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March 11, 2003

A Bruce deuce

Saw Bruce Springsteen last night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center (hah!) in Providence. This was only the second time I've seen him, the last being in October at the Fleet Center in Boston.

I thought the Boston show was a great, but I think The Boss topped it last night, the only downside being the absence of Patti Scialfa who was ill.

The Arena Formerly Known as the Providence Civic Center is an old, cramped building with few restrooms and tiny corridors, and it was a pain to find parking.

But the tiny arena was perfect for Bruce. By the end of the show the crowd was almost deafening and he had it wrapped around his little finger, with a lot of help from the band, especially Clarence Clemmons who got more of a chance to work out than in Boston with songs like "Spirit in the Night".

He opened with "War" but as usual made his plea against the Iraq war as an intro to "Born in the USA".

Bruce usually does a special song for the place he's playing, and last night he spoke in remembrance of the victims of The Station nightclub fire, recalling how he'd played so many small clubs like that. And then he did "Bobby Jean" -- one of my favorites. It's a great song closing with a wonderful soulful sax from "Big Man" Clemmons (a massive weapon of musical destruction, indeed). The closing lines:

Now we went walking in the rain talking about the pain from the world we hid Now there ain't nobody nowhere nohow gonna ever understand me the way you did Maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere In some bus or train traveling along In some motel room there'll be a radio playing And you'll hear me sing this song Well if you do you'll know I'm thinking of you and all the miles in between And I'm just calling one last time not to change your mind But just to say I miss you baby, good luck goodbye, Bobby Jean

Life often leaves us with words unsaid. Do you have a Bobby Jean?

Posted by markj at March 11, 2003 08:55 AM

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» Bruce! from Boston Common
Mark saw Springsteen in Providence. Hated the arena, loved the Boss By the end of the show the crowd was [Read More]

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» Bruce! from Boston Common
Mark saw Springsteen in Providence. Hated the arena, loved the Boss By the end of the show the crowd was [Read More]

Tracked on March 11, 2003 11:35 AM

Comments

i'm jealous! i have never seen bruce, but he's on my short list of concerts to see, soon. and i crack up everytime i have been to providence and see the dunkin donuts center....of course, now that they renamed "Enron Field" ... errr... into "MINUTE MAID Field", i don't have much room to laugh, do i? glad you had a great time! :nice:

Posted by: jen at March 11, 2003 09:54 AM

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