Bruce Springsteen Live Downloads Review: April 14th, 2016 – Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills

“Detroit! 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 transformed!?!?!“

We’ve reached the midpoint of the April 2016 shows, and the end of the first U.S. leg of The River Tour reprise isn’t far off as Springsteen and the E Street Band roll into Auburn Hills, riding high after recently delivering impressive and inspired performances in Kansas City and Columbus. Some of the dust had settled on the Greensboro cancellation that led to the Columbus show being so inspired last time out, but with The River album still the crux of this leg’s shows, the themes and context I talked about in the previous review are still entirely relevant, as they will be for the final four dates ahead. In addition to that, this night actually sees Bruce comment on the cancellation with reference to the state he’s playing in tonight, making it clear that he hadn’t moved on and further emphasising that his intentions in canceling the Greensboro show were nothing but good.

With that all said, themes of community, freedom and identity are again prevalent in this show and its album performance, and they’re highlighted by several superb song performances on the first two sides of the record, before the second half shifts focus to other themes Bruce used his “coming of age record” to explore.
The first sequence sees grit in Bruce’s vocal for “Meet Me in the City” and “The Ties That Bind,” but they’re no less enjoyable in their blend of intensity and exuberance. Any concerns of a less than stellar night of singing are then calmed, because Bruce hits his stride to complement a terrific E Street Band effort. “Sherry Darling” is filled with laughs, audience excitement (2:11) and strong showings from Little Stevie and Jake Clemons; “Jackson Cage” is, of course, magical, with a touch of reverb in Bruce’s voice as he sings “there’s nights when I dream of a better world” at 2:18 making the song even more ethereal; “Two Hearts” survives a double-count stumble at the start, and rather allows us to the appreciate the E Street Band’s playing a little bit more thanks to an extended instrumental; and finally “Independence Day” floors us with the larger than life vocals and instrumentation of an E Street Band show replaced by a softer and more intimate sound, one that perfectly replicates the “midnight conversation around a kitchen table” Bruce speaks of in his nightly monologue.

“Independence Day” is masterful, and it’s certainly grandiose in its own way, but we don’t have to wait long for the return of that truly larger than life music, because “Hungry Heart” follows, and it’s one of those versions where Bruce was fearful for his life during his crowd surf! “Jesus Christ!” is the cry we can hear at 4:31, and it adds an equally dramatic and exciting element to the usual blend of determination and spirit we often get with this one. “Out in the Street” is less dramatic, but it’s definitely an exciting rouser that also flows solidly with more of the same vivacity; before “Crush on You” again accentuates how much of a joy it’s been as part of this album sequence since January, and “You Can Look” brings additional satisfaction, with thanks in particular to the captivating “Oh no no!” – “Oh nah nah!” back and forth between Bruce and Stevie.
Perhaps most surprisingly in the second sequence, the combination of “Here She Comes Walkin'” and “I Wanna Marry You” doesn’t blow away the songs alongside it as an utterly amazing ten minutes that we may have become accustomed to on this leg of the tour. It still stands out, mind you, courtesy of its sublime instrumentals, harmonies and soulful qualities that have led to it being the one to look out for, but there’s only one unique moment on this night that comes across as fresh to me: more reverb akin to “Jackson Cage,” as a gorgeous delivery of “you just walk on byyyyy” at 5:52 becomes all the more gorgeous because of it.
It could also be said that the reason “I Wanna Marry You” doesn’t stand out as much tonight is because the version of “The River” afterwards is another shining rendition of the song on this tour, one that gifts us a magnificent E Street Band performance and a similarly staggering Bruce vocal to what we heard in Kansas City. As this first half of the album wraps up in strong, passionate fashion, it’s evident the intensity they were bringing to the show in Columbus hasn’t subsided.

