[Kathleen]

I'll post Backstreets review and setlist. I get so wrapped up in a concert that I never take notes on the setlist - I'm glad that someone out there keeps good records.

October 1 / Philadelphia, PA / Wachovia Center
Notes: The Vote For Change tour launched its opening night in Philly with the emphasis placed firmly on hard rockin' rather than grandiose speechifyin'. Bruce played MC, appearing on stage very shortly after the ticketed start time with REM's Michael Stipe to greet the crowd. Bruce officially declared a "No BRUUUCE Zone," saying "I will come out and slap you silly. We have too much great music tonight. No BRUUUCING!" He also set out the overall mission of the night: to "fight for a government that is open, forward-looking, rational, and humane -- and we plan to rock the joint while doing so." Next, Bruce introduced opening act Bright Eyes as "someone whose record floored me when it came out."
After a solid 30-minute Bright Eyes set, Springsteen returned around 8:30 to introduce REM by saying that they had inspired him for the last 20 years. (REM played for an hour; for the REM setlist watchers:
The One I Love
Begin the Begin
Leaving New York
Animal
World Leader Pretend
Final Straw
She Just Wants to Be
Bad Day
Around the Sun
Losing My Religion
Walk Unafraid
Man on the Moon.) Bruce shared lead vocals with Stipe on the set-closing "Man on the Moon," having fun goofing on Elvis. Hey baby!

Shortly after 10:00, Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage for a two-hour set, beginning with Bruce's solo instrumental, 12-string accoustic version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." That led into a relentless, high-intensity opening barrage with not a moment wasted -- those first eight songs formed a tight, thematic segment that rocked nonstop, including a full-band version of "Born in the U.S.A.," "Lost in the Flood," and the very welcome return of the full-band "Johnny 99" from the very end of the Rising tour.
John Fogerty came out for 4 songs backed by Bruce and the band, including a hard-driving "Fortunate Son" (a real highlight of the night) and ending by trading off vocals with Bruce on "The Promised Land." Guests came and went for much of the rest of the 19 song set, with Patti Smith devotee Stipe joining in for "Because the Night" (Stipe and Springsteen trading off on the Smith version of the lyric), REM's Mike Mills and Peter Buck clearly having a blast on "Born to Run," Fogerty on "Proud Mary," and all the night's performers on "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" and an explosive closer of Patti Smith's "People Have the Power."
Along with some laying-on-of-hands preacher shtick, "Mary's Place" included a new PSA ("The moment everyone's been waiting for...my Public Service Announcement!") that was tailor-made for an evening of inspirational words and music: "We remain a land of great promise, but we need to move America toward the fulfillment of that promise."
Setlist:
Man on the Moon (with REM)
The Star-Spangled Banner
Born in the U.S.A.
Badlands
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Lost in the Flood
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Centerfield (with Fogerty)
Deja Vu All Over Again (with Fogerty)
Fortunate Son (with Fogerty)
The Promised Land (with Fogerty)
The Rising
Because the Night (with Stipe)
Mary's Place
Born to Run (with Mills and Buck)
Proud Mary (with Fogerty
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (with all)
People Have the Power (with all)

Kathleen

[spunkywho]

wow - sounds like an awesome show!!!!

this was part of 'vote for change'?

I think pearl jam are doing a tour for it as well - is it like a whole weekend thing with different bands? small venues and such? how big is the wachovia center and how on earth did you get on tickets?

over here we had the 'no vote left behind' weekend. 4 days of big (relatively speaking) named bands in small venues. Jerry Cantrell opening for Queensryche - both doing an accoustic set, which was absolutely mindblowing - the place couldn't have held more than a couple of hundred people. Pearl Jam did a gig at the showbox which is a very small venue - holding about 500 people - and naturally, I didn't get tix for that

[Kev]

Nice review Kathleen. Glad you enjoyed REM. Still wont get to see them until next year here in Europe. Walk Unafraid. Nice to see that back in the setlist. I hope it sticks.

[Kathleen]

Originally Posted by spunkywho

wow - sounds like an awesome show!!!!

this was part of 'vote for change'?

Yes it was the opening night of the whole Vote for Change series

Originally Posted by spunkywho

I think pearl jam are doing a tour for it as well - is it like a whole weekend thing with different bands? small venues and such? how big is the wachovia center and how on earth did you get on tickets?

Quoted from Backstreets:
"While upwards of 20 artists are involved in Vote for Change, and Springsteen will have opening acts for the first time since his solo-acoustic tour for The Ghost of Tom Joad, not all of the artists will be playing together in the same venue. For instance, on the same night Springsteen kicks things off in Philly, Pearl Jam/Death Cab for Cutie will play Reading, PA; Dave Matthews band/Jurrasic 5/My Morning Jacket will play State College; Jackson Brown/Bonnie Raitt/Keb' Mo will play Williamsport; Dixie Chicks/James Taylor will play Pittsburgh; and John Mellencamp/Babyface will play Wilkes-Barre."

Several "swing" states were identified and then each state was (or will be) host to 4 or 5 concerts on the same night. Wachovia Center in Philly was one of the biggest venues used probably because of Bruce I got tickets by being a long time member of moveon.org. They had a presale signup and I got tickets Some of the tickets for that concert were on e-bay for very high prices. I got lucky lol.

Pearl Jam is part of the Vote for Change tour. Here is also todays (Sundays) concert linup in Michigan:

Ann Arbor: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, R.E.M., John Fogerty, Bright Eyes

Detroit: Dave Matthews Band, Jurassic 5, My Morning Jacket

Detroit: Dixie Chicks, James Taylor

Grand Rapids: Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo

Grand Rapids: Pearl Jam, Death Cab for Cutie

Kalamazoo: John Mellencamp, Babyface

It's a big undertaking for everyone.

Kathleen

[Iceman]

Here's the torrent from the next day:

http://www.easytree.org/torrents-details.php?id=8395

Ice

[Kathleen]

Thanks Ice - I found it almost as soon as I came home . This concert is well worth having assuming the sound is decent and that you are a Bruce fan lol. The Starspangled Benner intro right into Born in the USA was very powerful. It was nice of him to remind folks that it's "our" country too - not just the country of the oil barons and sheiks.

Kathleen

[TT-Nick]

Originally Posted by Iceman

Here's the torrent from the next day:

http://www.easytree.org/torrents-details.php?id=8395

Ice

And the DVD bootleg is on its way- 2 Cam CTC Production

[Kathleen]

Originally Posted by TT-Nick

And the DVD bootleg is on its way- 2 Cam CTC Production

Woohoo

The guy in NYC that I trade Bruce stuff with says that he will have Philly, Cleveland and the finale in Washington - oh boy

Kathleen

[TT-Nick]

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Woohoo

The guy in NYC that I trade Bruce stuff with says that he will have Philly, Cleveland and the finale in Washington - oh boy

Kathleen

The Washington show is being shown is TV, I believe.

Apparantly all the shows will all be filmed by crowd memebers.

[spunkywho]

he is adding another show in NJ - tickets go on sale the 6th.

lucky bastards