Post by Kosmic Kid on Mar 12, 2005 12:46:05 GMT 1
Wednesday's report:
I drove by yesterday (Tuesday) in the snow in the late afternoon
before I had to go to work and noticed there was some activity going
on.
So I went back today (Wednesday) in the afternoon and the walkway
between Convention Hall and the Paramount Theater is open.
It is freezing in there but there is an area to where there's an exit
from the Paramount Theater and you can hear pretty well from there.
I was the only one around and I didn't stay to the end as it was
freezing and I had to get to work.
Not sure if they were filming anything today but I did get to hear
Bruce and several band members rehearse four or five of the new songs
and some old ones.
I didn't not see which band members were there (as I didn't see them
come in or leave) but my educated guess says it was Nils (Big SUV
with Maryland license plates parked right by the ramp to the
Paramount), Soozie, Danny and Steve Jordan.
The first song I heard played was "Jesus Was an Only Son."
From what I could hear, there is organ (or a synthesizer), piano,
drums.
Some of the lyrics are: "Jesus was an only son as they walked up that
(great?) hill. "
It rememinded me of "Book of Dreams" from the Luckytown/Human Touch
Tour.
It's a slow ballad with some backup vocals (Soozie?)
Another line was "Jesus held his mother's hand."
Now since I don't know many of the new songs, I really don't know
what the next three songs were that I heard. I tried to listen for
some lyrics the best I could but it wasn't easy.
Next up was a quick moving song where Bruce sings in a slight
falsetto voice. This could be the song, "All I'm Thinkin' About."
There's a nice drum beat and pedal steel.
It's sort of a rockabilly song with a country-swing beat.
There were some "oooh-ooh-oooh" it it and some of the lyrics sounded
like "Oh Baby won't you be with me," (I think).
Sounds like this will be a fun song.
Then there was another slow song with some violin. The lyrics weren't
outfront on this and I couldn't really hear it.
Another slow song was up next. I thought I heard "How long have you?"
or something like that. It reminded me of Mansion On the Hill during
the Reunion Tour.
Up next was another slow song. All I could pick up of the lyrics
was: "Now my darling" and something about "sweet memories and sweet
dreams."
Then Bruce went into some familiar songs:
He played "This Hard Land." Sort of like how he did it on the Joad
Tour but this had drums (Steve Jordan?), violin and organ (sure
sounded like Danny).
Atlantic City was next. This was really good. Had violin, harmonica,
drums. He worled on the end of it a couple times with the violin.
Then they worked on Ghost of Tom Joad. Little drums hwere and pedal
steel, reminded me of how he did it on the Reunion Tour.
Youngstown was next. Slower version with pedal steel, drums. They
worked on it a few times. Lots of Nils on pedal steel. They worked on
the closing of it a few times.
I left around 4:15 p.m. as it was really cold and I had to get ready
to leave for work. They were still working on Youngstown when I left.
I think they were getting ready to finish as several airport
limousinces were on the ramp with their engines running getting ready
to drive people away.
I was the only fan around the whole time.
I do not know when/if they are rehearsing again but I will take a
ride down there tomorrow to see if anything is going on.
THURSDAY REPORT:
Hi all
Just back from the Thursday rehearsals at the Paramount Theater in
Asbury Park.
It wasn't as cold today as the day before but it's still cold.
Bruce arrived at 1:15 p.m. in the Range Rover. He pulled up the ramp
and parked in the promenade area between Convention Hall and the
Paramount Theater.
He was by himself and he stayed in the Range Rover for a good 10
minutes before coming out. Maybe he was on his cellphone.
Terry MaGovern was waiting for him and there were two other fans
there, a guy and a girl, one of had a camera. I did not know them.
Bruce finally came out and went right into the Paramount back
entrace, he seemed to be in a bit of a hurry and didn't acknowledge
the two fans, I was hanging back a bit.
He was carrying some sort of gym-type bag with him.
Around 2 p.m. the music started.
We found a great quiet (at times) spot to hear inside the promenade
where no one bothers you.
Another fan did stop by quickly but left after 15 minutes.
Today was just Bruce and Nils.
They did a quick run through of Dry Lightning, with Bruce on acoustic
and Nils on what sounds like a pedal steel.
We got to hear Maria's Bed next. We liked it. It's a rockabilly
style. One of the lyrics is something like: "The light's shining on
me and Maria's Bed."
Another line was something like: "Leaving my soul in Maria's bed."
The song has a nice, upbeat tempo. Bruce plays some harmonica on it
and acoustic guitar and Nils again was on what sounded like pedal
steel.
