What a surreal experience my first Seeger Sessions show was:
It was one of the easiest pits ever to get into–I’m not even sure there were enough people for a full lottery. That was lucky, because my friend Kris and I were in no mood to wait in line in the 112-degree(!) parking lot.
Inside the arena, attendance was sparse, to put it mildly. I don’t think more than half the seats had been sold. In the pit, we were joined by Nils Lofgren, who danced and rocked out with the rest of us all night long, and Jann Wenner, who was rapt the entire time.
And the show… oh, how I loved that show. The crowd may have been half the size as normal, but their energy level was twice as high. The band was immense and crazy talented, and Bruce was having the time of his life. I don’t remember ever seeing such a big, natural, relaxed smile on his face like he wore for the entire show.
The show opened with a new arrangement of “Atlantic City,” (only its second performance) featuring fantastic guitar work from Bruce. By the time Bruce segued gracefully into “John Henry” we were caught up in the band’s joyful vibe, and we stayed there all night.
Other highlights included a steamy, horn-filled “Johnny 99,” a not-so-surprise guest-appearance by Nils on “Pay Me My Money Down” (by this point on the tour, “Pay Me” had become the designated guest-star song), a sober “Bring ’em Home,” and a “Ramrod” encore audible that kicked off a three-pack dance party (along with “Rag Mama Rag” and “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch“) inspired by the roomy pit (you can hear Bruce remark on the spaciousness) that darn near exhausted us. Bruce sent us home sweaty, tired, and with feet sore from dancing.
There was irony at work: an album and show constructed around classic American folk music sold like gangbusters in Europe but failed to attract American audiences. If you missed this tour, you missed one of the highlights of Bruce’s career and my all-time favorite tour. It was too short, and I can only hope that we’ll be treated to an encore someday.
