Story 1978-12-19 Portland, OR
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19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Good Rockin’ Tonight´
“Portland …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro & end to ´Spirit In The Night´
“How you guys been up here, huh? … How’s the trees? (chuckles) …

(…) It’s time … We got the moves …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Rendezvous´
“Thanks….How many of you guys heard us on the radio the other night? (cheers)…. How many of you guys didn’t hear us on the radio the other night? (some yells)… Where were you? I was there (chuckles)….I told you I’d meet you (chuckles)….Here’s a song….We’ll play some different songs for you. This is, uh, this is a song I wrote a long time ago. It’s a song called ´Rendezvous.´ It’s been out on some bootlegs (chuckles)….I don’t know who’s got ´em or why. I guess, this (?)….you know, it’s uh, this song, I think Greg Kihn just recorded this one….anyway, are you ready?, I hope we remember this one, ready?….”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Darkness On The Edge Of Town´
“Thanks … Yeah, we’re gonna do that one … . let’s do, uh, Darkness … Darkness On The Edge Of Town …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Independence Day´
“Thanks … er what? … I’d like to do a song, this is a song….we’ll play some different stuff so you’ll hear different stuff than you did on the radio the other night, it’s like (chuckles)…this is a song that, uh….I wrote about, I guess, a couple of years ago…it’s called ´Independence Day´ (someone yells) where’d I get this coat ? I got this for ten dollars (chuckles)…this is ´Darkness on the Edge of Town´-coat, I lost my ´Born to Run´, right ….have a little sympathy (chuckles)….but uh….I got this for ten bucks, I forget where, in New York somewhere … some old store ….but uh….gonna do a slow one then we’ll do a fast one, alright, this, this is a song called ´Independence Day´…and this is, uh….I wrote it about two years ago, it was originally gonna be on the ´Darkness on the Edge of Town´ album….and it was sort of like the….the thing that I wrote around the same time (?) ´Adam Raised a Cain´ so, uh….here we go, hope you like it (chuckles)….”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro & end to ´The Promised Land´
“There’s a poster and stuff there … Are you (?) there? … (Fan: “Yeah!’) … Hey man, there’s only one (chuckles) … Anyway, if you’re out there, this song’s for you, uh … (?) that’s all (chuckle) … Mr. Articulation, right (chuckles) …

(…) … Steve Van Zandt on the guitar … Big Man on the saxophone …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro & end to ´Prove It All Night´
“You gotta prove it all night …

(…) … Roy Bittan on the piano … Max Weinberg on the drums …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Racing in the Street´
“Alright … We’re gonna do that, we’re gonna do those later, I promise, alright? … (?) … start it (Roy starts playing) … This is uh….this guy that send, sent this poster back to me, what he did is. is, this ….was this poster (?) he took lines from….from the songs from the album and stuff and I guess he took his favorite lines, that’s pretty good ´cause he took the best ones, he didn’t take none of the …. you know, none of the stinkos, you know (chuckles)….Everybody (?) you write a line, some you think as pretty good, some you think….better luck next time, you know (chuckles)…anyway I liked, uh….I guess his favorite lines were my favorite ones and he said he gave it to his girlfriend on her birthday and uh….tonight’s my girlfriend’s birthday so I’ll give that to (?)…so this is for you, baby….”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Thunder Road´
“(after not much crowd participation during the singalong part: “Show a little faith … buy hey, you’re alright”) “Practice, practice, you guys need practice….”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, after ´Jungleland´
“Roy Bittan on piano … Steve Van Zandt on the guitar … Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Dan Federici, The E Street Band … The Big Man … We’re gonna take about 20 minutes for a break and come back (?) … So, we’ll see you, see ya in about 20 minutes and we’ll gonna do another set for you, okay? …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro & end to ´The Ties That Bind´
“Anybody in supply to get a platform? … Alright … this is a new song, it’s called The Ties That Bind …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro & End to ´Santa Claus Is Coming to Town´
“Uh man, alright … Everybody know what time of year this is? (cheers)….what time of year is it?…alright…. well, it was about…when did we live down on 6th Avenue?…when we had that place….´69, ´68, ´68, 1968….and uh, me and Steve, we were living Asbury Park….on this place down 6th Avenue, 1610 (chuckles) I remember, I remember that place because was the only time that we used to, we used to live together was in the attic, we had this place up in the attic and I had a couch - did you have a bed? … I don’t think you had a bed, we had two couches….and I remember the joint for two reasons, one because, it was the only time I ever washed the dishes….right, I flooded, I left the water on when, uh, I went and talked on the phone for an hour, flooded all the apartments downstairs….another reason was….I went to the dentist….now, you guys that go every month or something (chuckles)….that was 1968, I went again last month (chuckles)…. passed the test (chuckles)….anyway, we were living down in this joint….and working down, down along the beach in this bar….I remember it was Christmas Eve….and we were feeling low ´cause we had no girlfriends, we had no money….and uh, had no _ and so … we were sitting (?), we went home early…you know, put the, uh….put the old Pop-Tarts in the oven, you know…. and we went to bed … it was the night before Christmas….all through the house….there was nothing to eat but Pop-Tarts (chuckles)….so anyway….we’re sleeping (someone yells) this is the quiet part (?) (chuckles)…we always slept standing up with our guitars on….so we’d be ready for action in case anybody wanted to sign us up….(chuckles)….anyway, we hear this noise up on the roof ….right….now, we’re old, I mean we were 18, right, he’s 17, we don’t believe in any of this Santa Claus stuff….we didn’t go for any of that stuff, you know….but just in case….I left a little note underneath my pillow saying what I wanted….but we hear a sound up on the roof, we figure it’s burglars trying to break in to steal our guitars, to steal our amps, couldn’t steal our money….so anyway we climbed out on the roof, out on the roof it’s real dark….there’s no big light like that (chuckles)….we can’t see too clear….but we see somebody trying to stuff something in the chimney, now we know it’s the burglars coming in to rob us so we sneak up on this dude….I say ´Steve, show him your karate moves, man´….Steve, come on, oh shit, oh we got his ass (chuckles)….you got him, man, you got him, no, you got him, go on, go on (?) … uh-oh ….oh shit (chuckles)….you fucking knocked out Santa Claus, man….oh man….I thought he was dead a long time ago, my father told me he was dead when I was six years old, that’s how come I never got presents after that….god dammit….I don’t know (?), wait till my little sister hears about this….probably supposed to be like in China by now or something ….what the hell was he stuffing in the chimney?….hey, he was stuffing my present in there…. ´57 Chevy….with a brunette on the front seat, whoah, some Christmas, oh thanks, Santa, you’re alright, man! (chuckles)….(?) Santa ´ho, ho, ho´ , all that stuff….there’s some of that smoke right over here. (cheers)….not that kind….jeez … Sorry Santa I think he’s coming around now … Hey Santa, who will recognize them, right? Changed his suit … Santa, let me hear you, baby (Clarence as Santa: ´Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho … Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!’`) … alright, seems alright now … (Santa: ‘Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!’) …