Up next was the other rockabilly song I heard on Wednesday. I'm still
not sure which song it is, possibly it's "All I'm Thinking About."
There's a harmonica intro into it.
The fourth song played was Ghost of Tom Joad.
Next up was Black Cowboys.
This is a slow song, like one of the slow ballads from the Tom Joad
album. From what we could hear he sings about "Coming Up over a hill"
and Ted thought he mentioned Oklahoma in it.
The highlight today was next: Long Time Coming.
Sounded real good, just like it did on some concerts on the Tom Joad
tour.
Bruce then played another slow song from the new album that none of
us could really make out any of the lyrics to.
It was slow and dull. Again, like one of those slow ballads from the
Tom Joad album.
The final song played was Youngstown. It was a little different and
there was an awsome Nils guitar solo on the end, pedal steel style.
This was really good. Imagine the electric guitar solo that we heard
by Nils on the past tours and imagine a pedal-steel style. It was a
different type of solo and it was great.
I don't know if they're done for now.
Friday Asbury Park rehearsal report
Hi all
Friday was another day of Bruce at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park.
He showed up later today, around 2:30 p.m. and he was by himself, no other musicians.
The music started shortly after 3 p.m. and it began with a very interesting version of Reason To Belive.
Bruce's voice was modulated and there was lots of harmonica. There was no guitar that we could hear.
Someone described it as Jimmy Reed-Mississippi Blues style.
It was fascinating to hear.
Next up was a nice acoustic Lonesome Day, Bruce on acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Bruce then worked on The National Anthem, sounded like how he played it on the Vote For Change tour.
The Rising was next, sort of like the version he did at Sommerville in February of 2003.
I then had to leave (real life calls) but my friends filled me in on the other details.
Johnny 99 was next, another unique version of this, stripped down with a steel guitar was how they described it.
The final song Bruce played was Adam Raise the Cain.
Gary US Bonds (who is playing the Stone Pony tonight) stopped by and went in the theater.
They said Bruce came out at 5:30 p.m. to leave. He stopped and signed autographs for about 15 people, including my friend Joellen who had Bruce sign her Bright Eyes CD.
There was an article in the Asbury Park Press on Friday about the rehearsals, so the crowd was a little bit bigger but probably no more than 20 people total.
The weather was pretty nice too.
Interesting how Bruce worked with a few musicians on Wednesday, just Nils on Thursday and was solo today.
I don't know if anymore rehearsals are scheduled.
I drove by yesterday (Tuesday) in the snow in the late afternoon
before I had to go to work and noticed there was some activity going
on.
So I went back today (Wednesday) in the afternoon and the walkway
between Convention Hall and the Paramount Theater is open.
It is freezing in there but there is an area to where there's an exit
from the Paramount Theater and you can hear pretty well from there.
I was the only one around and I didn't stay to the end as it was
freezing and I had to get to work.
Not sure if they were filming anything today but I did get to hear
Bruce and several band members rehearse four or five of the new songs
and some old ones.
I didn't not see which band members were there (as I didn't see them
come in or leave) but my educated guess says it was Nils (Big SUV
with Maryland license plates parked right by the ramp to the
Paramount), Soozie, Danny and Steve Jordan.
The first song I heard played was "Jesus Was an Only Son."
From what I could hear, there is organ (or a synthesizer), piano,
drums.
Some of the lyrics are: "Jesus was an only son as they walked up that
(great?) hill. "
It rememinded me of "Book of Dreams" from the Luckytown/Human Touch
Tour.
It's a slow ballad with some backup vocals (Soozie?)
Another line was "Jesus held his mother's hand."
Now since I don't know many of the new songs, I really don't know
what the next three songs were that I heard. I tried to listen for
some lyrics the best I could but it wasn't easy.
Next up was a quick moving song where Bruce sings in a slight
falsetto voice. This could be the song, "All I'm Thinkin' About."
There's a nice drum beat and pedal steel.
It's sort of a rockabilly song with a country-swing beat.
There were some "oooh-ooh-oooh" it it and some of the lyrics sounded
like "Oh Baby won't you be with me," (I think).
Sounds like this will be a fun song.
Then there was another slow song with some violin. The lyrics weren't
outfront on this and I couldn't really hear it.
Another slow song was up next. I thought I heard "How long have you?"
or something like that. It reminded me of Mansion On the Hill during
the Reunion Tour.
Up next was another slow song. All I could pick up of the lyrics
was: "Now my darling" and something about "sweet memories and sweet
dreams."
Then Bruce went into some familiar songs:
He played "This Hard Land." Sort of like how he did it on the Joad
Tour but this had drums (Steve Jordan?), violin and organ (sure
sounded like Danny).
