BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : SUNRISE, FEBRUARY 16, 2016

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : SUNRISE, FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Disc One (74:49)

Meet Me In The City
The Ties That Bind
Sherry Darling
Jackson Cage
Two Hearts
Independence Day
Hungry Heart
Out In The Street
Crush On You
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
I Wanna Marry You
The River
Point Blank

Disc Two (65:11)

Cadillac Ranch
I'm A Rocker
Fade Away
Stolen Car
Ramrod
The Price You Pay
Drive All Night
Wreck On The Highway
Badlands
Wrecking Ball
My Love Will Not Let You Down

Disc Three (56:31)

Because The Night
Brilliant Disguise
The Rising
Thunder Road
Born To Run
Dancing In The Dark
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Bobby Jean
Shout

Label : Nugs.net

Venue : BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida, USA

Recording Date : February 16, 2016

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review (Kieran's Thoughts) : “Good evening Florida!!! We’re so glad to be here tonight! Was seven degrees when we left New Jersey! Are you ready to be entertained!? Are you ready to be entertained?!!?!“ The midpoint of the February run of shows, this night in Sunrise follows the strongest show of the tour so far in Philadelphia, and where Springsteen and the E Street Band’s last outing here in 2014 had plenty of surprises, tonight leans in the opposite direction with no debuts, meaning we have to rely on the quality of performance for the best possible listening experience. We’ve been in this scenario once already on The River Tour 2016 with the February opener in Toronto, and given that we will be again on multiple occasions, let’s see if this one can better February 2nd, as well as what we can expect from those other straightforward nights further on down the road! “Tonight, thirty some summers on, we want you to come with us and go back down to the riverside.” The night begins with Max rumbling us into “Meet Me in the City” – his contributions don’t stop there either, in a rapturous rendition on his part (2:20) – and it’s one that sees a nice blend of smoothness and fire in Bruce’s voice, with the former leading to the song’s stand out moment for me at 1:06 in his declaration of “meet me in the city tonight!“. I really like the way he sings this, as the fluidity in his diction here so early feels so welcoming, and that’s exactly what you want from artist to audience to start the show. He maintains this welcoming attitude next, inviting Florida on the following journey down to The River, and his words about being part of an outsider community with his first two albums, stepping inside for this double LP and the foundations that can be forged and built upon when that happens are immediately brought to the fore with “The Ties That Bind”. Highlighted by spot on instrumentation for the duration and a gritty Bruce vocal that is as soulful as ever when asking “can you walk the li-ine?” (1:20), it’s a solid start in Sunrise. The themes mentioned above are further explored a few moments later in “Two Hearts”, but first Bruce has to get those “Florida party noises!“, and he certainly gets them in a strong “Sherry Darling”. Slightly hindered by sax solos that aren’t the strongest from Jake, this one still finds strengths in the quality of Roy’s piano playing (0:28), Patti’s buoyant vocals at 3:00 and most of all in the participation of Miami Steve, who is back for one night only! Shining with his sympathetic calls of “Mercy!” and “Not a chance!” (1:22) and with his guitar playing to follow Jake’s second solo, being eleven shows in we’re starting to see many similarities in near-perfected performances, but with the little tweaks to go alongside them, we continue to be thrilled. That’s most certainly the case for the menacing “Jackson Cage” up next, and it’s great to hear Bruce’s voice remain solid, with a blend of clarity and grit throughout for an additionally intense, scathing rendition. Supported by strong instrumentation from the usual four pack of Max, Garry, Charlie and Roy and likewise backing vocals from an awesome Stevie, it may still be too early to say, but I think we can expect every future version of this one to impress without fail. We could potentially say the same for “Two Hearts” as well (although not to the level of “Cage”) and if Bruce (1:31, 2:56) and Stevie (1:25, 1:47, 2:40) can keep their passion sounding as equally genuine as this all the way up to Brooklyn, we’re in luck. Of course, while the passion persists for a sentimental “Independence Day”, the first portion of the album ends with a significant tempo shift. Given the performances that have come before it on this tour, too, it may well be the most striking song of this first side. Highlighted instrumentally as always by gorgeous work from Soozie, Roy and Jake, and featuring both a Bruce vocal and monologue reading that don’t sound overly dissimilar to what we’ve heard, this is the first version of the song on this tour that truly feels set. “That’s where the love reaction is!