Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

Drive All Night is interminable. But Stolen Car and Wreck on the Highway are as good as anything on Nebraska, Point Blank a neat dramatic experiment (could be an Elvis Costello song), The Price You Pay kind of a somber rewriting of some Darkness stuff, and Ramrod and Cadillac Ranch two of his most fun barnstormers.

Stolen Car was great the other night, and Point Blank prefigures 41 Shots in an interesting way.

Loved the 4-way guitar/fiddle interplay on Cadillac Ranch with solos from Bruce, Steve, Nils and Patty.

Still think Nils in the E Street Band is a bit like Darryl Jones in the Stones. It probably takes Nils more effort not to play really well than to play really well.

https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/disp/ce310d29769629.5602cba90ecf4.gif

Funny, I don't feel tardy ...
https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/springsteen.jpg?quality=100&strip=all&w=1328&h=882&crop=1

:D

As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-04/8/16/imagebuzz/webdr11/anigif_optimized-21065-1460145772-1.gif?no-auto

That is very cool. I'm sure it's not inexpensive to cancel a concert 2 days before. He continues to be, well, Bruce Springsteen.

<3

"Purple Rain" cover from last night.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xr4ECme6WX0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr4ECme6WX0

That's great. Prince was the cat who kept Bruce was his biggest shot at a number 1, but even he's conceded "Dancing in the Dark" to "When Doves Cry."

http://www.backstreets.com/Assets/Images/2016/newsPrinceBruceLA.jpg
They shared the stage once, in LA, in 1985.

Nice tribute version

Secretly quite relieved that he's no longer playing the entire back half of The River.

For sure, it was a one-off experience for me. Setlists in Europe seem to resemble his E Street reunion setlists from the late '90s. I'm sort of on the fence about paying to see him again this August, the day after I get back from a vacation and the night before the kids resume school, but it's tempting. He had originally indicated "The River" jaunt would be pretty limited, and that he was going to take a break from the band for a bit, so I wonder why he changed his mind. He's obviously having fun, or maybe just mortal and recognizing that he can't do it forever after all so he might as well stick with his band (already down two members) while he can.

Ugh, it appears Waitin on a Sunny Day is back in the set.

I don't think he ever specifically said it would be a short tour, he was hedging his bets right from the beginning.

It seems like this is designed to be short — just 22 cities, nine weeks, and done. Is that how you're viewing it at this point?

At the moment, yeah. I mean, could it go a little bit longer? It depends. It depends on… if we're having fun, if it suits itself to maybe a few more shows, we might consider it. But right now these are the only certain things we're doing.

Obviously, you have a very dedicated European audience, and we're hearing from a lot of those fans who have their fingers crossed. Given that the '81 European leg was such an important part of the River era, I know there are high hopes.

Yeah, that was the leg that established us in Europe — the River tour there was a major, major event for us. But I don't know yet, we gotta see — like I say, we initially planned for just a few shows, so I don't know if we're going to be doing a whole lot more than what we have planned, I can't really say.

But he did say he had a solo thing that he wanted to do, which is why he initially wanted it to be short. But now it's essentially a 9 month world tour. Of course, he's the Boss and can always change his mind. And apparently did. And they do seem to be having fun. Steve in particular seems to be happier to be on stage than he has been in years.

Wembley last night was p.good - despite slightly wonky setlist (http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bruce-springsteen/2016/wembley-stadium-london-england-5bfec7f4.html) (including Waitin' on a sunny day, although the kid was good - and it was sunny). Bruce seemed to have a cold though as he had a pretty permanent trail of snot which was amply picked up on the massive HD screens....

I saw him in Glasgow last week and absolutely loved it. It was my first Springsteen show. My g/f is a big fan, so we went early afternoon to queue and got in the front pit. The whole experience was great fun.

http://www.clickhole.com/clickventure/youre-germ-can-you-make-bruce-springsteen-sick-eno-4180#1,

(I know that's a joke, but I think in all these decades that Springsteen has yet to cancel a date due to illness, which if true is insane.)

I wonder if he'll do shows for (presumably) Clinton this fall. If Trump fear keeps rising, I bet he will.

http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/files/2011/08/lg-kennedy-center-honorees.jpg

"One soft infested summer, me and Hilary became friends..."

"you ain't a liberal but hey you're alright"

"Bernie said he'd pull out, Bernie stayed in..."

In HIllary's room, there are pictures of her donors on the wall

Bruce Springsteen's Famed 1990 Solo 'Christic Shows' Get Official Release

yes!

Saw Coventry and Wembley from the pit. Both great shows, Wembley shading it, because the setlist was a bit more unexpected. Yes, he has had a shocking cold for a week, apparently.

As always the Euro shows shook up the setlist. So I'm buying a ticket for his return to Chicago at the end of the month, because he makes me happy and can't do this forever. Or can he?!

Buying a ticket...Trying to get one at this point for his DC stadium show would mean lotsa bucks from a scalper....

No chat about Bruce's forthcoming autobiography yet? He's a good writer so this should be well worth reading. Here's the foreword:

http://brucespringsteen.net/news/2016/born-to-run-foreword

I come from a boardwalk town where almost everything is tinged with a bit of fraud. So am I.

Great first(ish) line!

Yes.

Think he wanted to give Elvis Costello a run for his money.

"I used to be disgusted. Now I try to be Bruce."

i cant wait to read it

Hope he talks more about his failed marriage than Costello discussed Cait O'Riordan in his book (who got less than a paragraph, I think)

I just got back from his show at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. It could have been the greatest concert I have ever seen. 4 hours, a dream setlist, and he is at the peak of his power as a live performer. I saw him 30 years ago and he hasn't diminished even a shred. It's almost spooky.

I saw him long ago too, and while he is still great live, I think he does less running around the whole stage and leaping about with guitar in hand then he did back then.

well, he's 82

He is still ridiculousy handsome for an old bloke

He did a lot of running the other night. And lots more crowd interaction too.

Jesus Christ, this guy. 3 1/2 hours tonight, but one of the best performances I have seen him give out of 20+ shows. One of the best crowds, too.

Yes! These stadium shows this summer are spectacular.

We got an arena show (thank goodness, not a fan of stadiums).

Wow: http://www.blogitallnight.com/news-updates/newbrucespringsteeninterviewrevealsin-storebooksigningsandmuchmore