Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band LISTEN NOW: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota, November 12, 2012 By Erik Flannigan Our nostalgia for great concerts of the past is not dissimilar to that of sports. For over 20 years before it went on-demand, ESPN Classic aired some of the most memorable football, basketball, and … Continue reading "Looking For A Moment When The World Seems Right"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band LISTEN NOW: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, November 7, 2009 By Erik Flannigan For Bruce Springsteen, 2009 began with the Super Bowl and wrapped with a series of memorable full-album performances. First, a brief history.  Complete, in-sequence album performances date back to the ‘70s, when Pink Floyd … Continue reading "I CAN STAND UP AND FACE THE WORLD AGAIN"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, November 24, 1975 By Erik Flannigan Performing under pressure can bring out the best in us, but it can also skew perception. The long-standing narrative surrounding Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s four-stop European tour in 1975 was that response to opening night … Continue reading "The New Jersey Hustle"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina April 28, 2008 By Erik Flannigan Loss is one of life’s most challenging experiences. There is no universal path to solace, no prescriptive behaviors to mitigate its pain. But as we process the death of a loved one, at some point in the … Continue reading "We Made It Through The Heart Of A Hurricane"

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, September 30, 1978 By Erik Flannigan I’ve written before about the role the Darkness tour radio broadcasts played in the career development of Bruce Springsteen. Broadcast live from the Agora in Cleveland, the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, The Roxy in West Hollywood, and Winterland … Continue reading "Walk Over To Your Dial, Turn It Up As Loud As It’ll Go"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ August 6, 1984 By Erik Flannigan When the Born in the U.S.A. tour kicked off in late June 1984, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had been off the road for more than two and a half years — or eternity, … Continue reading "The Time Is Right For A Palace Revolution"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band First Union Center September 25, 1999 By Erik Flannigan It’s all about moments. For those of us fortunate enough to have seen many Bruce Springsteen concerts and multiple tours, particular shows stand out for any number of reasons, from the people with whom we attended to favorite songs … Continue reading "I Heard the Voices of Friends Vanished and Gone"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ, July 9, 1981 By Erik Flannigan I was 15 years old in the summer of 1981. My friend Marc had just turned 16 and obtained his driver’s license. The previous October, my father took Marc and me to the Seattle Center Coliseum … Continue reading "Thank You Guys For Making This Really Seem Like Home"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Ullevi Gothenburg, Sweden – July 28, 2012 By Erik Flannigan If there was ever a time to appreciate archival live recordings, that time is now.  Many years ago, I heard the brilliantly talented and famously cantankerous guitarist Robert Fripp of King Crimson posit a provocative position on the … Continue reading "Tonight I Wanna Feel The Beat Of The Crowd"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, March 28, 1988 By Erik Flannigan The 1988 Tunnel of Love Express Tour was marked by material changes to the Springsteen concert baseline in place from 1978-1985. The band changed on-stage positions, setlist warhorses like “Badlands” and “Thunder Road” took a breather, and … Continue reading "Gotta Sing A New Song, That’s My Job"