June 27 / Paris, FRA / Parc des Princes
Notes: Show-opener "Adam Raised a Cain" is as powerful as it comes, and it set the bar for the early part of the set in Paris. Highlights for me were "Spirit," a request for which happened to coincide with the setlist, another powerhouse in "Rendezvous" (a perfect fit for the setting), and a first outing in Europe for "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart." Bruce was so fired up during "Darlington County" that he left Nils behind when he shot off to one side to see the crowd, and their duet was conducted with Bruce on the run across the front apron.

Max may need stronger specs... he started "I'm on Fire" when Bruce was holding up a request for "Fire." They soon got it right, and Clarence comes into his own here with the deepest voice in the band; the two of them mugged it up, milking the pause for all it was worth -- that was magic. With even more magic to come, as Bruce took over the piano for a solo version of "For You." I'm sure I heard a pin drop up the back somewhere, and I felt bad but I had to take a couple of rare pics of Bruce at the keys...

What has become a fairly standard end-of-set section was augmented by a show-closing "Out in the Street," but if I'm honest, "Badlands" works better for that purpose. Fairly standard encores also, but of course this being Paris we were treated to not one but two guest appearances: Elliott Murphy of course, but now his son Gaspard joins in too, also a guitarist. Gaspard stayed as close to Bruce as possible during "Born to Run" to check out Bruce's moves. The look on Bruce's face showed that he was only too happy to be passing on his superior knowledge. Elliott shared a microphone with Soozie during "American Land," but -- especially through a long lens -- it was obvious that he had no idea how the song goes!

So, some moments that were truly wonderful. It would have been interesting if some of the other requests Bruce plucked out had coincided with the alternates on the setlist such as "Tougher Than the Rest," "Land of Hope and Dreams," and "Lost in the Flood"... there's always something more to look forward to, isn't there?
-report and photographs by Harry Scott

Setlist:
Adam Raised a Cain
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Rendezvous
Candy's Room
Atlantic City
Janey, Don't You Lose Heart
Darlington County
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Fire
For You (solo piano)
The River
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Out in the Street
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Born to Run (w/ Elliott Murphy)
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land (w/ Elliott Murphy)

June 25 / Milan, ITA / San Siro
Notes: The longest Magic show yet, at 29 songs, including three classic covers. While Bruce's last stop at San Siro coincided with a downpour, this time the rain had to come from Bruce himself, again dousing the crowd to try and cool them off on a scorching day. Distorted sound, particularly at the beginning of the show, but by all accounts a performance worthy of the high expectations in Milan -- even with "The River" and "Seven Nights to Rock" setlisted but not played. Paolo Fumagalli reports:

"What an amazing show! The concert was exactly three hours long, from 8:50 to 11:50 sharp. I hadn't seen such a long concert from Bruce since the Rising tour, or even the Reunion tour. Bruce is said to have a special relationship with the Italian audience, and particularly Milano, where he first played San Siro stadium on the 1985 tour. This one was full throttle -- it's been years since I've seen Bruce so charged, excited and powerful.

"Bruce opened the show shouting, 'Is it hot enough in here?!' And then he added, 'We'll make it even hotter!' before going right into 'Summertime Blues.' The second tour performances of 'None But the Brave' (Bruce: "Mmhh, let's see if I remember it...') and 'Hungry Heart' were selected by Bruce thanks to signs from the fans in the pit.

The first real peak of the gig was 'Darlington'/'Because the Night'/'She's the One.' A second emotional peak was 'I'm on Fire,' which Bruce sang while sitting on the edge of the stage, leaning out to the pit while hugging Nils (also sitting) with one arm. And then 'Racing in the Street' especially, with Roy Bittan on the piano and Bruce singing, and then the progression of Max's drums... one of the best moments of the show. 'Racing' was also played by request from a sign in the pit.

"Then it was a constant climax from 'Badlands' (the stadium seemed about to crumble down) onwards. 'Detroit Medley' was played becasue Little Steven tapped on Bruce's shoulder to point out the banner hanging from the upper level. After 'American Land,' Bruce called back the E Streeters, who were almost about to leave the stage, and started a riff on his guitar. There it was: a wonderfully enjoyable 'Twist and Shout,' a tour premier which had the whole audience dancing till we dropped."

-photographs by Rene van Diemen

Setlist:
Summertime Blues
Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
None But the Brave
Candy's Room
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Hungry Heart
Darlington County
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
I'm on Fire
Racing in the Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Detroit Medley
Born to Run
Rosalita
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Twist & Shout

June 23 / Antwerp, BEL / Sportpaleis
Notes: A one-off arena show in the middle of this stadium leg, but don't think because they came in out of the sunshine that it was any less hot -- it was hotter. Bruce was bringing water down to the audience -- sometimes in cups, sometimes via sponge -- and even played janitor, mopping up the wet floor. After "Held Up Without a Gun" in Hamburg, Bruce and the band keep the surpises coming, including "So Young and in Love" opening the main set and "I'm a Rocker" to kick off the encore. Erik Block reports from his hometown:

"It was a full house, 17,000 fans, the sound was great, and it was rocking all night long. The songs followed up very fast, no time for stories -- only just after a pure and refreshing 'Spirit in the Night,' Bruce had a break. He went to the crowd, looking for some requests -- some written on a cardbord pizza box or on a very small paper -- and he took quite a lot of them back on stage. During the show, he would pick some of them out, playing songs like 'Sandy' and 'Point Blank.'

"Another break came when Bruce was looking for the sign hanging above the back of the stage, above Max. He was asking the lights and cameras to catch the sign, but it was quite difficult... finally they found it: 'Thundercrack'! A great song from the 1970s. Bruce had to ask if everybody was ready, telling the audience that the E Streeters are always ready... almost always!

