bruce springsteen wife on tour 2023

Bruce Springsteen inducts wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa into New Jersey Hall Of Fame: “My secret weapon”

Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the ceremony after postponing the remainder of his 2023 live tour due to a “monster” peptic ulcer.

Tony Orlando, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt and Patti Scialfa onstage at the 15th Annual Induction Ceremony for the New Jersey Hall of Fame

Bruce Springsteen has praised his wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa as he inducted her into the New Jersey Hall Of Fame.

READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen live in London: the heartland hero remains firmly at his majestic peak

The rock legend, who was also honoured by the Hall of Fame in 2008, called Scialfa his “secret weapon” and his “baby” as he presented her with the award at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Sunday, October 31, People reported.

Springsteen, who made a surprise appearance at the ceremony after postponing the remainder of his 2023 live tour due to a “monster” peptic ulcer , recounted how he met Scialfa in the ‘80s at The Stone Pony, a historic music club in Asbury Park.

“I met Patti at Stone Pony. Where else? She was sitting in with the house band, Cats on a Smooth Surface, and I heard that voice of hers and I wondered, ‘Who is that girl?’ I went to find out,” Springsteen said.

“She went on to record and produce with Steve Jordan, her second album, ’23rd St. Lullaby’, and third record, ‘Play as it Lays’, once again co-producing with Steve Jordan and Ron Anello, and both are wonderful pieces of work which if she hadn’t been married to some suck-the-air-out-of-the-room attention whore, they would have be much more widely known,” Springsteen joked.

He also said that Scialfa was a “second to none” songwriter with “deft lyrical work” and a “street-smart, fascinating, lovely, sexy, beautiful redhead with a sound completely her own”.

Scialfa, who grew up in Deal, New Jersey, thanked Springsteen for his introduction, joking, “I’m going to record him … saying this before I go to sleep or ask him to say it again.”

Bruce Springsteen has COVID, misses Monmouth University fundraiser and birthday proclamation

Gov. Phil Murphy announced that Sept. 23 — Springsteen’s birthday — is now “Bruce Springsteen Day” in New Jersey.

The Boss has COVID.

Hours after performing a rollicking, three-hour homecoming concert at the Prudential Center in Newark on Friday, a show that closed out the first leg of his 2023 tour with the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, both tested positive for COVID-19.

The diagnosis prevented Springsteen and Scialfa from attending the inaugural American Music Honors awards show Saturday at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theater. The star-studded event, hosted by Jon Stewart, is a fundraiser for the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music.

“It broke our hearts around 6 a.m. this morning when I got a call that two of the most important people who were supposed to be here, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, unfortunately came down with COVID,” Bob Santelli, the center’s executive director, told the crowd, according to Variety .

The archives, which opened in 2011, serves as the official repository for Springsteen’s music, compiling photographs, periodicals, oral histories, rare recordings, films, and artifacts related to Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Stewart assured the crowd, telling them Springsteen and his wife were feeling well despite the diagnosis.

“They’re alive. Don’t overreact,” Stewart said, according to the Variety article. “You can still see them in concert. They’re home sitting by the fire eating French onion soup.”

» READ MORE: Best of The Boss: Bruce Springsteen’s 10 best Philadelphia shows

Stewart jokingly told the audience that Springsteen “with COVID looks better than me.”

Springsteen, 73, and his wife were feeling well enough to record two videos presenting awards to E Street Band member Steve Van Zant, and soul singer Darlene Love. The event also honored soul artist Sam Moore, the soul duo Sam & Dave, and singer-songwriter Steve Earle.

Gov. Phil Murphy was also in attendance to announce a new state proclamation declaring that Sept. 23 — Springsteen’s birthday — is now “Bruce Springsteen Day” in Jersey.

“Whereas, Bruce Springsteen will always be forever be remembered as the voice of the Garden State, signaling to the world that New Jerseyans were born to run,” the proclamation reads. Born to Run is the title of a Springsteen album.

On a more somber note, Springsteen dedicated the final song of the his show in Newark — an acoustic version of the ballad, “I’ll See You in My Dreams” — to his nephew Michael Shave. Fans later posted an online obituary showing that Shave had died earlier that day.

Springsteen is scheduled to begin the European leg of his tour in Barcelona on April 28.

Springsteen returns to Philadelphia in August for two shows at Citizens Bank Park.

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Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band Announce 2023 U.S. Tour Dates

The outing is slated to kick off in Florida in February.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced the dates for their 2023 U.S. tour on Tuesday (July 12). The 31-show swing is slated to kick off on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida and is currently slated to keep the hard-charging group on the road through a homecoming gig in Newark, New Jersey on April 14.

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Along the way the veteran rockers will hit Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, New York, Cleveland and Baltimore. The shows will be The Boss’ first North American dates with his long-running band since Sept 2016.

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Springsteen announced the dates for his 2023 European tour in May, explaining on SiriusXM’s E Street Radio that after nearly five years off the road it was time for him to get the band back together. “It’s kind of mind boggling to be honest with you… IT doesn’t feel that long, but, you know, we stayed busy over that time, but still it’s, I’m really, I’ve got the Jones to play live very badly at this point,” Springsteen said of getting back at it with the band for the first time since they recorded 2020’s Letter to You album. “So, I’m deeply looking forward to getting out there in front of our fans.”

The group is gearing up to hit the road for the first time since the conclusion of their 14-month global River Tour, which kicked off in 2016. According to a release announcing the new dates, since the 2023 European dates were announced in May more than 1.2 million tickets have already been sold. After the end of the European run — scheduled for April-July 2023 — the band will begin a second as-yet-unannounced string of North American shows in August; tour dates in the UK are also slated for next year, with the details to be announced soon.

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Tickets for the 2023 U.S. arena shows will go on sale over the next two weeks, with the first ones available beginning July 20 at 10 a.m. local time; click here for more information.

Check out the E Street Band’s 2023 North American tour dates below.

Feb. 1 — Tampa FL @ Amalie Arena

Feb. 3 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena

Feb. 5 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center

Feb. 7 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live

Feb. 10 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center

Feb. 14 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center

Feb. 16 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center

Feb. 18 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center

Feb. 21 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center

Feb. 25 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center

Feb. 27 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

March 2 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

March 5 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

March 7 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fisery Forum

March 9 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena

March 12 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun

March 14 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena

March 16 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

March 18 — State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center

March 20 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden

March 23 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center

March 25 — Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum

March 27 — Washington, D.C. @ Capitol One Arena

March 29 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena

April 1 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

April 3 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center

April 5 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

April 7 — Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena

April 9 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena

April 11 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena

April 14 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Announce 2023 North American Tour

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Bruce Springsteen has announced the dates for his long-awaited 2023 North American tour with the E Street Band. It kicks off on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida, and wraps up on April 14 in Newark, New Jersey. Ticket sales begin July 20.

Springsteen last played a concert with the E Street Band when their River tour wrapped up on Feb. 25, 2017, at Mt. Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. But they haven’t played in North America since September 2016, and their sole live performance of any sort in the past five years took place in 2020 when they did two songs on Saturday Night Live to promote Letter To You . This has been their longest period of time off from the road since Springsteen reunited with the band in 1999 following an 11-year hiatus where he toured both solo and with another backing group.

They were originally slated to hit the road in 2020 to support Letter To You , and dates were later penciled in for 2022, but the pandemic forced them to ultimately delay the tour until 2023. “I’m just aching to play,” Springsteen told SiriusXM’s E Street Radio earlier this year. “Not just play but to travel and see our fans in all those distant cities.”

In that same interview, he said the tour would be a mixture of classics and selections from his newer albums. “it will have a significant amount of some recent material, and then, of course, we’ll play a lot of the music that fans have become familiar with and love to hear,” he said. “It should be a balance… the show should feel contemporary, and it should also make you feel at home at the same time.”

That doesn’t mean he’ll attempt to play many songs from Western Stars . “I’d like to keep it a rock show,” he said. “Once you’re out in an arena or stadium, people have come to see a rock ‘n’ roll show… But you never know, something may squeak in there from that record. It’s not impossible. That one, I’m gonna have to wait and see.”

The tour heads to the U.K. and Europe for a run of stadium shows that run from April 28 through July 25. It then heads back to America for a late summer/early fall stadium run, though those dates have yet to be announced.

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Here are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s complete North American tour dates.

February 1, 2023 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena February 3 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena February 5 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center February 7 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live February 10 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center February 14 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center February 16 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center February 18 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center February 21 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center February 25 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center February 27 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena March 2 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena March 5 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center March 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum March 9 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena March 12 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun March 14 – Albany, NY @ MVP Arena March 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center March 18 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center March 20 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden March 23 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center March 25 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum March 27 – Washington D.C. @ Capital One Arena March 29 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena April 1 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden April 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center April 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse April 7 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena April 9 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena April 11 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena April 14 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'make the most of right now' to open tour: Review

4 minute read.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked like their lives depended on it.

In a way, it did. Mortality, and its motivational properties, were a central theme in the opening show of the band's 2023 world tour Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Springsteen performed a poignant solo acoustic “Last Man Standing” from the band's 2020 album, “Letter to You.” He introduced it with the story of the 2018 passing of George Theiss, the Boss' bandmate in the Castiles of Freehold.

“His passing would leave me as the last surviving member of my first band, so it's kind of like standing on the tracks with the hot light of an oncoming train bearing down on you,” Springsteen said. “It brings a clarity of thought and a purpose that you might have not previously experienced.

