2009-04-05 Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX

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

Info & Setlist | Venue

An almost unprecedented seven tour premieres including "I'm A Rocker", one of only two performances on the tour. "American Land" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. "Sherry Darling", "I'm A Rocker", and "Glory Days" are played by sign request. "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" and "Dancing In The Dark" are each dropped for the first time on the tour.

Intro to “Badlands”
“Good evening, Austin (crowd cheers)…”

Middle of “Working on a Dream”
“Good evening, Austin (crowd cheers) glad to be back in Austin (crowd cheers) we’re here tonight…we have gathered here tonight …we have gathered here tonight to rock the house (crowd cheers) but we’ve all come to town tonight because we don’t just wanna rock the house, we wanna build a house tonight (crowd cheers) that’s right, we’ve got the tools and in this very room we’re gonna build a house tonight…we’re gonna take despair and we’re gonna build a house of hope…we’re gonna learn to live in it (chuckles)… we’re gonna take sadness and build a house of joy (crowd cheers) we’re gonna take doubt and build a house of faith (crowd cheers) and we’re gonna take fear…we’re gonna take fear and build a house of love (crowd cheers) right in this room tonight…I’m not kidding… and we’re gonna take that (cooling off?) and we’re gonna build a house of sexual healing (crowd cheers) that’s right…we’re gonna use the bad wood and we’re gonna use the good wood…we’re gonna use the bad news and we’re gonna use the good news… we’ve got all the tools we need right here up on this stage and in those seats out there (crowd cheers) that’s right, that’s right… ‘cause we’re gonna build a house out of music and spirit and noise (crowd cheers) now the mighty E Street Band gonna bring the power and the music (crowd cheers) but we need you to bring the noise (crowd cheers) now sing like you mean it…”

Intro to “Sherry Darling”
“We have a request of sorts right here…this man did not wanna splurge on his sign (laughs from the crowd) I have two bubblegum wrappers (laughs from the crowd)(?) oh yeah…guitar, Kevin… alright, let’s see how good the…I don’t know if you can read this …(crowd cheers)…did you see that, C? (chuckles)…(?)…”

Intro to “Hard Times”
“Thank you (crowd cheers) thank you so much for coming out and visiting with us tonight, we thank you, we thank you for your support (crowd cheers) thanks, we’ve been, uh…we’ve been coming down this way since, I guess, 1974 (crowd cheers) who was alive in 1974? let’s hear it! (crowd cheers)(chuckles) you, you guys were not alive in 1974, alright, I don’t (?)…what’s your birthday?…what year?…1990? oh my God, I was already old by then (chuckles) 1990 (chuckles) alright…anybody born in the ‘90s, you’re gonna get a big dedication right here…(laughs)…alright, it was always so memorable because we were from New Jersey, of course, and (crowd cheers) yeah, woo! (crowd cheers) the Corruption State, let’s hear it for it, woo! (crowd cheers)(chuckles) we’ve got that down better than anybody else (laughs) but, uh, so Texas was a long ways away…and at the time nobody had flown on an airplane very much and we took a few flights and the whole band decided that, we voted and decided we would never fly again ‘cause we had a couple of bad flights and so we took the train from New York City to Texas (crowd cheers) we didn’t have any, like, bunks or anything, we only had, we could only afford the seats (chuckles) oh my God, it was such a long ride, and I remember we played at Liberty Hall, Music Hall (crowd cheers) and then we came here and we played the Armadillo World Headquarters (crowd cheers) and then we said “Where’s the next gig?” they said “Arizona,” we said “Book us on the next airplane tonight” (chuckles) cured that…but we’ve had a lot of great memories from coming out here to Austin and we appreciate your long-time support for our music (crowd cheers)(?)…and, uh, tonight we have some good friends from Austin, Texas in the house we’ve got folks from the Capital Area Foodbank of Texas (crowd cheers) the Capital Area Foodbank, they provide food to hungry in 21 Central Texas counties, last year they distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to those in need, if you know what’s going on out there right now, with the tough times we have out there, there’s a lot of folks who’ve been sitting in the middle class, who, who, who’ve, who’ve lost, have dropped out and fallen, struggling, the Capital Area Foodbank of Texas and other foodbanks like it are the only safety net some of these folks have to assist them getting a, a step up again and through (?)(crowd cheers) so if you see them on the way out, they appreciate your support, we’d appreciate, the Capital Area Foodbank of Texas helping Texas citizens make it through hard times…this is, uh…this is a song written in 1855 by Stephen Foster and, uh, I guess it goes to show you that the more things change, the more they stay the same, this is “Hard Times Come Again No More”…”

