Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Akron Civic Theatre, Akron, OH, August 8, 1975
“Roy Bittan on the piano over there, he’s gonna get down for you a little bit.”
SETLIST: INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / THE E STREET SHUFFLE / THEN SHE KISSED ME / GROWIN' UP / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / UP ON THE ROOF / SHE'S THE ONE / BORN TO RUN / BACKSTREETS / FUNK SONG / KITTY'S BACK / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / A LOVE SO FINE / CAROL / QUARTER TO THREE
Venue capacity: 5,000
Akron is ready to party! The united denizens of south suburban Cleveland are here to see their boy. I know, he’s at the Allen Theatre in a couple of days, but that means absolutely nothing to Cleveland Springsteen fans. They are excited and chatty – but the incessant murmur settles down, a little bit at least, about five minutes into the solo piano version of “Incident” that opens this show. This evening in Akron is not the highest fidelity tape you will ever listen to, from this year or any other, but it is worth it! There’s some interesting modulation in the vocal melody in the second to last verse, but it is kind of a rag-tag version of “Incident.” That doesn’t mean bad, it’s just a little frayed around the edges and that’s not out of context to the song.
I can’t quite hear how Bruce intros “10th Avenue,” it’s either “this is a song from our new album” or something about walking into a 10th Avenue Freeze-Out, it doesn’t matter. This is another kind of bare-bones version, it’s been played out about a dozen times (we don’t have an exact number because there are missing setlists for a couple of dates), always in the #2 spot, usually right after “Incident.” “Spirit in the Night” is greeted like a long lost child, again, in the same position it has been this tour and the previous one and for what we know, even, of the tour before that one.
Bruce sings the line about the coonskin cap in a Dylanesque cadence. You can definitely hear the difference between the still tentative nature of “10th Avenue” and this comfortable old-timer. He’s wearing it like his favorite jacket. Bruce is getting warmed up now, he is into it, at least judging by the scream he lets out right before the bridge.
The intro to “E Street Shuffle” is mostly off mic but you can hear him whisper something about Asbury Park; everyone in this audience has definitely heard the story before, or some version of it. The organ intro is slightly more ornate than usual, and then there’s a gorgeous little guitar solo before Bruce yells “BAND!” and it’s story time.
“All of a sudden, way down on the corner, I see this white, this thing like it’s an illusion or something, a ghost – I don’t believe in ghosts and stuff like that, but it was, like, this BIG ghost, so I crossed the street, and this thing? It crossed the street. So to be safe, I crossed back to the other side, and whatever it was, it crossed back to the other side!” Steve gets brought into the story: “Turns around, faces off right in front of me – right in front of me, Steve, like right--” and the usual rap continues, along with continued commentary from an emboldened number of jabronis in the audience who feel the need to contribute to the discourse. But not for too long, before you know it, he’s in the song already. It’s a jazzy, languid “Shuffle,” no one is troubling themselves to move too fast.
“This is one of my favorite songs! It was originally done in the 60’s by the Crystals.” This is the tour premiere of "And Then She Kissed Me" (an error in the original version said this was "Sha-la-la," oops) one of the best E Street Band covers ever, and I’ll never get over the way Bruce tries to nail the’s whoa-oh-oh-oh. He goes for it with every molecule in his body every single time because he knows that he cannot fuck it up or there is no point in singing that particular song. He captures the energy and the insouciance of the delivery.
“Growin’ Up” is standard, there’s no diversion aside from Hey Steven, I’m TELLING you - I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere!! But man, this version of “Saint in the City” is outstanding. It is effortless, gliding, soaring, muscular, and the guitar solo interludes are fascinating, beginning softly, a pair of notes ringing quietly until someone decided what direction they were taking this in. He settles on the approach of a locomotive getting up to speed, Max meeting the intensity before pulling out the throttle at the end. It is compact, coming in at less than six minutes.
The segue into the Drifters’ “Up On The Roof” is interesting. “Interesting” in that it’s still kind of tentative and it’s not really a great match to Bruce’s vocal delivery. If they wanted it to really work, they needed to write a new arrangement that took advantage of the band because while the E Street Band are famous for many things, outstanding intricate vocal harmonies are not one of them. Thematically this is actually a super-interesting choice, it works as a bridge between the youthful innocence of young love into fully hormonal-charged lust with “She’s The One” but it misses the mark, I think.
But the audible surge of delight from the audience -- they know the song, it’s a golden oldie and not that far away in 1975 -- when the band comes in on harmonies is wonderful. They’d debuted the cover earlier in the week -- literally, the first time this came out that we know of was July 30 in DC -- but this performance is the second to last documented appearance (the last one will be the 8/16 Bottom Line show). We know what he was listening to and why this Goffin/King classic was on his mind but it’s not as solid of a match as any of the other covers in this era.
