Review: Seger rocks huge crowd at Credit Union Centre

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Bob Seger in concert at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, May 9, 2013.

Photograph by: Greg Pender , The StarPhoenix

?The guy in the truck commercials, right??

That?s the reaction you get when you tell people you?re going to review Bob Seger and the Silver Bullets. There may be no more prominent example of a musician being linked to a brand name as Seger is with Chevy trucks ? Like a Rock conjuring up images of pickups barrelling through absurd off-road terrain.

But the live show gets you back to a proper relationship with Seger. Seeing him stroll out in a black T-shirt and jeans, it became apparent Thursday at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon that this wouldn?t be a presentation-heavy set. After quickly apologizing for cancelling earlier ? a very classy move ? things really got moving with Fire Down Below, which absolutely brought the house down with its piano-based boogie groove. The Silver Bullet Band has long been overshadowed by other backing groups like Neil Young?s Crazy Horse and Springsteen?s E-Street Band. It seemed like they were aware of this and were playing with a healthy chip on their shoulder. The riffs on Her Strut were positively snarling, and the muscular presence of the entire band proved they were far more than just a reliable group of players.

But, of course, the attention of 11,000-plus was fixed on Seger nearly every minute of the show. His voice actually sounded better than studio releases at certain points, like in Against the Wind. At age 68, that?s somewhat miraculous. Seger and Springsteen have always been the torchbearers for the blue-collar weekend soundtrack, but unlike The Boss, Seger never writes songs designed to make you cry in your beer. Instead, his music instils the urge to buy a couple of beers, one for you, and one for that old pal you haven?t seen in years. Nowhere was this more apparent than Old Time Rock n? Roll. Not many concert moments can compete with the euphoria at Credit Union Centre during that number. Songs like this and Hollywood Nights are completely devoid of irony or cynicism, making it easy for everyone at the show to interpret the music in a collective, blood-pumpin? way.

Not everything worked. Roll Away didn?t pack the wallop you would expect, but an impassioned Seger clearly is inspired by rock n? roll tradition, and not bound by it. Today?s music ain?t got the same soul, indeed, which is why concerts like this are an absolute gift in that regard.

Opener alt-country act Dallas Smith probably would have worked better as a cabaret act where people could get up and shuffle around, but they turned everything up and put out a pretty solid arena sound.

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Source: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/music/Seger+rocks+huge+crowd+Credit+Union+Centre/8367025/story.html

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