Intro to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
“Big Man, Clarence Clemons (crowd cheers) Professor Roy Bittan (crowd cheers) we’ve got a fairytale to tell you, come on…(intro music starts)…is there anybody alive out there? (crowd cheers) is there anybody alive out there? (crowd cheers) is there anybody alive back there? (crowd cheers) is there anybody alive way in the back out there? (crowd cheers)(?) let me hear you (the crowd starts the intro “chant”) that’s right, kid, that’s right, turn that thing up…turn that thing up now!… that’s right, Sister, come on…bring that thing up (?)…I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you (?)…one more time (?)…”

Intro to “I’m a Rocker”
“Can we do it?…this is for you (?) that’s right, that’s right…are you ready, Max?…I forget how it starts…one, two, one, two, three (intro music starts)…that’s right…gimme them organs…come on, Charles (Charles plays off-key)…”

Intro to “American Land”
“We wanna thank everybody for coming out to the show tonight (crowd cheers) don’t forget the Capital Area Foodbank of Texas…
(…) Little Steven (crowd cheers) Curtis King (crowd cheers) the beautiful Miss Patti Scialfa (crowd cheers) Sister Soozie Tyrell (crowd cheers) the unstoppable Mighty Max Weinberg (crowd cheers) Garry W. Tallent (crowd cheers) Professor Roy Bittan (crowd cheers) Charlie Giordano (crowd cheers) Mr. Nils Lofgren (crowd cheers) Cindy Mizelle (crowd cheers) and the biggest man you’ve ever seen: Clarence “Big Man” Clemons (crowd cheers)
Austin! (crowd cheers) Austin! (crowd cheers) Austin! (crowd cheers) Austin! (crowd cheers) Austin! (crowd cheers) Austin! (crowd cheers) you’ve just seen the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, hard-rocking, earth-shocking, booty-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking, history-making, legendary (crowd: “E Street Band”)…”

Towards the end of “American Land”
“It ain’t over till it’s over…(the band goes into “Glory Days”…”

Middle of “Glory Days”
“Alright, Austin…(?)…Stevie (Steve: “Yeah, baby?”) I think it’s quitting time, Brother…(Steve: “You mean like at Super Bowl?”) just like that there…I think it’s going home time (Steve: “Oh, no, no, I don’t think so”) well, then what I wanna know is…what time is it? (crowd cheers)(Steve: “It’s Boss-time”)…”

After “Glory Days”
“Thank you, Austin, we love you, it’s great to be back with you (crowd cheers)…”

^{Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi.}

Bryan	This is my first time seeing Bruce with the E Street band somewhere outside of the tri-state area. I liked the setlist as he did a great job mixing everything from his catalog. The energy level of the band was good, but not what I saw back in Jersey which probably had a lot to do with the crowd not being as excited about songs off of Darkness and BTR like they probably would be in Jersey. Highlights of the night for me included the full band version of Johnny 99 and Because the Night along with a fun ending of the show with Glory Days. This was my wife's first experience with Bruce and the Band (she saw the Devils and Dust tour and was not impressed) where she has never been a big fan of Bruce's music. Last night she had a great time and said, "Wow, now that is a rock star!" noting that she wants me to pull Working on a Dream on her IPOD.
Holly	Fun to see the show through my 24 year old son's eyes. He didn't know Bruce could play guitar like that and said, "Are you sure he's 59?" Jungleland a treat. Volume got uncomfortable by the end—is something different at the Erwin Center? Had no problem at 3 Magic shows last year. Looking forward to Houston!
Jay C.	First show I've seen from Bruce and the Band in 4 or 5 years, and they were in good form tonight! I've got most of the songlist, but I'll wait and see if someone else has it accurately. Nice surprises from the vaults like Jungleland, Glory Days, Because The Night,I'm A Rocker and that full band version of Johnny 99. Backing up 99 with Youngstown was particularly powerful, thematically. Even got in Prove It All Night in the fourth spot. I wonder what that Irish jig right before Glory Days was?
Randy	I missed the Magic tour. So this is the first since the Seeger Sessions. This was better than I had anticipated: Sherry Darlin', I'm a Rocker, Jungleland, Prove it… But I was hoping he would dig way deeper into the catalog. I liked this show because, to me, Bruce sang his songs straight, without that country draw he's been doing… hard to describe but that's how it sounds to me. CC is a trooper. Even though the power is not there like it used to be, he blows a pretty mean horn. Hope he can hang around for a while. But I would not be suprised if this was his last tour. Still the greatest live band around. And they've got a good Boss too.
Richie	I love seeing shows away from NJ because he seems to take the crowd for granted and the crowd takes him for granted. He really worked tonight and I give it a B+. It's early and he'll only tighten it up more and blow people away. At 59 the man still kicks ass!

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