Bruce Springsteen: 17 May 2014 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT (Photos)

Earlier this year, Bruce Springsteen released his eighteenth album High Hopes a string of mostly older compositions revisited with guitarist Tom Morello adding his sound to the E Street’s. And as The Boss doesn’t seem to ever stop touring, he brought Morello out with him for a run of United States shows ending with two sold-out nights at Mohegan Sun in New England. A nice treat for the dedicated fans who would have otherwise had to trek to New Jersey for the inevitable string of shows Springsteen plays in his home state.

On May 17th, Mohegan Sun was host to not just The liberal-leaning Boss, but to a potential governor of Connecticut as the Connecticut Republican Convention was also taking place at the resort. However, the political contrast between the two events didn’t seem to clash visibly other than on the blinking welcome banners announcing each event on the approach to the casino’s grounds.

We didn’t get to stay for the whole show, but check out some of what Christopher Phillips had to say about the show over at Backstreets.com and then view the pictures and setlist below.

While Bruce went wayyy off the roadmap in terms of setlist tonight, he was mostly winging it himself, rather than looking to signs in the crowd. Following “High Hopes” he quickly called out “Raise Your Hand” a couple times to the band and used the audible as the crowd-surf song. Returning to the stage, though, he selected signs for a couple more covers. One was a clock on a paper plate: “This is a very small request for a very old song, used to be one of our encores.” And with that, we were swingin’ with Daddy G on “Quarter to Three.” Or with Daddy E: Eddie Manion stepped up here as he did several times this night, a perfect day for Kingfish. And then a sign for “Stayin’ Alive” picturing Springsteen in Travolta’s iconic white suit; Bruce struck the Saturday Night Fever pose before taking the band into his ingenious arrangement of the song. And they killed it: Garry and Max holding down a groove, singers down front, Soozie handling disco strings, Morello on wah-wah guitar, and those horns going nuts. Solos from Curt, Clark and Jake before the whole line was down front, wailing away like it was “Johnny 99.” But it was “Stayin’ Alive.” Magic.