"'Fire': the duet with Clarence was great! An especially cool moment, when they both stopped singing. It looked that the show was one big "ask for your favorite songs" performance. But it was great, nobody was complaining. When the E Street Band came back out for the encore, they gave us a tour premier, 'I'm a Rocker.' The audience was burning and gave him a standing ovation for the rest of the show! That was followed by a rocking 'Born to Run' and 'Thunder Road.' 'Isn’t it too hot?' Bruce asked several times, and he and Steve acted like waiters when they gave the crowd water to refresh them. But nobody felt the heat, only the waves of the sound."

-photographs by Riku Olkkonen (1,2,3) and Rene van Diemen (4)

Setlist:
So Young and in Love
Radio Nowhere
The Ties That Bind
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Magic
Trapped
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Prove It All Night
Thundercrack
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Fire
Point Blank
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
I'm a Rocker
Born to Run
Thunder Road
Glory Days
American Land

June 21 / Hamburg, GER / HSH Nordbank Arena
Notes: "Something in the Night," "Sherry Darling," "Incident"... "Held Up Without a Gun"?! "What a show and what a setlist," writes Jakob Haugaard Christiansen, "If you can call it that! It was more like a wishing well or a request-night made in heaven."

Erik Knevelbaard reports: "The energy and fun Bruce has this leg is amazing. The now-famous move where Bruce bends over before the front row crowd had a special twist during a high-energy 'Spirit in the Night.' During previous shows it always was a woman on the big screen between Bruce's legs, this time it was a fellow -- which made for a good laugh throughout the sold-out stadium. But what made this show extra special is the fact that he played a killer set.

"After 'Spirit' Bruce picked up a lot of signs, and some very good ones! We saw 'Something in the Night' and almost didn't dare to hope... but then Bruce said 'let's go, Steve' and showed the sign we hoped for! I finally got to hear one of my alltime faves -- it was beautiful and the highlight for me on this tour so far. And that was just the start, because Steve got his fave with 'Held Up Without a Gun.' Bruce described it as the band's most 'punk' song. It was great, just smoking, and Steve was all smiles! If I'm correct, it's the first performance of this short gem since 1981. 

"But it didn't stop there, as Bruce said 'we're gonna get them all out'... and they did! A great 'Hungry Heart' for a lady in the front row who Bruce had seen at many shows. Bruce wanted to play it acoustic, but the band (including Charlie) convinced him they knew it, so after Bruce played the first verse on acoustic guitar together with the whole stadium, the band kicked in and the crowd went wild. A great 'Incident' had me choked for the second time tonight, and the solo at the end was very powerful, Bruce was very focused for this one. The encores had the whole stadium shaking and left us all out of breath but oh so satisfied. After this show and the songs played, one has to wonder what comes next? I'm looking forward to the shows to come -- the game is really on now!"
-photograph by Jakob Haugaard Christiansen

Setlist:
Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Something in the Night
Held Up Without a Gun
Atlantic City
Gypsy Biker
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Sherry Darling
I'll Work for Your Love
Hungry Heart
Incident on 57th Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
7 Nights to Rock
Rosalita
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

June 18 / Amsterdam, NED / Amsterdam Arena
Notes: A fun, interactive show in Amsterdam turned into a true stunner in the encore, as Bruce and the band tackled a classic cover they haven't done since the River tour. We'll let Helen set the scene: "The Netherlands are in a state of euphoria at the moment, as our country is doing very well in the European Football Championships. The team play in orange, our national color. Roy came onstage wearing an orange cap, and Bruce belted out: "Italy, Spain, Romania!" (the three countries we beat so far). A huge roar from everyone. Later on Bruce commented on it further, saying that everything in the Netherlands seemed to be orange: the houses, the people, the bicycles... Someone gave Bruce an orange garland, which he wore around his neck."

Massimo Benvegnu reports: "What a fun night we all had in Amsterdam, Bruce included! After a standard stadium start with 'Out in the Street,' things really got started with an amazingly touching 'Promised Land,' Springsteen singing the final verse holding the audience's hands. It was the first of many visits to the front of the stage, with Bruce visibly pleased by the attention he received from Dutch girls! And he wasn't the only one -- one brought a banner that read 'Princess of Little Steven,' which Bruce placed by Steve's mic. The obvious Dutch connection of Van Zandt and Springsteen made it for a very fun, loose atmosphere. Throughout the evening Springsteen extracted many different things from the audience, including a bunch of sunflowers, a 'Welpie' (a lion cub toy, the mascot for the Dutch football team), and a young girl that dove through the audience to hug the Boss during 'Darlington County.'"

"But what had the biggest impact was a sign for 'Summertime Blues,' which they actually played in the encores, much to everybody's amazement! At the end of the obviously improvised performance (they had not played the cover in 27 years), Steve even started the opening chords to 'Gloria' -- it felt like the E Street Band turned into a high school band playing a prom night in, errr... way back when! They kept rockin' with rarities from their own repertoire -- 'Stand on It' and 'Seven Nights to Rock' -- straight after it. 'Bobby Jean' was played with great feeling, and Steve did his best Sam Cooke on 'Long Walk Home,' which Springsteen praised with a 'Beautiful!' and the biggest grin ever. Bruce and the Band played with a great heart. A moving night, both poignant and funny!"

