2005-10-13 United Center, Chicago, IL

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

Info & Setlist | Venue

"Idiot's Delight" returns to the opening slot, and there's a reprise of "The New Timer". "Growin' Up" opens the encores. "I Wish I Were Blind" makes its final tour appearance. Piano songs are "Tougher Than The Rest", "Racing In The Street", and "Jesus Was An Only Son". "Idiot's Delight" and "Johnny 99" are with the bullet mic. "Living Proof" and "Dream Baby Dream" are on pump organ. "I Wish I Were Blind" and "When You're Alone" are on electric piano. "Growin' Up" is on ukulele. "The New Timer" is on autoharp. "State Trooper" is with the falsetto vocal. Bruce gave an interview to MOJO magazine after the show.

Bruce Springsteen

bronxkid1	My seats were great and the sound was awesome, but I thought the set list at the UC sucked. I've never been to a Bruce show with so many "so what" moments. I am usually a big proponent of "non-greatest hits" shows, and am also a big fan of this tour simply for the quantity of songs from multiple decades, but despite all that, I found the show to be lacking. As always, there were great moments, such as "Ain't Got You," "Racing," "The New Timer" (which I never heard before) and a few others, but great moments are not the standard for a Bruce show. That's what's disappointing. That Johnny 99 deal was weird; I wouldn't have even know it was that song if I didn't hear the 99 digit coming out of there a couple times, but it was not nearly as bad as that "Idiot's World" as a show opener. Awful. Quite a few of the other songs, especially in the 1st half of the show, I thought were just plain boring, such as "Reno" (which I still can't get into), "All I'm Thinking About", "State Trooper", "Ties that Bind". 15 out of the 25 songs were different than those played in Chicago on the first leg. To me that is awesome. On the other hand, and again at least for me, I would have chosen any of a hundred songs to replace half the setlist that was played, and that's just way too many. On top of all that, the usual connection between Bruce and the audience, which is half of the magic in any Bruce show seemed to be missing. Maybe the venue was just way too big for an "intimate show," I, for one, was looking for the band by the middle of the show.
Keeder99	After reading the review from Bronx Kid, I have to say, this show was weak at best. What happened during Johnny 99? Where was the interaction with the crowd? Why was there the huge crowd dead? I know Bruce wants silence for the songs, but the reaction after songs completed was similar to that you would hear after a golfer make a putt for bogie, just a ho-hum applause. I'm just glad Bruce didn't ask me if it was the best I've ever heard, because I would have replied, "Not even close".
Elvis	Granted this is the 1st and only concert I'll see on this tour, but I thought it was a damn fine show. Other than the completely inaudible Johnny 99 & The Ties That Bind (not one of my favorites), I liked his song selection and performances with excellent versions of Living Proof, Bobby Jean, Tougher Than The Rest, State Trooper, Racing In The Streets, I Wish I Were Blind, etc. I thought the show was great — especially considering it was supposed to be intimate in the cavernous United Center.

Brucebase Wiki

Site Navigation