 2011 BRUCE CALENDARS
ARE HERE
Thrill Hill Productions has put together another official Bruce Springsteen wall calendar, and we've got it in stock now at Backstreet Records.
Some beautiful photography from Jo Lopez (who took all the photos in the London Calling DVD package), with a different live shot for each month of 2011. And it's a 16-month calendar, with September through December 2010 on the first spread.
So whether you'll be using it yourself in the fall, or getting a jump on holiday shopping.... order now!
- July 29, 2010
29th JULY LULLABY
Sending out happy birthday wishes today to Patti Scialfa!
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ALBERT LECCESE, 1953-2010
We were saddened to learn of the recent and untimely passing of Albert Leccese, who lost his five-year battle with lung cancer at the age of 57 on July 17. Leccese was the co-owner and vice president/director of engineering at Audio Analysts, the audio service company for all of Bruce Springsteen's tours since 1992, including last year's Working on a Dream tour and the triumphant Super Bowl XLIII halftime appearance that preceded it. In that capacity, Leccese was a key behind-the-scenes member of the Springsteen touring organization, responsible for helping to achieve the best sound possible in every venue on every night (an often difficult task, depending on the venue and/or the time allotted in which to set up and refine the sound system). Many fans may not have known who Leccese was, but they certainly benefited from his innovative efforts and expertise over the years. He was well-liked and respected by both colleagues and competitors in the concert sound industry and was involved with many major artists and projects throughout his career. Leccese was also known for his commitment to sharing his knowledge with others, regularly appearing at various educational seminars and industry events and mentoring many students of sound design. During last year's Springsteen tour, Leccese even agreed to appear on E Street Radio's Live From the E Street Nation call-in show, fielding fans' questions and, in a few cases, directly addressing complaints about the sound at some shows. There's more on Leccese’s legacy in the obituaries and tributes at Mix Online, Pro Sound News and Dave Marsh's website. A great, detailed piece about Leccese's work with Springsteen and the E Street Band during the Rising tour also can be found in the archives of Live Sound International. Rest in peace, Albert, and thanks for all of the great-sounding shows over the years. Rumor has it that Heaven has one hell of a house band; if so, its concerts probably sound better already.
- July 27, 2010 - Shawn Poole reporting
For the full setlist from this and other recent shows,
see our Setlists page.
- July 24, 2010 - photographs by Mike Brazinski (1) and John Cavanaugh (2)
ROCK HALL'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT IS COMING HOME
As Billboard reports, Time Life will release The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts home video on September 28. The three-DVD set will include the entire four-hour HBO broadcast from the October 2009 Madison Square Garden performances, which features Springsteen guesting with U2 on "Because the Night" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and climaxes with guest-laden highlights from his set with the E Street Band. Broadcast selections: "Hold On! I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man" with Sam Moore; "The Ghost of Tom Joad" with Tom Morello; "Fortunate Son" and "Oh, Pretty Woman" with John Fogerty; "Jungleland"; "A Fine Fine Boy" with Darlene Love; "New York State of Mind" and "Born to Run" with Billy Joel; and "Higher and Higher" with all.
The broadcast special is spread over the first two discs, while a third DVD adds 16 bonus tracks. Two cuts here from Bruce and the E Streeters: "London Calling" with Tom Morello, and a full-length version of "Higher and Higher" not seen on HBO.
In addition to the standard DVD release, Best Buy will have an exclusive Blu-ray edition for the first 30 days.
- July 23, 2010
DARKNESS VISIBLE: NEW MEOLA EXHIBIT GOES BEYOND BORN TO RUN
In the world of Springsteen, photographer Eric Meola is, of course, best known for the iconic cover of Born to Run. That was far from his only session with Springsteen, though, and while his Darkness-era photographs turned up here and there (in magazine ads, on the "Badlands" sheet music), Meola's 1977-1978 work with Springsteen has gone largely unseen. Until now. Beginning August 3 at Snap Galleries in central London, a new exhibition will show many of these stunning photographs for the first time.
