Five tunes into his 27-song night with the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen had already tried on a dozen or so roles—including linebacker, Baptist minister (a lot of struggle and redemption to preach about, folks), toastmaster, Marvin Gaye circa What’s Going On?, Elvis Presley, jeans model (cameras spent a lot of time filming Springsteen’s iconic back), The Clash’s Joe Strummer and, at the end of "Working on a Dream," a housing advocate of sorts.
"The E Street Band is here to fulfill its solemn vow to rock this house," shouted Springsteen in that cracked leather motorcycle seat of a voice, every muscle in his body clenched like a jaw. "But we’re not just gonna rock the house…we’re going to build a house of love!"
It had to be a big house, though. Large enough to fit the 11 members of the E Street Band (12, if you count the towering, black robed Big Man, Clarence Clemons, as two people) and the multiple hats worn throughout the night by the Ambassador from Asbury Park—including, literally, a black cowboy hat donned for the title character from "Outlaw Pete," which built on steady flourishes and a few well-read pop song hooks. The song approached the "doo-doo-doo" backing vocals of Lou Reed’s wild side walk and the melody of "I Was Made for Loving You" by KISS before Springsteen steered his band and Pete’s horse for the edge of a cliff, earning a long, approving "Bruuuce" chant for the song, a set highlight.
And, when not switching roles to appease the audience (mid-set, he played both a jukebox and a proud parent, rounding up poster-sized song requests for The Kinks’ "You Really Got Me" and "Spirit in the Night" as if he was going to post them on the E Street Band’s refrigerator), Springsteen was in the audience, or as close as he could get without detuning his reliable yellow Telecaster. For slower numbers like "Raise Your Hand" and "Working on a Dream," Springsteen rallied the barely-standing-room floor crowd, or cheered on the E Street Band’s two finest performers of the evening, guitarist Nils Lofgren and 18-year-old drummer Jay Weinberg, who capably took over for father Max roughly halfway through the show.
"Let’s go!" he shouted for the umpteenth time (only outnumbered by his Ramones-y "One, two, three, four!") during the set after "Kingdom of Days," and let Lofgren loose on "Radio Nowhere."
Of course, the size of the cast doesn’t make the production. By the end of the night, The Boss settled comfortably into the role of plain ol’ "Bruuuce," even beckoning the house lights on for "Born to Run" and a nightcapping "Detroit Medley" as if to say, "Nothing up my sleeves and, look ma, no hands either!" Sure, some of the characters are costumes and creation. But there’s enough method actor left in Springsteen to make for a damned good show, no matter the role he takes on.
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