Atlantic City was next. This was really good. Had violin, harmonica,
drums. He worled on the end of it a couple times with the violin.
Then they worked on Ghost of Tom Joad. Little drums hwere and pedal
steel, reminded me of how he did it on the Reunion Tour.
Youngstown was next. Slower version with pedal steel, drums. They
worked on it a few times. Lots of Nils on pedal steel. They worked on
the closing of it a few times.
I left around 4:15 p.m. as it was really cold and I had to get ready
to leave for work. They were still working on Youngstown when I left.
I think they were getting ready to finish as several airport
limousinces were on the ramp with their engines running getting ready
to drive people away.
I was the only fan around the whole time.
I do not know when/if they are rehearsing again but I will take a
ride down there tomorrow to see if anything is going on.
THURSDAY REPORT:
Hi all
Just back from the Thursday rehearsals at the Paramount Theater in
Asbury Park.
It wasn't as cold today as the day before but it's still cold.
Bruce arrived at 1:15 p.m. in the Range Rover. He pulled up the ramp
and parked in the promenade area between Convention Hall and the
Paramount Theater.
He was by himself and he stayed in the Range Rover for a good 10
minutes before coming out. Maybe he was on his cellphone.
Terry MaGovern was waiting for him and there were two other fans
there, a guy and a girl, one of had a camera. I did not know them.
Bruce finally came out and went right into the Paramount back
entrace, he seemed to be in a bit of a hurry and didn't acknowledge
the two fans, I was hanging back a bit.
He was carrying some sort of gym-type bag with him.
Around 2 p.m. the music started.
We found a great quiet (at times) spot to hear inside the promenade
where no one bothers you.
Another fan did stop by quickly but left after 15 minutes.
Today was just Bruce and Nils.
They did a quick run through of Dry Lightning, with Bruce on acoustic
and Nils on what sounds like a pedal steel.
We got to hear Maria's Bed next. We liked it. It's a rockabilly
style. One of the lyrics is something like: "The light's shining on
me and Maria's Bed."
Another line was something like: "Leaving my soul in Maria's bed."
The song has a nice, upbeat tempo. Bruce plays some harmonica on it
and acoustic guitar and Nils again was on what sounded like pedal
steel.
Up next was the other rockabilly song I heard on Wednesday. I'm still
not sure which song it is, possibly it's "All I'm Thinking About."
There's a harmonica intro into it.
The fourth song played was Ghost of Tom Joad.
Next up was Black Cowboys.
This is a slow song, like one of the slow ballads from the Tom Joad
album. From what we could hear he sings about "Coming Up over a hill"
and Ted thought he mentioned Oklahoma in it.
The highlight today was next: Long Time Coming.
Sounded real good, just like it did on some concerts on the Tom Joad
tour.
Bruce then played another slow song from the new album that none of
us could really make out any of the lyrics to.
It was slow and dull. Again, like one of those slow ballads from the
Tom Joad album.
The final song played was Youngstown. It was a little different and
there was an awsome Nils guitar solo on the end, pedal steel style.
This was really good. Imagine the electric guitar solo that we heard
by Nils on the past tours and imagine a pedal-steel style. It was a
different type of solo and it was great.
I don't know if they're done for now.
Friday Asbury Park rehearsal report
Hi all
Friday was another day of Bruce at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park.
He showed up later today, around 2:30 p.m. and he was by himself, no other musicians.
The music started shortly after 3 p.m. and it began with a very interesting version of Reason To Belive.
Bruce's voice was modulated and there was lots of harmonica. There was no guitar that we could hear.
Someone described it as Jimmy Reed-Mississippi Blues style.
It was fascinating to hear.
Next up was a nice acoustic Lonesome Day, Bruce on acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Bruce then worked on The National Anthem, sounded like how he played it on the Vote For Change tour.
The Rising was next, sort of like the version he did at Sommerville in February of 2003.
I then had to leave (real life calls) but my friends filled me in on the other details.
Johnny 99 was next, another unique version of this, stripped down with a steel guitar was how they described it.
The final song Bruce played was Adam Raise the Cain.
Gary US Bonds (who is playing the Stone Pony tonight) stopped by and went in the theater.
They said Bruce came out at 5:30 p.m. to leave. He stopped and signed autographs for about 15 people, including my friend Joellen who had Bruce sign her Bright Eyes CD.
There was an article in the Asbury Park Press on Friday about the rehearsals, so the crowd was a little bit bigger but probably no more than 20 people total.
The weather was pretty nice too.
Interesting how Bruce worked with a few musicians on Wednesday, just Nils on Thursday and was solo today.
I don't know if anymore rehearsals are scheduled.