2003-09-06 Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time 20:10 / End Time 23:20

Info & Setlist | Venue

The first ever rock concert played at the legendary Fenway Park starts with Danny playing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" on organ. "Mary's Place" includes "The Monkey Time" and "Baby I've Been Missing You". "Born In The U.S.A." is full band. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes the "Come A Little Bit Closer" intro. Peter Wolf guests on "Dirty Water". Final tour performance for "Be True". "Land Of Hope And Dreams" is dropped for the first time on the tour.

Peter Wolf (Guest)

Andy Slatken	I just back from the show tonight. Bruce had amazing energy tonight. I've seen him 4 times on this tour…Atlanta, Duluth, 7/21/03 at Giants Stadium and Fenway Sept 6th. Clearly, this show was special in many respects. I can't recall a show that Bruce opened with a cover song other than Who Will Stop The Rain. An Beautiful version of You're Missing and the powerhouse Because the Night and the surprise of No Surrender after Badlands (which included 2 false endings). Every show that I have gone to so far has No Surrender in a different spot. This song could go anywhere in the set and be awesome. Across the Border was a pleasant treat. Ramrod was unreal and of course, the biggest suprise of the night…Born In The USA in the place of LOHAD. Powerful. All in all, a great show, great setlist, great crowd…could not ask for more…Thanks BRUCE!!!!
Spanish Johnny	Exhaustion ! Started VERY slowly and the sound system sucked initially - but he turned it up a notch in TTTB and then absolutely blew out Because the Night (I believe it was an audible). From then on they were just en fuego !! The place loved him. There was a ton of room in the aisles and by the end of the night, it was one huge dancefest - really. It is something I have never seen. Beautiful Park for a show. Notes ….. 1) 8:10 start time 2) he was hanging in a local hotel with Wolf and some friends 3) during his psa he said "everyone is welcome - except, maybe Dick Cheney !!" 4) great Clarence intro "the man who would make the devil go runnin' home to his mama" 5) No LOHAD - due to time restrictions, i assume 6) made fun of the ordinance - had the audience taunt them a bit - but nicely, of course !! 7) didn't see a single ticket for sale outside 8) i am DYING to go tonight !!
JK	I was lucky enough to get field seats for both Fenway shows, and I must say that the event certainly lived up to expectations. I arrived at about sundown and walked into the outfield area and I almost felt like I was walking into heaven. I don't believe there is a heaven, but that's another matter for another e-mail. With the stadium lights shining on me as they never had before - since I have never been on the field at night- there was definitely something surreal about it. I cannot exactly say I got chills, but it was truly a special moment that I will never forget. As far as the show went, it was fairly spectacular. After darkness settled and the moon rose higher, the thrills came early and often. Something that I've always found special is the way Bruce personalizes his appearances in whatever venue he plays. During the Saturday night show, he managed to work in a reference to the "Combat Zone". He even rhymed it with something. I'm sorry to say, I cannot remember during which song it was. If you aren't familiar with Boston, the combat zone is the "Red light" District in town. He also, very possibly without even being aware of it, personalized this show even more by playing a rousing version of "Ramrod". Once again, for those of you not familiar with Boston, the Ramrod is a very popular leather bar right across the street from Fenway park. On Sunday, the chills did come out when I heard the opening violin on "Jungleland". As that faded and Roy took over, he held the first piano note as a tease, and I may never again feel that happy. Or so I thought, until I heard the opening of "Thunder Road". Not even the drunken nitwits in front of me could spoil the moments. My friend and I estimated that they consumed about 200.00 worth of bad beer, and they acted like it. Even so, these were two nights I will always cherish and never forget. Plus, Bill Walton walked by us about 6 different times. What more could a Boston fan ask for?

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Springsteen Grand Slam

What this park needs is a rock & roll baptism, a rock & roll bar mitzvah … a rock & roll exorcism,” yelled Bruce Springsteen, doing his best to eliminate the Curse of the Bambino at the home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park. Springsteen and the E Street Band stopped here for two nights — playing the only rock shows ever held at the ninety–one–year–old ballpark. “The stadium is so low that the surrounding areas could hear the show like they were listening to the radio,” says Boston–born E Street guitarist Steven Van Zandt. “If there were 35,000 people inside, there were 35,000 outside. There was an element of hysteria that was rather fun. We’ve never heard a reaction like that in the United States.”

On its way to becoming one of the all-time highest-grossing tours — an estimated $120 million in forty–six dates – Springsteen’s tour will hit other baseball landmarks, in Detroit and Milwaukee, before a three-night stand at New York’s Shea Stadium, October 1st, 3rd and 4th.

Springsteen tailored his show for the Boston faithful. Performing a three–hour set of more than twenty–five songs each night, the band opened with “Diddy Wah Diddy,” by Beantown’s own Barry and the Remains, and closed the shows with “Dirty Water,” with hometown hero Peter Wolf sitting in. “That’s a Standells song about Boston and the Charles River,” says Wolf. “We were playing this funky down–home garage rock & roll song to this great Boston landmark, and it was a thrill. Those were very charmed evenings — almost like a cultural phenomenon.”

As the band tried to exit the stadium on Lansdowne Street, behind the Green Monster in left field, fans lined the road to give thanks. “There were miles and miles of people on both sides of the street with a level of enthusiasm that was incredible,” says Van Zandt. “People were literally banging on the windows trying to get in. I felt like I was Beyoncé for a day.”

^{By Austin Scaggs via Rolling Stone.}

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Springsteen Grand Slam