8/26/17 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band @ iWireless Center - Moline, IL

This morning I made the spur of the moment decision to buy a ticket to see Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band at The Mark of the Quad Cities.  That is the venue where I saw my very first concert which was Jethro Tull in 1996 with my parents.  On that occasion it was a half house setup.  This was a full arena setup with chairs on the floor. By showtime it appeared to be sold out or very close.  You can tell that concerts are a much needed shot of business to downtown Moline.  I thought about parking near Bad Boyz Pizza but the lot was full and it was getting close to showtime so I ended up parking near 16th St. and 6th Ave. in a public lot.  I felt like George Costanza driving around refusing to pay to park.  With time being of the essence I settled for a Slim 5 at Jimmy John's.  This was a new location for me located on the same block as Bent River Brewery. 


The opening act was forgettable.  Seger hit the stage about 9.  The older beer drinking crowd sat the whole show.  The Quad Cities is lucky to have such a wonderful arena.  I still remember when it was built in the mid 90s and the hey day of the Mallards shortly thereafter.  There are lots of great memories for me associated with that building.  Bob Seger is far from my favorite artist but his music has been with me a lot over the years.  His voice is like a familiar friend that has been with me on my journey.  It's a certain type of Midwestern soul that I can relate to.  He's just a special songwriter and singer.  For a guy his age he was dancing around like James Brown at times.  It was impressive.  The Silver Bullet Band is a nuanced and tight musical outfit.  At one point there was 15 people onstage.  The 5 piece Motown horns brought a full sound for the beginning half of the show.  Several songs he played piano.  For a couple he sat and played acoustic.  His drummer was a driving force in the band.  The young electric guitar player was highly skilled and knew his parts.  Fire Down Below was expected and appreciated with the Moline reference. Mainstreet is a favorite of mine.  Like a Rock was emotion filled even its been tained by the Chevrolet commercial usage.  He said he got the idea for We've Got Tonight from the movie The Sting.  The saxophone on Turn the Page was a major highlight.  Her Strut was probably about as rocking as the show got.  Ramblin Gamblin Man was a song that I appreciate more now.  Against the Wind and Hollywood Nights are amongst my favorite Bob Seger tracks.  I liked watching one of the security ladies put down her guard and dance during Night Moves.  Rock and Roll Never Forgets wrapped up a fun experience.   It was nice to be home 30 minutes after the show ended.  My drifter days are over now.  Deadlines and commitments.  What to leave in?  What to leave out?  I'm still running against the wind.