Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/
Bruce Springsteen had an early, simple question for the Wednesday night crowd at Toyota Center.
"Is there anybody out there alive tonight?" he bellowed.
It was likely rhetorical, because from the second Springsteen walked onstage, the mood was pure, well, boss.
Springsteen has an immense power as a performer, an uncanny mix of blue-collar bravado and larger-than-life star power. He was surrounded by almost a dozen of his longtime players (Clarence Clemons, "Little" Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, a game Patti Scialfa) but was rarely out of focus during his 2.5 hours onstage.He opened perfectly with a triumphant take on "Badlands" that snapped the venue to attention. It was an immediate, powerful moment that sent waves of electricity through the crowd (who could have likely gone home happy after that one song). He briefly donned a cowboy hat during the alternately fiery and macabre "Outlaw Pete".
Tirelessly cheerful fans was almost as entertaining. Some jumped up and down with glee, some sat and watched intently. Others simply stood, staring in awe. And the end of every song was met with "Bruuuuuce!"
He commanded a modest, low-level stage with a rectangular LED screen that framed the band. It was simple but effective. Along with crafty light work, it gave the performance, despite the size of the venue, an intimate feel.
"Working On A Dream", the title track from Springsteen's current disc, brought the set's only noticeable dip. Most fans took their seats, and some even scurried to the bathroom. They just weren't as interested in New Bruce (though I dug "Radio Nowhere"'s modern groove). But the energy was back up soon enough.
"We're here tonight because we want to rock the house. And we want to build a house," Springsteen said. "We want to have a churchin' session."
He moved and spoke with the fervor of a preacher at a tent revival, tearing through a rollicking "Johnny 99", an amped-up "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and "Working on the Highway".
The Boss raced around the stage grabbing fan signs boasting various song requests, eventually settling on "Cadillac Ranch". "Waiting On a Sunny Day" incited a full-force sing-along, and "The Wrestler" (from the film of the same name) was a stirring, gorgeous standout.
He tore through "Born to Run" before a history of the E Street Band's local love -- the first gig was in 1974 at "a place called Liberty Hall" -- and giving the Houston Food Bank a warm shout-out. It led, appropriately, into the rousing gospel harmonies of "Hard Times Come Again No More". The powerful sound filled the room
"Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" was a frenetic exchange of love between performer and public, and Springsteen snapped "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" into an epic party jam. But he wasn't done. A final double-shot -- the jangly zip of "American Land" and the nostalgic pop swing of "Dancing in the Dark" -- brought things to a triumphant, terrific finish.
Setlist:
Badlands
Outlaw Pete
No Surrender
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Working on the Highway
Cadillac Ranch
It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Kingdom of Days
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
* * *
Hard Times
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Rosalita
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Dancing in the Dark
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