Live Dates • April 29, 2012
“Bruce Springsteen shakes, rattles, surfs in Los Angeles”
In their review of the pair of Los Angeles Coliseum concerts last week, Phil Gallo of Billboard analyzed the current E Street Band, set list choices, and ever-evolving show dynamics brought on as a result.
“At the Sports Arena, Springsteen appeared rejuvenated, especially after the “Magic” tour, where the new songs never clicked, feeling half-baked up against classics that had been in the sets for a few years or a few decades. The material from “Wrecking Ball” – eight of its songs were performed Thursday, a standard at most of his shows to date – has a gravitas that approaches “The Rising” and in many cases supersedes “Born in the U.S.A’s” songs; more lived in than when recorded, the new material is delivered with a compelling vigor, whether it’s a soft song such as “Rocky Ground,” performed with the singer and rapper Michelle Moore, or the more urgent “Wrecking Ball,” one of the songs that takes full advantage of the scope a 16-piece band can provide.”
Read the full, detailed show review here.