Kingdom of Days: July 11

New for 2023: Video for 2009 and 2016

1971: The Bruce Springsteen Band opens for Humble Pie at Asbury Park’s Sunshine In. Peter Frampton is impressed enough by Bruce and the band to offer them a gig opening for Humble Pie around the country, as well as an introduction to their record label. Mystifyingly, Tinker West (Bruce’s manager at the time) declines the offers.

1981: Clarence Clemons opens his new nightclub, Big Man’s West, in Red Bank. Bruce makes an appearance with Clarence and his band to mark the occasion, playing six songs, including a set closing “You Can’t Sit Down” and “Cadillac Ranch.”

2002: Bruce kicks off rehearsals for the Rising Tour with the E Street Band at the Expo Theater in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

2008: It’s Christmas in July when Bruce honors one last sign request when the Magic Tour stops in Helsinki: “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” is the second to last song of the night.

2009: Jake Clemons makes his debut on an E Street Band stage when he guest-stars on sax during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” as the Working on a Dream Tour stops for the first of two nights at RDS Arena in Dublin. (How strange to see him next to Clarence–the intersection of E Street Past and Present!) Bruce’s son Evan joins the band as well, playing acoustic guitar on “American Land.” Tour debuting tonight: “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch).”

2012: Bruce opens with an acoustic “The Ghost of Tom Joad” at his second show ever in Prague, and his first with the E Street Band. The tour premiere of “This Hard Land” is a set list highlight.

2013: A stunning night in Rome on the Wrecking Ball Tour: the set list is full of gems but the gleaming highlight is the unexpected complete second album side of the Wild & Innocent album, including a full string section on “New York City Serenade.” Watch that pro-shot clip below. This show is also available as part of the official archive series–get it here.

2016: A wild night in Paris for the first of two shows on the River Tour (2016 Edition). Bruce opens with a solo piano “Incident on 57th Street” followed by the tour premiere of “Reason to Believe.” “Into the Fire” and “Nebraska” receive tour premieres as well. Elliott and Gaspard Murphy make a customary guest appearance during the encores, but during “Ramrod,” the power goes out and Bruce finishes the song mic-less before taking a break until the power is restored.

2018: Springsteen on Broadway continues its theatrical run at the Walter Kerr Theater in New York City.