-Photographs by Rene van Diemen

Setlist:
Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
The River
Gypsy Biker
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darlington County
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
I'm on Fire
Backstreets
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Summertime Blues
Stand on It
Seven Nights to Rock
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

June 16 / Dusseldorf, GER / LTU Arena
Notes: The weather was fine, the arena was packed, and everybody was in a great mood when the E Street Band started their set with "Jackson Cage." And then at the beginning of the second verse... the video screens and the sound went off. Completely.

Bruce and the band were carrying on for a few moments, maybe hoping for the sound to come back, but they finally stopped playing. The shock turned into a very funny moment, with the E Streeters waving and smiling apologetically. When the sound came back a few minutes later Bruce grinned and said, "Maybe we should have started with another one!" And so, the show re-started with a triumphant "Night," which ended with Bruce and Clarence crossing themselves, thanking the Lord for getting through the song without another sound glitch. However, during the following "Radio Nowhere," just as Clarence was going into his sax solo, the video screens and the sound went off a second time! This time Bruce used the free moments to go right into the audience and collect banners with the requests. Again, he didn't lose his sense of humor, remarking when the power came back: "This goes to show, the E Street Band is 100% live!"

The power failure translated into a power high that made this show one of the most fierce and most fun shows I've seen. "Radio Nowhere" was played again, with great dedication and force in the face of everybody's fear of having the show cancelled. "Spirit in the Night" had Bruce diving into the audience, literally being lifted up by the many hands of the fans. When the song got to the quiet part (and everybody feared a new power glitch), Bruce grinned and added, "We're still on." This loose and "anything could happen at any time" atmosphere was on one hand unsettling (as Bruce remarked after the power glitch: "That was terrible!"). On the other hand, it made for a very special energy which the E Street Band used to create an extremely forceful and tight set. After "Magic" the first request was played: a haunting "Trapped" (which fit very nicely coming after "Magic"). The mood lightened with "Darlington County," during which Bruce again dove into the pit, interacting with the crowd in a way that suggested he was enjoying the experience more than ever.

The performance was one of the best I've ever seen, simply because Bruce and the band clearly were on a mission to show everybody that no power failure can stop the power of the E Street Band. In the end, everything went smoothly -- although Soozie's fiddle seemed to have its own power failure at the beginning of "American Land," so Bruce gave her two new starts -- without another major technical hiccup. The lack of electricity for the equipment was more than made up for by the sheer electricity of this band in top form. A magic night, absolutely. If only Bruce had announced that they would return!
Although- report by Stefan Rogall - photographs by Bernhard Werner

Setlist:
Jackson Cage
Night
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Magic
Trapped
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darlington County
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Working on the Highway
The River
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Born to Run
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

June 14 / Cardiff, UK / Millennium Stadium
Notes: Getting back on the road for the European stadium tour, Bruce began the marathon Cardiff stadium show with "a Welsh connection": the tour premiere of "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)," a song he wrote and gave to Welshman Dave Edmunds years ago. Some back story: When the Cardiff-born Edmunds "went to see Springsteen perform at Wembley Arena [in 1981]," writes Garry Graff in The Ties That Bind, "he expected a good show but not necessarily a new song to record. 'I was backstage in the hospitality area after the gig,' Edmunds remembered, 'and one of his crew of road managers tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Bruce wants to meet you." I went back and had this great talk with him, and he played me this song and said, "I'd like you to do this, if you like it." He said he'd send me the tape, which he did." Edmunds' "From Small Things" was released on D.E. 7th in 1982, and Springsteen's own version finally emerged on Essential in 2003.

In the encore, a more bittersweet connection, as Springsteen sent out "Thunder Road" to the late Tim Russert:

"I'd like to do this tonight for a long time friend of the E Street Band who passed away suddenly.

"Tim Russert was an important unreplacable voice in American journalism. I watched him hold our politicians feet to the fire on many Sunday mornings. He was always a strong voice for honesty and accountability in American government .. but beyond that he was a lovely presence, a good father, husband, and good guy. He was a regular at many E Street Band shows and I'm going to miss looking down and seeing that big smiling face in the crowd.

"We send this out all the way back to the states tonight for his son Luke, his wife Maureen, his dad Big Russ, and all the Russert family.

"Tim, God Bless You, We will miss you..."
[posted on brucespringsteen.net]

In between, there was a riotous "Blinded By the Light," preceded by a story about Danny and Mad Dog, with particularly funny bit at the beginning as Steve tried to figure out what Bruce was playing. "The River," with some stirring falsetto at the end, was transcendent. Nils' "Because the Night" solo was a real highlight, as usual, and Clarence was in particularly fine form in the encore, with wonderful solos on "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland." And another highlight at the end of the show: Bruce telling the crowd, "We'll be back!"

-Photographs by Harry Scott

Setlist:
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Blinded By the Light
Magic
Atlantic City
The River
Gypsy Biker
Darlington County
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Working on the Highway
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Jungleland
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Rosalita
American Land

May 31 / London, UK / Emirates Stadium
Notes: Another great show for night two in London -- this one ended right at curfew, at 24 songs, but was nice and loose, with a full half of the set not played the night before. Bill Cunningham writes: "It's hard to decide which of the two was the better night -- with so many setlist changes, it felt almost as if the two-night run in London was just one wonderful six-hour show."

One notable change was moving "Radio Nowhere" to the fifth slot. They opened with a bang with "Out in the Street," and burned through "No Surrender," "Darkness," and "Gypsy Biker" -- none of which were played on Friday -- before getting to what had been the traditional concert opener last time they were in these parts. "Sandy" and "Growin' Up" were wrapped around some Danny stories, and then it was on to back-to-back Born in the U.S.A. rarities: "Downbound Train" and "I'm on Fire." These were the first tour premieres of this European leg.

