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 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, December 15 and 16, 1978 By Erik Flannigan The home stretch of the Darkness tour in late 1978 may look like a victory lap, but its purpose was to return to key markets and seal the deal. The final push raised Springsteen and the … Continue reading "Walking in a Wonder Winterland"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, September 19, 1978 By Erik Flannigan Like all great live performers in rock history, Bruce Springsteen has been heavily bootlegged on vinyl and CD, and the five live radio broadcasts from the Darkness tour were manna for home tapers and bootleggers alike. Bruce acknowledged … Continue reading "The Boss Homes Home"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA, July 7, 1978 By Erik Flannigan Imagine yourself at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 5, 1978. Bruce Springsteen is playing his first headlining arena show in the area, a culmination of his growing popularity. During the intermission between sets, … Continue reading "The Business Of The Unexpected: Roxy ’78"

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey, September 20, 1978 By Erik Flannigan It was a homecoming when Bruce and the E Street Band returned to the Capitol Theater for a three-night run in September 1978. The Passaic shows were the band’s first New Jersey appearances on the Darkness tour, … Continue reading "It’s Just Me and You Tonight"

Hurricane Relief: Houston, Texas, 12/8/78 A Benefit for MusiCares® Hurricane Relief Fund By Erik Flannigan It is nearly impossible to find a Springsteen fan who doesn’t revere the Darkness tour. Those who witnessed one of its 111 shows in person speak of it in language typically reserved for religious conversion. Happily for the the rest … Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen: You Can’t Sit Down — The Other Great Shows of the Darkness Tour"