’ll have to see what happens regarding “Tenth,” there’s plenty of magic in “Shout” as it sees us out of this concert. We don’t have to wait long to hear it either, because Bruce singing “Seattle! Do you have anything left right now!?” while directing the E Street Band as to what key they should be in is a mint opening minute, and given the consistency of the performance to usual, it might be where this version peaks. Not to worry though, there’s more bliss deeper into this storming finale, and in a song already filled with soul, 4:20 is a joy for Bruce’s “I said it’s alright!” and how it leads into “I gotta message! I want you to bring! Out on the street!“. Wear and tear has been prevalent across this show, and it impacted the song prior, but it vanishes in this one, leaving us floored by the enthusiasm and energy of our leading man and those onstage with him. Exemplified by a series of false finishes for a very strong home stretch of the song, there’s no desire from anyone to leave this arena, and while the show has its imperfections, there’s no doubt that Bruce and the Band have maintained their immense form.

In three hours and forty-three minutes, Springsteen and the E Street Band play an absolute stormer for Seattle, resulting in a concert that wouldn’t be misplaced as the final night of a tour. It’s a little inconsistent with surprising missteps in “Crush on You” and “Cadillac Ranch” adding to a scrappy Bruce vocal, but even with these setbacks The River is a constant delight that keeps us entertained from start to finish. An argument could then be made that the post-album sequence is even more entertaining, with a freshened up selection of songs such as “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Adam Raised a Cain” – which perfectly complements “Independence Day” – stunning us in their joy and rage, and a solid encore of usual suspects is highlighted best by the appearance of Eddie Vedder for a “Bobby Jean” that sounds all the more emotional with his vocal approach.
Next up is a return to MSG, will it be up to the new standard?

Rating: 7.8/10

Kieran’s recommended listening from March 24th, 2016 – Seattle, WA:
“Meet Me in the City,“ The River, in particular: “The Ties That Bind,” “Sherry Darling,” “Jackson Cage,” “Independence Day,” “Crush on You,” “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch),” “Here She Comes Walkin'” – “I Wanna Marry You,” “The River,” “Point Blank,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “I’m a Rocker,” “Fade Away,” “Stolen Car,” “Ramrod,” “The Price You Pay,” “Drive All Night” and “Wreck on the Highway;” “I’m Goin’ Down,” “Badlands,” “She’s the One,” “Adam Raised a Cain,” “Because the Night,” “Tougher Than the Rest,” “Thunder Road,” “Bobby Jean” and “Shout.”

You can download this stop in Seattle on The River Tour 2016 here.

The quickest and easiest way to support my blog is by liking and sharing, however if you would like to donate you can do so here.