Ian Henry tells us: "It may have been a few songs shorter, but it was simply sensational and awesome tonight. Bruce was seriously on fire, the set was so radically different from the first night, and the performance of 'Jungleland' was, in my 32-show experience, probably the finest. But the real joy was 'Sandy'; this week, my list of songs I was desperate to hear live was three: 'Point Blank,' 'Sandy,' and 'NYC Serenade.' As another big man once sang, to Roy on the piano I believe, two out of three ain't bad. And tonight proved one thing to me, Ian’s First Law of Bruce Concerts Theory: if he is playing two shows in your town and you can't do both, do the second! But I did both, and I -- like the band -- need my two-week rest. Roll on Cardiff!"

Setlist:
Out in the Street
No Surrender
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Gypsy Biker
Radio Nowhere
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Growin' Up
Downbound Train
I'm on Fire
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
The Promised Land
Backstreets
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Jungleland
Born to Run
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

May 30 / London, UK / Emirates Stadium
Notes: This first of two nights in London was the first concert to be held in Emirates Stadium, an enormous venue set down in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and the neighbors have been concerned about noise ever since these shows were announced. So with an established curfew, Springsteen and the E Streeters made sure to go on early -- "Did I see the sun? That can't be!" said Bruce. As it turned out, they blew right by the curfew time anyway, with the longest show yet of the tour, at 28 songs. Let others worry about the noise, Bruce had bigger concerns: "Nobody's played here before? We gotta test that structure tonight!"

Opening with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" got the crowd into it right away, and the post-"Magic" run from "Atlantic City" through "Because the Night" was particularly structure-rattling. During "Working on the Highway," which Bruce sang from out on the center stage thrust, he asked, "Who's got the signs?" After a sweep of the crowd from side to side, gathering those request banners as he went, he deposited an armful at center stage. Foregoing "She's the One," he decided to dig through the signs instead, throwing them over his shoulder as he went and settling on one for "Caddy Ranch." That one was a real highlight, featuring solos from Soozie and Steve.

The "big" numbers like "Mary's Place" and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" kill the momentum a bit, but of course they're perfect for venues of this size. Bruce made sure to get everyone on the sides and in the way back involved. "You gotta do that big stadium thing!" he encouraged on "Sunny Day," getting them to wave their hands in the air like they really, really care and to sing along. "Oh, that's pretty good for here!" he needled. Back to the sign pile for another request: a magnificent "Point Blank" that recalled "Racing" in Dublin as a song that really shouldn't work in a ridiculously large venue... but really did. Standout bass work from Garry Tallent.

Hit after hit in the encore, starting with an inspiring, communal performance of "Thunder Road" as a dedication: "We want to thank our longtime, faithful English fans... We're gonna do this for you." After "Born to Run" and "Glory Days" (Bruce: "Is it tea time?... Is it sexy time?" Steve: "Not yet!"), it was time to really drive the crowd wild. "You can't take it no more!" Bruce hollered. "We wanna give it to you!" he repeated. "We're gonna give it to you!" They did -- "Rosie" was a blast. Structure test passed. But of course, that's just night one.
-Photographs by Harry Scott

Setlist:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
The Ties That Bind
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Atlantic City
Reason to Believe
Candy's Room
Prove it all Night
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Cadillac Ranch
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Point Blank
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Glory Days
Rosalita
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

May 28 / Manchester, UK / Old Trafford Stadium
Notes: Five years (almost to the day) after Bruce and the E Street Band played the Old Trafford Cricket Ground on the Rising tour, they return to Manchester for another open-air show at nearby Old Trafford Stadium, home of Manchester United. They keep up the current trend of longer shows, again at 26 songs, with a good number of audibles including "Trapped," "Darlington County," "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City," and "I'll Work for Your Love."

May 28 / Manchester, UK / Old Trafford Stadium
Notes: Five years (almost to the day) after Bruce and the E Street Band played the Old Trafford Cricket Ground on the Rising tour, they return to Manchester for another open-air show at nearby Old Trafford Stadium, home of Manchester United. They keep up the current trend of longer shows, again at 26 songs, with a good number of audibles including "Trapped," "Darlington County," "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City," and "I'll Work for Your Love." A rocking show by all accounts; Nigel Ford tells us:

"Bruce took the stage alongside Clarence and greeted us with the words, 'Good evening Manchester, home of the European champions! We got some celebrating to do!' The Manchester United theme continued later when he revealed that his 18-year-old son doesn't watch American sports, but 'watches soccer all weekend -- and these are his boys. So he's been giving me the low-down on what to say when I tread this hallowed ground.' This didn't endear him to the entire audience by any means, but he was presented with a Man Utd shirt with 'The Boss' inscribed across the shoulders, which the Boss himself seemed pretty pleased with. 

"The opening five were belted out without a second to spare, with 'Night' appearing to be an audible. The undoubted highlight of a barnstorming performance was a stonking version of 'Because the Night,' with Nils, who was on great form all evening, treating us to a solo which set the stadium on fire, complete with half a dozen twirls to finish it off.  The first encore was 'Growin' Up,' dedicated to and at the request of a six-year old boy, clearly delighted that Bruce had singled him out for special attention. He sat on his dad's shoulders , wearing orange ear protectors -- which Bruce had a bit of fun with halfway through the song, fast forwarding to when the kid would be reminiscing about his first concert when 'my dad made me wear this huge pair of freaky orange tins on my ears'."
-Photographs by Harry Scott

Setlist:
No Surrender
Radio Nowhere
Night
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Trapped
Adam Raised a Cain
Darlington County
It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
I'll Work for Your Love
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Growin' Up
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Born to Run
Rosalita
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

May 25 / Dublin, IRE / RDS Arena
Notes: If you caught one of the first two Dublin shows but not the third, you might be taken aback to hear them described as warm-ups. But they really were trial laps compared to Sunday night at the RDS Arena, when Springsteen and the E Street Band put pedal to the metal and blew the doors off. Now thoroughly in stadium mode and completely comfortable on the bigger stage, this was the show of the stand. A happy, appreciative Springsteen clearly knew it -- and two bonus songs after "American Land" served as the victory lap. This night was even more physical, with Bruce running up and down, back and forth, and making the most of the three stage thrusts to interact with the crowd. As they grabbed at his legs on "Spirit in the Night" -- "Can you feel the spirit?" he sang in a new intro -- Bruce took advantage of the hold to do a complete backbend, all the way down. Yes, literally bending over backwards to please.