The second half of The River begins with Michigan very appreciative of Roy’s extended piano intro for “Point Blank,” and very excited to hear the seven and a half minutes that follow. Of course, excitement doesn’t show its face too much during this song, instead it coats The Palace of Auburn Hills in an unnerving atmosphere, directed by a fluctuating Springsteen vocal as his character wears a series of masks (perhaps never showing his true face) and an unsettling array of crashing cymbals, cutting electric and pulsating bass guitar from Max, Little Steven and Garry in particular.
For as despondent as the opener of this half is, excitement can certainly be found in the following renditions of “Cadillac Ranch” and “I’m a Rocker,” two songs that interestingly see Bruce, Stevie, Garry and Max combine once again – with help from Nils, Soozie, Jake, Roy and Charlie of course – but this time they juxtapose the tone of “Point Blank” with ten minutes of catharsis. Ten minutes that are much needed.
It’s catharsis not only needed after the two songs prior, but as a moment of respite for the two that follow. “Fade Away” brings some “Jersey soul!” into Michigan, and it flows as we’re to expect as a beautiful lament of love lost and a plea for love’s return, but then we get one of those moments that reminds us to never pass over a show because of the setlist ‘looks the same’. Michigan may have caused Bruce concern during his surf in “Hungry Heart,” but at 4:50 they stun us – Bruce too, very likely – with their responsive calls of “Fade away!“! A mesmerising nuance that not only underlines the quality of this audience, but also the familiarity of a song underplayed over the years on account of fears it can’t spark a reaction like this. Magic.
“Stolen Car” follows with the grizzled vocal approach once employed for a weathered effect in this flawless as ever reading, and the most interesting aspect for me here is something that also stood out last time, the delivery of the finale line: “that in this darkness, I will disappear.” However, where last time saw dejection blend with the faintest sense of delight, on this occasion there’s catharsis to both “darkness” and “disappear,” providing us with an interesting contrast where Bruce’s character is not only (tragically) looking forward to his life as a ghost, but in his final moments as a member of the living he’s begun to grow fond of the life he’s been living. In addition to the question Bruce asks us in his opening monologue, as the song draws out to more ethereal organ and piano, we’re asked another question: ‘When you’ve been living a life like this for so long, in the end does it not seem that bad?‘

With catharsis needed once again to improve Auburn Hills’ morale, “Ramrod” is called upon and this very enjoyable performance gives us exactly what we’re hoping for. In fact, Bruce summarises it better than I ever could with his opening declaration of “It’s good for ya!“, and what continues to be particularly good for the soul is the glorious anticipation and execution of “It’s Boss Time!” with the guitar to complement it – Max’s drumming at 5:24 falls into this category too!
The welcome delights then keep on coming as the final sequence of The River rolls on. “The Price You Pay” is stunning, with the “oh oh oh” harmonies at the beginning and end now a joyous staple of these late first leg shows; “Drive All Night” brings us another shout out worthy showing from Jake, and the song also sees Bruce stun us with his vocal deliveries. I particularly love that strong sign of remorse from a flawed protagonist at 1:19 as he sings “All I wanna do is hold… you tight,” and even more so than that I love the delivery of “Heart and soul!” from 6:10, the extra emphasis to it and the genuine sense of heart put into it makes both this line and the song mean more than usual. At this stage of the leg I wasn’t sure that was possible.
Finally, “Wreck on the Highway” closes the album out as another exquisite, passionate performance – note the way Bruce sings “drove him awaaaaay!” at 1:55 – and there’s one final contextual factor yet to be mentioned in this review that I believe elevates it even higher. The Palace of Auburn Hills was a frequent stop for Springsteen since 1992, but it would be demolished four years after this show in 2020, making this the final time he’d play it. Similarly to other venues that closed their doors for good on this tour such as the Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee and the Sports Arena in L.A., listening to this final song and Bruce’s accompanying outro we’re given another example of time taking important aspects of our lives and our histories away. For the Palace, this is an example of time acting unexpectedly, as I’m sure Bruce and the E Street Band had no inclination this would be in the last time during this moment in April 2016. With that context and Bruce’s words in mind, we’re given extra incentive to appreciate the moments we have and the time we have to enjoy them, and to make sure we’re doing something good along the way.

“That’s The River!“

The night continues with a straightforward, but undeniably enjoyable House Party sequence featuring five tremendous song performances. “Badlands” kicks off proceedings as a shot of adrenaline after the solemn “Wreck on the Highway,” and the great guitar solo from 2:29 and likewise drumming from Max at 4:25 ensures it’s one that can’t be missed. The Darkness on the Edge of Town opener is followed by its album brethren, “The Promised Land,” which is an equally imperative listen on this night, as its blissful combination of harmonica and organ; passionate Nils and Stevie harmonies; and immense contributions from Michigan (3:37) really make for the awe-inspiring aura that this song deserves. Speaking of awe-inspiring, “Backstreets” afterwards is even better. A special one from the start with that audience cheer as it sinks in what Roy is playing (0:19), Michigan’s excitement and adulation is very appropriate, because this performance certainly doesn’t lack passion, quality or even ‘freshness’ despite a couple of outings in recent shows. With powerful instrumentation and a vocal that blends anger and sadness – the latter is best showcased by the gutting interlude where Bruce repeats “Forever friends… until the end…” – “Backstreets” feels as much of an Epic as ever here, and that’s even before the ultimate build and explosion of its finale. Breathtaking!
Before a similarly inspiring “Thunder Road” sees us out of this House Party sequence, “Because the Night” and “The Rising” bring additional highlights. In the former, those Stevie guitar riffs (1:02) are again a true joy to listen to, but it’s back to the norm as Nils steals the show in emphatic fashion, almost as if he also sensed he was ‘second best’ in Columbus. Entirely worthy of that post-song shout out! Then “The Rising,” a setlist staple that is always so consistent, surprises us massively with several very powerful vocals from 3:30 onwards. The way Bruce breaks away from his typical way of singing these “sky of…” lines here is amazing, and in how this leads to the song sounding less stagnant and more sincere, we can tell that there’s extra meaning to his and the E Street Band’s performance of it on this Michigan night. When we hear how he follows this song up, it’s even more impactful.