(…) … Some Christmas! …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Rave On´
“Everybody get the … I always ask this, if you got a bootleg of Fever or something, The Fever, (?) … Huh? … Oh, do that later … Alright, there’s a whole bunch of people yelling for this, uh Buddy Holly song, we’ll so that real soon … alright … gimme uh, some echo, Bobby … 1, 2 … testing … a little more than that … 1, 2 … in A, alright … Oh … alright, here we go, this is for these guys yelling at us down there …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Fire´
“1, 2 … (?) … This is a song recorded by Robert Gordon and by The Pointer Sisters, it’s called Fire …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Point Blank´
“This is called Point Blank …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, ‘I GOT MAD!’ in ´She’s The One’´
“Big Man! … Ah, this girl (Clarence: ‘Oh, yeah?’) … I call her up … (Clarence: ‘Uh-huh’) … She ain’t home (Clarence: ‘No?’) … I stop by go (Clarence: ‘Yeah’) … She ain’t home (Clarence: ‘No’) …I send her a letter (Clarence: ‘Uh-huh’) … I get no reply … I wanna lay down (Clarence: ‘What?’) … and find somebody else (Clarence: ‘Right on’) … Big Man … I went by her house (Clarence: ‘Uh-huh’) … it was real late (Clarence: ‘Yeah’) … I saw two silhouettes (Clarence: ‘Uh-huh’) … on the window shade (Clarence: Uh-oh!’) … I got out of the car (Clarence: ‘Yeah, what you do?’) … What’d I do? (Clarence: ‘Yeah?’) … I knocked on the door! (Clarence: ‘Right on!’)(chuckle) (Max hits drum) … No answer … I knocked twice (2 drum hits) … No answer … I knocked three times (3 drum hits) … no answer … the whole time (4 drum hits) … and then … I GOT MAD! … like Al Capone … I GOT MAD! … like Smokin’ Joe … I GOT MAD! … like Machine Gun Kelly (Max rips the drums like a machine gun) … I GOT MAD! … like … Popeye! … I got so mad … that I hurt may hand on the door … I went and I sat in the car … and I … thought awhile … now, some, I know sometimes I wish I could just … sometimes I just wanna … sometimes I just feel like I wanna … sometimes I just wanna (Clarence: ‘Go ahead, go ahead’) … (band stops) … sometimes I feel like if I don’t (Clarence: ‘Go ahead, go ahead’) … sometimes I just … sometimes I just wanna (Clarence: ‘Come on’) … I just wanna (Clarence: ‘Go ahead, c’mon’)… I just, I just, I just (Clarence: ‘Just what? Just what?’) …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, middle of ´Backstreets´ —[NOTE: Fan Disturbance Issue]
“Baby, I remember you….girl, I remember you….standing on the corner….of Richmond Avenue….with your hand in his … [Hey baby … sweetheart, darling … little girl … in the blue shirt … Won’t you go with that guy and right after this song, I’ll let you come back, I promise, alright? … Cross my heart (applause) … Let’s not have a convention about it! (chuckles) … … This is my business (chuckles)…. Anything that happens in this room tonight, this is my party (cheers)….and you’re invited (chuckles)…and all I ask is if you have a little respect in my house] … … And I Cry-ay-ay-ay … yeah, I remember you….looking so fine….and baby and you think….you knew it all….and baby and you think….that when he stood by your side….baby looked so satisfied and when I looked into your eyes, baby, I….I could almost forget….I could almost forget….running outside of town….running outside of town out to that stripped-down Cadillac….and I could almost forget….baby’d take me riding in back….I could almost forget….what was it like on the inside……and I could almost forget….(?)…. I could almost forget….what it was like on the outside….I could almost forget…..I could almost forget…..I could almost forget….that you promised….. I could almost forget that you promised….and like everything else….from those days … and from that day … I could almost forget that you lied….baby, you lied….baby, you lied….baby, you lied….baby, you lied….baby, you lied….you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies…. you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies…. you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies…. you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies…. you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies…. you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies….now you’re back, so you’ve come back and I wanna know why….and I wanna know why… and I wanna know why… and I wanna know why… and I wanna know why….´cause I’ve been out to and I found out some things about me and about you and what makes you think….so I found out we gotta stop….little girl, we gotta stop…. .little girl, we gotta stop…. little girl, we gotta stop….stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP !…”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro, middle & after ´Rosalita´
“Thank you … Alright … Sorry about the disturbance (chuckles) … all I can say, is that little girl that ran out … is … Rosie, wherever you are, come back….