A powerhouse trio of "Gypsy Biker," "Atlantic City," and "Reason to Believe" shook the RDS foundations. But it was next that the surprises really started coming. One might have thought that "Spirit" would be the night's flashback for Danny, but here Springsteen thanked the crowd for their condolences and offered two more: "Sandy" into "Growin' Up." There was a Danny-gets-busted story, and Bruce also told the crowd: "Danny's name was Federici, but he was adopted -- that red hair and freckles... I'm sure he was Irish."

Patti remains absent from this leg so far, Bruce now telling the crowd, "The fort must be guarded at all times." Also missing was "Devil's Arcade," dropped from the five-pack and replaced by "Racing in the Street." This Darkness epic is obviously a far cry from stadium sing-alongs like "Sunny Day" or "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," but it they brought it off and then some -- even indoors, this "Racing" would have been a stand-out, but hushing a venue of this size, it was astounding communal moment.

"Is the band ready?" Bruce asked in the encore, "Are the people ready? Is the band ready? Are the people ready?" A great, goofy "Rosalita" was followed by "Dancing in the Dark." Once again a frightened girl had to be quickly handed back to her parents after Bruce tried to bring her up for a dance... maybe the stadium crowd is just that much more intimidating? "If this keeps happening," said Bruce, "I'm gonna be cited for child abuse!" By this point in the show, though, he had everyone else eating out of the palm of his hand, too in the groove to stop with "American Land." "One more for Dublin!" Bruce hollered -- which turned into two more for Dublin, as "Ramrod" (complete with silly hat mugging) gave way to "Glory Days" without a breath. Stretched out to two hours and 45 minutes, it was a sensational performance.
-Photographs by Riku Olkkonen (1) and Rene van Diemen (2, 3)

May 23 /Dublin, IRE / RDS Arena
Notes: "Who was here last night?" Bruce asked the crowd Friday night in Dublin, and he got a huge response back. "Get outta here! We'll switch it up for you, then." Bono, though in attendance, didn't join in as rumors suggested he would, so it wasn't switched up that much... but more than a third of the set changed for the second show of the leg, with nine songs not played on opening night. "Trapped" into "Murder Incorporated" was a particular high-energy highlight. The "Darlington County" that followed (one of four songs played from Born in the U.S.A.) was a very physical performance, with Bruce running all over that enormous stage. "Prove It" featured more stunning and ever-evolving solo work from Nils.

Setlist:
Night
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Trapped
Murder Incorporated
Darlington County
Prove It All Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Jungleland
Born to Run
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

May 22 /Dublin, IRE / RDS Arena
Notes: It was a cool and drizzly Dublin day, settling down to a light mist as Bruce and the E Street Band kicked off their Spring 2008 European tour. "We brought the New Jersey weather with us, I guess!" Bruce said. Don't let the word arena fool you, they've most definitely made the move to stadiums. This Dublin venue is an equestrian oval -- perhaps not your standard stadium, but an open air venue vastly larger than anything the Magic tour has played so far, with a bigger stage, bigger video screens, bigger everything. So any faltering tonight can be chalked up to the performers getting the feel of the new setup, getting their stadium legs back -- not to mention the strangeness of playing in broad daylight, as "The Promised Land" opened the show at 8:10 before the sun went down. No Phantom Dan tribute video, but Bruce mentioned Danny's passing as he thanked the crowd for their good wishes.

Despite a tentative start, Bruce and the band turned in a powerful and lengthy performance, at 26 songs. Four songs between "Reason to Believe" and "She's the One" made for a kick-ass mid-set stretch. "Out in the Street," "Candy's Room," and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" were all audibles, with the sing-along on "Sunny Day" going so well that Bruce had to hush the crowd in order to go into "The River." Patti Scialfa hasn't made the jump across the pond, with Bruce telling the crowd that as he left home, "the Guinness was being poured." But Southside Johnny was there -- "the most dangerous man in show business" -- singing backup and clowning around on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out." And here in the land of its inspiration, "American Land" closed the show.
-Photographs by Riku Olkkonen

May 17 / The Stone Pony / Asbury Park, NJ
Notes: For the second of two Mike Ness shows at the Pony, the Social Disortion frontman was joined on stage by his friend (and longtime fan) Bruce Springsteen. After watching the show from the soundboard, Springsteen joined in for a four- encore. As Linda tells us, there was "'Misery Loves Company,' the song they did together on Mike's 1999 solo CD, Cheating at Solitaire. Then they did my favorite Social D. song, 'Ball and Chain,' but instead of sticking to the original rocking version, they did it as a slow, country ballad. Bruce sang the second verse, and the crowd went nuts. Next was a 'If You Leave Before Me,' from Cheating at Solitaire, followed by a fun 'I Fought the Law.' What was really cool was seeing the excitement and giddiness of Social D. fans after the show. Most of these fans are guys in their 20s -- tattoos, pierced body parts, part hardcore punk/part rockabilly, and their hot Bettie Page-type girlfriends. They were so happy and excited, and I heard them saying, 'Man, nothing gets better than this!' and 'Wow, can you believe it? How frickin' amazing was that?!'" As Ness asked the crowd, "Aren't you guys glad you came the second night?" [Correction: Ness performed Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" without Springsteen]
-Photograph by Mark R. Sullivan

