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OTTAWA - Call it darkness on the edge of town. Bruce Springsteen was wrapping his raspy pipes around the final notes of Maria's Bed, one of several Devils & Dust songs that sounded much stronger last night when performed alone on stage by the Boss than on CD, when the lights went out.
Literally.
"The lights went out. Then they went on again. Then they went out. And it was the best part of the show," a relaxed and in-control Springsteen joked once he was up and running again.
And with that, he naturally eased into a tender reading of I Wish I Were Blind.
It was that sort of evening Wednesday, with Springsteen making the most of whatever was at his disposal.
That included a band's worth of instruments -- piano, harmonium, organ, guitars, harmonica -- and a sturdy pair of workman's boots to keep the beat.
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It was the best attitude for a show introduced as being of "an intimate nature." After all, Springsteen couldn't help but notice as he gazed around the Corel Centre at the crowd of nearly 7,000 that Ottawa's idea of an intimate show differed greatly from that of other cities on his solo tour.
But then, this is the city that once sold tickets behind the stage for a performance by the Boss.
And, despite his cavernous surroundings, Springsteen successfully turned the building that will soon once again host NHL hockey into a cozy theatre, playfully singing off-mic during a rousing rendition of Long Time Comin' and sharing tales of parenthood with the faithful.
And this was a show for the faithful. There would be no bombastic Born in the U.S.A. anthem this evening. Rather, this was the Springsteen of Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad and the acclaimed Devils & Dust -- albums whose songs were sprinkled throughout the career-spanning set.
When he did give us songs we associate with the E-Street Band such as The River and Racing in the Streets, they were presented with restraint. And as such, the beauty of said songs shone through the darkened theatre.
And yes, the darkness was the best part. Not physical darkness, but the darkness that has lurked behind Springsteen's urban folk tales for three decades and that shrouds the defeated characters of Devils & Dust.
The blackout-causing Reno, for instance, is a decidedly adult view of the world from an artist who has dared to mature with his audience rather than seeking a new one -- a tale of a brief affair between emotionless lovers with better things to worry about.
It was also an adult evening in other respects. Concession stands closed before the show. No one was admitted during songs, and thanks to oodles of tickets suddenly being released for sale Tuesday and yesterday, even scalpers learned a hard lesson about life on the edge of town.
Meanwhile, the mature audience hung on every word during the 21/2-hour set -- no longer interested (for the most part) in lowering themselves to knee-jerk cries of "Broooce!"
It has, after all, been 30 years. And every one of those years came to life with stark clarity last night, as Springsteen offered a generous cross-section of favourites and lesser-known material, performed not to elicit automatic applause but to take us on a journey.
A journey into and out of the darkness.
That was the best part.