Bruce

Notes: Like the Devils & Dust tour-closer almost exactly one year ago, this final show of the 2006 tour was a family affair. Evan and Sam Springsteen took the stage to announce, “Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band!” They were back to close the main set — along with sister Jessie, a friend apiece, and a nanny — to help out with vocals on “Pay Me My Money Down.” Patti Scialfa got a special shout-out, before “If I Should Fall Behind.” After explaining to the crowd that they had to bring the kids with them because they “can’t trust them” at home, Bruce kept up the silly and dedicated the song “to my lovely love. My lovely love! I just made that up — off the top of my head! Isn’t that romantic?” Bruce had warm words of thanks, too, for his extended family for much of the year, the Seeger Sessions Band. “This is sort of a finale for a little while,” he told the crowd during the encore, adding, “This has been one of the nicest musical experiences of my life.” And considering his life, that’s saying something. But it wasn’t a bittersweet night (despite Soozie appearing to tear up as the encore began), just a kick-ass finale that cleared the bar set at the last Dublin show, with a crowd to match. As opposed to the traveling-fan crowd in Dublin, this was an audience made up largely of locals, and it brought a different kind of energy to the room. When Bruce dedicated “When the Saints Go Marching In” to the city of Belfast, the cheers suggested it was met by people with a stake in the game. Set highlights included the tour premiere of “Mansion on the Hill,” in a familiar arrangement, and an audibled “For You.” “This is a song from my first album in 1972,” Bruce said to intro the latter. “I was a wee lad of ten years old. I was very precocious — a natural genius sort of thing.” Only its second tour appearance, it was one of the most “rocking” performances this band has tackled. “For You” demonstrated their capacity to explore other musical dimensions, should Bruce tap them again — and his comments over these last few nights suggest that he intends to. For now, they closed the show, and the tour, with the song that started it all, “We Shall Overcome,” and a few final words, “Thank you. We’ll be seeing you!”