Just thought I would write a few thoughts on the Bruce Springsteen show I was lucky enough to go and see on Wednesday. As usual no time leads to late posting.

First off, the rules of attendance threw us off at the beginning. I was really surprised to be handed a list of the rules of the show, stating that no concessions (beer) would be sold during the show, no seating would be allowed during songs (you would be asked to wait until songs were over before going back to your seat), stuff like that. It seemed to be a little heavy-handed while we walked in, to be honest.

That was until he started playing. Just him on stage, some candles and raw talent. Amazing show, I think we got our money’s worth after 4 songs, let alone 2 1/2 hours worth of music. Anyway, the rules seemed to work well for the feel of the night, he even advised the audience at the beginning of the show that the quieter we were, the better he would be able to give us his best. It was a bit like listening to your Dad telling you to keep it down, or I will turn this car around, so help me… But he held up his end and put on a great great show. There’s a reason he is still relevant and dynamic, he’s just so damn good.

But that’s not to say I don’t have some criticism of the show. It’s about the woohoos. If you were there you would know exactly what I’m talking about, the high woohoos he did that often accompanied the songs were a little disconcerting, if not out-right comical. Man, those things have got to be toned down a bit, they really mess up the feel of the songs sometimes. It might be that he’s just too rich and powerful and nobody has the guts to tell him that they don’t always go with the feel of the songs. I do admit that his range is pretty impressive, but those woohoos were just a little too “scary ghost noises” to be effective song fillers. The angst, anger, and awesome imagery were shattered by the woohoos at times. I mean on the studio version of Born to Run, there’s a great deal of whoa whoa. Those work, and they add a lot to the song. But woohoos certainly would have trashed the whole song, in my opinion.

So, here I am, I’m tellin’ ya Bruce. Less woo, and definitely much less hoo.