Setlist:
Misery Loves Company
Ball and Chain
If You Leave Before Me
I Fought the Law

May 2 / Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Bank Atlantic Center
Notes: With this their seventh Magic show in the less than two weeks since Danny Federici's death, Springsteen and the E Street Band have made it to the end of the spring leg in fine style. Wrapping things up at the rescheduled Ft. Lauderdale show, energy was back up after a little dip in Charlottesville, with the band on top of their game tonight.

April 30 / Charlottesville, VA / John Paul Jones Arena
Notes: A spirited start for this sold-out show, with "Loose Ends" another Tracks rarity to kick it off, just as "Roulette" and "Don't Look Back" started the night on a high at the previous barnburner in Greensboro. "Mary's Place" turned up again, too -- but that's where the affinity between the two shows end, Charlottesville being one where things didn't quite click. Hard to say, but it could be that after more than a week of channeling so much into the performance, an emotional drain has understandably taken its toll. Whatever the reason, this was a shorter show, with a less inspired setlist and a performance coming up short of others on this astounding recent run. The penultimate show of a leg has been one to watch on Springsteen tours, often turning out to be the stand-out... not so this time.

"No Surrender" was an audible, the message not quite reaching everyone at the start -- "Hang on, we're getting there!" said Bruce. On the setlist but not played were "This Hard Land" (Bruce had the harmonica in hand, but let this one go, leaving only "Mary's Place" between "Livin' in the Future" and "Devil's Arcade"), "Streets of Fire" (given the boot again!), and "I Wanna Be With You."

"For You" was tonight's oldie going out to Danny, and Springsteen came up with more fun tales of the old days, this time about how they got around to gigs. At first, it was Mad Dog's car. "That was uncomfortable," Bruce said, "because the Big Man took up a lot of room." Then they stepped up to an Econoline van. "That was uncomfortable, because the Big Man took up a lot of room." Then it was a Jersey Central bus, modified with cots in the back, and Bruce shared his technique for putting his hand down to keep from rolling off when they took a curve. Finally they graduated to "country singer buses," and a memory of Danny, who "fell out of the middle bunk, bounced across the wall, fell to the floor, and grabbed a bag to use as a pillow... all without waking up." Bruce also recalled that their first gig as a band was opening up for Cheech & Chong, and as their set went on, someone tugged on Bruce's shirt with a mesage: "Cheech says it's time to get off the stage."

There was notably strong guitar work tonight -- Nils, as always; Steve shining on "Gypsy Biker"; Bruce taking a mean lead on "Adam Raised a Cain." And even a rare off-night still brings something like "Meeting Across the River" into "Jungleland," with Springsteen in fine voice. Before that magical pairing that started the 4/5 Born to Run encore, Bruce recalled the old days again, saying, "We've always been connected to Virginia. We could play two places in those days -- we could play New Jersey, and we could play Richmond." He also gave a shout-out to his old Steel Meel bandmate Robbin Thompson, who was in the house tonight. That house was packed, a new and attractive smaller venue with not a single seat left open; but it was an intimate setting unfortunately not parlayed into a particularly special show.
-Photographs by Guy Aceto

Setlist:
Loose Ends
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Gypsy Biker
For You
Adam Raised a Cain
Prove It All Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Meeting Across the River
Jungleland
Born to Run
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

April 27 / Charlotte, NC / Bobcats Arena
Notes: "Nothing could be finer," said Bruce, and with the Magic tour finally coming to my home state, I gotta agree. Yet another unique song to open the show: the tour premiere, at long last, of a smoldering "Souls of the Departed." Great to have some '92 material represented in the set, and not only is it a perfect thematic fit for the Magic tour, it got another layer of meaning coming right after the Danny Federici tribute montage. Killer bottleneck slide work from Nils, too.

"We've been digging back in the box," Bruce said before the new oldie slot, adding "We're gonna put the Professor to the test," as Roy strapped on the accordion. Garry was put to the test, too, as he picked up his old tuba for "Wild Billy's Circus Story." Before they went into the ultra-rarity, Bruce talked about Danny winning the Ted Mack Amateur Hour as a kid ("His Mom sewed him up a gold lamé jacket!") and the Phantom's penchant for trouble (Danny and Mad Dog being the "unruly citizens" of E Street). He added the story from his eulogy about Danny's car getting towed with a marijuana plant in the front seat, and Danny going straight into the slammer. "That's a short one... but they all ended the same!" laughed Bruce. "My favorite phone call from Danny was always, 'Bruce, come quick!'"

A sign read "I like you better than Hannah Montana" on one side, and Bruce quipped "My aspirations have been realized -- we can go home now!" before granting the request: "Darlington County." That audible took the place of the setlisted "Streets of Fire," to some fans' dismay... but it was a fun Carolina special, and Bruce was happy to get some help up on stage for the sha-la-las: "She can sing!"

If Clarence were a J.B., he would have incurred a major fine on "Badlands," as the moment for his big solo caught him completely off guard, his mind apparently elsewhere. Whether or not the Boss docks his pay, the blown cue was good for a laugh (certainly a sheepish one from Clarence), and Bruce said, "Let's try that one more time!" As the band came back around for him, the Big Man nailed it the second time. Between that and the bonus ending for the loudly chanting crowd, it felt like something of a "Badlands" extended remix.