 Meola writes of flying west with Bruce and shooting in Nevada:
...We left the road at Unionville, and grabbed a bite to eat at a nearby roadside cafe. And then we went back. And by then the sky had gone black and the wind had come up. I shot some more, including a shot of Bruce in front of the car, leaning on the hood—a long, thin dusty dirt road going off in the distance behind him, disappearing over Battle Mountain, as it began to rain and flashes of lightning filled the valley floor. It was one of those days and moments that will stay with you to the grave. There was that strong, fresh ozone smell after lightning has cleared the air, and the feel of the moisture mixed with the dry desert wind was something I had only felt once before.
A few weeks later I would be haunted when I heard the lyrics to "The Promised Land":
There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground
"Darkness Visible: Photographs of Bruce Springsteen, 1975 - 1978" runs from August 3 to September 4. Get there if you can... and if you can't, visit the Snap Galleries website for more images and more information, including a downloadable PDF.
- July 15, 2010
BEST OF THE OUGHTS
David Masciotra, author of Working on a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen (signed copies available here!) has posted an annotated list of his picks for Springsteen's top 15 songs of the decade. That's from Live in New York City through Working on a Dream — quite a rich period, and Masciotra makes an impassioned case for its appreciation, not least of all by Bruce himself:
There is no denying the enduring meaning, value, and power of Springsteen's early work, which contains some of the best songs in rock history. However, too many fans betray the artist who created those songs, along with the values delineated in those songs, when they run for a beer at arenas after hearing the opening chords of a new song and passively demand that Bruce Springsteen, a man whose creativity and artistic boldness produced the music they celebrate, stop being an artist and adopt the static performance personality of an oldies jukebox. None of this would be very important if it had no impact on Springsteen. Disappointingly, the tour for his latest album, Working On a Dream (2009) was much more nostalgia driven than its predecessors...
The list itself ranges from hard-to-argue-otherwise modern classics like "Land of Hope and Dreams" and "The Rising" to some with surely less consensus, like "Mary's Place" and "Black Cowboys." All albums are represented; it's good reading.
- July 14, 2010
MAX'S BIG BAND BACK ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK
After a month-long coast-to-coast trek earlier this summer, Max Weinberg is returning to the Midwest this week for two more shows with his Big Band: Tuesday in Lansing, MI and Wednesday in Minneapolis, MN. He spoke with Jon Bream for the Star Tribune, continuing to dance nimbly as a forest creature around the question of returning to play with Conan O'Brien, as well as looking toward the future: "Weinberg said he hasn't heard from Springsteen but suspects the Boss is writing songs for another album. Meanwhile, the drummer plans a vacation in Italy in late summer and a return to the road with the big band in October."
- July 12, 2010
E STREETERS JOIN IN AN ALL-STARR BIRTHDAY BASH
 Happy 70th (!) to Ringo Starr, who celebrated last night with a big concert shindig at Radio City Music Hall. No Bruce appearance, despite advance rumors, but three E Street Band members were part of the festivities: Nils Lofgren, Steve Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg all on stage for "With a Little Help From My Friends"/"Give Peace a Chance" [video is here].
That might have felt like a grand finale, but as Andy Greene reports for Rolling Stone, there was one more special guest to come: "Then, just as the house lights threatened to rise, a roadie brought out Paul McCartney's signature Hofner bass and the sell-out crowd went into absolute hysterics. When McCartney himself ran onstage and burst into (of course) the White Album's 'Birthday,' [Update: better video here] the screams reached a decibel level rarely heard since the Beatles stopped touring nearly 45 years ago."
- July 8, 2010
2nd OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SOUTHSIDE)
Yep, that's Southside Johnny in Asbury above, kicking off the holiday weekend last night with the Jukes on the Stone Pony Summer Stage. [photograph by Mike Black]
 Also in Jersey this weekend: Remember those Born in the U.S.A.-themed Nikes we posted about a few months back? Just in time for the Fourth of July, the Nike SB Dunk High "Bruce Springsteens" are officially available today at NJ Skateshop locations. For more on the red, white, and blue denim kicks, see video here.
