Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered a high-energy, marathon performance riddled with hits from throughout their storied catalog Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
The near-three hour set was a nonstop barrage of music with The Boss and his 16-piece backing band that treated fans to 27 songs form throughout their career. Nearly every seminal record from the group’s discography was represented in the setlist with cuts from “Born To Run” getting the most representation out of the classic albums.
Flanked by E Street Band veterans Nils Lofgren on his right and Steven Van Zandt on his left, Springsteen seemed as youthful as ever (or at least as youthful as a 73-year-old man can be) as he smiled, danced, laughed and sang his way through the set. He never missed a beat or seemed winded during the whirlwind tour of the group’s career.
Some of the night’s best moments came when Springsteen interacted with his bandmates. His closeness with newest E Street member, saxophonist Jake Clemons, was constantly on display. Clemons, who was celebrating is 43rd birthday at the show, was responsible for almost every highlight of the night. Every time he slowly sauntered down from the horn section’s riser to join Springsteen onstage it felt like something great was going to happen.
Clemons led the five-piece horn section through a completely rearranged and spunked-up version of the “Nebraska” deep cut “Johnny 99,” which was followed by a fiery “E Street Shuffle.” He playfully strutted with The Boss and band during a 10-minute cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped” and he shined the most during a remarkable encore. Clemons more than filled the shoes of his late uncle, and former E Street Band member, Clarence Clemons, every time he was called upon.
Five songs from the band’s 2020 album “Letter To You” were also in the set, which was the same number of “Born To Run” tracks played. Unfortunately, the emphasis on newer material meant what wasn’t played was almost as notable as what was played. Several Springsteen standards like “Adam Raised A Cain,” “Atlantic City” and “Jungleland” didn’t make the cut. While those songs were missed, The Boss and his band made “Burnin’ Train,” “Ghosts” and “Letter To You” feel as powerful and familiar as the missing classics.
The first 90-minutes of the set was nonstop music and made for an extremely rewarding and entertaining show with some stellar musicianship. But the tradeoff was getting very little stage banter and not getting to hear one of rock & roll’s greatest storytellers tell stories outside of his songs. That didn’t make concert feel cold and transactional, quite the opposite, but it did give the show a lack of intimacy and little connection between the crowd and The Boss.
While it is difficult to feel close to any artist during an arena show and this wasn’t one of Springsteen’s Broadway shows, it would’ve been nice if more than one candid story was shared since Springsteen is an artist who means so much to so many. It was a little disappointing he didn’t seem to take a lot interest in his fans considering the expensive the price many paid to get into the building.
Griping about ticket prices and Springsteen’s lack of banter aside, it was clear he and his bandmates were having a blast together onstage and that energy was contagious and bled into the crowd. And of course Springsteen does care about his fans, which is something he’s shown throughout his career. He showed it Monday by encouraging the audience to donate to the West Seattle Food Bank, which had representatives on site accepting donations.
He also showed his love for his fans by delivering an encore for the ages with hit after hit after hit to close the night. It says something about the caliber of musicianship and energy possessed by Springsteen and the E Street Band that a song as iconic as “Thunder Road” started the encore and it was the encore’s least memorable song.
“Thunder Road” was followed by the crowd-pleasing and cathartic singalong “Born To Run” which bled into a spirited”Rosalita (Come Out Tonight”). The one-two “Born In The U.S.A.” punch of “Glory Days” and “Dancing In The Dark” followed before the encore was capped off with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” during which the entire band gather near the middle of the stage before they left Springsteen alone to deliver one final song.
The concert ended with The Boss playing the touching “I’ll See You In My Dreams.” The solo acoustic treatment of the song was a perfect ending to an unforgettable show.
