Review: Springsteen proves age doesn't matter

Bruce Springsteen released “The River” in 1980 when he was still a young man finding his way artistically.

“I was trying to figure out where I fit in,” Springsteen, 66, told the audience Jan. 16 at the packed Consol Energy Arena after the opener, “Meet Me in the City. “ Then came “The Ties that Bind,” the album's first song, and what emerged was a work fueled by youthful precocity and vision that remains relevant today.

The first date on “The River Tour” illustrated Springsteen's ability to capture the zeitgeist of the late 1970s. But who could have predicted these songs — written in an era of uncertainty, asking questions, seeking redemption and hope — would have aged so well?

Buoyed by the always stalwart and muscular E Street Band — the orchestral horn section that accompanied the “Wrecking Ball” and “High Hopes” tours was jettisoned — the evening was revelatory, a portrait of the artist of a young man grown older, and presumably wiser.

The best songs from the “The River” — notably “Jackson Cage,” “I Wanna Marry You” and the elegiac title track — would be potent in any setting. But in the context of the entire album they emerged as high points that lifted lesser songs such as “Crush on You” and “I'm a Rocker.” This was a journey of highs and lows, both emotionally and musically, and the E Street Band rose to the challenge.

Take a closer look at Bruce Springsteen's return to Pittsburgh through Storify .

Saxophonist Jake Clemons, remarkably, comes close to filling the enormous shoes of his beloved uncle, the late Clarence Clemons. Drummer Max Weinberg and bassist Garry Tallent are arguably rock's best rhythm section. Guitarists Nils Lofgren is a wondrous talent, and Steve Van Zandt has resumed his role as Springsteen's sidekick and foil after seeming superfluous on recent tours. Patty Scialfa (Springsteen's wife) and Soozie Tyrell are the bookends on stage, and keyboardists Charles Giordano and especially Roy Bittan are the musical colorists.

But make no mistake, this was Springsteen's show. Through the haunting “Fade Away,” the raw intensity of “Ramrod” or the exuberance of “Out in the Street,” he again proved he is our most masterful storyteller and performer.

“That's ‘The River,'” Springsteen said after the last notes of “Wreck on the Highway” faded. But he promised more, and as always, delivered. There was a rousing version of “Badlands,” Lofgrens' scathing solo on “Because the Night,” the intimate interplay between Springsteen and Scialfa in “Brilliant Disguise.” “The Rising,” the 9/11 anthem, preceded “Thunder Road,” arguably Springsteen's finest moment as a songwriter.

Then came a tribute to the late David Bowie, Springsteen telling a story about taking a Greyhound bus to Philadelphia to visit the Bowie in 1983 during the “Young Americans” sessions, that led to a ragged version of “Rebel, Rebel.”

“Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run,” “Rosalita” and a cover of “Shout” closed the evening, but this was a night that will be remembered for the rare opportunity to take a journey with our most transcendent artist.

Rege Behe is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.