Concert Review
Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
May 14, 2011 @ Allstate Arena
By Dave Miller
“Here’s our new single,” Bob Seger said introducing “Downtown Train,” a Tom Waits cover, early in Saturday’s show at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. “Maybe you’ve heard it on the radio. These days, who knows?”
A lot has changed in the music business since Seger and his Silver Bullet Band were at the height of their popularity in the 1970s and early ‘80s when his rock and soul songs were all over the radio. Nowadays, his music has been relegated to classic rock and even oldies stations. Of course, he hasn’t exactly been prolific in recent years, releasing just one album of new material in the past 16 years. While even the most veteran older rockers now have to hustle and come up with creative ways to still be heard, Seger has been the opposite of a self-promoter. He’s been content to hang out in suburban Detroit, sailing and watch his two kids grow into teenagers. As good and deep as his catalogue is, it’s easy to understand why Seger has fallen out of mainstream consciousness.
Every few years, though, Seger calls up the band and takes it back on the road, reminding everyone why he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This tour, as it stands now, is a relatively short one. While there’s been talk of picking it up again in the fall and releasing a new album, Saturday’s stop was the 20th of 26 announced shows, which have been mostly in the Midwest. You had to wonder if Seger was ready for this tour after an early scheduled stop in Cleveland was postponed to give the rocker time to recuperate.
But it was clear from the start of last night’s show that Seger, who celebrated his 66th birthday earlier this month, was feeling good. He sounded great on the opening “Roll Me Away” as he repeatedly punched his fist into the air to the beat with gusto. His last stop in town in 2006 saw Seger noticeably showing his age. This time, he acted and sounded younger than he did back then. Seger was physically active on stage and his voice was particularly strong throughout the two hour-plus performance. The only concession to age was a six-minute intermission in the middle of it.
The expertly-paced setlist saw Seger show why Bob Dylan once called him his favorite American songwriter. It was chock full of familiar songs such as “Mainstreet,” “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Against the Wind,” “Hollywood Nights,” “Night Moves” and “Rock and Roll Never Forgets.” “Travelin’ Man” into “Beautiful Loser” was a highlight in a night filled with them. Seger also offered some live rarities such as “Good for Me” and “Shinin’ Brightly” and even “Her Strut.”
Perhaps most telling was not what the crowd saw, but what it didn’t see. There were no video screens of any kind present, which is unheard of these days at an arena rock show. The concert was all about the music played by the 14 musicians on stage. Seger’s idea of a costume change is to put on a headband and take off his Harley Davidson t-shirt and put on a black one. Who needs special affects when you have a song like “Turn the Page”? Alto Reed’s saxophone intro into the song, done while bathed in blue light with Seger at the piano, is an iconic rock concert moment. Like Seger, Reed was at the top of his game. He focused on his playing and spent considerably less time hamming it up compared to the band’s show in the venue five years ago.
The crowd, which filled the arena, was the oldest I’ve seen at a rock concert, no doubt due in part to Seger’s fall from public consciousness. As Seger left the stage after the second encore ended the show, you had to wonder if it was the last time he plays in Chicago. If that turns out to be true, he gave his longtime, faithful fans a performance worthy of the occasion.
The setlist:
Roll Me Away
Tryin' to Live My Life Without You
Fire Down Below
Mainstreet
Downtown Train
Old Time Rock and Roll
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
Real at the Time
Good for Me
Shinin’ Brightly
Travelin’ Man
Beautiful Loser
---intermission---
Nutbush City Limits
Come to Poppa
Her Strut
Long Twin Silver Line
We've Got Tonight
Turn the Page
Sunspot Baby
Horizontal Bop
Katmandu
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Against the Wind
Hollywood Nights
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Night Moves
Rock and Roll Never Forgets
First set
Start: 9:02 p.m./Finish: 9:58 p.m.
Second set and encores
Start: 10:04 p.m./Finish: 11:19 p.m.
Totals: 25 songs, two hours 11 minutes