It's Pacific time!

The Pacific Coast tour started last Friday at the Rose Garden (photo) in Portland, Oregon, followed by a Saturday night show in Seattle. After a spectacular string of shows in the Midwest Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kept up the great work with more intense performances and tour debuts. Even though there was no premieres in Portland, the oregonian fans got a double shot of classic tunes off Greetings from Asbury Park N.J.: "For You" and "Lost in the Flood", both for the second time only on the Magic tour. Come encore time, and extraordinary "Jungleland" was played upon a fan request with a special sign (an Oregon license plate, see photo below). Another sign in the front rows that read "Lesbians love Bruce", brought a lyric change to "American Land", when Bruce sang "The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the lesbians and the Jews".

Saturday night in Seattle, the show opened with a tour debut: "Trapped". Nils Lofgren shone again during his spectacular guitar solo on "Because the Night" (as he did the previous night in Portland during his solo on "Prove it all Night"). "Your Own Worst Enemy" re-appeared after a while, followed by the tour debut of the classic "Point Blank", off The River, a lost gem that should be played more often. For the encores Bruce let aside the handwritten set list (which included "Girls", "Thunder Road" and "Glory Days") and delivered a fantastic, non stop 4-song encore with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Rosalita", "Born to Run" and "American Land", thus ending a brilliant show.

And let's not forget the songs from Magic, sounding more intense and powerful night after night. "Radio Nowhere", "Gypsy Biker", "Devil's Arcade", "Last to Die" or "Long Walk Home" are the real backbone of the show.

Tomorrow the tour goes across the border, to Vancouver, Canada, and will later go down to warm California for 4 shows, then on to Texas (2 shows) and Florida (3 shows).

See complete set list for Portland.
See complete set list for Seattle.

Photo: Portland by Joseph Quever/courtesy Backstreets Magazine.

Brussels '08 show moved indoors to Antwerp

Live Nation has announced the June 23rd concert in Brussels has been moved to the Sportpaleis in Antwerp (40km from Brussels). It seems only 15,000 tickets for the stadium had been sold therefore it has been moved to be more intimate, smaller arena in Antwerp.



See official press release (in french).

Official 2008 Tour Videos

The official Bruce Springsteen website is offering, as they did in 2007, videos from the current Magic 2008 Tour. So far there are six videos which you can watch, including "Sandy", from Indianapolis, with the return of Danny Federici:


"Sandy", Indianapolis 20.03.2008 View
"Darkness", St. Paul 16.03.2008 View
"Incident on 57th Street", New York 10.03.2008 View
"Detroit Medley", Buffalo 8.03.2008 View
"Because the Night" Montreal 2.03.2008 View
"So Young and In Love" Hartford 28.02.3008 View

To watch those videos you need to install Quicktime.

Boston show announced

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will play Gilette Stadium on August 2nd. Tickets go on sale this Saturday thru Ticketmaster (now priced at $97.50 plus TM charges!)

Columbus concert

If some fans were dissapointed with the lenght and intensity of the Cincinnati show (something we completely disagree on) the Columbus show probably pleased them again, as it was another spectacular night, with 3 tour premieres ("Something in the Night", "Sherry Darling" and, at last, "You'll Be Coming Down"), "The Ties That Bind" opening, plus "Rosalita" and "Glory Days" in the encores. For "Born to Run" Springsteen had special guest Ed Manion on sax. For the first time on the tour, "Magic" is not performed.

The handwritten set list included "Two Hearts", "Jackson Cage" and "Racing in the Street".

See complete set list.

Photo: Nassau Coliseum, 10.03.2008 copyright Edgar Aguilera.

Lost in Cincinnati

Tonight's show, in front of a really great audience that filled the US Bank Arena, Springsteen delivered a short but intense show. Like he was in a hurry, there was no 4th "beginning" song after "Lonesome Day", almost no spoken intros, shorter versions of some songs ("Reason to Believe" almost had no intro) and a quick 4-song encore. After two hours, he was gone. Perhaps realizing how short it had been compared to previous gigs, a minute or so after "American Land" he was back onstage for a final encore, with a joyous 10-minute "Kitty's Back".

"Lost in the Flood" and "Glory Days" were tour debuts. "Prove it all Night" and "Be True" (and "Glory Days" too) were audience requests. Again Bruce communicated a lot with the front row fans, pointing many of them, smiling, talking and taking requests. For "Dancing in the Dark", the little girl Hannah was back onstage to dance with Bruce, as she did in Indianapolis.

See full set list.

The Phantom is back!

PB reporting from the road

Danny is back! The crowd erupted when Bruce mentioned "we got a special treat tonight, Danny Federici is with us". And what a treat it was, and what a show. With 8 changes over the previous show in Milwaukee (still a colossal show to remember), Indy got a lot of rarities and emotional performances. Both "Prove it all Night" (blistering guitar solo at the end) and "Rendezvous" (tour debut) were audience requests, with Bruce taking the signs from the front rows and showing them to the cameras.

