OT: Anybody see Bruce?

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Anybody go Thursday and/or Sunday?

I'm absolutely kicking myself for not going last night. I went on Thursday (I had 4 tickets), but I told my parents to just take the tickets last night (I had 2). Debated picking up a single, but I figured I'd get caught up on some work instead because he hasn't been changing up the setlist as much. Well, it might not be as much as in the past, but last night's show did get ten songs that Thursday's did not. It was also a fairly dark setlist (at least the first half), which is the style of Bruce I have always preferred.

I didn't think Pittsburgh was a two-show town for him anymore, but Thursday was packed and last night was as expensive as I've seen tickets on the secondary market in a while.

 

[Joe Magarac]

Did you mean Bruce Bedsprings?

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Did you mean Bruce Bedsprings?

Wouldn't be a bad angle for me if I ever took a job at the Original Mattress Factory as a sales associate. I could walk around dressed like him while counting to 4 before revealing each mattress.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

I have heard nothing but great things about the show. Sunday night set list looked super awesome.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I have heard nothing but great things about the show. Sunday night set list looked super awesome.

The same reasons this tour hasn't been as appealing to me are the reasons why I think a casual fan would find it MUCH more appealing.

I've been to shows where he just totally winged the entire setlist and some people in the crowd probably only recognized like 3-4 songs. Personally, that's what I like: deep cuts, alternating setlists, etc.

This is much more of a structured show. He did start making some changes - mostly in the first half of the show - but even the pool of songs he's alternating from isn't quite as expansive. I think I saw that he's played 100 different songs this tour. I guess that sounds like a lot, but that numbers was like 270ish in a similar amount of time between 2012 - 2014. If I wasn't a diehard fan, this would be the show I would want. Very tight and relentless for three hours.

Thursday's show had a lot of intense songs (Reason to Believe, Youngstown, Racing in the Street, Atlantic City, etc.), so I thought last night would be more of a lighthearted party setlist. Couldn't have been more wrong: Candy's Room, Adam Raised a Cain, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Youngstown again, etc. Not to mention probably the only shot I'll ever have at seeing If I Was The Priest. Ugh, wish I'd have been there.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

The same reasons this tour hasn't been as appealing to me are the reasons why I think a casual fan would find it MUCH more appealing.

I've been to shows where he just totally winged the entire setlist and some people in the crowd probably only recognized like 3-4 songs. Personally, that's what I like: deep cuts, alternating setlists, etc.

This is much more of a structured show. He did start making some changes - mostly in the first half of the show - but even the pool of songs he's alternating from isn't quite as expansive. I think I saw that he's played 100 different songs this tour. I guess that sounds like a lot, but that numbers was like 270ish in a similar amount of time between 2012 - 2014. If I wasn't a diehard fan, this would be the show I would want. Very tight and relentless for three hours.

Thursday's show had a lot of intense songs (Reason to Believe, Youngstown, Racing in the Street, Atlantic City, etc.), so I thought last night would be more of a lighthearted party setlist. Couldn't have been more wrong: Candy's Room, Adam Raised a Cain, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Youngstown again, etc. Not to mention probably the only shot I'll ever have at seeing If I Was The Priest. Ugh, wish I'd have been there.

Yes I love the shows where I am only one around me singing. However it does get annoying having everyone leave for restrooms. lol.

 

[Joe Magarac]

Wouldn't be a bad angle for me if I ever took a job at the Original Mattress Factory as a sales associate. I could walk around dressed like him while counting to 4 before revealing each mattress.

Sophie Mazloff is smiling down on us.

 

[Franb]

The same reasons this tour hasn't been as appealing to me are the reasons why I think a casual fan would find it MUCH more appealing.

I've been to shows where he just totally winged the entire setlist and some people in the crowd probably only recognized like 3-4 songs. Personally, that's what I like: deep cuts, alternating setlists, etc.

This is much more of a structured show. He did start making some changes - mostly in the first half of the show - but even the pool of songs he's alternating from isn't quite as expansive. I think I saw that he's played 100 different songs this tour. I guess that sounds like a lot, but that numbers was like 270ish in a similar amount of time between 2012 - 2014. If I wasn't a diehard fan, this would be the show I would want. Very tight and relentless for three hours.