“ “Hungry Heart” sees impressive participation from Sunrise, and even though up to now they haven’t been as loud as the previous three cities, they’re far from the quietest audience I’ve ever heard. Their invested involvement in the song stems from a committed onstage effort, and Bruce’s vocal is fine, albeit not amazing, with the occasional nice “oh yeah!” (3:16). With that being the case on his part, it’s all the better that the harmonies of Stevie (1:48), Patti (3:03) and Nils (3:18) are very good, and not too long after our eleventh crowd surf of the tour (“How’d I get here so fast?!“) these three also stand out in a stirring, organ driven “Out in the Street”. Stevie is particularly good from 1:37, and while this second side of the album may be the least nuanced of the entire album sequence (one upcoming song excluded), I have to mention just how good the coda from 5:42 is courtesy of its increased intensity. Absolute Reunion Tour levels! Flowing masterfully into “Crush on You”, this one also sees its fair share of intensity, and that’s more than evident in Max’s forcefulness from 1:54, and the accompanying fire in Bruce and Stevie’s voices – “come on!” – only exemplify it. While Roy brings some intricate delicateness (2:08) amidst the wild man cries and searing guitar, this one simply serves as a prelude to the even more furiously played “You Can Look” that follows. The advance notice before the daydream of a love song, the usual back and forth between Bruce and Stevie makes for an enthralling, riveting listen, before Bruce does the former to an even greater degree with his monologue for “Here She Comes Walkin'” – “I Wanna Marry You”. The River combo that seemingly can’t do anything but be different every night, Florida’s serving begins with Bruce touting his “magic maracas!“, which are so magic, every time Bruce shakes them “someone gets impregnated!” – “the Bruce Boom is gonna be happening months from now!” – or “someone proposes marriage!“. This brings us to 1:19, and a lovely moment in the crowd where the E Street Band’s playing serves as the backing number to a wholesome marriage proposal. Bruce nicely shouts out Carl and his future bride, reminding the former that “this song is just a daydream!“, but as Bruce sang four nights ago, “this ain’t no dream…“, and this magic moment being lived by the newly engaged couple is made all the more so by lovely versions of the two songs that follow. Honestly, while the opening monologue continues to breathe nuances galore, the tweaks within the songs are very minimal (if that), and that’s great considering how good they’ve been since day one (with the exception of that misstep in Madison Square Garden). Not many changes in “The River”, either, although it does have a couple of notable aspects shining in a naturally solid rendition. As might be expected, Sunrise are excellent where it concerns their participation, and what we get from the men and women onstage isn’t bad either. I really like the swiftness with which Bruce sings “when she was just seventeen” and “the judge put it all to rest“, and while that approach doesn’t suggest urgency, it certainly coats the song in an authentic aura. That’s further made the case when we get to 0:59 and the first declaration of “we’d go down to the river“, as Soozie’s accompanying violin makes for an even more despondent mood than usual, and in a song also featuring lovely, albeit solemn moments of guitar and piano playing from Stevie and Roy, for Soozie’s contribution to stand out above them tells us all we need to know about its impact. That being said, I can’t wrap up Side Two of tonight’s album sequence without mentioning Bruce’s gutting harmonica playing from 5:49 to close the song out. We’ve already been haunted by his falsetto, and for him to follow those calls up with this just accentuates the bleakness and misery of the situation upon us. As far as modern day versions of “The River” are concerned, that’s perfect. In typical tour fashion, that bleakness is then increased all the more with “Point Blank” to start off the second half of the evening. Retaining the usual highlights from Roy, Stevie and Garry, this one is also benefitted by very nice singing from Bruce, where he manages to blend a fine contrast of strength and fragility throughout. The first notable example of the latter is at 2:29 with his delivery of “everything will be alright“, and it’s apt that his response to the “little darling’s” prayers is that of very little optimism. In addition to several vigorous shouts of the title, the stand out moment for me in relation to the strength in Bruce’s vocal is the gritty “baby the lights go out!” at 5:02. Almost prolonged in a sensual way, it makes the following mournful organ from Charlie all the more sinister in many different ways, and leaves us both stunned, and needing a moment of respite from the darkness. That brings us to the nine and a half minute duo of “Cadillac Ranch” and “I’m a Rocker”. “Caddy” may well be the best of the tour so far too, as everything is absolutely spotless here. The combination of organ and guitar in the intro is a delightful shift of tone (0:29, 0:56) and it leads into a gritty, boisterous, motivated Bruce vocal, one that’s supported by stellar Stevie-led harmonies. As has been the case night-on-night, these two, as well as Nils and Soozie, excel their vocals with scrumptious solos, and