By the time "Livin' in the Future" ended Danny joined the band for "The Promised Land" and then (with Bruce saying "He's gonna make me go old school on you!") "Spirit in the Night" and "Sandy" (with Danny on accordion). The show went on with Charlie again, and by encore time Danny joined the band again for all of the remaining of the show. "We're all gonna dedicate this to Dan" were Bruce's words before a stunning "Backstreets" set the tone for an emotional set of songs. And then a truly phenomenal, exhilarating version of "Kitty's Back" followed, then a triumphal and epic "Born to Run" followed by a fun "Dancing in the Dark" (with Hannah, a little girl, dancing with Bruce onstage... twice!) and "American Land", again with Danny on accordion and Charlie at the organ. After two of the best shows in years, what else must be left for Cincinnati? We'll soon find out.

See complete set list.

Photo: Milwaukee 17.03.2008 courtesy of Cat Towne (above) and Indianapolis 20.03.2008 (below).

Milwaukee, we got style

Are you alive? yelled Bruce at the beginning of the show. We know for sure he was alive, because what followed next was a truly memorable performance. Both Bruce and the band were in superb shape from the very first note, delivering every song with intensity and passion. You could tell even from the standard songs such as "No Surrender" or "Lonesome Day", which was followed by the highlight of the night: "Streets of Fire" which sounded like a time machine had transported us straight back to the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on a cold December night in 1978. And from one highlight to another: "Saint in the City" followed by "Prove it all Night", both sounding like an earthquake (including fantastic guitar work) right before a stompin' "She's the One". And that wasn't all yet. There was "Cadillac Ranch" (with the "Wisconsin night" line sung by the whole audience), and there was "Loose Ends" (first encore substituting "Girls") at "Stevie's request", said Bruce.

Up to that point the show was already a candidate to "best show of the tour" (time will tell), when Bruce brought onstage legendary bass player Richard Davis, who had played on Van Morrison's memorable album "Astral Weeks". In Bruce's words:"We had Richard Davis, who played bass on [Van Morrison's] Astral Weeks, come in -- and Astral Weeks was like a religion to us". He plays on the first 3 Springsteen albums. Davis then joined Bruce on standup bass to perform a beautiful version of "Meeting Across the River", which was, as expected, followed by "Jungleland", which was just perfect with Clarence nailing the solo. By the end of the show, "Ramrod" substituted "Dancing in the Dark". The show had up to 4 different set lists with different choices, and even the final set list had last minute changes ("My hometown" was an audible, and the various handwritten set lists included songs like "Two Hearts", "Jackson Cage", "Be True", "Racing in the street" and "Rosalita").

See complete set list.

St. Paul

Tonight's show in St. Paul (the second in just a few months), featured "Darkness", "Prove it all Night" (in the place of "Because the Night") and a superb "Backstreets". "Jungleland" stays as second encore.

See complete set list .

Omaha

With a lenght of two hours and forty minutes, the city of Omaha (where Bruce hadn't played since 1978!) had the luck of getting the longest show of the tour so far, mainly because of the long set of encores, with seven songs.

The encore marathon included "Thunder Road" sung with guest Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes, followed by "Detroit Medley" and "Jungleland", both sign requests from the audience.

See complete set list.

Nassau Coliseum

No tour premieres, no new songs, but instead a very solid performance and a strong set list which featured the return of "Adam Raised a Cain", "Incident on 57th Street" and "Ramrod" (an audible after "Born to Run"). The handwritten set list also included "Meeting Across the River" which, sadly, was not performed. The show now is longer than it was, reaching almost 2 hours and a half in lenght. Next: Bruce and band go to Nebraska on Friday.

See complete set list.

See official video from the Hamilton show ("Radio Nowhere").

Prior to this show, Clarence Clemons was in the city on Sunday, and was a guest at Levon Helm's concert at the Beacon Theatre. Clarence went onstage to play sax during "Tossin' and Turnin'". There's also an unconfirmed rumour about Bruce playing on Saturday night with Tim McLoone's band at a benefit for the Ranney School.

Update 3/11 8pm: Bruce did indeed play last Saturday. See details at the concerts page (thanks to Eugene for the information)

Concert in Buffalo NY: Shake it up, baby!

And shake it he did. Just look at the set lists changes: "The Ties That Bind", "Be True", "I'll Work For Your Love" and two tour debuts: "Buffalo Gals" and "Detroit Medley".

Once again the show starts with 4 songs (incl. "Be True") before "Gypsy Biker", and the "Reason / She's the One" sandwitch includes 2 songs ("Night" and "Because the Night"). Plus... a 7-song encore!"