“At 15 it's all tomorrows. At 73 it's a lot of goodbyes,” Springsteen said. “That's why you have to make the most of right now.”

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Right now, after two runs of “Springsteen on Broadway," and downtime due to COVID, it's time to rock. The Springsteen classics abounded on Wednesday. “Candy’s Room” segued into “Kitty’s Back,” and after the lights came on, “Born to Run” was followed by “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight).”

Earlier in the show, “Backstreets” was followed by “Because the Night,” complete with an incendiary Nils Lofgren guitar solo.

'It's fantastic': Fans shower love on Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band at Tampa show

More: 'My Hometown': Tour the Jersey Shore spots that Bruce Springsteen made famous

The E Street Band is big and powerful, with 19 members. That includes a horn section and choir, who laid down some of the smoothest harmonies heard on “Nightshift,” the Commodores cover from Springsteen's 2022 soul-themed album, “Only the Strong Survive.” It's another song that deals with loss (Marin Gaye and Jackie Wilson). The Boss’ crushed-velvet tenor was enhanced by the silken backup provided by Anthony Almonte, Curtis King, Michelle Moore, Lisa Lowell and Ada Dyer.

On the instruments, Mighty Max Weinberg is still very mighty, and bassist Garry Tallent powers up with soul and rock rhythms. Keyboardists Roy Bittan and Charles Giordano provide spark and sparkle. Little Steven Van Zandt lays key guitar leads, and Soozie Tyrell lends sweet harmonies and sweet fiddle strings.

Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s wife, engaged in playful back and forth with the Boss, and added vocal accents. Jake Clemons, the late Clarence Clemons’ nephew, charged up the arena on his solos. He's a natural showman, and it seemed a shame to keep him at the back of the stage with the horn section for most of the night. Clemons, by the way, uses his uncle’s saxophone on stage

“Any way I get to experience my pop’s presence is special to me,” said Jarod Clemons, Clarence’s youngest son who was at the show. “It’s so beautiful to hear that horn again. It’s like the sound never left.”

Near the end of the show, Springsteen and the band paid tribute to The Big Man with a video during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.”

E Street fans love horns, and Curt Ramm and Barry Danielian on trumpet, Eddie Manion on sax, and Ozzie Melendez on trombone are among the best in the business. Their play with Clemons on “Kitty's Back” and “Johnny 99” soared.

Prior to the concert, Springsteen and the E Street fans had effectively taken over downtown Tampa. The Spring-Nuts and Calling All Bruce Springsteen Fans! Facebook groups held an all-day tailgate at the Sparkman Wharf, about two blocks from the arena. One fan said, “I'm having heart palps — it's happening!” under the giant palm trees outside Amalie Arena an hour before the show.

Inside, NBA Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley was ready.

“I'm jacked up,” said Riley to the USA Today Network NJ. “I couldn't wait for it. I'm just jacked up. It's going to be a great show!”

More: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fans are ready for Tampa tour opener

Bittan led the band from an entrance tunnel in the middle of the stage at 8 p.m. Van Zandt, who has dropped considerable weight since the last tour, doffed his flared Spanish hat at the crowd.

Springsteen came out last to the loudest cheers: “Bruuuuuce!”

The band then charged into the “Born in the U.S.A.”-era hit “No Surrender” to start the show.

Up next for the tour is Friday, Feb. 3, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, then it's back to Florida for two shows: Sunday, Feb. 5, at the Amway Center in Orlando, and Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood.

Born to Run: Here’s what the classic Bruce Springsteen album means to fans, song by song

Wednesday's concert was two hours and 45 minutes of revved up rock, soul and remembrance, performed by a group that's not ready to say goodbye.

They're making the most of right now.

Set list for Tampa

No Surrender
Prove It All Night
Letter To You
The Promised Land
Out in the Street
Candy's Room
Kitty's Back
Brilliant Disguise
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
The E Street Shuffle
Last Man Standing
House of a Thousand Guitars
Backstreets
Because the Night
She's the One
Wrecking Ball
Burnin' Train
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I'll See You in My Dreams

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].

Bruce Springsteen Resumes Tour With Rousing Philadelphia Concert, and No Mention of ‘Illness’

By Michele Amabile Angermiller

Michele Amabile Angermiller

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Mortality may be a central theme of Bruce Springsteen ’s recent work, but at his concert with the E Street Band at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night: Despite several COVID-related bandmember absences and three recent show postponements for reasons unstated beyond the vague “illness,” the group isn’t going down without a fight.

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What We Know About Bruce Springsteen's Wife, Patti Scialfa

Close-up of Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen

Since becoming a full-fledged member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984, Patti Scialfa has been the Boss' partner onstage and in life. Married in 1991, Scialfa and Springsteen have one of the most successful marriages in show business, a union that's endured and flourished for three decades and counting.

Scialfa is a wife, mother, singer, and rock goddess, joining her musical talent with her husband's legendary band in thousands of onstage performances over the years — and even joining Springsteen solo for his critically acclaimed 2017 to 2018 run on Broadway . Holding her own in what is generally regarded as one of the best rock bands of all time is no easy feat, yet it's something the talented redhead has done with aplomb for nearly 40 years, all while serving as muse and spouse to a bona fide music icon. Scialfa has been in the public eye for so long that Springsteen's fans may be surprised to realize how much they may not know about her.

Bruce Springsteen's wife credits her grandfather for giving her the gift of music

Growing up in the New Jersey town of Deal, Patti Scialfa came from a musical family. As she told The Times , her maternal grandfather, Jerome Morris, was a songwriter from Belfast in Northern Ireland. Morris' biggest claim to fame: writing the British dancehall favorite "A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good", a hit for British singer Marie Lloyd.

In an interview with New Jersey Monthly , Scialfa recalled that when her parents went to work at their television and electronics shop, she and her siblings would often spend the day with those grandparents. Her grandfather, she said, would invite her to join him at the piano. "I was 7 or 8 year old, and I would play piano with him. He would be composing, working out the melodies, and he would say, 'Which ending do you like — this one? Or this one, when the notes go here?' My opinion actually mattered to him," she said.

Given that this was during a time when children were supposed to be "seen and not heard," she added, her grandfather seeking her feedback "was really powerful for me."

Patti Scialfa has known Bruce Springsteen since she was a teenager

Patti Scialfa first met Bruce Springsteen at the Stone Pony, the iconic Asbury Park club where Springsteen got his start. One night she hopped onstage to sing a few songs with a friend's band, she told New Jersey Monthly , when Springsteen approached her and complimented her singing. "It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she shared, recalling that they "had a beer together" and spent some time in conversation.

At that point, Scialfa was living in New York City, but would often return home on the weekends. Knowing that she didn't have a car, Springsteen "would offer to drop me off at my mom's [in Deal]," she revealed, noting they'd sometimes share a meal at a local burger joint. Scialfa was certainly aware of Springsteen before they met; when she was 14 and he was 18, she knew of his reputation as "the fastest guitar player... He always had the best bands, you knew that. And you knew that he was serious. He was the man with the focus and the tremendous dedication to what he was doing."

Patti Scialfa first tried to audition for Bruce Springsteen's band when she was just 15

While that fateful night at the Stone Pony may have been the first time Patti Scialfa first met future husband Bruce Springsteen, it technically wasn't the first time they'd spoken. In a 2004 interview with Rolling Stone , Scialfa mentioned that a friend from high school had jogged her memory, leading her to remember that she once attempted to audition for one of Springsteen's early bands. "I had seen an ad in the Asbury Park Press that read "Touring band, must be able to travel," she explained. She called the number listed in the ad, and Springsteen picked up. "He was very sweet on the phone," she said. "I was so relieved."

Scialfa's hopes of joining his then-band were dashed when he asked how old she was, and she revealed she was just 15. She was too young, he told her, advising Scialfa to finish high school and wishing her good luck.

Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa fell in love onstage

Over the years, Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen kept in touch as she watched his rise to fame. In 1984, Springsteen had released his blockbuster "Born in the USA" album and invited her to audition for a spot in the E Street Band for their tour. The audition apparently went well, because Springsteen invited her to join the band — three days before the tour began.

As Scialfa found her place in the band, the sparks that flew between her and Springsteen onstage eventually caught fire. This, however, was complicated by the fact that Springsteen was married to actress Julianne Phillips , whom he wed in 1985. After reports emerged in 1988 that Springsteen and Scialfa were having an affair, Phillips filed for divorce.

In 1990, Scialfa and Springsteen welcomed their son Evan James Springsteen and got married in 1991 (their daughter Jessica Rae Springsteen was born that same year). They weren't youngsters when they tied the knot; Springsteen was 41, Scialfa 37. In a 1993 Rolling Stone interview, Scialfa recalled being "very protective of myself and my relationship," in their early days, "trying to move through that tough period as gracefully as I possibly could."

Bruce Springsteen played on Patti Scialfa's 1993 solo album

In 1993, Patti Scialfa stepped out on her own with her debut solo album "Rumble Doll." Of course, the album wasn't entirely a solo effort; husband Bruce Springsteen made a guest appearance on two tracks of the album, produced by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell. "You know how you get close to something you want and then you start doing things to ensure that you don't quite get it? I did a lot of that," she told Rolling Stone of the process of making "Rumble Doll."

A review from the time, published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel , was dismissive, describing "Rumble Doll" as "one of the year's great disappointments," complaining that Scialfa "doesn't have the front-and-center persona required to step out from the backup shadows and make it as a principal performer." On the flip side, Rolling Stone declared Rumble Doll to be the second-best Springsteen album not made by The Boss himself.