Happy Independence Day!
- July 3, 2010
NEW BRUCE INTERVIEW IN NEXT MONTH'S MOJO
 The August 2010 issue of the great UK music magazine MOJO will feature Springsteen on the cover, and inside, the only interview Bruce has done to promote the London Calling DVD. You'll find a sneak peek at the 11-page feature at mojo4music.com:
"In a wide-ranging interview illustrated with candid Danny Clinch photos taken at Springsteen's New Jersey hideaway, Springsteen ponders the impact of his home state on his writing, his kinship with punk bards Joe Strummer and Patti Smith and his weakness for 'the darkness'.... a rapprochement with Mike Appel... The Boss conceding that Springsteen, Weinberg, Van Zandt and crew are stronger together than apart. 'We are unique. There's only one of us. When we're done, many other wonderful things will be done, but they won't do what we do.'"
The issue comes with a 15-track CD entitled Boss Sounds!, which collects some of Bruce's hand-picked faves from his pre-show walk-in playlists.
We're taking pre-orders for this issue now at Backstreet Records — place your order now to guarantee a copy!
Also online at mojo4music.com: an annotated selection of YouTube clips, "Springsteen's Greatest Flicks!"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PROFESSOR!
Wishing Roy Bittan a good one today... The Professor turns 61, born July 2, 1949. Backstreets recently spoke with Roy, not only about Danny, but also about auditioning with Max and joining the E Street Band, the full-band Nebraska sessions, writing songs with Bruce in the early '90s, and much more. See the seven-page feature in Backstreets #88.
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TEN YEARS BURNING DOWN THE ROAD
July 1, 2000 / Madison Square Garden / New York, NY
By Flynn McLean
Ten years ago tonight was the closing night of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 1999-2000 "Reunion" tour, their first tour together in more than ten years. Not only was it the final show of the tour, it was also the final show of a ten-night stand at Madison Square Garden. Fans had travelled to New York City from all across the globe to be at these shows, many having been to multiple shows over the course of the tour, and a film crew with high-definition cameras was on-hand to capture the last three shows.
Expectations of closing night were high. The show two nights earlier was a very strong performance of a mostly standard set list, while the show four nights prior included several underplayed nuggets, including the outstanding Tracks tracks "Loose Ends" and "Back in Your Arms," in another solid performance. (Well, let's be honest here — the E Street Band had never played better than they did those last two months of the tour.)
Many fans were wondering if the cameras caused Bruce to play it more cautiously than he normally would at the penultimate show and were concerned that a similar fate would affect the finale. However, everyone knew that Bruce would pull something special out for the last night; the only question was what. Springsteen took the stage later than usual that night, as the house lights didn't go down until nearly 8:45, which only raised tensions, and expectations, in the room.
The opener was a song that Bruce had debuted just three weeks earlier, at opening night of the Garden stand, "Code of Silence," a song he and Joe Grushecky co-wrote. The next four songs were very familiar to those who had followed the tour, but closing night brought an added intensity, as well as a bit of bittersweetness in some instances. One couldn't help but to smile wistfully when Bruce yelled, "C'mon, Steve, once more!" before counting off into "Two Hearts."
It was during the last chorus of "Atlantic City," though, when fans realized this night was going to be special. The call and response on "Meet me tonight in Atlantic City" between Bruce and the crowd went longer than usual, with the fans getting louder with each repitition. Bruce was truly "in concert" with this crowd.
In retrospect, the standard set list worked perfectly on this night. The show served as a summary of the tour: the opening five rocking the house, the quiet song duo, the Five Pack, the post-"Tenth" wild card (two on this particular night!), the quiet political song, the epic, the rockin' set closer, the rockin' first encore, and the communal final encore. Plus, the Garden stand saw the addition of the combination of "American Skin" and "The Promised Land," between the quiet song duo and the Five Pack. "American Skin" showed that Bruce could still write a relevant rock song, one that could shine a new light on a Springsteen classic.
