New for 2024: Review for 2004 and 2012; audio for 2021
1973: Bruce and the band play their fourth of seven nights at Oliver’s in Boston.
1974: Bruce plays Austin for the first time to a sold-out crowd at Armadillo World Headquarters. He’ll be back in 38 years to the day to keynote at SXSW. (photo credit: Burton Wilson)
1975: Extended studio sessions for Born to Run prompt the postponement of a scheduled show in Atlanta.
1977: Bruce and the band play their third show in three nights, this time at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York.
1988: In town a day early for his show in Rosemont the next night, Bruce has dinner out at an Italian restaurant.
1999: Bono inducts Bruce into the Hall of Fame, and afterward, Bruce and the E Street Band play a mini-set that includes Springsteen classics like “The Promised Land” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” a duet with Wilson Pickett (and Billy Joel on keyboard) and an all-star jam on “Let It Be.”
2004: Bruce inducts Jackson Browne into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2012: 38 years to the day after his first concert in Austin, Bruce delivers the keynote address at SXSW.
After the speech, Bruce plays a warm-up show for the upcoming Wrecking Ball Tour, with guest-stars Jimmy Cliff, Eric Burdon, Joe Ely, Alejandro Escovedo, Tom Morello, Garland Jeffreys, Arcade Fire, and The Low Anthem. Whew!
2014: In today’s episode of Legends of Springsteen, Bruce tours around the Lake Okeechobee area of Florida on his motorcycle, taking selfies and photos, hanging out at a local watering hole, and making a PSA for wearing a bike helmet. Ride along with Bruce via his travelogue here.
2016: Night One of an outstanding three-night stand along the River Tour (2016 Edition), the final stand Bruce will ever play at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. For more highlights from this show, see my Where the Band Was report for this show.
2018: Springsteen on Broadway continues its theatrical run at the Walter Kerr Theater in New York City.
2021: Spotify premieres Episode 5 of Renegades: Born in the U.S.A., the new podcast from Bruce and President Barack Obama. This episode is entitled “Every Man for Himself: Money and the American Dream.” In addition to their conversation, Bruce performs acoustic versions of “Atlantic City” and “Used Cars.”