In the encore, "Kitty's Back" smoked, and for the show closing "American Land" -- an audible, believe it or not, replacing the setlisted "Stand on It" -- "Cousin Frankie" joined in the fun. That's local boy Frank Bruno, Jr. from the Sessions Band, strumming hard on the acoustic and singing along.

Setlist:
Souls of the Departed
Radio Nowhere
Night
The Promised Land
Wild Billy's Circus Story
Reason to Believe
Gypsy Biker
Candy's Room
Prove It All Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Darlington County
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Lost in the Flood
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Thunder Road
Kitty's Back
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land (with Frank Bruno, Jr.)

April 25 / Atlanta, GA / Philips Arena
Notes: For the third show in four nights, Bruce is clearly keen to retain the element of surprise. He's writing setlists that veer dramatically off the course he'd set for so much of the Magic tour, and then when it comes time to perform, he's even shaking that up. Tonight in Atlanta, after opening with that high-octane "Reason to Believe" for the first time, two of the next three songs were audibles. That's keeping it interesting for everyone -- particularly in the first half of the show, there was no telling what would come next. And the crowd ate it up -- the Philips Arena ain't exactly intimate, but the place was packed to the rafters, and into it.

Eleven songs played in Atlanta that didn't come out in Orlando, including a magnificent "Point Blank," "Trapped," and "Murder Incorporated," with a great Bruce/Stevie guitar duel that made us miss "Gypsy Biker" at least a little less. Only six songs from Magic, though this was the city of its birth... and with "Lonesome Day" dropped out (and "Out in the Street" in), my pop rightly noted halfway through that it felt like the Reunion tour. Though not as well represented, Magic did get a deeper cut played tonight -- Bruce broke out "Your Own Worst Enemy," which he said was "in honor of producer extraordinaire Brendan O'Brien." He added, "It won't be as good as the record, but we'll try." And it was impressive, the full-sounding four-part vocals at least coming close to replicating the record's wall of sound.

Getting its tour premiere was "Blinded By the Light," in the slot that brought "Spirit" and "Sandy" the last few nights. "I want to thank you for all the prayers and condolences for Danny," Springsteen told the crowd before the song (and we got the video montage at the start of the show, too). "We appreciate it very much. His family appreciates it very much. We've been digging into the 'old' box these last few nights," he said to cheers, going on to reminisce a bit about the early days of the band, meeting at the Upstage in Asbury Park. "I met Steve at 16, Danny at 18... Danny and Mad Dog asked me to be in the band.... It was me, Danny, Garry, 'Mad Dog' Lopez, and Clarence. Just a little five piece -- with a setlist of masterpieces," Bruce laughed. "We know this one!" A rocky start, but yeah, they knew it, and "Blinded" was a blast.

"Bobby Jean" was a granted request-by-sign, and while I'd never put Sharpie to posterboard for that one myself, I was glad I kept my ears open: I heard a power and a poignancy in that song tonight that, to me, has been missing for a long time. More audibles came in the encore, with "Kitty's Back" replaced by "Rosalita" -- "This is for New Orleans!" Bruce hollered, in response to another sign -- and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" in for "Dancing in the Dark." Think you can pin Bruce down? Kid, you better get the picture.
-Photographs by Guy Aceto

Setlist:
Reason to Believe
Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Blinded By the Light
Your Own Worst Enemy
Trapped
Murder Incorporated
Prove It All Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Bobby Jean
Point Blank
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Rosalita
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

April 22 / Tampa, FL / St. Pete Times Forum
Notes: And the show goes on. Eight days after their last performance, five days after the passing of Danny Federici, and just one day after the funeral service, Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage in Tampa. There was no question that they'd be honoring Danny's memory tonight. The real question might have been, how would they do it? The answer: by acknowledging the magnitude of the loss, by embracing Danny's contributions to the band, by tapping a deep well of emotion and playing their hearts out all night.

The night began with a film montage. Bruce and the E Streeters came out and turned to watch the screen behind Max's drums, standing stone-still as archival footage and stills from Danny's life (remember that long, flowing hair?) played out across it, set to "Blood Brothers." Patti was there, too, for her first show of 2008 -- the E Street Band out in full force. A spotlight, meanwhile, lit up Danny's organ riser (where his accordion was propped, too), and remained shining on the empty station for the band's first song of the night, "Backstreets." Bruce gave a raw and emotional howl at the end, and as he pointed to the organ, the light faded.

After the poignant opening, Charlie Giordano came out to join the band from "Radio Nowhere" on, remaining as subtle and discreet as you could possibly imagine on this night, while doing his job and doing it well. But emotional -- even emotionally draining -- as it was, it wasn't a somber occasion. This was an intense performance, with each member of the band electrified. Solos -- Max on "Badlands," Steve on "Gypsy Biker," Roy on "Racing in the Street" (yes, they did "Racing,") Nils on "Because the Night" -- burned even brighter. And Bruce himself put it all out there, starting with a thematic setlist clearly tailored to recall Federici's place in this band of brothers and the impact of his musicianship on Springsteen's work.

After "Gypsy Biker," Charlie moved over to the piano as Roy strapped on the accordion for "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)." "We want to thank you for all your prayers and condolences," Springseen told the crowd. "Roy, you better get this right -- somebody's watching." Soozie and Patti offered beautiful harmonies, and it was a magical performance of "Sandy." Bruce wiped away tears and gave Roy a kiss. "One more fairy tale," he said, leading the band into "Growin' Up." That song recalled the old days in more ways than one, as Bruce began a little story during the instrumental break with that familiar phrase, "There we were..."

