Bob Seger Green Bay Concert Review and Setlist

Green Bay's Resch Center was rocked tonight by the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Seger, and the latest iteration of the Silver Bullet Band.  There are few big names that bother to stop in our little town, and with the Detroit rocker, we were visited by one of the very biggest names around.

In all of my concerts, I had never seen Seger before.  That's quite amazing, since he's one of a handful of artists in which I've owned one album (Night Moves) in four different music formats (8-Track, cassette, CD, digital). 

The concert opened with JD McPherson, whose rockabilly playing started the crowd off.  In fact, their final number got many in the sold out crowd to their feet, and set the stage well for the headliner.

Bob Seger stormed onto the stage, and for a 67 year old man, rocked like he was half his age.  While his voice could no longer hit some of the high notes, it was incredibly strong -surprisingly so - and he sounded and looked wonderful.  If I happen to look like him at a similar age, I'll be a very happy man.

Here's the set list to the best of my recollection:

Detroit Made
Tryin' to Live My Life Without You
Fire Down Below
Mainstreet
Old Time Rock & Roll
All the Roads
Ramblin' Gamblin Man
Nutbush City Limits
Like a Rock
Travelin' Man / Beautiful Loser
Roll Me Away
Come to Poppa
Her Strut
California Stars
We've Got Tonight
Turn the Page
Sunspot Baby
Katmandu
Against the Wind
Hollywood Nights
Night Moves
Rock and Roll Never Forgets

Some notes:

• I loved he included Fire Down Below, but it was way more horn heavy than the studio version.  Not a bad offering, but since it is my favorite Seger song, I was wishing for something more true to the original.  Regardless, I'm way happy he played it.
• Mainstreet literally had people standing and smiling.  It was nostalgia galore, and was really sweet to see the audience reaction
• OTRR was sung an octave lower.  While Seger did opt out of many high notes in the evening, this was one song that really sounded altered.  Regardless, the crowd could not have cared less.  It also was helped along with some incredible sax work by longtime Silver Bullet band member Alto Reed
• Like a Rock was the surprise of the night for me.  It was never one of my favorite songs, but the lyrics rang so true tonight that it was chilling.  It was easily one of my top 25 concert moments of all time.  Seriously.  It was stirring.
• I was surprised with Her Strut - not a classic by  any means.  I still remember the 8-track for Against the Wind where the track changed in the dead middle of Her Strut.  It was at that moment that I knew 8-track as a format was dead.  I could not have been more right. 
• The good news?  Green Bay finally came out and supported a concert.  Resch Center was sold out and loud.  It was a great crowd, and we did our town proud.  Way to go, Green Bay!
• The bad news is that there were at least a dozen people that I ran into that were fall-down drunk.  Really, Green Bay?  If you're over 40 and can't stand up at a concert, you have a serious drinking problem.  It's not cute, it's not healthy, and it's a filthy true stereotype for  our community.  Have a beer.  Heck, have a couple.  But when you have 17 and need your friends to hold you up and you're old enough to have grand kids, fun time is over.  You need help.   It's pathetic.  You're an adult.  Sober up a little and act like one.

Despite the idiots, it was a great night of music in Green Bay.  I'm glad I was able to check an amazing artist off of my bucket list, and to do so right in my home town.

Thanks, Bob and band.  We hope you hop across Lake Michigan again sometime soon and come see us again.