Moncton 26th August 2012 - show 58

Moncton is home to Magnetic Hill. Objects seemingly roll uphill on Magnetic Hill. Put your car in neutral and, like magic, your car will roll uphill all on its own! 

photo by Remo Zaccagna @RemoZaccagna

I've read a lot of reviews during the tour and all go over the same ground as does this one. I wonder whether the writers really are not aware that the events on stage happen every night, or could it be they are writing on the assumption the reader doesn't know? Whatever the reason most of the reviews talk about each show as if it is unique.

Of course, each show is different in its own way.  Bruce makes sure it is.  This time he says a few words about Moncton - he mentions the weather and talks about Magnetic Hill. Apparently there is a similar phenomenon in New Jersey.

Interestingly the review suggests a lot of the crowd were newbies:-

Taking to the piano for a solo performance of If I Should Fall Behind, Springsteen noted that the song had been requested by a fan who’d been to 270 shows – “making up for the rest of you,” he teased the crowd, most of whom had earlier confessed to being E Street show novices.

The final paragraph tells us those fans will be coming back:-

As the final notes drifted out over the crowd and a never-ending chorus of “Broooooooce” filled the night, Springsteen lifted his guitar in salute. Calling out, “Thank you, Moncton! We’re coming back!” Bruce and the band slowly made their way off the stage. It’s safe to say that they made thousands of new fans that night… Fans who are counting on the band to make good on their promise to pay a return visit to their “new favourite place.”

The review on Backstreets explains how we know about the first time fans:-

Springsteen asked the crowd how many fans were seeing his show for the first time. After a deafening roar he noted, "I guess I've got my work cut out for me!"  

and 

Two hours into the show he stated, "For a crowd who's never seen a show before, you're fucking incredible!" declaring Moncton as his "new favorite place."

and if anyone was ever in any doubt about the power of a Springsteen gig the final paragraph says it all:-

All was calm as 30,000 fans walked side by side out of the concert grounds at 10:45pm. Fans seemed to be in a state of euphoria, one boy stating, "I haven’t eaten since 12 o'clock and my knees are shot, but it was worth it!" When my father and I finally made it back to our hotel he said, "My back, arms, legs, feet, and throat are all hurting, but I never felt better." The sure sign of an unforgettable show that will be talked about by those who were there for years to come, first-timers or not. 

So here's the set list. Not a very long show in comparison with some this tour but perhaps Bruce thought the novice crowd weren't quite up to it !!

	Toronto 24/08/12 Time 8.05 to 11.45	Moncton 26/08/2012  Time 7.37 to 10.40
1	Working On The Highway (27)	No Surrender (17)
2	Hungry Heart (18)	Working On The Highway (28)
3	Sherry Darling (3)	Hungry Heart (19)
4	We Take Care Of Our Own (57)	We Take Care Of Our Own (58)
5	Wrecking Ball (57)	Wrecking Ball (58)
6	Death To My Hometown (57)	Death To My Hometown (58)
7	My City Of Ruins (57)	My City Of Ruins (58)
8	Spirit In The Night (31)	Spirit In The Night (32)
9	Thundercrack (6)	Pay Me My Money Down (2)
10	Jack Of All Trades (48)	Jack Of All Trades (49)
11	Murder Incorporated (11)	Because The Night (25)
12	Prove It All Night (19)	Lonesome Day (20)
13	Candy’s Room (9)	Darlington County (15)
14	She’s The One (19)	Shackled And Drawn (42)
15	Darlington County (14)	Waitin, On A Sunny Day (58)
16	Shackled And Drawn (41)	The Promised Land (34)
17	Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (57)	If I Should Fall Behind (2)
18	Incident On 57th Street (3)	The River (27)
19	The Rising (52)	The Rising (54)
20	Badlands (50)	Badlands (51)
21	Land Of Hope And Dreams (39)	Thunder Road (32)
22	We Are Alive (48)	Born To Run (58)
23	Thunder Road (31)	Glory Days (17)
24	Born To Run (57)	Dancing In The Dark (58)
25	Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (10)	Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (57)
26	Dancing In The Dark (57)	Twist And Shout (20)
27	Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (56)
28	Twist And Shout (19)
29	Glory Days (16)
30
31
32
33

Toronto 24th August 2012 - show 57

Toronto is also known as Hollywood North, as it is the third largest film and television production venue in the world after Los Angeles and New York.

credit Tom Pandi - taken from http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/bruce-springsteen-the-wrecking-ball-tour-toronto#slide=51940176

So The Toronto faithful seem pretty pleased with their show.