More than a decade later, Scialfa released a follow-up, her 2004 album "23rd Street Lullaby." Her subsequent release, "Play It As It Lays," came out in 2007.

Patti Scialfa is the driving force behind Bruce Springsteen

As partners in both life and music, Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen have proven to be a winning combination. This, Springsteen explained in an interview with American Songwriter , is most definitely the case in the studio. That became clear while Scialfa and Springsteen were recording "Hymn to Him," their contribution to legendary singer-songwriter Dion's 2020 album "Blues with Friends." Springsteen raved about his wife's contributions during those recording sessions. "Patti was really kind of producing the session, so she gave me a lot of direction as to where to go. She's quite good at production," Springsteen gushed. "She had all these different vocal parts and it was just incredibly creative."

In fact, Springsteen admitted he wasn't quite sure where she was taking the song as "she spent quite a few hours just very carefully layering part after part after part until something really happened." Scialfa, he explained, "was assisting melodically and just telling me what she was hearing, and I really was there supporting her." Ultimately, Springsteen added, Scialfa was able to make that recording session "easy and it was fun."

Bruce Springsteen's wife wrote the music for a movie

When Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen lived in Beverly Hills in the early '90s, they became close to next-door neighbor Bobby Roth, a TV and film director; they grew even closer when Roth married Springsteen's sister, photographer Pamela Springsteen. When Roth called Scialfa up in 2020 asking if she could contribute some songs to " Pearl ," a new teen drama he'd directed, she didn't hesitate. "He's part of the family," she said in an interview with Rolling Stone .

Additionally, Scialfa shared details about the two songs that she wrote and recorded for the film, "Motherless Child" and "Plastic Horses." (Roth also used some songs from her 1993 solo debut " Rumble Doll" in the movie.) "Motherless Child," Scialfa explained, was a song she'd been working on for ages. "I had the basic melody and music and the chorus," she shared but was given the impetus to complete the song when Roth told her about " Pearl 's" plot: a teenage girl (Larsen Thompson) is forced to live with the father she's never known (Anthony LaPaglia) after her stepfather murders her mother. "I thought to myself, 'This will be perfect for his film," she added.

Bruce Springsteen turned his SiriusXM show into a loving birthday tribute to his wife

As any hardcore Bruce Springsteen fan certainly knows, the Boss has his very own satellite radio channel on SiriusXM, E Street Radio ; it's home to his hits, live concerts from his archives, and more. In 2020, Springsteen began hosting a show for the channel, "From My Home to Yours," an intimate affair in which he plays records that are meaningful to him and shares stories from his life.

In July 2020, Springsteen changed things up by devoting the entire episode to his wife Patti Scialfa in celebration of her 67th birthday. The focus was on Scialfa and her solo work, and Springsteen welcomed his wife as the episode's special guest.

As Springsteen told listeners (via NJArts.net ), "Today we will be featuring the music of my red-headed Jersey girl, and her great albums, from 'Rumble Doll,' '23rd Street Lullaby,' 'Play It As It Lays.'" According to Springsteen, Scialfa's first album, "stands out from your other two due to its particular sound. And I think it would be the only record of your three that I would call a pure rock record."

Bruce Springsteen and his wife are so lovey-dovey they gross out their kids

Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa aren't shy about showing their affection for each other, whether it's onstage or at home. As Scialfa told Rolling Stone , that hasn't always gone down well with the couple's children. "They say, 'Please don't do that in front of us,'" Scialfa said of her kids' disgust at the couple's PDA. "I said, 'Hey, you're going to be happy one day when you look back and know your parents really loved each other.'"

Additionally, Springsteen and Scialfa's children are thoroughly unimpressed that their parents are rock stars. "They just watch and get bored — because it's their parents," Scialfa told The Guardian of their kids' reaction to watching them onstage. And while the music they produce alongside the other members of the E Street Band has gained millions of fans all over the world, Scialfa admitted that their children aren't necessarily among them. "If I walked into a room where one of my kids was listening to Bruce's music I think I'd faint," she joked.

Patti Scialfa acted with Bruce Springsteen in a movie

Not only did Patti Scialfa write and record music for a movie, but she also acted in one. Joining husband Bruce Springsteen, the couple played themselves in "Broken Poet." The 2020 film, noted a report in the Asbury Park Press , tells the story of mysterious rock legend Joe Lion (played by singer-songwriter Elliott Murphy), who is presumed to have died in Paris 40 years earlier. When a music journalist hears a broken-down old street busker in a Paris metro station who sounds strikingly like the long-lost rocker, she becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of Joe Lion's disappearance.

Springsteen and Scialfa make a brief appearance in the film, portraying themselves. "Jake was, even back then, he was a little more miserable than most artists, but he was a sweet guy, he always had a sweetheart," says Springsteen in the film (according to Asbury Park Press), as he and Scialfa are interviewed by the journalist, played by actress Joana Preiss. "I haven't seen him in a long time," Scialfa chimes in, "but I heard he jumped off a bridge in Paris."

Bruce Springsteen's wife is a musical force in her own right

Given that Patti Scialfa is married to one of the most iconic rock stars on the planet, she's become used to seeing her husband take center stage. "When you're married to someone famous, people know you, but they're not really seeing you," she told Rolling Stone of what it's like to be Mrs. Bruce Springsteen.

As drummer Steve Jordan, who co-produced Scialfa's 2004 album, "23rd Street Lullaby," pointed out, "the person she's married to casts an extremely long shadow, so there's a tendency to get lost in the sauce." Springsteen himself concurred, pointing out that "Patti has only been able to use a small portion of her talent onstage with the E Street Band."

Scialfa's work as a solo artist is understandably overshadowed by that of her husband, but it certainly hasn't gone unrecognized; in fact, critics have consistently praised her solo albums over the years. Entertainment Weekly lauded her 1993 debut Rumble Doll, saying it shows she's "much more than just Mrs. Springsteen," while a review of her 2009 album "Play It As It Lays" in The Guardian expressed admiration for her "effective combination of earthiness and poise."

Patti Scialfa became her husband's quarantine barber

For Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa, 2020 was spent largely within the confines of their home, quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with Rolling Stone , Scialfa described what their life had been like during those months. Admitting she "can't complain," given that they live in a spacious home on a large property in rural New Jersey, Scialfa shared that the most difficult thing about quarantine was "being unable to be physically close to those who are most important to you."

Additionally, during the interview, Scialfa was asked about a photo she shared on Instagram , posing with Springsteen while brandishing a pair of scissors, writing that she'd just given her husband "his first quarantine cut ." On becoming a barber to the Boss, she explained, "I hate to say this, but you know how you're just living your life and you're not thinking? I'm giving him a haircut. He doesn't have a shirt on. I look like I'm a crazy woman." However, Scialfa also admitted she's proud of her newly acquired skill as a hairstylist. "I am the master of the scissors in residence," she declared. "I give him a haircut every month and a half."

Bruce Springsteen's wife gets nervous when her daughter competes in equestrian events

Jessica Springsteen, daughter of Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, has made a name for herself in the world of equestrian competition. According to Equestrian Living , she's considered to be a "world-class champion show jumper" who began horseback riding when she was just 5.

According to Jessica, her parents have come to gain a deep appreciation of just how skilled she's become at the sport. "It's become such a passion for both of them, which is amazing for me that I get to share it with them," she said in an interview with Parade . However, her parents' reactions when watching her compete are as different as night and day. "My mom gets nervous because she wants me to do well," she explained. "But my dad actually finds it really relaxing to come out to the shows and just sit and watch."

Patti Scialfa is a quintessential Jersey girl

Patti Scialfa is a born-and-bred Jersey girl, growing up just 10 miles away from Bruce Springsteen in the Garden State. Although she's lived in other places — including Miami, California and New York City — she and Springsteen ultimately settled in the state of their birth.

In an interview with New Jersey Monthly , Scialfa discussed some of the attributes that go into being a Jersey girl. "A Jersey girl has toughness," Scialfa declared. "She's game, tomboyish, free of spirit, and very human and humble." Then there's the distinctive "big hair," which Scialfa admitted is something she's come to embrace. "It just naturally goes that way. It's so humid in Jersey! When I go outside in the summer, my hair is like this," she revealed, gesturing with her arms to mimic "a big halo around her head."

Having "big hair," Scialfa explained, is something that she and other Jersey girls simply live with, and that's become part of their shared identity. "It's who you are," she explained. "You're a Jersey girl."

Patti Scialfa was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

In 1999, U2 frontman Bono inducted Bruce Springsteen into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. More than a decade later, in 2014 Springsteen himself did the honors to induct The E Street Band, one of the most extraordinary conglomerations of musicians in rock history. Among the band members to be inducted, both past and present, was Springsteen's wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa.

As fans are aware, The E Street Band is not a small one and has had numerous members over the years. In fact, each honoree was reportedly given a 30-second limit to speak — an instruction that nobody followed, noted Billboard at the time. In her speech (via YouTube ), which extended far longer than half a minute, Scialfa recalled receiving that particular instruction the previous night, earning laughter from the audience.

Scialfa recalled how she received a radio as a Christmas gift from her parents — which her father painted pink — and how it sparked her love of rock music when she heard The Beatles playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for the first time. Listening to that song also led to a quandary for Scialfa. "Do I want to date The Beatles?" she recalled during her speech (via YouTube ). "Or do I wanna be in The Beatles? ... Well, I guess I'm a lucky girl. I got to play in one of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll bands, and you kind of know the rest."