The unadorned, naked version of “She’s the One” is up next, no intro, no “Mona,” just that muted, shimmering iridescence of the initial guitar line. And it’s still rudimentary, but it has more miles on its odometer compared to other BTR songs, but, like, not by much. But it’s enough, because this feels like The New Song From The New Record in terms of energy and execution.
“She’s the one!”
“Yes she is!”
I am an unabashed fan of the OG E Street Band backing vox (as anyone who has ever stood next to me during STO live can attest) and they are glorious, they are less feral and more from a position of strength. The outro and the battle between Roy and Danny, augmented by Max, is fantastic. There is extended applause at its completion, and Bruce announces, “This is the title of my new album that should be out in about two, two-three weeks. It’s called ‘Born to Run’.”
It’s not a typo, I listened twice to make sure. My new album.
It’s still delivered at a rapid pace, but it’s starting to slow down, they’re playing the song instead of trying to get through it as fast as possible. Listen to Danny magically slide in, listen to the different emphasis on “Will you walk with me out / on / the / wire” instead of how he ends up singing it later. It feels like Bruce is singing the thing instead of doing battle with it, but then you remember the torture he went through trying to make it perfect, getting close to madness in the process. The bridge particularly feels like it’s starting to blossom and you can appreciate how it’s written to funnel you into the triumph of the last verse. The crowd knows it – we’ve just established how much the greater Cleveland area is already well familiar with “Born to Run” – and they show their appreciation with extended applause.
“This is something else that’s gonna be on our new album, it’s called ‘Backstreets.’” As briefly discussed in the essay on the evolution of the record, it’s always different to hear the songs in context as part of a setlist as opposed to when they’re extracted from the middle of a show. The reverb still makes me want to stab myself in the heart but no one in the audience knows the difference yet and he was trying to figure out how to manifest this monster of a composition in live performance and how he could still keep the same impact. It’s just not the kind of song where you can ever not immerse yourself and make it believable.
Bruce mumbles something unintelligible -- something about “this thing…and don’t forget to tip your bartenders.” The next voice we hear is Clarence, explaining, “While Bruce tightens up his thing, we’re gonna do a little groove here, you know? Put your hands together, sit down a little bit. I want everybody to sit down, turn to the person next to you and say, ‘Get down!’ Put your hands together a little bit, it feels good too!”
The next number is “Funk Song,” an ancient, bass-heavy instrumental featuring a saxophone solo and a piano solo – the Big Man shouts out “Roy Bittan on the piano over there, he’s gonna get down for you a little bit” and it’s all so thoroughly 70’s that you can see a conversation pit in your imagination while listening to it. “Steve Van Zandt over there,” Clarence cues him, “Miami Steve!” while SVZ offers a small and tasteful solo.
This is the highest of high comedy. It sounds like a TV theme song. In case you’re not interested enough to download the whole thing, here you go.
For those unfamiliar, “Funk Song” dates back to 1971 and the Bruce Springsteen Band, and there’s only three documented performances, all from this particular run, and my personal opinion is that this is being offered in lieu of an intermission or to give Bruce a minute where he doesn’t have to sing and I also personally believe that there was maybe some idea of giving Clarence a little solo spot? I think this entire concept and execution is hilarious and I want to see it reinstated, especially because in the original version of “Funk Song,” the only lyrics are GARRY TALLENT saying “Right on.” Really a lost opportunity.
“Where’s Kitty?” Bruce whispers. “Oh, what can I do? Clarence, what can I do?” he expresses shortly thereafter, and then throws it over to the Phantom. “Kitty’s Back” was always a legend, and it stays in the set for the whole of 1975 because (in my opinion) it plays so well to the strengths of each member of the E Street Band, and it allows for a wider, broader improvisation than most of the other epics. “Kitty’s Back” has a shape and a form but it is more fluid than “Serenade” or “Shuffle,” and when you have both Danny Federici and Roy Bittan in your band, why would you not take advantage? Especially the Phantom, who was born to play this song, and Roy’s work here is brilliant, it is more explicitly, classically melodic, it is more focused, but Danny absolutely swings.
But you also understand why it went away for decades, because it needs room and space and it’s a lot to dedicate 20 minutes to one song. There’s a lot made in various fan lore about Akron being a 19-song set, when four songs out of it take up 40 minutes. So looking to the number of songs performed is a pointless metric, it’s like looking at a Ramones setlist and being impressed by how many songs they can fit into 90 minutes. “Kitty” is a regular until the end of 1975 and then she comes back for two songs (mysteriously, both times in Tennessee, not exactly a hotbed of Springsteen fandom then or now) and then six times in 1978: at The Palladium and the Capitol Theatre. Then she disappeared until the first Convention Hall Christmas shows in 2000.
