Photos courtesy of Minh Tran, there are more after the jump.

So, how was Bruce Springsteen?

Exactly how we expected him to be.

Seeing Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band live in an arena is exactly that. It’s a big ‘ole space with a big ‘ole band, all the songs you want, a few you don’t, and hoards of drunken old folks who are letting themselves go in a way that is both inspiring, and a bit frightening. There was drunken binoculars man (a great combo, really), the sloshed woman (who looked like my 9th grade Spanish teacher) who got tossed by security, and the short gentleman with the feathered gray hair behind me, who loudly complained about the “tall person conspiracy” that prevented him from seeing Aerosmith “that one time.”

The Boss is enigmatic and charming—you just want to be him—while the band is the same lovable ensemble of Jersey characters (sans his better half, Patti Scialfa, who was back home policing their teenage kids who, as the Boss admitted, have a fondness for pot cookies) that you’ve come to love.

Looking untouched by the cruel hands of time—suspiciously barrel-chested and fit, leathery and tan with that dusty gray flavor saver—Springtseen is still the rock deity he's always been. He didn't invent rock and roll; he just personified everything that was cool about it. Of course, this is what you demand when you pony up $109 (thanks for nothing, "convince charges") for floor seats at one of his concerts. You want a show from the Boss with no surprises. He came through, albeit, these days the band does everything at a much slower tempo. "Born to Run" doesn't really run as much as it walks briskly ("Born to Power Walk?"), but it still is the same reckless rock song it has always been.

While age has never really touched the Boss—he really does seem immune to it—Clarence Clemmons was winded, and he even had a chair (actually, an upholstered throne) to rest in between songs. But Springsteen never wavered, paused, or stepped down from the roll of charismatic showman. Sure, there was an in-stage teleprompter, and he mispronounced "Oregon" more than a few times, but he was fearless in song, and in banter as he talked about the Bush administration in vague condemning terms (such as his introduction to "Magic," where he mentioned putting a stop to the "eight years of tricks") and plugged the local charities he allowed to set up shop in the venue. The highlight of the 23-song set was the range the band showed going from the jittery "For You," to a toned-up performance of "Lost In The Flood," and then slowing the tempo and mood with Magic's dour ballad, "Devil's Arcade."

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band played "Dancing In The Dark," they didn't dare play "Born In The U.S.A.," and when all is said and done, they lined up and took a bow for the crowd, as if this whole thing was their idea and they're just grateful for the opportunity to play some rock and roll for some people in Portland, Oregon.

You can view the setlist here, and thanks again to Minh for the great photos.