She's part of a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebration of Women's History Month

In 2023, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced a series of programming and exhibits to commemorate March being Women's History Month. These included an exhibit devoted to rocker Sheryl Crow, a special interview with Chaka Khan (and an accompanying exhibit featuring five of her flamboyant stage outfits), and a collection of artifacts. Among these were Janis Joplin's handwritten lyrics for her song "Move Over," the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar that Joan Jett played while a member of The Runaways, the jacket worn by Annie Lennox in Eurythmics' video for the single "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" — and the 1987 Takamine acoustic guitar that Patti Scialfa played while she and The E Street Band backed Bruce Springsteen on the Tunnel of Love tour back in 1988.

A brief video posted on Facebook by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame showcased Scialfa's guitar, displayed alongside an array of other artifacts connected to the E Street Band.

She chose motherhood over stardom

In addition to being the longtime singer-guitarist for The E Street Band, an occasional solo artist, and wife of Bruce Springsteen, she's also the mother of the couple's three children. As she told American Profile , she and her husband made a conscious decision, early in their relationship, that their kids would always be their primary consideration when making any plans. "Bruce and I set the first priority in the children," she explained. "To really say, 'Look, the kids come first,' and get it out on the table is important when the decisions come along, like when we'll tour."

Scialfa is a firm believer in not spreading herself too thin, particularly when it comes to motherhood. "You can't do it all, whatever it is," she said, explaining that her family will always take priority over her career. "That was more important to me than my ambition," she shared. She also recognized that her dilemma, balancing career ambitions with being a parent, is certainly not something that's unique to her, or even to other women in the entertainment industry. "I think women are torn all the time: Do they work? Do they not work?" she added.

It's for this reason that she and Springsteen have set clear boundaries demarcating their work from their family life. "When she comes onstage with the E Street Band she's an E Street band member," Springsteen told Variety . "And when we walk offstage we're husband and wife."

Patti Scialfa is a rock 'n' roll grandmother — but don't call her grandma

Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen's kids are all grown up now, and in July 2022, the rock 'n' roll couple marked a big milestone when they became first-time grandparents. After their son Sam and his partner welcomed their daughter, Lily Harper Springsteen, Scialfa took to Instagram to share some photos of the newborn.

Springsteen offered an update when he appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" a few months later. "Grandchild is no longer an infant, it is a baby," said the beaming grandfather (via Newsweek ). "And the amazing thing is that only takes about four months. They come home, they're like a little loaf of bread, except they don't say as much."

When his granddaughter eventually learns to talk, Springsteen added, there is one word that Scialfa had insisted the child not use when referring to her. "The only thing I know is Patti is not going to be called 'grandma,'" he quipped. Springsteen implied he was a bit more amenable to being called "grandpa" but did single out one moniker he'd prefer not to be called by his grandchildren. "I'm going for anything except the Boss," he quipped.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Add Summer and Fall 2023 Tour Dates

By Evan Minsker and Matthew Strauss

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have added more shows to their 2023 tour . The North American concerts take place in August, September, November, and December. Check out the group’s full schedule—including previously announced U.S. and European shows —below.

Springsteen’s tour has gotten off to a slightly rocky start. Before it even began, Springsteen and his manager, Jon Landau, addressed the controversy surrounding the high price of concert tickets. “In pricing tickets for this tour, we looked carefully at what our peers have been doing. We chose prices that are lower than some and on par with others,” Landau said. “Regardless of the commentary about a modest number of tickets costing $1,000 or more, our true average ticket price has been in the mid-$200 range. I believe that in today’s environment, that is a fair price to see someone universally regarded as among the very greatest artists of his generation.”

“What I do is a very simple thing. I tell my guys, ‘Go out and see what everybody else is doing. Let’s charge a little less,’” Springsteen added in a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone . “This time I told them, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.’ So that’s what happened. That’s what they did…. I know it was unpopular with some fans, but if there’s any complaints on the way out, you can have your money back.”

The long-running Springsteen fanzine Backstreets also shut down as a statement in response to prices “many of [its] readers cannot afford.”

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band kicked off the tour in Tampa, Florida, on February 1. Not long after, band members Steven Van Zandt and Soozie Tyrell missed a Dallas show due to COVID-19 . Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s wife and an E Street Band singer and guitarist, also missed the Dallas concert for unspecified reasons.

In lighter Springsteen news, the musician recorded a new song for Rebecca Miller’s new movie, She Came to Me , according to Variety . Springsteen wrote and performed the song, titled “Addicted to Romance,” and it was produced by Ron Aniello and the National’s Bryce Dessner.

Read Pitchfork’s review of Bruce Springsteen’s 2022 album, Only the Strong Survive .

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band:

02-14 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 02-16 Austin, TX - Moody Center 02-18 Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center 02-21 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center 02-25 Portland, OR - Moda Center 02-27 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 03-02 Denver, CO - Ball Arena 03-05 Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center 03-07 Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum 03-09 Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena 03-12 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun 03-14 Albany, NY - MVP Arena 03-16 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center 03-18 State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center 03-20 Boston, MA - TD Garden 03-23 Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center 03-25 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum 03-27 Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena 03-29 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena 04-01 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 04-03 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 04-05 Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 04-07 Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Arena 04-09 Elmont, NY - UBS Arena 04-11 Elmont, NY - UBS Arena 04-14 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center 04-28 Barcelona, Spain - Estadi Olímpic 04-30 Barcelona, Spain - Estadi Olímpic 05-05 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Arena 05-07 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Arena 05-09 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Arena 05-13 Paris, France - La Défense Arena 05-15 Paris, France - La Défense Arena 05-18 Ferrara, Italy - Parco Urbano G. Bassani 05-21 Rome, Italy - Circo Massimo 05-25 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena 05-27 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena 05-30 Edinburgh, Scotland - BT Murrayfield Stadium 06-11 Landgraaf, Netherlands - Megaland 06-13 Zurich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund 06-16 Birmingham, England - Villa Park 06-18 Werchter, Belgium - Festivalpark Werchter 06-21 Düsseldorf, Germany - Merkur Spiel Arena 06-24 Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi 06-26 Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi 06-28 Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi 06-30 Oslo, Norway - Voldsløkka 07-02 Oslo, Norway - Voldsløkka 07-06 London, England - BST Hyde Park 07-08 London, England - BST Hyde Park 07-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken 07-13 Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken 07-15 Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion 07-18 Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadion 07-21 Hockenheim, Germany - Hockenheimring 07-23 Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion 07-25 Monza, Italy - Prato della Gerascia, Autodromo di Monza 08-09 Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field 08-16 Philadelphia, PA - Citizens Bank Park 08-18 Philadelphia, PA - Citizens Bank Park 08-24 Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium 08-28 Washington, D.C. - Nationals Park 08-30 East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium 09-01 East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium 09-07 Syracuse, NY - JMA Wireless Dome 09-09 Baltimore, MD - Oriole Park at Camden Yards 09-12 Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena 11-03 Vancouver, British Columbia - Rogers Arena 11-06 Edmonton, Alberta - Rogers Place 11-08 Calgary, Alberta - Scotiabank Saddledome 11-10 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Canada Life Centre 11-14 Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena 11-16 Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena 11-18 Ottawa, Ontario - Canadian Tire Centre 11-20 Montreal, Quebec - Centre Bell 11-30 Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center 12-04 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 12-06 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 12-08 San Francisco, CA - Chase Center

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Godspeed You! Black Emperor Announce 2024 North American Tour

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Bruce Springsteen returns to the stage after postponing his 2023 world tour

PHOENIX (AP) — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band returned to the stage Tuesday evening at the Footprint Center in Phoenix in a triumphant reboot of the Boss’ postponed 2023 world tour.

In September Springsteen, 74, announced his tour would be delayed until 2024, citing doctor’s advice as he recovered from peptic ulcer disease.

“The Boss” arrived on stage to an audience chorus of “Bruuuuce!” Wearing dark jeans and a rolled up red plaid flannel shirt, he had the energy of a man half his age. His signature “One, two, three, four” was the only thing that separated most songs, showing no signs of his illness from the previous year. Once he shouted, “Good evening, Arizona” the show was off and running.

WATCH: How Bruce Springsteen tackles truth, in song and memoir

Springsteen spoke to the crowd briefly about his illness prior to playing his final song “I’ll See You In My Dreams” solo on stage. “Phoenix, first I want to apologize if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time. . . . I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much.”

The 29-song show came in just under three hours, but “The Boss” hardly broke a sweat while showing off a strong voice, all the while dancing, tearing into guitar solos, playing the harmonica and even ripping his shirt open near the end of the show.

On stage with Springsteen was the legendary E Street Band which features drummer Max Weinberg, bassist Garry Tallent, keyboardists Roy Bittan and Charlie Giordano, guitarists Stevie Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, saxophonist Jake Clemons — nephew of original and still missed sax man Clarence Clemons who died in 2011 — guitarist and violin player Soozie Tyrell, a full horn and brass section and four backup vocalists. The only missing member of the band was Springsteen’s wife, singer and guitarist Patti Scialfa.

WATCH: The music is medicine for Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen performed most of the hits in his vast collection, minus “Born In The U.S.A.,” but he added covers “Nightshift” by the Commodores, “Because The Night” by Patti Smith Group, and a surprise: “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles. Fans went wild for “No Surrender,” “Born To Run,” “Rosalita,” “Dancing In The Dark,” “Glory Days” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” that left the rocker grinning from ear-to-ear as he conducted fans singing along like his own chorus.

