New for 2024: New entry for 2023
1972: The Bruce Springsteen Band rehearses at the Challenger Eastern Surfboards factory in Highlands, New Jersey. Tinker West records the sessions, and his tapes will prove to be the highest quality recording of The Bruce Springsteen Band and a fascinating document of that period. Standout tracks include “When You Dance,” “Look Toward the Land,” “Funk Song,” and an absolutely stunning must-hear cover of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” Take a listen:
1973: Bruce and the band play their third of seven nights at Oliver’s in Boston.
1975: Extended studio sessions for Born to Run prompt the postponement of a scheduled show in Atlanta.
1977: The Lawsuit Tour moves on to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.
1979: Bruce and Garry jam with Robert Gordon on “Fire” and “Heartbreak Hotel” at The Fast Lane in Asbury Park. Take a listen below.
1988: Night Two in Richfield for the Tunnel of Love Express Tour, where Bruce is moved to add a mid-song story to “Walk Like a Man.”
1996: Bruce plays a solo acoustic show at the Spektrum in Oslo.
2000: At Alltel Arena in Little Rock, Bruce plays “Mary Queen of Arkansas” for the first time in 26 years.
2005: Bruce returns a favor by inducting U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; he later performs with them on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
2008: Bruce plays Omaha for the first time in 30 years when the Magic Tour stops at Qwest Center. Conor Oberst makes a guest-appearance on “Thunder Road.” (It’s not exactly a highlight.)
2011: Bruce and Curtis King join Darlene Love on stage at her induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their short set includes “Zip a Dee Doo Dah,” “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Going to Marry,” and “He’s a Rebel.” Bette Midler joins for the final song.
2012: Bruce joins Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, and Garland Jeffreys on-stage at the Austin Music Awards for “Midnight Train,” “Always a Friend,” “Blowin’ Down This Road,” and “Beast of Burden.”
2013: The Australian leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour kicks off with the first of two nights in Brisbane. Tom Morello is along for the ride, filling in for Steve Van Zandt (who is filming his Lilyhammer series during this time), and “Just Like Fire Would” is premiered, sparking the inspiration as the tour progresses for what will become the High Hopes album.
2018: Springsteen on Broadway continues its theatrical run at the Walter Kerr Theater in New York City, with a special invite-only show for Sirius XM radio listeners who entered and won a contest. Emmylou Harris, Katy Perry, Ricky Gervais, and Howard Stern are there tonight as well, but I suspect they procured their tickets through other means.
2023: Bruce cancels his third consecutive show due to an undisclosed illness. His show at MVP Arena in Albany will be rescheduled but ultimately postponed yet again for illness. As of this writing, the show has yet to be successfully staged.
