There’s a point in every tour where Bruce loosens up, throws the setlist out the window, and transforms the entire concert into a non-stop, unpredictable jet engine of a show.
On the River Tour (2016 edition), I expected it to happen in Philly, but I was wrong. I thought for sure it would happen in Los Angeles, but despite a high-octane three-night stand, those shows were still tightly scripted. I knew it wouldn’t happen in Portland. And after the short (by Bruce’s standards) and predictable show in Portland two days prior, I really wasn’t expecting much out of Seattle. And going into the show, I was at peace with that.
At the time, I’d planned for the Seattle show to be my last of the tour (the extension legs hadn’t yet been announced). Since Seattle is my adopted home town, I opted for a suite at KeyArena, where I could enjoy the show in comfort with great friends, and all I really wanted was one last chance to take in those gorgeous River songs.
(Sharing a pro tip: I’m sure mileage varies, but at many arenas (KeyArena included), the per-person cost for a suite is surprisingly only a small premium above the price of a standard ticket. When I can pull together a group of 16, I often throw in for a suite. It’s certainly not the high-adrenaline pit experience, but the view is excellent and unobstructed, the seating is comfy, and it’s nice to have a private bar and restroom.)
So I was completely unprepared for what I witnessed that night: a 3 hour and 45 minute barnburner featuring a second set comprised almost *entirely* of sign requests (Bruce had hardly done any up until this point on the tour, and none for the previous 5 shows before Seattle); a “Bobby Jean” guest-spot by Eddie Vedder; lots of ad-libbed and improvised takes on tour standards (including a hilarious almost-train-wreck during “Crush on You” that seemed to be the inflection point of the show but sadly wasn’t captured on youtube), a first-time-for-me performance of “I’m Goin’ Down,” a stunning duet of “Tougher Than the Rest,” and a final “Shout” that seemed like it would never end.
It was, by far, the best show of the tour to date (IMO), in the place I least expected to find it. This was my ninth show of tour, and I thought it would be last… but after that show, I just couldn’t stop.
I had to do one more.
Or maybe seven.
