Bruce Springsteen And The Finn Street Band
We weren't quite cool enough to get into last night's Springsteen tribute show at Carnegie Hall, benefitting Music For Youth -- but Stereogum reader Steve was there and filed this detailed report on the show and witnessing Craig Finn's dream come true. He writes:
Overall, the gig was a snoozer (dear lord, why did someone let Kevin Bacon sing "Streets of Philadelphia") but the show's producers knew what they were doing by putting the best two performances at the end. First old folk legend Odetta came out (was wheeled out, actually) and did the best version ever of "57 Channels (and Nothing On)." And then the closing spot was our Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis guys. Not surprisingly, their version of Nebraska's "Atlantic City" was flat out amazing. Their arrangement was similar to the one Springsteen and the E Streeters used on their 99-00 reunion tour--slow through the first verse and chorus, and then exploding into a wall of sound for the rest of the song. The Springsteen fans in the audience ate it up. Finn's smile and hand interpretations of the lyrics as he sang were infectious. These guys need to record that cover and put it out, maybe as a benefit for the event's charity, Music for Youth.
Then the crowd got the surprise they were waiting for with Springsteen walking on stage.
the Boss did "the Promised Land" and "Rosalita" solo acoustic then invited everyone on stage to do "Rosalita" again with the house band. He asked for volunteers to sing verses, and I felt compelled to yell out Craig's name. So he took the first verse and from my 8th row seat, I don't think I've ever seen Springsteen happier seeing someone else sing his word. Craig nailed it, and then pogoed to the side of the stage. Then as the song got to the fourth verse, Bruce called out for Craig to sing lead again. The best part was when Craig got to the line "There's a little cafe/where they play guitars all night and day ," and he pointed to Bruce to do that infamous lick on the acoustic guitar. As a Springsteen and Hold Steady fan, it was a magical moment. So there you go--I'm sure all the Hold Steady haters and Springsteen bashers will come out if you run this, but since I had to go for my job as a music journalist for [LARGE COMPANY NOT NAMED VIACOM] and they don't care about the Hold Steady, I wanted to share it with someone.Hold Steady haters, maybe. But do Springsteen bashers even exist? Billboard adds that Patti Smith turned in her Boss-penned hit "Because The Night," Newport-smoker Joseph Arthur offered "Born In The U.S.A.," and that the evening netted $100,000 for MFY. The Boss commands a crowd. Thanks for writing, Steve!
UPDATE: Fresh Bread was on hand to take this sweet pic and the full setlist.
SETLIST
01 "Nebraska" (Steve Earle)
02 "Streets Of Philadelphia" (The Bacon Brothers)
03 "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" (Elysian Fields)
04 "The River" (Josh Ritter"
05 "Because The Night" (Patti Smith)
06 "The Rising" (Marah)
07 "My City's In Ruins" (The Holmes Brothers w/ Young Peoples Chorus)
08 "Brilliant Disguise" (Robin Holcombe)
09 "Spirit In The Night" (North Mississippi All-Stars)
10 "New York Serenade" (Uri Cane)
11 "Cover Me" (Juliana Hatfield)
12 "One Step Up" (Low Stars)
13 "Thunder Road" (Badly Drawn Boy)
14 "Born In The U.S.A." (Joseph Arthur)
15 "Dancin' In The Dark" (Pete Yorn)
16 "Hungry Heart" (Jesse Malin & Ronnie Spector)
17 "I'm Going Down" (M. Ward)
18. "57 Channels" (Odetta)
19 "Atlantic City" (The Hold Steady)
20 "The Promised Land" (The Boss)
21 "Rosalita" (The Boss)
22 "Rosalita" (Bruce Springsteen And The Finn Street Band)
Posted at 11:24 AM
Tags: Bruce Springsteen | The Hold Steady
a girl in my middle school used to bash bruce and billy joel incessently. she was a big justin guarini fan...
anyway, hurray for craig and the guys!!!
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I believe Kevin Bacon is from Philadelphia (unfortunately).
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Pics and list of all songs played on Fresh Bread
http://freshbread.blogs.com/fresh_bread/2007/04/bruce_springste.html
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Sounds like a great experience. Bruce rarely fails to deliver magic. I caught the Minneapolis leg of the Vote For Change tour and Bruce unexpectedly brought out Neil Young to duet on "Souls of the Departed" and "All Along the Watchtower." Again, magic.
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that is so fucking cool. i want to kill myself for not having been there.
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I WANT AUDIO!!!!!!
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Okay . . . this is seriously awesome.
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Hank Williams III has a pretty bitching version of "Atlantic City" out there from that Nebraska tribute album a few years back.
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youtube video of Rosalita here:
trousermouse.blogspot.com
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So, if Springsteen can get excited about standing there with these douchebags, why not book him to accompany Sanjaya on the season finale?
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this was a phenomenal show, even from the top of the balcony. Patti Smith AND the Boss as surprise guests? totally insane. fyi, Mr. Hold Steady left out that Badly Drawn Boy (just as big a fan as HS) took a verse or so himself at Bruce's prompting. as did Jesse Malin.
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The night was magic. It's only a snooze fest when you get your tickets for free, and don't appreciate the night and its meaning.
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I think I'm going to tell my parents that I'm gay. I blame Lisa Pringle. teammaheu@sbcglobal.net
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that video is awesome...badly drawn boy and bruce side by side...that must have been incredible!!
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As someone who's been to many a tribute show (and paid for that privledge, might I add), I described it as a "snoozefest" because it seemed that almost all the performers (save the ones I mentioned, plus Badly Drawn Boy, Pete Yorn and Josh Ritter) were almost TOO respectful of the material, as if they were afraid of going too far off the plot laid out by Springsteen's material. Odetta and the Hold Steady were the only artists who I thought took the songs to new and interesting places.
That being said, I'm sure this show will still end up among my Top 10 of the year.
And yeah, I probably should have mentioned Jesse and BDB on Rosie, my bad. But at least I didn't talk about the wreck that is Ronnie Spector...
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Just a wonderful evening of music. It appears that Bruce finally got to meet The Hold Steady whom appears to have been invited late in the game by the man himself. I was hoping to see Craig sing with Bruce and as the setlist progressed was thinking those odds were increasing. The Hold Steady nailed "Atlantic City"
-what a thrill it must have been for Craig to attend-and then play with Bruce. Marah sang a great rendition of "The Rising" Magical moments. Also interesting and touching was the rendition of "57 channels" by a wheel-chair bound Odetta-who used the phrase "57 channnels" in a multitude of ways (frustration, sexual, yada) in a Kramer walking in the door type of way. A wonderful night and it was great to see such artists as Steve Earle and Patty Smith (but about that loogie Patty....).
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Someone PLEASE post an MP3 of the Hold Steady playing Atlantic City. PLEASE.
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The night was magic! BTW, Elysian Fields did "Steets of Fire", not what you listed above. It was one of the best things of the night.
Bruce was amazing and said some heartwrenching and funny things too before he sang. It must have been surreal for him.
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you suck
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