while over the last couple of shows we’ve looked at these as “anything you can” duels, I think on this occasion we have to overlook that in favour of being swept away by all of it. However if you’re still looking to see Stevie get the upper hand on Nils in one department, look no further than 4:08 and his awesome backing vocals! “I’m a Rocker” continues lifting our spirits after the one-two gut punch of “The River” and “Point Blank”, and just like “Caddy” this is fervent in every area: Bruce’s manic vocal, the inspired harmonies, the sensational organ and piano, and the relentless drumming of Mighty Max. No version of this has truly stood out above the rest yet, but the song’s consistency is something to be pleased about going forward. Before “Stolen Car”, one that has had several stand out versions so early on into the tour – and one that is also finding its consistency – sets us on the home stretch of The River, there’s “Fade Away”, a song that continues to thrill us with multiple unique moments each night. After Charlie brings us into the song with his striking riffs, Bruce contrasts the mood with a hushed, worn vocal, and it only takes thirty-one seconds for us to truly notice the sadness in his voice, and for him to sound like he’s going to burst into tears. This sets the tone for the song entirely, and the devastation felt by our protagonist is further stressed in his emphasis of “long long time“, “since it’s been good with us“, “politely speak when you pass on by…“, and “coming niiiiight” – and the rest! Backed by very vehement Stevie harmonies (3:45!), it’s the back and forth with his consigliere that brings us the highlight of the song at 4:41: that high pitched, tragic repetition of “pleeeease baby!” and Stevie’s “oh I’m begging you darlin’!” is absolute essence. The deliveries of the title that follow from 5:01 aren’t far off being given that credit either on account of how immense they are, but on this night they just miss the mark. Another very good “Stolen Car” leads into a likewise rendition of “Ramrod” – although there’s a sure discrepancy in the quality of both songs – and following the rousing guitar playing of the latter, it’s time for “The Price You Pay”. A song undeniably on the same tier as a “Stolen Car”, Bruce’s vocal for this one is nice, but it’s a bit weathered as we can hear with his sigh at 1:24, and that unfortunately has an impact on his final high note at 4:56. It’s a motivated delivery, no doubt about it, but it’s very much undone by that voice break. Not to focus only on the drawbacks, though, as mentioned his vocal for the most part is good, and that’s certainly the case at 2:10 with the “they come so far… and they waited so long” line. Equally clear and sentimental, with the quality playing from Charlie and the rest of the Band’s crescendoing instrumentation in the background, this is one of the finest moments of the entire album sequence tonight! Of course, there are a plethora of fine moments in “Drive All Night”, and after Bruce recites the spoken intro that debuted in Hartford, we get from him a tender, delectable vocal for the song itself, with his highlights being the ardent pleas of “I only wanna see you smile” and “Don’t cry now!” at 7:21 and 7:51 respectively. Just as ardent are the outstanding harmonies we get from Stevie over the course of this one (3:25, 9:24), and while you might think Jake’s sax playing would become less thrilling the more we hear it, 3:52 confirms that is certainly not the case! Alongside Max, Garry, Charlie and Roy in particular, these two contribute greatly to the finale from 8:12, and even with Bruce sounding a bit worn in comparison to what comes prior, it’s such a magnificent serenade to see this story out. We then see The River out with a regularly wistful “Wreck on the Highway”, and a couple of voice breaks early on (and again at 2:15 and 2:26) make for a powerfully sentimental performance, one that’s maximised by the stunning playing of the E Street Band (listen to Soozie at 1:44 for an imperative example). What stands out to me most in this one, though, is how Bruce doesn’t really attempt to stay with that instrumentation, and instead of flowing alongside it he shouts (what feels like) every single line out to drive home the impact this event had on his character’s life. He carries this into his final monologue too, vehemently emphasising every word to remind us that while this is just a story, the message that comes with it of time being fragile is so very real. “That’s The River!“ To kick off the post album sequence, “Badlands” returns after a rare two show absence, and while this isn’t the most intense version we’ll ever hear, it certainly doesn’t falter in regards to its forcefulness. With that highlighted in the way Bruce tells us “I don’t give a damn!” and optimistically states “Talk about a dream!