As more artists and bands announce their final tours, the reason to come together and celebrate music has never been greater. The time is now to reflect on all our rock and roll heroes have given us, and rather than wallowing in sadness at their farewells, we should find happiness in their wish to lay their legacies to rest.
Bob Seger spent a lifetime sharing his gifts with the world. By putting his guard down and vocalizing his creative spirit to anyone who cared to listen, he was directly able to make a lasting impact on his fans. I have never been so amazed by a fan base more than I was at his final concert in the Twin Cities last Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center. The sold-out crowd was one of the loudest I had ever heard — clearly confirming just how loved Bob Seger really is.
I always enjoy meeting crazed super fans at concerts, but the amount of Seger fanatics I met at this show topped any I’d ever seen before. The number of times they’ve seen him live — some over 20 — was unbelievable. I love vintage concert gear, and I saw a lot of cool memorabilia at this show, my favorite being a light blue, severely distressed tee from the 1980 Runnin’ Against the Wind Tour that looked like it had seen some unmentionable things throughout the last few decades.
Bob Seger speaks from his heart and uses his music to inspire others to do the same, making him one of the musical souls I admire most. His songs me think of all these different moments in my life, and I strongly believe that’s what music is meant to do. His lyrics tell stories that detail how we love, why we love, and best of all, they give us hope that one day we’ll find the person we’re all meant to love. They’re not just my songs; they’re songs that belong to all of us, and anyone that’s ever believed in living life to the fullest can relate to them.
Shockingly I only cried once at this concert — when Bob Seger played my all time favorite song, You’ll Accompany Me. Love isn’t the easiest thing to keep around; life has a tendency to get in the way, but hidden deep within this song is a heartbeat of hope and assurance. It encourages lovers to practice life’s greatest virtue of all: patience. I found myself wondering as I watched him sing, who in fact he wrote this for. I wonder if he got to see her again, and if he filled the desire he so artfully expressed in his lyrics. Love is gamble, and that song, like many of his songs, represents that.
By putting his guard down and vocalizing his creative spirit to anyone who cared to listen, Bob Seger was directly able to make a lasting impact on his fans.
I live for a big jam band, and the Silver Bullet Band exceeded way beyond their exceptional reputation. From the giant alto saxophone to Seger’s well seasoned accompanying vocalists, the stage was lit with high energy magic. I love the longevity of his musicians, many who have been with him since the beginning, including his swanky dressed BFF, Alto Reed. By pointing to his bandmates and clapping while they performed, Bob Seger’s prioritized his entire band, and their staying power throughout the years proves they appreciate that.
Fire Down Below is my jam; one of my go-to karaoke songs. Seger rocked that one out hard and even busted out some of his classic dance moves. Overall he seems very affected by his fans, as he fed off the crowd’s excitable energy at all times. His expressions and overall joyful attitude really made this concert fun for me. He got so into it, he had to throw on his signature sweatband before he started to play Still the Same, only the second song of the night!
Bob Seger has one of the most distinctive wails in all of rock and roll history. He exhales a sound full of emotion empowered by the memories of his life. He hadn’t played Shame on the Moon live in 25 years, and I could tell how deeply the song resonated with him — and the whole crowd as a matter of fact. He values the connection he’s been able to sustain with his fans, which I think is very noble and something that makes him a true rockstar.
Every song seemed to make Seger emotional, and I could tell how much these songs mean to him. I really enjoyed his upbeat performances of Fire Inside and Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, but it seemed Seger was at his happiest during Roll Me Away. He said, “If you know anything about me, you know I love motorcycles,” making everyone in attendance roar with a sense of open road freedom.
It was almost hard for me to listen to him sing the lyrics to Travelin’ Man. Those lyrics are heavy, and revolve around what seems to have been an extreme heartache. I could feel it as he sang. During Turn the Page, the crowd’s singing-in-the-shower voices were so loud they caused a pleasingly intense echo in the arena. Seger’s reprise of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young fit the vibe well, and though he had performed it in other cities on this tour, it felt way more special in that night in Minnesota, for an obvious reason.
After two high energy encores, Bob Seger proved once again the enormity of his heart. I left inspired by the amount of joy he gets out of performing, and humbled by his sweet sense of humor. He as a person, as a good man, really made the whole experience enjoyable for me. It might be his last tour, but I am honestly excited for him to close out his legacy with pride, and I think his most loyal fans will agree — Bob Seger really deserves it.
