TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Tuesday, August 7
By Lowell D. Kern
The lighting at Springsteen concerts has usually been minimalistic. Colors are used to set and reflect the mood of a song; the house lights are up at the start of “Badlands” and throughout “Born to Run.” Bruce’s silhouette has been projected across the arena during “The Rising,” and there was occasionally some mood lighting on the backdrop during the Devils & Dust shows. But, at least to this untrained eye, there was never anything fancy.
The Super Bowl, of course, required something more. I have no idea whose suggestion it was to use the LED lighting panel at the Super Bowl, but it was something fresh, with the potential to be put to great creative effect.
Last night in Tulsa, which was Springsteen and the E Street Band’s first Oklahoma concert in more than 30 years (since the 1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town tour), I was dead center with a straight-on view, so for the first time, I had the chance to get a good look at the way the LEDs are being used. Consistent with past designs, the LEDs were not overwhelming to the point of distraction. But they brought something new to the party.
The second song in the set was “Outlaw Pete.” The LEDs were used to enhance the western feel of the song, as the backdrop was simply a panorama of Saguaro cacti. Nothing over-the-top, just something to add to the setting. For “Working on a Dream,” images of sky and clouds, evocative of the album cover, again just set the mood.
The design was more artistic for “Johnny 99,” as the backdrop was a stylized series of prison bars. From the beginning of the song, the lighting was the cue to what was going to happen. That was followed by “Seeds,” but this time, the display reflected the idea of the song without being explicit. While the protagonist in the song ends up sleeping in his car, the backdrop showed a railroad yard and people camped out in a boxcar, bringing to mind the mid-’90s book Journey to Nowhere, which was one inspiration for The Ghost of Tom Joad album. (I wouldn’t be surprised if the picture is actually one from the book, which has some remarkable, albeit depressing, photographs from Michael Williamson. Unfortunately, I’m writing this on my flight home from Tulsa and can’t confirm.)
The lighting was more literal for “Sunny Day”: a clear blue sky that clouded over on cue with the lyrics, ready to be chased away.
The two uses at the end of the main set brought the crowd into play. On “Lonesome Day,” bright white circles mimicking spotlights flashed on as the crowd thrust their hands in the air. And closing the main set with “Born to Run,” the LEDs literally reflected the audience, as live crowd shots filled the screen.
During the encore, the light panel added to the party mood. A la the Super Bowl, the title of the song scrolled across in huge letters during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out.” And at the end of “American Land,” the familiar comic lettering of “E Street Band” was shown. The final use of the panel was again literal, showing the crowd Dancing in the Dark.
I don’t think anyone wants flash pots and smoke machines at Springsteen shows. But this addition to the stage lighting is a welcome update to the presentation of Bruce’s music.