“Just wanna give ya a heads up, y’know, uh, Michigan’s considering bills similar to the ones that forced us to cancel our show in North Carolina… so just on behalf of the LGBT community and many caring people in this state, we hope the bill doesn’t pass because we love playing in Michigan! So keep your heads up!“

With the statement fans expected to hear in Columbus delivered and the message to the powers that be sent, the encore on April 14th begins as it did on April 12th, with “Born in the U.S.A.”. I said in the previous review that the inclusion of this titanic track may not have been intentional, but it was definitely relevant, and I dare say it’s definitely intentional on this night! With the fight for justice still ongoing, this version of the soldier story is as fiery as we’d expect, but as he did two nights ago Bruce balances out the fire with sorrowful, soulful and tragic declarations of birthplace, as well as lines such as “He’s all gone now” at 2:11. Along the way he’s helped by a resounding E Street Band display, with the efforts of Max, Charlie and Roy standing out alongside the pronounced participation of an eager Michigan audience (1:49), showing us what Essence can be achieved when people are united as one.
Togetherness is the message of this encore, as the theme is further explored in the five songs that see the show out. “Born to Run” exudes equal amounts of catharsis as it did in Columbus; “Dancing in the Dark” features several awesome vocals – listen to that soulful “Hey there baby!” at 0:48; the extra lamenting “ain’t getting nowheeeeere!” at 1:33; and my favourite, the “fire without a spark!” at 1:51 that is sung with the same delivery and intent as Bruce would sing it with on Broadway over a year later – and “Rosalita” urges all of us to get out and get crazy, although maybe not as crazy as Bruce and Stevie act in this one. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Shout” are then of course, focused on similar themes of community and dancing together free of any cares in the world, but as well as their thematic qualities, these two are special tonight for a different reason.
With Bob Seger in attendance this night, standing at the side of the stage for the entire show, as “Tenth” begins he’s urged onstage by Stevie for a special guest appearance. However, this is no ordinary guest appearance, because this is one that takes us all the way back to the original River Tour, and with later knowledge that this would be Springsteen and the E Street Band’s last time in this arena in mind, it brings it all home given how Bob joined Bruce for “Thunder Road” on the opening night of the 1980 tour on October 3rd in the Crisler Center at the University of Michigan. A lovely moment in time.
It must be said that while Seger’s appearance is more than fitting, he doesn’t really impact these two song performances other than giving Bruce reason to proclaim “One of my heroes Bob Seger on tambourine!” during the finale. Not to worry though as “Tenth” and “Shout” are solidly played – the former highlighted by a delicious “to the waall now!” at 1:51 and the latter by a very fun “Can I get a witness?!” section at 3:04 – capping off a spirited evening on the final stretch of The River Tour 2016’s final leg in the same motivated fashion it began with.

The halfway point of the final month of the opening U.S. leg on The River Tour 2016 sees a superb performance of The River album, one that highlights the form Springsteen and the E Street Band are on, how tuned in they are and how perfected their playing is at this late stage of the leg. Spurred on by a fantastic Auburn Hills audience, this night sees stellar readings of “The River,” “Fade Away” and “Stolen Car,” before the post-album House Party sequence delivers a tremendous six-pack of fan favourites. It isn’t as loose as in Columbus, mind you, but the versions of “Badlands,” “The Promised Land,” “Backstreets” and “The Rising” aren’t to be overlooked. It’s a similar story in the encore, which is again dominated by the appearance of “Born in the U.S.A.” and this heavy hitter has even more impact as Bruce denounces a proposed anti-LGBT+ law in Michigan beforehand. With even more surprises following in the form of a Bob Seger appearance that perfectly calls back to the opening show of The River Tour 1980, this night in Michigan is a fantastic example of how shows that mightn’t stand out in the grand scope of a tour can continue to thrill us.
Next up, the preantepenultimate show of the opening U.S. leg from Penn State University. Can Bruce and the E Street Band’s form continue into the last dances?

Rating: 7.7/10

Kieran’s recommended listening from April 14th, 2016 – Auburn Hills, MI:
“Meet Me in the City,” The River, in particular: “The Ties That Bind,” “Sherry Darling,” “Jackson Cage,” “Two Hearts,” “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,” “Fade Away,” “Stolen Car,” “Ramrod,” “The Price You Pay,” “Drive All Night” and “Wreck on the Highway”; “Badlands,” “The Promised Land,” “Backstreets,” “Because the Night,” “Thunder Road,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Shout.”

You can download this superb night from the opening leg of The River Tour 2016 here.

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