This year has been particularly challenging for Springsteen. In addition to his health issues, in January his mother, Adele Ann Springsteen, a fan favorite who could frequently be seen dancing at his shows, died. She was 98.

Two days after her death, Springsteen performed at the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year event, which honored Jon Bon Jovi for his musical achievements and philanthropic efforts.

The 2024 edition of the tour kicked off in Phoenix and ends Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Canada. It hits 17 countries across 52 dates, including a special performance on Sept. 15 where Springsteen will headline the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in his hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

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Watch: Bruce Springsteen, our complete interview

Arts Dec 20

Bruce Springsteen makes a triumphant New Jersey homecoming with rare song, bare chest

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Boss is back in the swamps of Jersey.

Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band kicked off their mini-MetLife Stadium residency Wednesday with a rapturous and cathartic three-hour concert . It was the first of three nights they’ll spend at the Meadowlands venue, with additional shows on Friday and Sunday.

“Hello, my people! It’s great to be in New Jersey,” Springsteen, 73, proclaimed to the crowd of 50,000 strong, many of whom were decked out in new and vintage tour merch. Some carried signs stating it was their first (or 100 th ) Springsteen show, while one young woman was dressed in a full Little Orphan Annie costume.

The band was in an especially buoyant mood, no doubt fueled by the electricity of the home state audience. Fans whooped as guitarist Nils Lofgren did his signature spin across the stage in “Because the Night,” and they shrieked as Springsteen ripped open his shirt mid-encore. The rock icon frequently interacted with the crowd: tossing guitar picks to two stunned boys and gifting his harmonica to one little girl and her elated mom.

“Nobody wants to go home, man!” Springsteen shouted to guitarist Stevie Van Zandt as they waggishly traded goofy expressions under the floodlights of the stadium and an even brighter supermoon. “Thank you, New Jersey. The E Street Band loves you. Thanks for a beautiful welcome home.”

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Here are more standout moments from the night:

'Sherry Darling' is a surprise addition to Bruce Springsteen's setlist

Despite one sign in the crowd reading “Play whatever you want, Bruce,” the band didn’t stray far from the usual setlist on its current tour. Springsteen still slicked his hair back before launching into a blistering guitar solo on “Kitty’s Back,” and he still led the horn section in a joyous dance at the front of the stage to close out “Johnny 99.”

But one major deviation was the addition of “Sherry Darling,” making its tour debut Wednesday. “Here’s a little summer beach music for ya,” Springsteen said as he introduced the shimmering anthem, which is taken from his 1980 album “The River" and hasn't been played with the E Street Band since 2017. The singer playfully leaned into the song’s sunny vibes, at one point doing a hula dance during a guitar break.

'Nightshift' brings the audience to its feet

Last November, Springsteen performed his stirring jazz cover of Commodores’ “Nightshift” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” which is taken from his latest album “Only the Strong Survive.” The soulful classic has since become a set-list staple, with a cool trumpet solo by Curt Ramm and glorious harmonies from the E Street Choir. Although many people in the crowd sat down when the song began, no one was still in their seats by the rousing finish.

His musings on mortality are an emotional highlight

For all the euphoric highs of "Born to Run," "Wrecking Ball" and "Prove It All Night," what makes this current tour so special are the moments when Springsteen takes a beat to reflect. Pictures of late E Street members Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons flash across the screen during "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," before he closes out the show with a haunting acoustic rendition of “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”

Earlier in the night, Springsteen wistfully looks back on his teenage bandmate George Theiss, who died in 2018. The poignant story tees up the heartbreaking double punch of "Last Man Standing" and "Backstreets," which never fail to bring us to tears.

“At 15, it's all hellos, and later on, there's a lot more hard goodbyes,” Springsteen says. Later, he recalls his many mementos of Theiss, and places a hand over his heart. “The rest I’ll carry right here, until the end.”

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Bruce Springsteen adds 22 North American shows to 2023 tour

Springsteen and the Band are currently touring the cities they had in their original North American schedule. The North American leg started on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida, and it will conclude on April 14 with a homecoming show in Newark, New Jersey, before the band heads to the European leg of the tour.

Another North American leg will follow as a response to the shows has sparked the addition of tour dates in 18 more North American cities. According to USA Today, the band has “rocked like their lives depended on it,” and Rolling Stone called the band’s return “ecstatic and emotional.”

The new tour dates are in cities across the United States and Canada, including back-to-back shows in Philadelphia; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Toronto; and Inglewood, California. The additional shows will start on Aug. 9 at Wrigley Field in Chicago and conclude at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Dec. 8.

Tickets for the additional dates will go on sale over the next two weeks. The first tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. local time. Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan will be used for many cities. Pre-registration for Verified Fan is required. Registration will stay open until Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park will not use Verified Fan and will sell their tickets directly.

For more information regarding the tour visit brucespringsteen.net or @bsesb_tour on Instagram.

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5 highlights of Bruce Springsteen's 3-hour nonstop Tulsa show that bordered on a religious experience

TULSA — "No retreat, baby, no surrender," Bruce Springsteen triumphantly growled in the opening moments of his three-hour, 27-song, nonstop show Tuesday night at Tulsa's BOK Center.

In the past month, "No Surrender," a defiant anthem from his juggernaut 1984 album "Born in the U.S.A.," has emerged as the most frequently chosen opening number for the New Jersey native's highly anticipated new tour with the le-gen-dary E Street Band.

Based on his relentlessly epic Oklahoma return engagement, the song served as a spot-on declaration of intent.

Expertly backed by his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, Springsteen gave a concert that lived up to his reputation as a consummate live performer, one that bordered on a religious experience as he and The E Street Band, Horns and Choir played like the "Glory Days" (a hit that surprisingly didn't make the Tulsa set list) might come to an abrupt end at any moment.

From the surprising set list to the hottest solos, here are five highlights of Springsteen's 2023 sold-out Oklahoma tour stop:

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

1. For Springsteen, 'Tulsa Time' means all energy, no stops

"Good evening, Tulsa. Now that we're here, we're living on 'Tulsa Time,'" Springsteen declared with a grin as he and his rightly renowned cohorts emerged from beneath the enormous stage to immediately deafening cheers.

Apparently, The Boss' definition of "Tulsa Time" means no breaks, no stops and a seemingly inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm.

At 73, The Boss lived up to his famous hard-working, blue-collar ethos, performing with the intensity of a guy trying to earn overtime pay. By the time he took his final bows, he had visibly sweated through his light gray button-down shirt with the rolled-up sleeves.

Much has been made of the ticket prices on Springsteen's new tour — officially listed at $63.50 to $403.50, plus fees, for his Oklahoma stop, premium seats for some shows soared to $4,000 last year thanks to Ticketmaster's now-notorious dynamic pricing , but the buzz in the days leading up to the Tulsa show was all about truly cheap seats going for less than a beer on the secondary ticket sites — but the music icon seemed determined to give fans their money's worth, whatever they paid.

Pausing only the briefest moments for a speedy guitar switches and quick counts of "one, two, three, four," he set an unyielding pace for the night. Both his bandmates and his fans were eager to keep up, quickly powering through an opening salvo that ranged from his 1978 single "Prove It All Night" to the title track to his 2020 album "Letter to You."

2. The Boss seizes the spotlight with his showmanship and guitar skills

Don't let all the accolades he's earned as a songwriter fool you: Springsteen is a rock 'n' roll showman who seems to relish performing and interacting with his devoted audience, whose bellows of "Bruuuuuce" could be heard in the brief breaks between each song.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient frequently strutted down the catwalks to dance with and touch the outstretched hands of his fans, he threw numerous guitar picks into the audience, and the harmonica he used for the spirited opening of "The Promised Land" ended up getting tossed into the crowd, too.

His spoken-word zenith on "Backstreets" mesmerized the crowd, while his smiling jokes about "Johnny 99" needing "more cowbell" tickled the fervent fans.

Although his band includes guitar legends like Nils Lofgren and Stevie Van Zandt, The Boss showed off his own prowess with scorching solos on classics like "Candy's Room," "Kitty's Back" and "Badlands."

3. Rock icon captivates audience with vivid storytelling

Although Springsteen mostly let the music do the talking, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer did pause for a couple of storytelling moments.

"I wrote this when I was 22. Still don't know what it's about. That's good. You never quite figure the good songs out," he said to introduce the venerable one-time rarity “If I Was The Priest," which he rerecorded for his 2020 album before adding it to this year's tour set list.

He captivated the crowd with a moving yarn about his time with his first rock band: The Castiles.

"It was 1965, I was 15, and it was a summer afternoon when I heard a knock on my door. It was buddy George Theiss, who went to school with me and he was dating my sister. ... He said that she told him that I played some guitar — I'd only been playing about six months, but he invited me to audition for his band," Springsteen recalled.

"I embarked on the greatest adventure of my young life: I joined my first real rock 'n' roll band. Yes, yes, yes, yes. And we last for three years — that's incredible for teenagers. ... It was an explosive time in American history, an amazing period to be in a rock band — and we named ourselves after a bottle of shampoo. Names were a little less important at the time."

He said 50 years later, on another sunny day, he visited Theiss on his deathbed. After his old bandmate's death, Springsteen penned the emotional ode "Last Man Standing," which he performed acoustic in Tulsa with just a mournful trumpet solo from Barry Danielian to punctuate the lovingly somber mood.