I've been trying to recall every Springsteen concert I've seen, and I've come to the conclusion this was the best show I've seen since the late 1970s says this reviewer.  

I like this piece which is quite funny ...

Bruce Springsteen inspires a weird, wild-eyed species of fanaticism amongst people you’d never expect to witness getting fanatical over a rock ‘n’ roll show, and that is a healthy thing.

I’m referring to people of a certain, boomer-ish age, in particular - yep that's me and Mike- although by no means was the fired-up mob of 40,000-ish on hand for Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s Wrecking Ball tour touchdown the Rogers Centre on Friday night at all limited to lifelong fans orbiting around his own age of 62 years.

It is a kick, however, to see folks your parents’ age excitably carting homemade Bristol board signs into a baseball stadium like they’ve suddenly reverted to age 13 and are on their way to see Justin Bieber for the first time...

I like this paragraph from the same article.

...And that, in a nutshell, is probably why Springsteen has endured all these years: he can make you believe rock ‘n’ roll is the most important thing in the world all over again — even if, shame on you, you stopped believing years ago — because, whenever you see him perform, it seems pretty clear that rock ‘n’ roll is still the most important thing in the world to him.

And the final sentence :-

Hang onto that feeling, hang onto rock ‘n’ roll. Bruce Springsteen has and he’s doing OK.

So here is the set list.  Unusual start I think. Perhaps Bruce felt he needed to get the crowd going with a couple of well known sing-a-long tunes.  Followed by Sherry which is another song in the same vein but, I suspect, less well known. 

No premiers but Bruce did play the Mona intro to She's The One. Here I show my ignorance again as this means nothing to me!

Surely the highlight must've been Incident On 57th Street. 

Well our man was certainly pleased with the reception he got. brucespringsteen.net says 

As Bruce came off the stage after three hours and 37 minutes, he said to his team, “That was the greatest audience we have ever had in Toronto.” 

	Foxboro 18/08/12 Time 8.10 to 11.28	Toronto 24/08/12 Time 8.05 to 11.45
1	My Love Will Not Let You Down (6)	Working On The Highway (27)
2	Night (7)	Hungry Heart (18)
3	Out In The Street (28)	Sherry Darling (3)
4	Hungry Heart (17)	We Take Care Of Our Own (57)
5	We Take Care Of Our Own (56)	Wrecking Ball (57)
6	Wrecking Ball (56)	Death To My Hometown (57)
7	Death To My Hometown (56)	My City Of Ruins (57)
8	My City Of Ruins (56)	Spirit In The Night (31)
9	Spirit In The Night (30)	Thundercrack (6)
10	Open All Night (1)	Jack Of All Trades (48)
11	Growin’ Up (3)	Murder Incorporated (11)
12	Lost In The Flood (2)	Prove It All Night (19)
13	Because The Night (24)	Candy’s Room (9)
14	She’s The One (18)	She’s The One (19)
15	Working On The Highway (26)	Darlington County (14)
16	Shackled And Drawn (40)	Shackled And Drawn (41)
17	Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (56)	Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (57)
18	Racing In The Street (8)	Incident On 57th Street (3)
19	The Rising (52)	The Rising (53)
20	Radio Nowhere (8)	Badlands (50)
21	Badlands (49)	Land Of Hope And Dreams (39)
22	Jungleland (2)	We Are Alive (48)
23	Born To Run (56)	Thunder Road (31)
24	Bobby Jean (13)	Born To Run (57)
25	Dancing In The Dark (56)	Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (10)
26	Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (55)	Dancing In The Dark (57)
27	Drift Away (1)	Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (56)
28	Twist And Shout (18)	Twist And Shout (19)
29		Glory Days (16)
30
31
32
33