See complete set list.

Photo: Hartford 28.02.3008 copyright Lance

Rochester number one!

In Bruce's words: "Rochester number one!". And so it was. A tremendous set list and performance the night "Rosalita" came back to life and made its first tour appearance.

A lady in the front row had a "Rosalita, please" sign that Bruce spotted. "Gimme that sign" he said, and moments later the band launched into the song. But that wasn't the only highlight. The show opened with "Night" and included thunderous performances of "Jackson Cage", "Because the Night" followed by "Loose Ends" followed by "She's the One". Later in the set it was time for a rarity: "Racing in the Street".

See official video for "Because the Night" (live in Montreal) at the official website, or click on the photo.

See complete set list.

Bruce Springsteen interview on NPR

National Public Radio's Steve Inskeep interviewed Bruce Springsteen recently in Hartford, before Bruce's Febr.28th concert.

You can listen to the interview at the NPR website.

Springsteen will play benefit concert in Red Bank

It's now official. Bruce Springsteen will play a benefit concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, on May 7th, to benefit the venue, in need of repairs and restoration. This is the official press release:

Bruce Springsteen benefit concert


COUNT BASIE THEATRE HOLDS FUNDRAISING CONCERT FEATURING
AN EVENING WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Bruce Springsteen will perform a benefit concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on Wednesday, May 7th.

Proceeds from “An Evening with Bruce Springsteen” will benefit the historic Count Basie Theatre and help offset the cost of the renovation and restoration of the theatre that will begin this summer. A portion of the concert proceeds will also support other programs and operations at the Theatre, such as the Cool School. Patti Scialfa serves on the Board of the Basie Foundation and as Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign.

Tickets will be made available to the public through an online “Make Your Best Offer” Auction beginning March 20th at www.countbasietheatre.org. Instructions on how the auction will work will be provided at www.countbasietheatre.org on March 20th. Concert information can also be found at www.brucespringsteen.net and www.backstreets.com.


Rusty Young, CEO of the Count Basie Theatre Foundation, said, "We are excited that Bruce Springsteen will be performing a benefit concert and deeply appreciate his willingness to help preserve and restore the Basie."

Hamilton

Last night's concert in Hamilton, Ontario, featured a new show opener: "No Surrender", plus a double encore of "Thunder Road" and "Kitty's Back". The rest of the set was identical to the previous show in Montreal. "Prove it all Night" was in the handwritten set list (in the place of "Darkness") but didn't show up.

See complete set list.

Photo: Hartford 28.02.3008 copyright Lance

Sirius Radio extends its 'E Street Radio' channel

SIRIUS Satellite Radio announced today that it will continue E Street Radio, its exclusive commercial-free channel dedicated to the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, through the end of May.

To celebrate the channel's extended run, Bruce Springsteen sat down for an exclusive interview with legendary rock historian and critic Dave Marsh. During the interview Springsteen discusses the next leg of the Magic tour, the songs on the Magic album and his thoughts on the presidential primaries.

Fans can hear the entire interview Thursday, March 6th at 4 pm with encores on Friday, March 7th at 8 am and 4 pm, and Saturday, March 8th at 8 am and 6 pm - all times eastern.

E Street Radio, SIRIUS channel 10, will continue to feature non-stop Bruce Springsteen with rare concert recordings from throughout his career as well as interviews with Springsteen himself, members of the E Street Band and other Springsteen insiders.

The channel features daily guest DJ sessions with celebrity fans sharing their favorite Springsteen music and personal stories. Since its launch, guest DJs on E Street Radio have included E Street Band members Stevie Van Zandt, Clarence Clemons, Max Weinberg, Nils Lofgren, former NJ Senator and SIRIUS Stars host Bill Bradley, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Spector, Swedish rockers The Hives, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, rapper and producer Wyclef Jean, musicians Mitch Ryder, Gary 'U.S.' Bonds, rock historian and legendary critic Dave Marsh, actor Vinnie Pastore, and singer Jesse Malin.

The exclusive channel also offers fans hourly Bruce Springsteen news with "E Street Insider Reports" and a chance to host their own radio show "You Be The Boss."


E Street Radio returned to SIRIUS in September 2007 to coincide with the release of Bruce Springsteen's latest Grammy(R) nominated album Magic, and the first leg of his tour in support of the album.

Montreal

The second show of 2008 opened last night with a tremendous version of "Night". There were no tour premieres in Montreal, but it didn't matter much as Bruce and the band were in full shape. The show's highlights included "Because the Night" (first time in the US tour), "Darkness on the Edge of Town", "The River" or "Jungleland" (a fan's request, instead of the set listed "Bobby Jean").

See complete set list.





Photo: Madrid 2007/copyright Enric Nonell - fotofotos.com