"It's just about the job we choose before we even know to call it 'work,' it's about the passions we follow as children. And at 15, it's all tomorrows, it's all 'hellos,' and later on, it's a lot more 'goodbyes.' But it makes you realize how important living every moment is," Springsteen told the appreciative audience.

4. The E Street Band shows their stuff in Tulsa concert

It isn't lost on The Boss that his E Street Band mates are legends in their own right, and Danielian wasn't the only member of Springsteen's 15-strong backing ensemble that seized the spotlight to the crowd's delight on Tuesday night.

Naturally, "The E Street Shuffle" gave the entire group a chance to show out, especially the E Street Horns and drummer extraordinaire "Mighty" Max Weinberg, who engaged in a playful duel with backup percussionist Anthony Almonte. The E Street Choir, piano man Roy Bittan and superstar saxophone player Jake Clemons (nephew of the late, great E Street sax man Clarence Clemons) lit up the 1980s anthem "Darlington County" like the Fourth of July.

Although Springsteen's wife and E Street Band singer/guitarist Patti Scialfa was absent from the Tulsa show, backup vocalist Curtis King proved a fine duet partner with his sweet soul singing with The Boss on their rendition of the Commodores' classic "Nightshift," from Springsteen's 2022 covers album "Only the Strong Survive."

Any moment when Springsteen and Van Zandt share the microphone and swap guitar highlights is sure to bring the smiles.

But Lofgren threatened to steal the whole show with his whirling dervish solo on Springsteen's gravelly rendition of "Because the Night," the beloved ballad The Boss co-wrote with Patti Smith .

5. Lights go up for lights-out encore to cap career-spanning set

True to form, Springsteen and his fellow rockers hardly hesitated before launching into their seven-song encore. The change from main set to follow-up was marked by the house lights coming on, the better for the band to see the still-energetic audience as they stormed through the hits "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run" as well as the frisky concert staple "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)."

Almost two hours and 45 minutes into the show, it turned out practically no one in the crowd was too tired to wave their fists, shake their booties and wailing along with "Dancing in the Dark" or to give the exceptional band its due on their signature song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out."

Since the recently expanded trek launched Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida, Springsteen and Company have been tweaking the career-spanning set list every show, so Oklahoma fans were treated to the apparent tour debut of the buoyant ballad "Bobby Jean" from 1984's "Born in the U.S.A.," while smashes like that title track and "Glory Days" were left out. (I was hoping I might hear my personal favorite, the 1987 hit "Brilliant Disguise," which made it onto the Tampa set list, but, alas, it was not to be.)

The Boss sent the crowd home with a beautiful solo acoustic benediction "I'll See You in My Dreams." Considering how much energy everyone put into the almost three-hour event, I'm betting everyone slept pretty well.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Tulsa 2023 set list

"No Surrender"
"Prove It All Night"
"Letter to You"
"The Promised Land"
"Out in the Street"
"Candy's Room"
"Kitty's Back"
"Nightshift" (Commodores cover)
"If I Was the Priest"
"The E Street Shuffle"
"Darlington County"
"Johnny 99"
"Last Man Standing"
"Backstreets"
"Because the Night"
"She's the One"
"Wrecking Ball"
"The Rising"
"Badlands"
"Thunder Road"
"Born to Run"
"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
"Bobby Jean"
"Dancing in the Dark"
"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
"I'll See You in My Dreams"

I promised my kid I'd take her to see Bruce Springsteen. Why it took 12 years to get there

Years ago Mary Michael, my oldest daughter, and I were in the car when “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen came on the radio.

She liked it immediately. I offhandedly mentioned that he’s really great live, you should see him play it, with the same amount of attention I’d give to telling her to make sure the lid is on her McDonald’s Coke. Maybe less.

But she heard me, and she listened, and somehow that turned into me promising her that the next time Springsteen came to town I would take her to see the show, no matter what.

Well, "what" actually happened. Time and again.

Seeing Springsteen became a quest

It took us more than 12 years to get there. But we finally did, seeing Springsteen and the E-Street Band in Phoenix on Tuesday, Mar. 19 , the destination of a journey that was waylaid by work and school and illness (even including Springsteen’s) — life, in other words, which seems fitting, because life and all of its complexities is one of the most prevalent themes in Springsteen’s songs.

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Man, was it worth the wait.

The show was great, as good as I’ve seen. The experience was even better: She finally saw “Born to Run” live, and in the context of a brilliant performance. About damn time.

Let's be clear, I'm not a Bruce Springsteen mega fan

Some background: Despite what The Arizona Republic music critic Ed Masley would have you believe, I am not a Springsteen fanatic. I like him, a lot, have a few albums, all that — but I love seeing his shows. I have gone to seven, I think, which, when you add up the expense, maybe gives Ed’s argument some credence.

I think his best album is probably “Tunnel of Love,” “The River” was one of my favorite Christmas presents, I appreciate the grittiness of “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” all of the usual things. But I am particularly glad Mary Michael latched onto “Born to Run.”

It’s not just a great song. It’s a great album. The summer after college one of my best friends and I would stay up long into the night listening to it, parsing the meaning in each lyric. (There was beer.) We lived in a small town and wanted to get out, to find something bigger. Which, of course, is the overarching theme of the album. (My friend had just graduated from Princeton and was on his way to Harvard Law School, so this was more or less a theoretical discussion for him. Meanwhile, I was desperately looking for a newspaper job.)

We both did get out, and both came to realize maybe every aspect of that wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He is gone now, never having seen a Springsteen show, which is too bad, and lends a bittersweet air to my feelings about the album.

Of course, Mary Michael can’t have that experience with that album, or with this artist. Hers is different. And a big part of that was just trying to see Springsteen play. But I did want her to know that, if this particular thing didn't resonate that way with her, it’s at least a sign that something could.

Why did I choose 'The Hobbit' over a Springsteen show?

The first time Springsteen came to town after my promise was in 2012 — the same night as a screening of “The Hobbit.” Duty called, I thought.

Stupid thought. Even Barry Bruno, the film buyer for Harkins Theatres and a big Springsteen fan, told me to go to Springsteen instead. But I didn’t, and the next day Barry said he had seen Springsteen several times and that had been maybe the best.

Also, "The Hobbit" was terrible.

Next up was 2016, when Springsteen was playing “The River” in its entirety . Another conflict. Another miss. Another promise broken.

Then Springsteen didn’t play Phoenix for a while. He was, not to put too fine a point on it, getting older. The whole point of this exercise was to see one of his marathon shows, capped with an encore performance of “Born to Run.” How much longer could he tour? And how much energy would he still have?

Plenty, from reports from other shows in other places.

Along the way, Mary Michael grew up, graduated from college and became a teacher in Dallas. She would occasionally remind me that the promise I’d never kept was a bit of a lingering disappointment. There ain’t no disappointment like disappointing your kid.

Then, finally, Springsteen announced a major tour with the E-Street Band for 2023 — and he was playing Dallas on my birthday. This was it! At long last. My wife and I bought tickets, booked flights and a hotel, rented a car. Perfect.

Two days before we left, Mary Michael called, in tears. She had COVID-19.

Finally, she got to sing 'Born to Run'

This quest was starting to look cursed. Then Springsteen added some shows to his tours, including Phoenix, a few days after Thanksgiving 2023. My daughter could just stick around a couple of extra days after the holiday and we could finally see him.

Then Springsteen announced that he had peptic ulcer disease and would be postponing shows, including Phoenix.

Definitely cursed.

He rescheduled, for March 19. This meant a flight from Dallas, but at this point that seemed like a small obstacle. We got tickets and didn’t speak of it, for fear of jinxing it again.

Could The Boss live up to 12 years of anticipation?

It finally happened.

The Boss is back: Bruce Springsteen launches 2024 tour with a joyous Phoenix concert

My wife and Mary Michael and I sat in the literal last row at Footprint Center — if we were on a plane we couldn’t have reclined our seats. But it was fantastic. The show was a blast, start to finish. And Mary Michael finally got to sing, “Whoaaa!” along with the crowd during “Born to Run,” something she’d been promised since she was a little girl. And now she was old enough to have a beer.

It took a while to make it happen. It turns out that maybe that was the point. I don’t know that everything really happens for a reason; sometimes a stubbed toe is a stubbed toe, probably. But sometimes the things that seem like a problem wind up being the solution to something bigger, something better. And occasionally those parts of life involve a great soundtrack.

Bill Goodykoontz is an entertainment reporter in Phoenix.

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Steven Van Zandt Says He Never Takes His Nearly 60-Year Friendship with Bruce Springsteen for 'Granted' (Exclusive)

"This isn't an act," Van Zandt tells PEOPLE of their friendship

HANS KLAUS TECHT/APA/AFP/Getty

Steven Van Zandt's HBO documentary, titled Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple , premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on June 8
Van Zandt says he was always drawn to a band dynamic rather than a solo career
Van Zandt says his friendship with Bruce Springsteen is authentic — and the chemistry fans see onstage is the real thing

After nearly 60 years of friendship involving a hit band, a best man and three big fights, Steven Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen are the real deal.

Speaking to PEOPLE about his HBO documentary Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple , which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on June 8, the musician and actor opened up about his decades-long friendship with the Born in the U.S.A. musician.

"You just don't have that many friends for 60 years. I think the fact that it survived some ups and downs, it says something about our nature," Van Zandt, 73, tells PEOPLE. "The nature of the importance of friendship in general, which is what attracted me to being in a band rather than a solo show business person."