The last six minutes of the song are as incendiary a version of “Kitty’s Back” as you have ever witnessed.
“Clarence, I’m so worried sometimes….Sometimes I get a little worried about the whole thing…I don’t know if I should take her back?”
“It’s gonna be all right,” Steve (I think?) says.
“I don’t know if I should take her back.”
“Don’t take her back,” Clarence advises.
“I ain’t gonna worry about it no more, right here tonight in Akron, Ohio, I’m gonna stop my worrying.” He asks the audience to sing along, that it’ll make things better. “Help me out,” he pleads.
I am not at all sure how they transition from that version of “Kitty’s Back” into “New York City Serenade” and the required focus and intensity, but yet, here we are, Bruce wailing, the band building and then exploding into the intro. The crowd applauds knowingly. They know what this is.
It’s a mad dog’s promenade
So WALK TALL…
It’s emotional, overwhelming, enormous.
The tape is cut off at the very beginning of “Rosalita.” Bruce yells at Steve at one point to get him to namecheck Big Balls Billy. But mostly the fun thing in here is the various points you can hear Steve on the mic.
The intros are golden: “On the piano, the man that has all the answers to all the questions, the Professor, Mr. Roy Bittan! On the bass guitar, direct to YOU from Long Branch, New Jersey, the Funky T, Mr. Garry Tallent! He’s so shy, folks, he’s so shy. Gimme five! On the guitar, the new man in the band, which means he always rides on the hump – Miami Steve Van Zandt! Back on the drums, representin’ all you lucky folks from North Jersey, the Mighty Max! *drum solo* On the organ, in the dark recesses of the stage, back in the mysterious corners, we got on the organ and accordion, my long-time associate, Mr. Dan Federici! Gimme six! Last but not least! The Duke of Soul! The Kahuna! Mr. Clarence Clemons! cue “Theme from Shaft”
I am not sure at all what that final sax melody was meant to be but it did not sound particularly... melodious. No one cares, though, judging by the rapturous applause, which gives E Street time to regroup, for Danny to put on an accordion and tune up.
“I want to thank everybody for coming down, I want to let you know we really appreciate it… We appreciate all the support Cleveland has given to the band.”
“A Love So Fine” keeps its spot and this particular rendition, even with the sonic issues of this tape, makes me truly appreciate what Bruce was trying to accomplish by writing it, the combination of every great trick of 60s soul and blues and rnb, Stax, Atlantic, King, Philles, it’s a long and incomplete list and he did them all proud. This is part of why I believe this particular rendition segues into both “Havin’ A Party” (Clarence on the bass vocal is just a treasure) and then he complains just off mic to the Big Man that he’s trying to get into this groove, and “I see all these people not clapping their hands…it makes me, it makes me, it makes me… no, I don’t wanna do it, it just makes me want to..." – Clarence and Steve are both filling the roles of Bobby Byrd to Bruce’s James Brown, murmuring sympathetically in the background – and then just perfectly segues the band into “Shout.”
“I feel much better now,” he tells Clarence.
“Right on, right on,” affirms the Big Man
“You notice how calm I am? I’m not upset, I’m not nervous…my headache went right away.”
There’s some more call and response between Bruce and E Street and then Roy vamps into some vaudeville-esque piano, Clarence swings on the sax, and they go back into “A Love So Fine,” one more bridge before the big final chorus, it is delightful and soul-brightening and honestly quite astonishing. There is so much firepower on display and maybe it goes on a little too long but I am also sure it played much, much better to the audience that was actually there in the theater and losing their minds (based on the applause when the number is finally done).
“I can’t dance baby, you know I wish I could, got my eyes on you, baby, ‘cuz you dance so good,” is how Bruce announces the decidedly garage-rock-esque version of Chuck Berry’s “Carol,” Roy Bittan on Chuck Berry will never not be a joy and a privilege, the guitars are absolutely filthy, and Clarence is the secret weapon. “The master, Chuck Berry,” Bruce declares at the end.
“Gonna do this for the man who threw me the Gary ‘US’ Bonds album,” he says. “It’s probably one of the greatest dance songs ever recorded. You don’t dance to this one, hit yourself in the face, see your doctor in the morning.” They do the whole false ending and bring it right back to exactly the same intensity level they were when they stopped. I can only imagine the party that was happening in the aisles of the Civic Theatre at this particular moment.
Download: 1975-08-08 Akron Civic Theatre, Akron, OH
NOTE: This show comes to us via JEMS and they did a lot of work to clean it up but there is a fair amount of white noise that will likely drive you nuts in big headphones, and even in speakers, at first I kept pausing the show because it sounded like something else in my house was running. It is still worth your time and attention but it won’t be a good listen in the car or anywhere it has to fight for sonic space.