Legendary Springsteen shows always feature intensity and goofiness, and the post-"Tenth" spots delivered each. The fun "E Street Shuffle," complete with a "Let's continue to be silly now" intro, let everyone show off their moves. The first tour debut of the night was "Lost in the Flood," which had topped many fans' wishlists. With Danny's slow organ fade-in and Roy's piano building the tension before the song exploded, "Lost in the Flood" stood out on a night when almost every other song was nailed perfectly by the E Street Band.
Bruce started the encores with a solo piano performance of "The Promise," the fourth time on the tour he had played the song. Since he had played "The Promise" two nights earlier, its inclusion wasn't a total surprise. After a roadhousin' "Ramrod" that saw his goofy side re-emerge, Bruce counted in "Bobby Jean," a song that normally would bring groans from many die-hards, but felt very appropriate on the last night of the tour. An all-house-lights-on "Born to Run" closed out the first encore. As the tour wound down, Bruce integrated a little schtick into "Born to Run," pointing at each side of the arena as Max pounded the drums just before the last verse, resulting in a thunderous response from the crowd. On July 1, the audience nearly drowned out the most powerful rock band in the land.
Another new song, "Further On Up the Road," opened the second set of encores with many fans hoping the song's chorus — "I'll meet you further on up the road" — would be prophetic. With a small handful of exceptions, every show of the tour, including this one, featured the same second encore: the classic "Thunder Road," the spotlight-sharing "If I Should Fall Behind," and the anthemic "Land of Hope and Dreams."
Before "Land of Hope and Dreams," Bruce thanked his managers, Jon Landau and Barbara Carr, the "mighty men and women" of the crew, the band, and the crowds in New York and around the world. Spntaneously, the crowd broke into a chant of "E Street Band! E Street Band!" Starting in the "pit area" in front of the stage as a result of the stage rush, the chant gradually took over the entire building, surprising and moving the band. Bruce finally told the lighting guys to "Put some damn lights on 'em," as the stage had been mostly dark, apart from Bruce's spotlight, up to that point.
As "Land of Hope and Dreams" wrapped up, more than a couple of eyes in the crowd had gotten a little misty. It was hard not to think about the previous 15 months of roadtrips, late night diners, and the evolution of many a relationship as Bruce sang about grabbing "your ticket and your suitcase" and laying "your head upon my chest."
When Bruce and the band made no indication they were leaving the stage after "Hope and Dreams," the big question was, what song would they do? They've already done "Ramrod," a popular "extra" throughout the tour. Would they go nostaligic with "Rosie," which some in the crowd were yelling for? A new song? Minds raced.
After Bruce gave a short plug for "Food for Survival," a New York City foodbank, he said, "We got one more we wanna do for ya, but we're gonna need a little bit of quiet. Come on, my friends." A single keyboard chord began, joined shortly by Max's high hat keeping a slow but steady beat. The crowd started clapping along, but was quickly quieted with a hand gesture from Bruce. The keyboard chord changed, and the progression made the song obvious: "Blood Brothers."
The last verse of the Greatest Hits version of "Blood Brothers" closed the song on a very ambivalent note, but nothing about the Reunion tour's promise of rededication was ambvialent. There was no way Bruce could sing that verse after this tour.
He didn't.
As the music settled after the "houses of the dead" verse, Bruce paused and motioned for everyone not behind a drum kit or keyboard to come to the front of the stage, where they joined hands to form a line, facing the crowd. With a slight twinge of uncertainty and more than a hint of emotion, he sang an entirely new closing verse:
Now I'm out here on this road
Alone on this road tonight
I close my eyes and feel so many friends around me
In the early evening light
And the miles we have come
And the battles won and lost
Are just so many roads traveled
So many rivers crossed
And I ask God for the strength
And faith in one another
'Cause it's a good night for a ride
'Cross this river to the other side
My blood brothers
The music built back up and the band soared, led by Bruce's harmonica and Clarence's saxophone, before gently coming to an end.
This new verse surprised everyone; many were moved to tears. Bruce ended everything — the song, the show, the stand, and the tour — in an absolutely perfect way.
- July 1, 2010
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As Alejandro Escovedo posted on 
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