A Springsteen-Seeger Shindig Colorado

A Springsteen-Seeger Shindig
Des Moines, Iowa, USA; June 10, 2006
by Sean McCarthy

In one of the better moments of a Family Guy episode, two rednecks started debating whether a spirited concert was a hoedown or a hootenanny. The argument eventually led to thrown fists.

While I didn't see any fist throwing at Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band's performance at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines the other night, I was sizing up whether a hoedown or a hootenanny was breaking out. Like most shows of this summer tour, the environment is being kept intimate -- the upper levels of the arena were quartered off, even though they could have easily been sold.

The folksy, populist messages that stem from Pete Seeger's songs may have been lost on many of the graying, TGI-Friday's-fed crowd, but the enthusiasm emitted from the crowd and from Springsteen and The Seeger Session Band provided a welcome, irony-free evening. No tongue-in-cheek covers of bad '70s anthems and no high school skits acted out onstage.

The stage was minimal: a few iron chandeliers with purplish lights glowing and a draped backdrop of a skyline that occasionally switched throughout the night. Nothing could distract the audience from probably the tightest 17-piece band you'll see this year on a national tour. Not surprisingly, the band stormed through virtually all of We Shall Overcome -- The Seeger Sessions. What was surprising was the few Springsteen songs that were woven into the set.

"Johnny 99" and "Atlantic City," two songs from Springsteen's bare masterpiece Nebraska, were given the ragtime treatment that Seeger's song are given on The Seeger Sessions. As a result, those harsh songs almost took on a comedic zeal with a boisterous horn section. In some songs, Springsteen opted to perform primarily alone, specifically in the Iraqi War-themed "Devils and Dust" and the September 11-themed "My City of Ruins."

For most of the two-and-a-half hour show, Springsteen was more than happy to share the stage with the Seeger Session band. Wearing a pinky-sized goatee, Sprigsteen grinned as Mark Pender pointed his trumpet to the heavens during his solos. During the last song of the first set, Springsteen sat down as he stared on in mock-helplessness as Art Baron stood at center stage and played an extended tuba solo during "Pay Me My Money Down."

Most of The Seeger Sessions was recorded in three days. And the show, from Soozie Tyrell's violin solos to Mark Clifford's banjo picking, had a looseness that led to some extended jamming during songs like "John Henry" and "Jesse James." But make no mistake about it -- a show this flawlessly executed was created with the discipline of a general. And as that general, Springsteen had full command of the night -- urging people to "get off their asses" when he saw a section lull into their seats in one song, and bringing the audience to a hush when he was extolling the importance of keeping New Orleans in peoples' minds and to not let it be "Disneyfied."

Springsteen briefly touched on how Seeger's populist anthems apply in today's times of terrorism, Katrina and the wars in Afghanistan just as much as they did during the dustbowl era. He specifically touched on this link as he led the band into "We Shall Overcome." In another poignant moment, Springsteen talked about listening to the entire song of "When The Saints Go Marching In" -- and playing that song at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Even though some people were yelling "Broooooce!" during some of the more serious moments of the show, Springsteen remained unfazed. Thanking the audience throughout the show and sporting enough kicks to wow a karate instructor well into the second hour of the show, Springsteen showed why he's a consummate showman in rock. At the end of the night, the audience was treated to a show that was worth every cent of the big event ticket price.

Before last night, I never had the honor of attending a Bruce Springsteen show. I knew about the hype. Even though I know this wasn't a typical Bruce Springsteen show, I was happy to cross off Springsteen from my "must see before I die" list (leaving The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Slayer and The Arcade Fire). I know about the energy emitted from Springsteen and his band, the three-hour-plus marathon sessions and the bellows of "Broooooooce" from the crowd. I can say without the slightest trepidation that the show lived up and surpassed any hype I've heard about a Springsteen show. Hoedown or hootenanny? This was a full-out shindig.

For more music reviews, visit www.dailyvault.com.

TicketCity

We have best tickets for all sports, concerts and theater. Buy online or call 1-800-SOLD-OUT.

1-800-Sold-Out
5912 Balcones Drive
Austin, TX
Concert Tickets

WHO WE ARE

TicketCity is a ticket broker that sells tickets for all events. Unlike Ticketmaster, who only offers tickets for certain shows, TicketCity is a service that gets you the seats you need to the events you want to attend. We take pride our work, and that reflects in the job we do for you.

WHY BUY FROM US

TicketCity sells great tickets to the most memorable events in the World. Whether you need courtside tickets to the big game or the best seats at a concert you thought was impossible to get tickets for. We get you into the events that you will remember for a lifetime.

That’s why you Never Miss an Experience with TicketCity.

A knowledgeable and experienced service, we are your reliable source for great tickets.

* Orders backed by a 200% guarantee
* Established in 1990. We’re one of the most experience ticket companies.
* We attend the events we sell, because we’re passionate about them.
* We give recommendations based on our first hand knowledge.
* We own one of the largest ticket inventories in the World.
* We offer terrific deals on many of the tickets we own.
* Our prices and service charge are some of the lowest in the industry.
* Our long history means you can trust us with your important business.

Take the risk out of buying tickets, by getting yours at TicketCity.

WHAT WE DO

TicketCity sells tickets to all events. We have seats for any event in the World. Our tickets are sold at market value, not face value, so our prices are based on supply and demand. And we offer many additional features like event hospitality and on-site deliver; that allow us to create a package which meets all your needs.

We specialize in tickets for college sports & championship events.
* All major college football teams & college basketball games.
* College bowl games, the NCAA Tournament & Final Four
* The Masters, Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl & US Open.
* Olympics, World Cup Soccer, Ryder Cup and Rugby World Cup.

Buy tickets from us for any event.
* NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball & NHL
* All concerts, theatre & special events
* Auto racing, tennis, golf, boxing and more!

BUY FROM US TODAY
* Buy online 24/7.
* Buy on the phone by calling 1-800-SOLD-OUT.
* Speak directly with our ticket experts.
* No waiting to talk to us, we’re open 7 days a week.
* All transactions are protected from fraud.
* We’re members of the BBB and our local Chamber.


We have over 100,000 loyal and happy customers to praise for our service. We offer email updates, to keep you abreast of upcoming events and offer you the latest ticket specials. And we’ll assign you a dedicated representative, that’s available to help you find the tickets you want. And if you are looking for a great gift idea, you can buy a TicketCity gift card today!

We strive to make buying tickets from us to be as unforgettable as the event itself.

– Bowl Game Tickets
– Christmas Spectacular Tickets