(…) … on the piano, professor Roy Bittan … on the guitar, Miami Steve Van Zandt … on the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent … on the drums, The Mighty Max … on the organ, Mr. Dan Federici … and last but not least … the king of the world … the master of the universe … is it a bird? (Crowd: ‘No!’) … is it a plane? (Crowd: ‘No!’) … is it The Big Man on the saxophone? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) …

(…) … Big Man … E Street Band …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, intro to ´Born To Run´
“I want to thank everybody for coming down tonight and I thank you all very much (cheers) … You know, … you know, I know everybody, lots of people wait in line for tickets and stuff and I’d just like to say ‘Thanks’ and it doesn’t go unappreciated, and uh, that’s enough of that and here’s looking at ya …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, ALL of ´The Detroit Medley´
“What is this? ‘DEATH - TO - DISCO,’ it says? (laughs)(Crowd cheers wildly) … You’re a hard bunch of people! Blood thirsty (laughs), blood thirsty natives (chuckles) … Let’s go … <DWTBDO><GGMM><C. C. Rider><Jenny Take A Ride-1> … Wait a minute! … <Boogie> … Wait a minute! … (band stops) … Anybody heard this song on the radio the other night? … There was a part … that we did that no matter how loud you turned it up … or how close you sat to that thing … you couldn’t see what were doing … Now, before we perform this part every night … I have to, take out, $50 insurance before the beginning of the show, to insure that anyone in the hall that has a weak stomach, or a weak heart , I have to announce, that during the next section, would you please step out into the lobby … as it might be … dangerous … and hazardous to your health . .. You all figure you can take it, uh? (cheers) … I TOLD YA! … Don’t sue me! … Sue yourself! … Most folks have the constitution to take it when me and The Big Man do this … Now you say, ‘What? What’s that? That’s nothing’ … And, it might even look like nothing when me and The Big Man do this … You start feeling itchy … and break out in hives … That’s because me and The Big Man … do this … (band stops) … Now, I warned you about the next part … (band up & ‘The Dance Move’) … <Jenny Take A Ride-2> … Get it … wild! …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, Intro to ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´
“… Do you feel wild yet? … Do you at least feel silly? (cheers) … Let’s go … A-1, 2, 3, 4 …”

19.12.78 Portland, OR, ALL of ´Quarter To Three´
“Here we go, A-1, A-2 … A-1, 2, 3, 4 … <Q23-1><Sing-A-Long><Q23-2> … (band stops) … _ _ to ya … (band starts & stops) … (long pause) … Are you talkin’ to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) … Are you talkin’ to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) … Are you talkin’ to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) … Better talk louder than that (cheers) … <Q23-3> … You tired yet? (Crowd: ‘NO!’) … A-1, 2, 3 … <Q23-4> … You tired yet? (Crowd: ‘NO!’) … A-1, 2, 3 … <Q23-5> … You ain’t tired yet? (Crowd: ‘NO!’) … A-1, 2, 3 … <Q23-6> … I’m just a prisoner … of rock and roll! … Do we understand each other? … You ain’t tired now? … <Q23-7> … Goodnight … (?) … Portland … (Music Ends) …”

Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi & Roulette909

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