Click here to read my thoughts on Gothenburg 1.

The most common conversation amongst diehard fans regarding this River Tour 2016 has undoubtedly concerned Bruce’s setlist construction. In Europe, tramps have repeatedly chastised Bruce for forsaking far too much of the album that gives this tour its name, opting instead to play just as many – if not more – of the same songs from Born in the U.S.A, a casual fan favorite. If they’re not going to be treated to the E Street Band’s signature live spontaneity, then Europeans at least want their predictable setlists to be full of songs actually from The River.

Continue reading “GOTHENBURG 2: The Anatomy of a Near-Flawless “River” Tour 2016 Setlist” →

“This song is about the way the radio connected everybody when we were young. When you heard something you loved and it felt so personal to you – like a secret whispered into your ear – you were sitting home alone at night. Yet somewhere inside, you knew you were connected to all of these other people, dreaming the same dream as you were in that moment.”

This quote comes from Bruce’s introduction to “Save My Love” during the Band’s first of two concerts at Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium, but it also rather succinctly captures both the Swedes’ special connection with the Boss, and how they share that connection with the international community of fans who always descend on their lovely country when Bruce and the Band pay a visit. Comprehending the nature of this connection is key to understanding why Bruce always seems to treat Sweden to unique concerts, and this one – the second longest of his career in terms of duration at three hours and 57 minutes, and tied for the most songs ever played at 38 – was no exception.

Continue reading “GOTHENBURG 1: Let the Music Take Us and Carry Us Home” →

A shorter version of this post originally appeared on Backstreets.com, which you can read here.

Though most fans have marked Paris as the only European city being treated to indoor concerts, Copenhagen’s Telia Parken Arena definitely fit the bill. With a closed retractable roof and a relatively small, rundown, square-ish configuration reminiscent of a larger version of Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena, the arena provided a new atmosphere for a European concert: dark, intimate, and stiflingly hot.[1] And yet, none of these adjectives accurately described the concert itself, which was full of light, joyful party anthems to please the masses, with a three hour and 15-minute setlist featuring three and a half tour premieres that at first felt like a fantastic breath of fresh air…until the second half of the show.

Continue reading “COPENHAGEN: A Tale of Two Halves” →

From the very first song of Sunday’s three hour and 22-minute, 33-song concert in Berlin, Bruce seemed to make a point of constructing a setlist that specifically, albeit subtly commented upon the tragic history and hopeful future of this extraordinary city. One of the MANY benefits of stalking following Bruce around Europe is realizing how much the different cultures of every city and country he plays changes how the same songs resonate on any given night, regardless of whether or not Bruce consciously intends to elicit a multiplicity of reactions.[1] And in Berlin, it felt as if almost every song – specifically in the first, less predictable half of the setlist – spoke to the past and present of this historically-rich metropolis, and the exuberant crowd’s passionate response was hopefully a sign that they understood the message.

Continue reading “BERLIN: You Inherit the Sins, You Inherit the Rock and Roll Flames” →

As scheduled, a few minutes after 7:30pm, Bruce and the Band casually took the stage that had been set up specifically for them at this quasi-festival within the Malieveld, which is basically a giant field in the middle of The Hague in Holland. No music accompanied their frills-less entrance, yet instead of the silence leading to another solo performance by Bruce at the piano, he and the Band simply launched into the now-standard European opening three-pack of “Badlands,” “No Surrender,” and “My Love Will Not Let You Down.” Matching his new vacation tan, Bruce was as laid-back as laid-back can be, at first giving off the impression that this would basically be a warmup show with a predictable, uncreative setlist to get him and the Band back in gear after their week-long break. But if this was indeed their initial plan, three hours and twenty-four minutes and 32 songs later, the 67,500 fans packing the Malieveld to the brim had elevated the night from being just another stop on the tour to one of the best shows so far, with Bruce and the rejuvenated Band not only feeding off their energy but giving them a special setlist to boot.

Continue reading “THE HAGUE: We’re in Love with a Jersey Boy” →

A shorter version of this piece was originally published on Backstreets.com, which you can read here.

Five tour premieres? In Coventry?! Where the hell IS Coventry?!

Bruce and the Band clearly knew, and they showed up big time at the relatively small Ricoh Arena[1] for yet another three-hour and ten-minute, 33-song spectacular. Though that many tour premieres would lead some to assume the setlist was one of the absolute best of the tour, unfortunately the fact that they were all clumped on either end of the show prevented it from scaling those lofty heights, especially since the stretch in between almost derailed the whole evening thanks to a series of brutally predictable setlist decisions. The night was ultimately a tale of two great, expertly paced halves, with a subpar deviation separating the two.

Continue reading “COVENTRY: Saving My Love for This Travelin’ Band” →

 

After the high that was Bruce and the Band’s concerts in Dublin – most probably the consensus picks as the best shows of the entire tour, America included – Glasgow could have gone in one of two directions:

Continue reading “GLASGOW: A ‘River’ That Don’t Know Where It’s Flowing” →

This piece was written for and originally published within the space constraints of Backstreets.com.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band knew exactly where they were from the get-go at their first of six stops in the United Kingdom. Walking on stage – without Patti – inside Etihad Stadium shortly before 7pm, Bruce immediately addressed the slight yet persistent rain that plagued the crowd for most of the day and night: “Hello rainy Manchester…again!” referencing the downpour that accompanied their last show here. Yet Bruce followed up that joke by promising yet again the poor weather would only bolster their performance: “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Continue reading “MANCHESTER: Brucey Claus Came to Manchester Town” →

Madrid was a tale told between two tour premieres.

Being the last show in Spain – a country that Bruce loves almost as much as the country loves him – many were expecting a special night, though few could have predicted how that specialness would manifest itself in the setlist. Instead of a plethora of tour premieres like in Portugal, or dipping deep into the well that is The River album,[1] or playing it fast and loose with sign requests, Bruce had a very specific story to tell and message to communicate to his adoring Spanish fans and Basque fans and Catalonian fans and fans from all around the world who had made the trip to Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Simply put, the show was an ode to the power of communal experience in overcoming obstacles that life may present to individuals, a concept that Bruce understands is poignantly conveyed through the Spanish concert experience – as he emotionally demonstrated through the show’s carefully constructed setlist, particularly the two tour premieres of the night.

Continue reading “MADRID: Great Companions for This Part of the Ride” →

An edited version of this piece originally appeared on Backstreets.com, which you can read here.

And THAT’s why you never underestimate a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert.

Many people had pegged their headlining gig at Rock in Rio Lisboa as a lesser stop on the European itinerary because festivals often entail Bruce-illiterate crowds, poor sound, shorter shows, and greatest hits-filled setlists. Though some of these expectations ultimately proved true, no one could have predicted that the Portuguese crowd stretching as far as the eye could see in Parque da Bela Vista would be treated to five – count them, FIVE – tour premieres. Another happy surprise: Bruce fans across the world were also able to enjoy the concert thanks to a top-notch online live stream.

Continue reading “LISBON: Streaming in the U.S.A.” →