Growing up, Van Zandt watched popular bands tour and make music together so much he wanted to create that for himself — and he did.

"We bought the illusion completely. We thought the Beatles were best friends, the Rolling Stones were best friends, The Who , the Kinks. We didn't know they were having fist fights," he says. "We made that illusion real — and I think that's the appeal of the E Street Band to this day, communicating that friendship."

Van Zandt, who's currently touring with Springsteen and the E Street Band , is in awe of their ability to bring massive crowds together after all these years.

"50 years later, how are we still playing to 300,000 people in one country in one week?" he says. "I think we're communicating that friendship, which is real with me and him. When they see us on the same microphone, that isn't an act. Nobody's that good an actor to keep this act up for 50 years."

He continues, "I think that's something that you cannot take for granted."

KMazur/WireImage

In the documentary, directed by Bill Teck, viewers get an inside look into their friendship and Springsteen, 74, is featured in a sit-down interview.

Teck, who had been a fan of Van Zandt for years, says it took some convincing to get him onboard for the documentary — and it was ultimately his wife Maureen who convinced him to do it.

"When I became a documentarian and started working in this field, I started trying to convince him back in 2006. Word got back to me, 'Hey, I'm aware of you. No, thank you. I don't want a doc.' And then again, in 2014, after I'd had some success with my last documentary, again, 'No, thank you. We're aware of you.' And finally through his wife, his wife is very influential, Maureen, she finally convinced him to have a meeting with me. And then, he agreed to do it back in 2018," he says.

Adding, "That was a thrill because I knew that there was a story about a truly unique American artist and someone who's touched so many mediums."

In addition to the music, the documentary explores Van Zandt's activism and political involvement — as well as his work onscreen. Most notably on The Sopranos , Van Zandt revealed that he created his own character, Silvio Dante, from personal experience.

"I wrote a whole biography on him. He grew up with Tony Soprano — that was his best friend. And I kind of used my relationship with Bruce ," Van Zandt added.

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple "tells the story of an artist through the eyes of those that saw him most closely — the peers and legends that came up before, alongside and after him," according to the film's description .

Bruce Springsteen setlist 2024: Every song he sang at Phoenix tour relaunch

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came to downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, March 19, to relaunch their world tour cut short in 2023 on the advice of Springsteen’s doctor as the star was treated for peptic ulcer disease.

The Footprint Center concert also marked Springsteens's return to metro Phoenix for the first time since 2016, when he brought the River Tour to that venue , then called Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Unlike last time, Springsteen and his E Street Band weren’t here to revisit a two-record set by dusting off all 20 songs . This night allowed for a much more evenly distributed journey through his catalog, from his first album, “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.,” through 2022’s “Only the Strong Survive,” a collection of soul and R&B covers.

The March 2024 tour relaunch was classic Springsteen, stretching the boundaries of what it means to prove it all night while chasing moments of transcendence that can range from deeply moving to profoundly silly with the 18-member E Street Band, including the Valley's own Nils Lofgren as part of the three-guitar army, firing on all cylinders.

He 'just kind of shot through the roof': How Phoenix radio made Bruce Springsteen the Boss

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Bruce Springsteen setlist 2024: Every song he played in Phoenix

Here’s every song Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

“Lonesome Day”

“No Surrender”

“Two Hearts” (with snippet of “It Takes Two” by Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston)

“Darlington County”

“Prove it All Night”

“Darkness on the Edge of Town”

“Letter to You”

“The Promised Land”

“Spirit in the Night”

“Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” (Ben E. King cover)

“Night Shift” (Commodores cover)

“Mary’s Place”

“Last Man Standing”

“Backstreets”

“Because the Night”

“She’s the One”

“Wrecking Ball”

“The Rising”

“Thunder Road”

“Born to Run”

“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”

“Glory Days”

“Dancing in the Dark”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”

“Twist and Shout” (The Top Notes/Isley Brothers/Beatles cover by sign request)

“I’ll See You in My Dreams”

The Boss is back: Bruce Springsteen launches 2024 tour with a joyous Phoenix concert

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X @ EdMasley .

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

The Boss is back: Bruce Springsteen launches 2024 tour with a joyous Phoenix concert

When Rolling Stone invited readers to vote for the greatest live acts of all time in 2011, it’s doubtful the results came as a huge surprise to anyone.

Not only did Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band win the popular vote, they did it without “a close second anywhere in sight."

And that’s because their concerts were — and are , as they reminded us as Springsteen relaunched his postponed world tour on Tuesday, March 19, at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix — the stuff of legends.

Springsteen and The E Street Band stretch the boundaries of what it means to prove it all night while chasing moments of transcendence that can range from deeply moving to profoundly silly.

Bruce Springsteen setlist 2024: Every song he sang at Phoenix tour relaunch

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Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band relaunched their tour in Phoenix

The last time Springsteen brought the E Street Band to Phoenix , on a tour in 2016 re-exploring “The River,” they turned in a 3½-hour concert whose truly awe-inspiring six-song encore ended in a spirited revival of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”

The fans who flocked to Footprint Center on Tuesday night were on a pilgrimage to see the relaunch of the E Street Band’s first tour since then — a tour cut short in 2023 as Springsteen was treated for peptic ulcer disease, a potentially serious gastrointestinal condition.

Springsteen turned 74 in late September 2023. Four days later, he broke the news that he’d been forced to postpone all remaining concerts booked for 2023 “out of an abundance of caution.”

Naturally, I went into the Springsteen concert on Tuesday night assuming I might feel the need to make allowances for age and health and everything those words imply, especially when used that close together.

But the Springsteen who rocked that arena in Phoenix on Tuesday didn’t need my well-intentioned qualifiers.

He 'just kind of shot through the roof': How Phoenix radio made Bruce Springsteen the Boss

Springsteen brought his A-game to the relaunch of his world tour

The man brought his A-game at the helm of an 18-member E Street Band (or 17 if you’re not counting Springsteen as a member of that band, which seems a bit ridiculous) in a breathless journey through their glory days with an energy that only seemed to flag in the course of their nearly three-hour performance when the song itself demanded it.

He’s certainly scaled back on the physicality of his performance style.

There were no bent-knee slides across the stage. No leaping to rival a young Pete Townshend. But the sense of showmanship remains, from the playful rapport of Springsteen's onstage antics with the members of the E Street Band to the charming self-awareness of his dance moves to that moment toward the end where he tore his shirt open for no apparent reason other than to entertain.

His voice has aged a bit since the first time he followed that iconic shout of “1-2-3-4” with “the highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive.” But he’s too good a singer to let that compromise the essence of his vocals, settling into a more conversational delivery on “Born to Run” that made it feel like you were hearing those same lyrics for the first time after knowing them for nearly 50 years while also sidestepping the high notes.

Springsteen and the E Street Band are on a search-and-rescue mission

My favorite Springsteen memory is the E Street Band reunion show I saw in 1999 at the Meadowlands in Jersey, where the Boss announced that they were on a “search-and-rescue mission” to regenerate, rejuvenate and otherwise rekindle the spark that is “the majesty, the mystery and the ministry of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Of course they were.

And 25 years later? Springsteen seemed as committed as ever to that search-and-rescue mission, from the time he and his bandmates made their entrance one-by-one to set the tone with “Lonesome Day,” one of three songs they played from “The Rising,” to the raucous rendition of “Twist and Shout” that brought the encore to a joyous climax, having been requested by an 18-year-old fan whose sign said this was his first Springsteen concert.

That kid obviously picked a good night to be introduced to what it means to witness Springsteen in his element, leading the E Street Band in a 29-song overview of his career.

Highlights ranged from 'Born to Run' to 'Dancing in the Dark'

The setlist made its way through countless classics, reaching back to his first album, “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.,” for a loose-limbed “Spirit in the Night,” and touching on a number of the most beloved songs on “Born to Run” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town” as well as “No Surrender,” “Dancing in the Dark” and other crowd-pleasing highlights of “Born in the U.S.A.,” a 17-times-platinum mainstream-saturating exercise in world domination that remains his most successful album.

They also dusted off a handful of the soul and R&B songs Springsteen covered on his latest album, 2022’s “Only the Strong Survive,” and three songs from his latest album of original material, “Letter To You,” including the solo acoustic version of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” that brought the encore to a haunted finish.

But what made that concert special went beyond what songs they played.

The E Street Band remain a force of nature, despite the loss of Clarence Clemons — “the Big Man” as his joining of the band is celebrated even now in “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” — and Danny Federici, who played organ, glockenspiel and accordion from the time they put the band together in Belmar, New Jersey, until his death in 2008.

Springsteen honored their memory during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," during which their images were flashed across the screens above the stage.

The new, expanded E Street Band was brilliant

The current edition of the E Street Band is a three-guitar army with Springsteen, the Valley's own Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt taking turns in the spotlight, two great keyboard players (Roy Bittan and touring member Charles Giordano), violinist Soozie Tyrell, the stellar rhythm section of drummer Max Weinberg and bassist Garry Tallent, and 44-year-old Jake Clemons still doing an excellent job of honoring his uncle, Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011, with the swagger (and physical stature) one would need to even try to fill those shoes.

There’s a flashiness to Lofgren’s soloing that’s undeniable while Springsteen squeezes out the sparks in solos that rely more on the power of each individual note and how it’s phrased, as evidenced on “Prove It All Night,” in particular, while indulging in some low-end twang Duane Eddy would’ve envied on a fantastic “Letter to You.”

