6/19/2012
On Sunday night (June 17th) in Madrid, Spain, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed the longest show of their career -- topping their legendary December 31st, 1980 concert at New York's Nassau Coliseum by playing an astounding three hours and 48 minutes. The 1980 New Year's Eve concert ran just five minutes shorter, clocking in at three hours and forty-three minutes. Guesting at the show -- which fell on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the death of Clarence Clemons -- was "The Boss'" old friend Southside Johnny Lyons, who shared the lead on "Talk To Me" -- which was gifted to him and the Asbury Jukes back in 1978 and was recently featured on Springsteen's recent vault collection, 2010's The Promise. Southside also stuck around to close the show with a cover of "Twist And Shout."
Other highlights included the live premiere of The Promise standout, "Spanish Eyes," along with such fan favorites as "No Surrender," "Be True," "My Love Will Not Let You Down," "Murder Incorperated," and "Hungry Heart," among others.
Steve Van Zandt says that the E Street Band is built on spontaneity and is able to keep their shows so flexible because they don't fall into the same traps as other touring groups: "Y'know, I know a lot of bands, they just play the same sets, 'cause they have that (laughs) expensive production that has to be coordinated -- which we don't have. Y'know, we're like the light man, the sound man, (laughs) they'll catch up -- they'll figure it out by the second verse. We don't care. It's all about the music, it's all about the relationship with the audience and we kind of just go for it. I'm very proud that we're able to turn arenas, and even stadiums, into clubs."
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performs tonight (June 19th) in Montpellier, France.
Springsteen's setlist on June 17th at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabeu:
"Badlands" "No Surrender" "We Take Care Of Our Own" "Wrecking Ball" "Death To My Hometown" "My City Of Ruins" "Spirit In The Night" "Be True" "Jack Of All Trades" "Youngstown" "Murder Incorporated" "She's The One" "Talk To Me" (with Southside Johnny) "Spanish Eyes" "Working On The Highway" "Shackled & Drawn" "Waitin' On A Sunny Day" "Apollo Medley" "The River" "Because The Night" "My Love Will Not Let You Down" "The Rising" "We Are Alive" "Thunder Road"
Encore
"Rocky Ground" "Born In The U.S.A." "Born To Run" "Hungry Heart" "Seven Nights To Rock" "Dancing In The Dark" "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" "Twist And Shout" (with Southside Johnny)
IN OTHER SPRINGSTEEN NEWS
Available for viewing via CNN.com is the new Springsteen doc by longtime filmmaker, Thom Zimny, called Wrecking Ball: A Conversation With Bruce Springsteen. The 22-minute short features footage of Springsteen back in February talking about Wrecking Ball to the French press, interspersed with footage of the E Street Band rehearsing in Trenton, New Jersey and performing live at Harlem's Apollo Theater earlier this year.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band North American tour dates (subject to change):
August 14, 15 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park August 15 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park August 18 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium August 24 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre August 26 - Moncton, NB - Magnetic Hill Festival Grounds August 29 - Vernon, NY - Vernon Downs Hotel Casino September 2, 3 - Philadelphia, PA - Citizens Bank Park September 7, 8 - Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field September 14 - Washington, DC - Nationals Park September 19, 21, 22 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
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