Here's the music and songs that Bruce Springsteen played on the madison.
1. Badlands Same opener as Friday. Always has been one of Bruce's powerful choices to open a show.
2. We Take Care of Our Own Still sounding good
3. Wrecking Ball Big applause when the Giants were mentioned.
4. Out in the Street The third time in the past four shows this has been played but it still sounds a bit rough. Again there's confusion when Bruce asks other band members to sing along at the end ("Come on Stevie") as in past tour and no one really knows how to respond.
5. Death To My Hometown Keeps the crowd on its feet
6. My City of RuinsBefore the song, Bruce said he's "the ambassador of peace between New York and New Jersey. I want to bring peace and harmony to the bridge and tunnel crowd. He then told the same story as Friday (and as he did at the 2000 MSG shows) how the Statue of Liberty "happens to be in New Jersey. We love 'New York, New York.' It's one of the greatest theme songs about a city and it happens to be sung by a man from New Jersey. "There's the World Champion New York Giants who happen to play in a stadium that's in New Jersey. "It's like having the Empire State Building be called the Garden State Building and leaving it in New York."Bruce then asked who came from New York, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut. He did the ususal speech how "your voice, legs and feel will hurt after the show and your sexual organs will be stimuated. He then saw a bunch of people sitting on the side of the stage and said "we got to get your lazy asses out of your seats." Song is still one of the show's highlights. Very powerful when Bruce introduces the band and then says "are we missing anybody" and a spotlight shines over Danny Federici's and Clarence Clemons' spots. There were quite a few changes to the printed set list at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
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| Bruce Springsteen setlist |
7. Spirit in the Night (tour premiere)
"We're going to play somethig we haven't played yet. We're going to go way back," Bruce said.
He mentioned they used to go to this pond on a Saturday night as he broke into the song.
I figured we would hear this one sooner or later. It's always good and at one point, Bruce lies down on the center extension right next to the crowd.
8. Thundercrack (sign request)
Bruce grabbed the sign from the front fo the stage. He saw it while playing Spirit. I love hearing this song but not sure how much the Garden crowd was into it. Neither this song nor Spirit were on the printed set lsit.
9. Jack of All Trades
Point of the show where Bruce brings things down a bit and talks about current times and struggles.
10. Trapped
Has become a favorite of Bruce's lately. as it was played at the second Philadelphia show (March 29), in Washington, D.C. (April 1) and at the second Izod show (April 4). Crowd always digs it.
11. She's The One
Does this song ever disappoint? One of the many songs where Jake Clemons really stands out. Jakes been doing a great job. A friend texted me after the show and wrote "Love Jake!"
12. Easy Money
Another of the new songs that has been in the set list every show. I still love how the horn players play an individual drum.
13. Waiting on a Sunny Day
Looks like it's here to stay. The crowd participation song. A young boy sang with Bruce and later did the knee slide with him.
14. The Promised Land
I'll say what I always say... Rotate this one out every once in awhile.
15. Apollo Medley (The Way You Do the Things You Do/634-5789)
Bruce talked about how playing soul music allowed him to play "Elks halls, bar mitzvahs, Foodtown openings, intermission of drive-in movie theaters" among other places when he was growing up on the Jersey Shore.
He said how he saw a soul singer in the 1980s in California and loved how the women reacted when he sang way down.
He then asked all the women at the Garden to scream three different times and he said this is the reason why he plays music, almost as much as for that reaction as for the money.
Before the crowd surf, he once again chugged two beers from the platform at the back of the pit.
16. Because the Night
Where the show, which for whatever reason had slowed downt, started to take off. Great guitar solo by Nils. Patti sings along with Bruce at one point and it doesn't work. Not the best song for her to sing along on.
17. The Rising
Continues to have a great crowd reaction.
18. We Are Alive
Not sure the crowd fully appreciates this one as there always seems to be a lot of talking.
19. Backstreets (tour premire)
Highlight of the evening. "New York City" Bruce yelled out before Roy Bittan hit those magical notes on the piano. Garden crowd loved it. Played very well.
Bruce just said "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" at the end.
20. Land Of Hope and Dreams
Closed the main set. First time "Thunder Road" hasn't closed on this tour. This wasn't played the past two shows. Nice to have it back and it made for a fine closer.
Encores:
21. Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore of Long Branch)
Bruce said "Madison Square Garden is always a special place. When I was a kid, when TV was first invented, every Friday night there were the fights at Madison Square Garden that we gathereed around this tiny screen to watch. There was the Gillette razor commericals too."
This seems to get better and better every show.
22. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Is this ever not fun? Only second time it's been played on the tour. Before it started Bruce said "Spotlight on Steven. Spotlight on me: A little more spotlight on me!"
and: "There's only one way to send you home!"
A screw up toward the end when the horns played the wrong part. Steven immiediately motioned to them that it was wrong and Bruce laughed. At one point, Bruce jumped up on a riser behind the drums.
23. Born To Run
Houselights turned on for the remainder of the show. This song never gets boring. Watching the crowd with the lights on is always amazing.
24. Dancing in the Dark
Thought maybe we'd get "Glory Days" in this spot. Bruce brought up a little girl to dance with him.
25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Bruce jumped up on the piano and again closed the show with a tribute to Clarence Clemons. Bruce goes to the stage at the back of the pit, and stops the band for 90 seconds as a video montage of Clarence is shown. Tonight there were different clips than the previous two shows with more recent clips of the Big Man. I noticed Bruce's guitar tech, Kevin Buell, even come out to the side of the stage to watch the video.
"We'll be seeing you. Thank you New York!" Bruce said before leaving the stage.
