Springsteen, E Street lift Philly crowd with high-energy show

By ADAM TAYLOR
The News Journal (Wilmington, DE)
10/06/2007

PHILADELPHIA -- So, can a 10-piece rock 'n' roll outfit keep a sold-out Wachovia Center crowd on their feet for more than two hours if none of the band members gets air the whole time?

If it's Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band, the answer is unquestionably "yes."

OK, Springsteen jumped about six inches high at the end of "Born to Run," the last song of the first encore, but that was it. Otherwise, the band members had at least one foot on the stage for the entire set.

But the crowd didn't seem to mind. Even though several songs from the the 24-song list came from the band's latest release, "Magic" the energy level at the center was high from start to finish.

The first portion of the set began with relatively new songs -- "Radio Nowhere," "No Surrender," "Lonesome Day," "Gypsy Biker," "Magic" and "Reason to Believe."

The crowd responded better to the next two songs, the oldies "Candy's Room" and "She's the One."

As always, Springsteen traded Telecasters all night with roadies and sang harmonies with fellow guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt.



Next was "Reason to Believe," and the fan favorite "Promised Land," from the "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album.

Springsteen twice referenced the Phillies, who are down zero games to two against the Colorado Rockies in the playoffs. Game three is today and, if the Phillies lose, the best-of-five series is over.

He told the crowd it was great to be in Philly, which he said represented "cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, french fries, the Bill of Rights, [the group's saxophonist] Clarence 'Big Man' Clemons and baseball."

He came close to predicting a Phillies victory today. "But I can't guarantee it," he said.

During the first song of the second encore, as the crowd sang along to "Waiting on a Sunny Day," Springsteen said, "If you want the Phillies to win, you have to sing louder."

After "Promised Land," the band played "Brilliant Disguise," "My Home Town," "Darlington County," Devil's Arcade," "The Rising," "Last to Die," "The Long Walk Home" and "Badlands."



Other songs during the encores were "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," "Thundercrack" and "Waiting on a Summer Day."

To some, Springsteens politics are somewhere to the left of Malcolm X. But even though the content of some of his socially conscious songs are decidedly liberal, he kept his mid-song commentary fairly nonpartisan, which was no doubt a relief to some members of the graying audience.

Before the final song,"American Land," he told the crowd, "Get out there. Let your voice be heard about what matters to you. Let freedom ring."

Contact Adam Taylor at 324-2787 or ataylor@delawareonline.com.