New for 2024: Article for 1977; video for 2016
1974: Bruce and his band play two shows at their second night at Gertie’s in Dallas.
1977: The Lawsuit Tour moves north to the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, where writer Stephen King is in attendance.
1981: A scheduled show in London is postponed due to Bruce’s exhaustion from the first two legs of the River Tour.
1985: Bruce arrives in Sydney two days before what will be his first-ever show in Australia.
1996: Bruce plays his first-ever show in Northern Ireland, at King’s Hall in Belfast. This show is available as part of Bruce’s official archive series–go get it.
1999: A second public warm-up show for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, their last in the U.S. before the Reunion Tour kicks off. “Give the Girl a Kiss” makes its live debut, and “The Promise” is played for the first time in 21 years.
2000: Bruce and the E Street Band play the New Orleans Arena on the Reunion Tour.
2005: With the Seeger Sessions Band in his home studio, Bruce records “Old Dan Tucker,” “Mrs. McGrath,” “Erie Canal,” “O Mary Don’t You Weep,” “John Henry,” “Shenandoah,” “Froggie Went A-courtin‘” and “Pay Me My Money Down.”
2009: Jon Stewart interviews Bruce on The Daily Show, where Bruce performs an acoustic version of “Working on a Dream.” Later that evening, Bruce and the E Street Band (with Jay Weinberg filling in for his dad) rehearse at Asbury Park Convention Hall.
2012: Night Two of the Wrecking Ball Tour, at the Greensboro Coliseum. For show highlights, see my Where the Band Was report for this show.
2016: The final night (for anyone) at the L.A. Sports Arena features a magical “Drive All Night.” The arena is demolished shortly thereafter. For more highlights from this night, see my Where the Band Was report for this show.
