TITLLE: Hot August Night "LABEL": Reason To Believe (RTB) FORMAT: 3 CD SOURCE: Audience DATE: August 23, 2009 LOCATION: Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA ARTWORK: YES SOURCE: Bakerstuff Edited and remastered from "Bakerstuff" recording CD 1: 01 Night 02 Badlands 03 Out In The Street 04 Outlaw Pete 05 It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City 06 Working On A Dream 07 Murder Incorporated 08 Johnny 99 09 Independence Day 10 Heatwave (Instrumental) 11 I'm Goin' Down 12 You Never Can Tell 13 Janey Don't You Lose Heart 14 Prove It All Night CD 2 01 Waitin' On A Sunny Day 02 The Promised Land 03 The River 04 Lonesome Day 05 The Rising 06 Born to Run 07 Girls In Their Summer Clothes 08 "Public Service Announcement" 09 Thunder Road 10 American Land (w Ken Casey) 11 Dancing In The Dark 12 Glory Days 13 Twist And Shout 14 Hang On Sloopy CD 3: 01 Growin' Up 02 Hungry Heart ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bruce and the E Street Band, hotter than the August night. New England all hot and bothered. Downtown Boston crazy with a Yankees/Red Sox baseball game, and Mansfield just a mere 45 miles away made insane by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Bruce once again mixes up the opening with "Night," and the crowd roars in response to Clarence's raging sax. After "Outlaw Pete," "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" is the night's first big surprise. "Saint" gives us a flashback to the Magic tour, an electric guitar duel between Bruce and Steve with an intensity that rivals any of last year's "Gypsy Biker" face-offs. Bruce leads and Stevie follows with lightning fast hands, dripping sweat, ripping chords from their guitars. "Independence Day" provides the introspective intensity like last night's "Point Blank." Bruce's vocal is particularly intense and edgy, Roy's piano taking the forefront and Bruce stoking single notes during the beautiful bridge. "Heatwave" is the vamp song while Bruce gathers the signs--sadly, it's only played as instrumental. Next up, "I'm Goin' Down" whips the crowd up again. Then the real fun: the band can't decide what key the next song is in, finally Bruce "gets" the chorus and they break into the Chuck Berry classic "You Never Can Tell." The smiles on the band's facesbroaden as their confidence grows and they rock it out. The last sign spot recreates the "I'm Goin' Down" single, with the B-side "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart." Once again the band takes a moment beforehand, with a vote of confidence from Bruce: "We know these... but we don't know them right away!" "Janey" has always one of my favorites, more special to me because friends of mine recently lost their teenage daughter to cancer. When I had one of those don't-know-what-to-say moments, I told them about the lyrics to "Janey." The remainder of the set rolls with "The River," with Bruce's beautiful vocal and falsetto at the end, and then "Lonesome Day" and "The Rising." Bruce and the band deliver as always, and the music washed away my all emotions with "Born to Run" and a killer encore set that just wouldn't stop. "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" sounding great, better than before. "American Land," with it's Celtic rhythm, has the crowd's Boston Irish population dancing in the aisles. "Twist and Shout" into a free-form "Hang on Sloopy." Another twist with "Growin' Up," and still the crowd would not give up on the band, practically forcing them into one more song--a great sing-along on "Hungry Heart." The crowd shuffled to the parking lot, everyone hot and sweaty, hoarse from singing and cheering, amazed by what they've seen. Then to the car radio to see if the Sox won... now that's a summer night. ------------------------------------------------------------------- BONUS TRACKS COMCAST THEATRE, HARTFORD, CT ON AUGUST 19, 2009 03 Sherry Darling (w Three Accordions) 04 Something In The Night 05 Mountain Of Love 06 Sha La La 07 Be True 08 My Love Will Not Let You Down 09 American Skin (41 Shots) This was Bruce's first show since his Aug. 2 show in Spain and it kicked off this leg which will run until Nov. 22. One tour premiere, "Sha La La," played by Bruce and the band for the first time since the Dec. 28, 1975 show at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. "Sha La La" was originally recorded by Manfred Mann in 1965. Other highlights included opening the show with "Sherry Darling," the cover "Mountain of Love" being played for the second time this tour and "Be True." COMCAST CENTER, MANSFIELD, MA ON AUGUST 22, 2009 10 Jackson Cage 11 Burning Love 12 For You 13 If I Should Fall Behind 14 Detroit Medley 15 Born In The USA Further rarities: "Burning Love" in the request set was tight as a drum and a ton of fun, followed by "For You." A full band "If I Should Fall Behind" came out for just the second time on the tour, requested by Tom for Ingrid at their 224th show. No trading off the vocals as in '99, but Bruce brought the other E Streeters in for some nice harmonies. "Detroit Medley" kicked off the encore thanks to a one-of-a-kind sign: a blow-up doll. ("Steve has many of these at home!") The doll's accessories were the tip-off: "And she's wearing..." "A blue dress!" "And the horns mean..." "Devil!" Yep, message received, and they rocked it. Though Steve went sans guitar for a little while, making some adjustments to the doll, repairing a wardrobe malfunction, and putting the red wig on Bruce's head. Enjoy It