Thursday's show had a lot of intense songs (Reason to Believe, Youngstown, Racing in the Street, Atlantic City, etc.), so I thought last night would be more of a lighthearted party setlist. Couldn't have been more wrong: Candy's Room, Adam Raised a Cain, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Youngstown again, etc. Not to mention probably the only shot I'll ever have at seeing If I Was The Priest. Ugh, wish I'd have been there.

He has a much bigger band now than he used to, so I suspect that makes it more of a challenge to add more changes into the set. These newer faces don't have the experience with his catalog that the old guys do.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

He has a much bigger band now than he used to, so I suspect that makes it more of a challenge to add more changes into the set. These newer faces don't have the experience with his catalog that the old guys do.

I just don't think he's as interested in challenging himself/the band at this point in the game. His flight landed in Pittsburgh a little after 4:30 yesterday, and he was back in New Jersey at 1:09 am.

The days of hammering things down via rehearsing seem to have passed.

And I think 80% of the arena prefers it this way anyway. Maybe even 90%. The songs I want to hear are pee breaks to them, and vice versa.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Thought about it this year and last year before he canceled, but we didn't end up getting tickets. Neither my wife and I are Bruce fans outside of a handful of songs.

Only considered it because of his reputation of putting on great shows. I know someone who's seen him 100+ times, including multiple countries and dive bars in NJ.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

I just don't think he's as interested in challenging himself/the band at this point in the game. His flight landed in Pittsburgh a little after 4:30 yesterday, and he was back in New Jersey at 1:09 am.

The days of hammering things down via rehearsing seem to have passed.

And I think 80% of the arena prefers it this way anyway. Maybe even 90%. The songs I want to hear are pee breaks to them, and vice versa.

I thought it was interesting he flew to Jersey and then back in between shows, although that was a pretty big gap between shows. In the old days he would have turned up at the Hard Rock cafe to play with Joe Grushecky on the Saturday night before the Sunday show (I wonder how many people showed up to that hoping to see a Bruce appearance only to be disappointed).

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I thought it was interesting he flew to Jersey and then back in between shows, although that was a pretty big gap between shows. In the old days he would have turned up at the Hard Rock cafe to play with Joe Grushecky on the Saturday night before the Sunday show (I wonder how many people showed up to that hoping to see a Bruce appearance only to be disappointed).

Oh it's not even just between shows anymore. It's the day of. Like he flew here and back on Thursday and then flew here and back on Sunday. I believe he does it for all US shows now -- even the west coast.

And Joe G. definitely know what he's doing when he schedules a show in between two Bruce Pittsburgh dates. He did the same thing in '23, when the shows were originally scheduled, haha. No matter how unlikely it is that Bruce will show, fans will still go just in case.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Oh it's not even just between shows anymore. It's the day of. Like he flew here and back on Thursday and then flew here and back on Sunday. I believe he does it for all US shows now -- even the west coast.

And Joe G. definitely know what he's doing when he schedules a show in between two Bruce Pittsburgh dates. He did the same thing in '23, when the shows were originally scheduled, haha. No matter how unlikely it is that Bruce will show, fans will still go just in case.

Age 74, more money than he probably knows what to do with....who can blame him for wanting to sleep in his own bed at night rather than a hotel (although no longer doing the Motel 8 like the 70's, the hotels would probably be just as luxurious if he wanted to stay on the road).

 

[USN_Panther]

Age 74, more money than he probably knows what to do with....who can blame him for wanting to sleep in his own bed at night rather than a hotel (although no longer doing the Motel 8 like the 70's, the hotels would probably be just as luxurious if he wanted to stay on the road).

As long as he offsets his carbon it's all good.

 

[FrogmoreZeke]

I thought it was interesting he flew to Jersey and then back in between shows, although that was a pretty big gap between shows. In the old days he would have turned up at the Hard Rock cafe to play with Joe Grushecky on the Saturday night before the Sunday show (I wonder how many people showed up to that hoping to see a Bruce appearance only to be disappointed).

There were certainly some people who came only due to the chance Bruce would show up. In particular some 20 - 30 year old young ladies. But Joe's new album is great and the show was fantastic and the band has been getting big crowds recently. I don't think there were too many people who left disappointed just cause Bruce didn't show up.

 

[Dan1911]

Don't bring me down...Bruce.