Orel Family

Last night in Pittsburgh, Bruce Springsteen put on a show that might have been a hard core fan's dream. A brilliant setlist for the long-time fans, including world premieres and tour debuts, nearly half of the High Hopes album, highlights for all of the band members, and inspired Brucetalk bits. A show that was conspicuously absent of the features so many hardcore fans love to complain about. A show in which more than half of the songs weren't in the set just two weeks ago in Cincinnati. Who on earth changes up their sets  that  much? Johnny 99. Photo - Matthew Orel But was it a great show? Let's start with the almighty eternal everlasting ass-kicking power of the night. And there was a  lot  of ass-kicking power last night, from the very first note of the evening. Bruce's blue shirt, black vest, and tucked-in tie are gone, replaced by the Joe Strummer look. And last night, we got a bit of the Joe Strummer sound as well, as the band opened with a hard-drivi...

Since Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last played in Cincinnati in March, 2008 , the United States has gone through two presidential elections and a great recession. Two cherished members of the E Street Band have passed away. Bruce has released two powerful studio albums and, along the way, has enabled new voices and new sounds for his Hall of Fame-bound band. During those six years, while the rest of us aged, Bruce somehow became younger. We can conjecture from what or where his fountain of youth came. Was it from the booty shaking? The love making? The earth quaking? Perhaps it was the Viagara taking. He has mentioned Viagra taking. Whatever the elixir, whoever the alchemist, the results have been spectacular. But what about Cincinnati? Bruce's 2008 Cincinnati show didn’t pass the two-hour mark until the evening’s last song. Tonight’s show could have come with a warning label: For a show lasting longer than 3 hours, audience members should call their doctors...