The E Street Band’s ranks are further fleshed out in their current incarnation by four backup singers, a four-man horn squad and percussionist Anthony Almonte.

It was quite the crowded stage.

Springsteen kept the banter to a minimum in Phoenix

Springsteen's legend is based in part on his conversational approach to showmanship, as evidenced by the classic monologues captured on “Live/1975–85.”

But he kept the chit-chat to a minimum for much of Tuesday’s concert.

Taking the stage in a red-and-black flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled extra high, he greeted the fans with a quick “Good evening, Arizona. 1-2-3-4” and barely said another word until he’d made it through “The Promised Land,” the 10th song of the night.

Springsteen eulogized his teenage bandmate George Theiss

His first big monologue was 14 songs deep, after “Mary’s Place,” when he introduced the poignant “Last Man Standing” with the story of George Theiss, a bandmate he met at 15.

“It was 1965,” he began.

“I was 15 years old and I had been playing guitar for about six months when one summer afternoon, I heard a knock on my door and it was George Theiss, a school friend of mine, and he was looking for a guitar player to audition for his band.”

Springsteen passed the audition in a “shotgun shack” and “embarked on the greatest adventure of my life,” he said. “I played in my first real rock ‘n’ roll band and it lasted for three years. As kids. Three years! That’s a lifetime for teenagers.”

Fast forward 50 years and a much older Springsteen is visiting Theiss on his deathbed as his former bandmate is dying of cancer.

“He only had a few days to live,” Springsteen said. “And I realized that his passing would leave me as the last living member of that first band, the Castiles.”

Springsteen spoke of 'death's final and lasting gift to us'

Death brings a certain clarity, Springsteen said. “Death’s final and lasting gift to us, the living, is you get an expanded vision of the life you can live yourself. George’s death made me realize, again, just how important it is to try and live every moment you’re here.”

And with that, the stage was set for “Last Man Standing,” a haunted highlight of his latest album of original material, “Letter to You.”

The tribute to his fallen bandmate carried over into “Backstreets,” one of several emotional highlights that ventured into existential territory.

He didn’t mention the loss of his mother, Adele Ann Springsteen, who died in January at 98. But there’s no doubt that she was on his mind.

Even "Night Shift," the Commodores cover from "Only the Strong Survive," felt like it tied into the existential theme.

After bringing the show to a crowd-pleasing climax in an encore packed with some of Springsteen’s most enduring calling cards, from “Born to Run” to “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” “Glory Days,” an anthemic “Dancing in the Dark” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” Springsteen sent the other members of the E Street Band away after a joyous “Twist and Shout” to end the night with a solo acoustic rendition of “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”

"I'll see you in my dreams," he sang. "We'll meet and live and laugh again. I'll see you in my dreams, yeah, around the river bend. For death is not the end and I'll see you in my dreams."

Springsteen apologized for postponing his Phoenix concert

But first, he said he was sorry he had to reschedule his world tour.

“First, I want to apologize if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time,” he said. “I had a mother (expletive) of a bellyache. I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much.”

Then after making a plea on behalf of St. Mary’s Food Bank , he brought the concert to an existential close with “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” a suitably haunted reflection on the friends he lost along the way.

It was a fitting close to a concert steeped in existential musings by a legend who invited us to take that long walk on his first release with “Growin’ Up.”

More than 50 years later, Springsteen is still growin’ up, inviting us to come along. It’s a beautiful thing if you’re willing to let your guard down and experience the ride.

Bruce Springsteen setlist 2024: Every song he played in Phoenix

Here’s every song Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

“Lonesome Day”
“No Surrender”
“Two Hearts” (with snippet of “It Takes Two” by Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston)
“Darlington County”
“Prove it All Night”
“Darkness on the Edge of Town”
“Letter to You”
“The Promised Land”
“Spirit in the Night”
“Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” (Ben E. King cover)
“Night Shift” (Commodores cover)
“Mary’s Place”
“Last Man Standing”
“Backstreets”
“Because the Night”
“She’s the One”
“Wrecking Ball”
“The Rising”
“Thunder Road”
“Born to Run”
“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”
“Glory Days”
“Dancing in the Dark”
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
“Twist and Shout” (The Top Notes/Isley Brothers/Beatles cover by sign request)
“I’ll See You in My Dreams”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X @ EdMasley .

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Bruce Springsteen 'literally couldn't sing at all' while dealing with peptic ulcer disease

Bruce Springsteen 's bout with peptic ulcer disease made him doubt whether he'd ever sing again.

The Boss said as much on SiriusXM's E Street Radio with Jim Rotolo in an interview that aired Thursday.

“I had the stomach problem and one of the big problems was I couldn't sing,” Springsteen, 74, said. “You sing with your diaphragm. You know, my diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing it was killing me. So I literally couldn't sing at all. That lasted for two or three months.”

In September, the legendary rocker announced the E Street Band's shows that month would be postponed so he could treat his symptoms from peptic ulcer disease. A few weeks later, he rescheduled shows for the remainder of the year.

“During the course of it before people told me 'Oh, it's going to go away' and 'You're going to be OK,'" Springsteen told the radio station.

“You're thinking like, 'Hey, am I going to sing again?' This is one of the things I love to do the best, the most, and right now I can't do it. I found some great doctors and they straightened me out, and I can't do anything but thank them."

Things may have been straightened out, but not before Springsteen's health issues came to a head at the Foxborough, Massachusetts, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, shows in late August and early September.

“The last four shows, I was playing really ill,” Springsteen said. “So that was Foxborough, which was a great show, and the three Meadowlands shows, which were all, really, the band playing at its best and in front of a great New Jersey audience and a great Boston audience. But I was really not well.

“I had a little medication in me that got me up there and kept me up there for the rest of the night. You know, once you’re onstage, you’re letting it go, no matter what. You’re playing as hard as you can and they ended up being great shows. But I knew, when I came off after the last Meadowlands show, that’s the last one while I’m sick.”

Bruce Springsteen 2024 setlist: Every song he sang at the world tour relaunch in Phoenix

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's rescheduled 2024 shows mark 'a new tour'

The Springsteen and E Street Band tour last year was marked by several postponements.

Two shows at Citizens Bank Ballpark last August were postponed due to the Boss “having been taken ill,” according to Springsteen's social media handles. Three other 2023 shows — March 9 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio; March 12 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut; and March 14 at the MVP Arena in Albany, New York — were also postponed due to an undisclosed illness.

All the shows have been rescheduled .

The 2023 tour was also marked by the illness of band members due to COVID-19. Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Jake Clemons, Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell all missed shows.

“When we first started that tour, every night somebody else was out. So I go into soundcheck and I have to find out who's missing and then I have to rearrange the stage or all of the arrangements of the songs to cover for that person,” Springsteen said. “Eddie Manion stepped up and covered for Jake Clemens on the saxophone. I brought Anthony Almonte to the front when Steve (Van Zandt) couldn't make it. Nils (Lofgren) couldn't make it another night. Susie (Tyrell) missed another night, Lisa (Lowell) — I mean it was just one after another.

"The only thing, we were blessed was Max (Weinberg) didn't fall. Garry (Tallent) didn't fall. Your rhythm section. And our two keyboardists were there. So as long as we had those people we could do a show.”

Springsteen is viewing the 2024 tour as a new tour and not an extension of the 2023 tour. That means more flexibility with the setlists, he said.

“There will be some things from last year's tour that will hold over some of my basic themes of mortality and life and those things I'm going to keep in the set, but I think I'm going to move around the other parts a lot more. So there’ll be a much wider song selection going on," he said.

Springsteen and the E Street Band relaunched the tour March 19 in Phoenix; the tour has 52 shows scheduled through November 2024.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen 'literally couldn't sing at all' while dealing with peptic ulcer disease

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform March 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

More From Forbes

Bruce springsteen’s ‘born in the u.s.a.’ is back on the charts for the first time in nearly a decade.

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PERTH, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 05: Bruce Springsteen performs at a sound check before speaking to ... [+] media during a press conference at Perth Arena on February 5, 2014 in Perth, Australia. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be touring Australia in 2014 beginning with Perth. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Bruce Springsteen has spent much of 2024 touring…when he’s able to, that is. The rocker has had to take some time off from a number of shows due to some vocal issues, but other than a handful of concerts, he’s been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and Europe throughout the year.

All the excitement around his continuing tour, paired with a very special anniversary, has helped one of Springsteen’s most beloved projects return to the charts.

Born in the U.S.A. is back on the U.K. albums chart this week. The title reappears at No. 56 on the ranking of the most-consumed full-lengths in the country.

Springsteen’s classic is now 40 years old, which may be hard for some longtime fans to accept. Born in the U.S.A. is one of the most successful and beloved rock albums in history, and clearly people all around the world–and especially in the U.K., at the moment–are still enjoying the many hits the title produced.

Born in the U.S.A. debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. albums chart in 1984. After several months, it climbed to No. 1, where it would eventually spend five weeks on top.

Throughout the years, the set has racked up 136 weeks somewhere on the U.K. albums chart. It’s Springsteen’s second-longest-running title, as only his 1995 Greatest Hits compilation has spent more time on the tally. That collection has thus far earned 143 stays on the roster.

While it remains incredibly popular, Born in the U.S.A. hasn’t been seen on the U.K.’s main albums ranking for many years. The last time the title was found on the chart was back in April 2015. For one week that year, it sat at No. 50, before disappearing again for nearly a decade.

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