mordant wit

When Bruce Springsteen descended on the Oakland Paramount Theatre last Thursday, to the howls and cheers of his apostles, he issued his first commandment of the night: “Turn the cell phones off, ‘cause I don’t want to charge through the crowd with a chainsaw; and try not to clap, or you’ll throw off my already tenuous sense of time.” With that, Springsteen began a night of incredible intimacy with the fans who have come to see him as the Messiah of a reborn rock.

He delivered a rock revival completely solo to celebrate the release of his new album, “Devils & Dust.” And this time, he wants people to listen. And the Boss’s wishes were obeyed. There was no clapping or dancing. Instead, the audience followed his command and sat absorbing the power of his songs.