“, also shining in this is Nils who is quite prominent alongside Stevie on backing vocals – a nice call back to 2014! – and the combination of the two beside Bruce on guitars from 4:42; while the audience urge the Band on for more and Max answers their call to make for a thunderous finale. You can’t really appreciate just how crucial “Badlands” is to the live experience until it goes missing for a couple of nights! “Wrecking Ball” next sees the boos Philly had for the New Jersey references replaced by cheers, but what remains the same is a superb performance of a highly sentimental song. The latter is best exemplified by Bruce’s little voice break when singing “blood and the beer“, and even though this one isn’t without some resentment for the Giants, as he’s done elsewhere on the tour Bruce manages to get his crowd back onside with his command of “so raise up your glasses, and Jersey if you’re out there let me hear your voices call!“. An enjoyable one, as always. Valentine’s Day may have passed, but Sunrise get a couple of romantic songs courtesy of a thematic trio highlighting the journey of love. “My Love Will Not Let You Down” – not a thrilling debut tonight, but undoubtedly thrilling – firmly expresses the promise of commitment, “Because the Night” brings into focus the lustful ecstasies and possibilities that arise when the world is at your fingertips, and “Brilliant Disguise” concludes the trio by spotlighting the shame, the shame of failing to be your true self and the consequences that come with that. “My Love” is a strong follow up to last time out in Philly with solid work from Max and our storming guitarists (4:53), and I really like the genuine tone in Bruce’s voice when he sings “gonna push my way through that crowd!” at 2:06, it’s very similar to the selected call of “meet me” to start the night, as well as the invitation of “we can make it if we run” in “Thunder Road” in twenty minutes time. “Because the Night” is also solid, with the Bruce and Patti duet calling back to “Human Touch” on February 12th, and it transitions nicely into the Tunnel of Love favourite where once again they sing well together. I particularly like the positioning of both songs together, solely because of the way “God have mercy on the man, who doubts what he’s sure of” contrasts the certainty of “because the night belongs to us“. The final forty-seven minutes of the night sees consistency reign supreme with fine versions of “The Rising”, “Born to Run” and “Dancing in the Dark”, and even the other four songs aren’t overly dissimilar to what we’ve heard over the last month of shows. The aforementioned “Thunder Road” sees Bruce slowly enunciating certain lines to create another feeling of drawing out this moment, and while the song is somewhat disrupted by that dreaded mic feedback at 1:52, it’s going to take more than three annoying seconds to derail a full band version of the song on this tour! The biggest highlight in “Rosie” – which is naturally exhilarating and wild – is the participation of the audience, who are so loud that they actually tower over Bruce at points. What makes that even more incredible is that while I wouldn’t say Florida is an E Street hotspot, it’s brilliant to hear this audience (and the last ten audiences too) be so familiar with and appreciative of this song. A certainty on the original River Tour, “Rosie’s” presence on this one feels special because of how rare her outings have been in the 21st century, so to hear every arena knowing the words is mint. “Bobby Jean” is the only change to this final portion of the show, and of course it’s a delectable offering. It’s also interesting to hear considering how Patti is in the house tonight, and with that being the case it allows us to hear the song in a completely different way, as this song saying goodbye feels ever so slightly like a song of welcoming back. And with that, it’s time for the final song of the night (although it seems like Bruce has another hour in him with those cries of “I don’t wanna stop!” from 6:07), as Sunrise can stand a little bit more, and once they get Bruce to hear them, they make him “Shout” for the finale. As noted above, there’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary about this one, and the biggest surprise we get is during the band introductions: “he’s back ladies and gentlemen, Miami Steve Van Zandt!“. Nicely following up on the namedrop in “Sherry” at the start of the show, if this wasn’t feeling like The River Tour up to now, we’ve definitely got what was missing! A lack of surprises in Sunrise doesn’t make for a lack of enjoyment, as while The River continues finding its absolute flow, there are still plenty of exciting elements about it to keep us invested. Arguably the most surprising aspect of the album is “Independence Day” seeming set in regards to its intro and performance, however the continually evolving (and on this night incredibly wholesome) “Here She Comes Walkin'” – “I Wanna Marry You” and what may well be the best “Cadillac Ranch” of the tour ensure this night isn’t entirely the same to what we’ve heard so far. That applies to the post album sequence too, as it’s somewhat uneventful, but still solid with enjoyable versions of “My Love Will Not Let You Down” – which leads a thrilling trio of love songs – and “Thunder Road” before the encore is highlighted by the returning “Bobby Jean” and rousing renditions of “Rosalita” and “Shout”. Next up on The River Tour 2016 Springsteen and the E Street Band return to a surefire hotspot in Atlanta, and while it’s another night with no debuts, let’s see if they can build on this night’s performance.