Seger Live in Saginaw 2014

                                        

 

 

Bob Seger

 &

The Silver Bullet Band

Live @ the Dow Event Center

 

Bob Seger is a true American Icon. At 69 years of age he is showing no signs of fading into the goodnight of his career. It’s been a long road since those halcyon days in the mid to late sixties when Seger was punching out those funky rock & roll anthems like East Side Story, Heavy Music, 2+2=, Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man and Lucifer. I was able to hear Seger in his youthful fury at Daniels Den, laying out all his early hits with a few covers like Hey Jude (Beatles) and Holiday (Bee Gees). I was there when Seger opened for the Kinks @ the Eastown Theatre, a few years later he was rockin’ the dance floor at the Brewery in East Lansing. In my mind’s eye it was those early hits that cooked-up that witches brew that later percolated into the more introspective side of Seger’s catalog. On this night Seger eschewed any mention of his younger self as he performed the nucleus of his hit making era with Capitol Records. I couldn’t argue with Silver Bullet Seger’s song selection, it all turned to gold.

I admit it was quite difficult for me to rock & roll on a weeknight. I was struggling to get comfortable and get my groove on, even took off my shoes and stretched out my toes… and this was during the opening act, a Nashville based group who covered Tom Petty (Don’t Back Down) and Led Zeppelin (Rock & Roll). The lead singer was a beautiful woman who could jump and shout and work it on out, sexified and sincere, the Nashville way.

 

 

He opened with Roll Me Away followed in quick succession with the soulful Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You Babe and the rockin’ Fire Down Below, the country influenced Devil’s Right Hand and the spectacular Mainstreet, an ode to the street life of Ann Arbor. Seger did not play an instrument on this show allowing a focus on his singing and pumping up the crowd. His enthusiasm was contagious. It was clear that the close to sellout crowd adored Seger, the folks on the main floor remained standing throughout the show and they did their best version of sing-a-long with Mitch, remembering every lyric in every song. In this day and age people are more and more a part of the show. It is both annoying and heartfelt. These nattering nabobs are at one with the rock & roll godhead, in essence they become Seger’s image, never stepping on his shadow. Seger was relentless, dusting off one hit after another. Old Time Rock & Roll (a reconfigured Heavy Music which was the bastard sister of Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man) segued to the funked up Come to Poppa and the sensuous Her Strut. The Band was incredible, Donny Brewer of Grand Funk was on drums, a 5-piece horn section provided the funk and the pianist was economical yet could rip off triplets as well as powerful Max Middleton syncopation. Three lovely women did the mighty percussion effects and sang harmonies. The band was Smoking O.P.’S!  Travelin Man, Beautiful Loser was followed by incredible renditions of Detroit Made (a great new song!), Turn the Page and my favorite Katmandu. This show was not an oldies act, five new songs from the Ride Out LP were introduced and they fit seemlessly into the setlist. Seger was on fire and his voice was sturdy. He doesn’t have the power he once possessed but he can sing in the pocket with that instantly recognizable Seger grit.  There were two encores the first included Against the Wind and Hollywood Night. The second encore brought it all home with the incredibly nuanced Night Moves and Seger’s anthem to our fading youth Rock & Roll Never Forgets. The show was a triumph from start to finish, well-conceived and executed.

I often wondered why Seger picked Saginaw to open several of his tours. I recall seeing Seger at Daniel’s Den in 1968 talking to Frank Patrick, one of the owners and they seemed to have a good rapport Years later I talked with Bob Parsons, another owner of Daniels Den (along with Alan Schmid) who had a nodding friendship with Seger as they both lived in the same town in northern Michigan and would sometimes see each other at a local restaurant or watering hole. Perhaps it’s true, rock and roll never forgets.