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Expectations for the Rochester concert on Halloween night were very high. And though none of the obvious song choices materialized (like «Sandy» or «Lost in the Flood») there was a great atmosphere in the air and Bruce brought up many surprises. The show openend with the live premiere of «A Night With The Jersey Devil», the Halloween song written in 2007 and published only as a video on the artist’s official website.

Bruce went inmediately to his standard set list for the tour, with «We Take Care of Our Own» as the second song. «My City of Ruins» was particularly powerful, with Bruce talking about the recent storm:

«We wish you a happy Halloween, but we are a rock ‘n’ roll band form the Jersey Shore, and tonight we carry a lot of sadness in our hearts » (…) «So we’re gonna do this tonight from our hometown to your hometown. We’ll send this out to all the people working down there: the police officers, the firemen, and also to the Governor, who has done such a hard job this past week.»

A powerful «Spirit in the Night» followed, with the audience singing most of the lyrics, and then a new surprise when Bruce picked up a sign and played, for the first time ever, «Monster Mash» (a song by Bobby Pickett which was a hit in 1962). As he recognized, they had rehearsed it during soundcheck too.

Highlights from the Halloween show included «Atlantic City», «Cover Me», «Drive All Night» and some very strong performances of «Jackson Cage», «Something in the Night» and «She’s the One».

The encores brought one more surprise, «Jersey Girl», which was dedicated to «all the folks suffering in New York City, Connecticut, the Tri-State area, and especially for our fans suffering down on the Jersey Shore«.

The «Detroit Medley», another sign request, made a nice addition to the encores, though it brought some chaos in the band, and the song had to be re-started.

See complete set list.

Once again Springsteen had a double appearance in Pittsburgh last Saturday. First he played at 2pm at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, where he delivered a 30-min acoustic show for the Obama campaign. Joe and Johnny Grushecky joined Bruce onstage to sing «We Take Care of Our Own». The show was very similar to the previous ones in other cities, including the new song,  «Forward», plus «Youngstown».

In the evening, at the Consol Energy Center, Bruce and the boys offered another fabulous performance, which started with a killer quartet: «Don’t Look Back», «Candy’s Room», «The Ties That Bind» and an audible «Streets of Fire», full of energy and great work on the guitar.

After the standard set of new songs off Wrecking Ball (which sounds better and better each day, topped with the emotional «My City of Ruins») and the always exciting «Spirit in the Night», a surprising tour debut came: «Pretty Flamingo», the Manfred Mann’s tune Bruce used to play in the mid 70’s.  And then yet another amazing foursome with «Talk to Me», «Adam Raised a Cain», «Because the Night» and «She’s the One», all greatly received by the powerful and noisy Pittsburgh audience

A majestic «Racing in the Street» lead the encores, and Bruce once again invited Joe Grushecky and his son Johnny, this time to sing on «Glory Days» and the rarely played «Light of Day».

See complete set list

Bruce Springsteen offered a superb concert last night in Hartford. We’ve heard from many fans that consider last night’s show as the best they’ve seen on this tour.

The show opened with a furious rock trifecta: «Held Up Without a Gun» (tour premiere and one of Steve’s favorite songs) followed by «Radio Nowhere» and «Jackson Cage». Another tour debut arrived after a raucous «Spirit in the Night»: «Pink Cadillac», which was followed by a stream of fantastic songs, with «Incident on 57th Street» followed by «Point Blank», «Because the Night» and «You Can Look». Later Bruce sat down at the piano for a magnificent slow version of «For You». And then a marvelous 11-minute «Kitty’s Back» opened the encores. A magical show with plenty of River songs, standards and rarities.

See complete set list

Two shows tomorrow: Bruce will be in Pittsburgh this Saturday. First to do an acoustic set at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall for the Obama For American rally (read how to get tickets), and then at the Consol Energy Center in the evening, for a full show with the E Street Band.