"There we were, on the highest hill in Flemington, New Jersey... It was a sunny, hot summer morning... and the preacher said... 'I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere...'"

"Thank you so much for coming out tonight and helping us through," Bruce said as they came out for the encore. And he wasn't just talkin': the crowd -- unusually full for a postponed show -- was there at every turn, giving the energy back on sing-alongs like "Badlands," "Out in the Street," and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." For the first encore song, Bruce pulled out the premiere of an old gospel standby, "I'll Fly Away." This one went out to Danny, of course, and everyone came down front -- even Max, on tambourine -- for a rousing rendition with a Seeger Sessions feel. Bruce called it "New Jersey bluegrass."

A few songs later, "Spirit in the Night" was setlisted, but Bruce chose to replace it with one of the only unplanned songs of the night -- "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out." It was a fine choice, recalling the formation of the legendary band that Danny Federici was a part of from the beginning, its lyrics equal parts exasperation, determination, and celebration. Teardrops on the city, yes... and tonight they busted it in half for Danny.

-Photographs by Rene van Diemen (1, 3); A.M. Saddler (2, 5); and Michael Zorn (4, 6)

Setlist:
Backstreets
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
No Surrender
Gypsy Biker
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Growin' Up
Atlantic City
Because the Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Brilliant Disguise
Racing in the Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Out in the Street
* * *
I'll Fly Away
Rosalita
Born to Run
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

April 14 / Houston, TX / Toyota Center
Notes: Houston, we have... no problems. A phenomenal show tonight for the second of two in Texas. Just outside of Amarillo, the Cadillac Ranch sits there gleaming in the sun... tonight in Houston, that song started us off -- making 11 shows running with a unique opener. A good bit of setlist shuffling followed, one of those nights where things really felt free-form, and you didn't quite know what was coming next: "Gypsy Biker" dropped out for the first time, replaced by "Atlantic City"; "Reason to Believe" was gone, too.

So what made it in? "Out in the Street" -- which has both opened and closed the main set on this leg -- turned up in the middle. "The E Street Shuffle," in its first performance of 2008, was played by request for a kid in the crowd; Bruce said he probably wrote the song before the boy's grandaddy was born. Next up, a world premiere, Bruce saying those magic words: "We haven't done this." It was "Terry's Song," the moving, unlisted track from Magic, played in honor of Terry Magovern. Bruce said, "A friend of mine for 23 years... today would have been his 68th birthday." Roy led it off on the piano, with just Charlie, Max, Bruce on acoustic, and Nils on backing vocals for a sparse and reverential performance. Musically and thematically, it was a powerful lead-in to "Devils Arcade," which found Bruce on his knees to begin the song.

A note-perfect "Thunder Road" closed the set in style after the five-pack, but it was the encore where things really cooked. Not one but two special guests in the encore: at the previous show, Dallas got "a double shot of Jersey" in the form of Jon Bon Jovi, but Houston got a pair of true Texans, both Austinites. "I've always been a fan of the Texas songwriters," said Bruce, and he demonstrated it by playing with two of the best of his Lone Star State contemporaries: Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely.

First off, man, what an absolute thrill to finally have Alejandro -- a longtime Backstreets fave -- on stage with the Boss. "He's been putting out good music for so long," Springsteen said, and we agree -- Escovedo's former bands include the Nuns, Rank & File, and the True Believers, and he's been offering up incredible solo records since the early '90s. (Also of note, he very recently signed with Jon Landau Management). For Alejandro, the E Street Band learned "Always a Friend," the lead single from his forthcoming album Real Animal. "One of the best he's ever made," Bruce said, plugging the album twice, "Due June 10th!"

And then, "There's got to be some other Texans around here..." and out came another of our heroes -- Flatlander, Clash tourmate, and all-around bad-ass Joe Ely -- for "All Just to Get to You" (which he and Bruce recorded together on Ely's 1995 album, Letter to Laredo). And it rocked.

With those two barnburners kicking it off, energy stayed high for the rest of the encore, featuring "Rosalita" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out." For the Freeze-out, Springsteen held a backbend from the mic stand so deep and long you thought he might have actually frozen there; on "Rosie," he was channeling Curly of the Three Stooges: "Whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop!" Couldn't have said it better ourselves. A brain-meltingly good show. Just ask Alejandro, who told Backstreets at the end of the night: "It was my best musical experience, ever."

Setlist:
Cadillac Ranch
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Atlantic City
Magic
Because the Night
Candy's Room
She's the One
Out in the Street
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
The E Street Shuffle
Terry's Song
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Thunder Road
* * *
Always a Friend (w/ Alejandro Escovedo)
All Just to Get to You (w/ Joe Ely)
Rosalita
Born to Run
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land

April 13 / Dallas, TX / American Airlines Center
Notes: T is for Texas, as Jimmie Rodgers sang, and T is for "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out," which opened up tonight's show in Dallas. This was the Magic tour's first stop in Texas, and they got a strong one -- Bruce in high spirits, great energy, fast pace, the band in fine form. After "Magic," it was a string of powerhouses, from "Trapped" through "She's the One." "Prove It All Night" and "Because the Night" were in there back-to-back, and though it's disappointing to see Nils' solo dropped from "Prove It," it's probably the right call to save it up for him to wail on "Because the Night."

Setlist:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Trapped
Reason to Believe
Prove It All Night
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Independence Day
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Meeting Across the River
Jungleland
Born to Run
Glory Days (with Jon Bon Jovi)
Dancing in the Dark
American Land