GROPING IN THE DARKNESS In case you didn't watch the video below, Steve Van Zandt's musings on the Darkness reissue project are the basis for a news item at Rollingstone.com. The money quotes from Steve: "We're doing a little bit of fixes on some Darkness on the Edge of Town outtakes, which is going to be a really fun reissue coming for Christmas.... We put ten or so outtakes on the [1998] Tracks box set and we [have since] found ten more.... I'm not sure how many we'll put on there. We'll go back and he might finish a lyric on one or two, or finish a harmony on one or two, but we'll keep them intact pretty much." Still no official word otherwise on the set's contents or ETA. - June 30, 2010
ONE TWO POWER SHIFT Once again, Springsteen lands in the Top 20 of Forbes' annual "Celebrity 100", their ranking of "the word's most powerful celebrities." Placing him at #17 (that's in between the Black Eyed Peas and Angeline Jolie), Forbes writes: "The poet laureate of New Jersey continues to connect with fans around the world. Backed by the E Street Band, Springsteen sold more than 2 million tickets on his world tour, which grossed $167 million, enough to make it the third highest-grossing tour in the world...." - June 29, 2010
BRUCE AND ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
SHOW A LITTLE "FAITH" The new album from Alejandro Escovedo drops tomorrow here in the U.S., the highly anticipated Street Songs of Love. Hard to go wrong with any of his records, frankly, but this one's got a particular draw for us: Bruce Springsteen joins him for the rocking "Faith." (Of course, this isn't the first time Bruce and Alejandro have joined forces — with the E Street Band, they did Escovedo's "Always a Friend" live a few years back, released officially on the digital-only Magic Tour Highlights.)
Hear Street Songs of Love for yourself, streaming online courtesy of NPR Music's First Listen, and Backstreet Records has the album on sale this week: order now!
Alejandro is touring with his band the Sensitive Boys, including CD release shows these next two nights in NYC; a July 1 in-store at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ; and a July 23 stop at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Visit www.alejandroescovedo.com for more dates. - June 28, 2010
LONDON CALLING BACK A year after the E Street Band did their thing there for the cameras, Little Steven was back in Hyde Park for the 2010 London Calling festival. Watch him speaking with absoluteradio.co.uk above -- around the six-minute mark he talks about the E Street Band's London Calling performance: "We had a ball last year... we'd played Glastonbury the night before, and that was so big, that Hyde Park looked like a club gig!" A funny story about The Clash's Mick Jones, and more talk about the Darkness reissue "coming for Christmas": "There's gonna be at least ten outtakes, maybe more." - June 28, 2010
STEVIE'S SUMMER SCHOOL
Teach sez: Darkness box for Christmas Earlier this month, eMusic hosted Summer School with Little Steven, a one-hour discussion in NYC focusing on "the craft of rock and roll" and turning other people on to great music. Of course the discussion veered into E Street territory, and there are now a few clips on YouTube worth checking out.
Asked about electric Nebraska, Stevie first sang the official album's praises — recalling how it initially struck him as something special: "a weird, new take on folk music... a rural film noir" and that he "proceeded to spend a couple of months talking [Bruce] into releasing it." As for the E Street Band's stabs at recording that material, "I'm sure all those things will come out. There's going to be amazing stuff coming out for Darkness on the Edge of Town for Christmas. I heard, like, ten outtakes; they're all fantastic. I forgot every one of 'em."
Tonight in London, Steven is hosting an Underground Garage show at the Relentless Garage, featuring The Breakers, Cocktail Slippers, The Len Price 3, and The Contrast. More info and ticket ordering here. - June 28, 2010
SURPRISE, SURPRISE Well today is Nils Lofgren's birthday... born June 21, 1951. Keep up with what he's doing at www.nilslofgren.com, where his latest note says he's planning an acoustic show for the fall, writing new songs, and has just added a new lesson to his online guitar school. Happy 59, Nils, we'll raise a glass or two!
THE BEAT GOES ON After gigging around the northeast with the Max Weinberg Big Band over the past week, Max will be appearing tonight closer to home, as part of the South Orange Performing Arts Center's all-day arts festival, Small Town Big Talent. This afternoon's scheduled talk with Budd Mishkin has been canceled, but Max will still be part of tonight's benefit gala.
Next up for the Big Band: beginning Monday night, a swing into the midwest (Evanston, IL and Madison, WI) on their way to California. See here for the full schedule, and check out "Kitty's Back" -- with special guest Charlie Giordano in Red Bank last week -- below!
6/21 Update: this week's Minneapolis show has been postponed until July 14. Instead, the Max Weinberg Big Band will be opening the prestigious Ottawa Jazz Festival on June 23.
- updated June 21, 2010 - photograph by John Cavanaugh (6/11/10, Red Bank, NJ)
JUST WHEN YOU THINK HE'S OUT... The New York Daily News reports that Steve Van Zandt has plans to work with Sopranos creator David Chase again — not as Silvio Dante (at least, not for now), but as music supervisor for Chase's upcoming film "about a band growing up in New Jersey in the '60s." Steve might know a thing or two about that. Read more here. - June 19, 2010
LONDON CALLING RELEASE JUST DAYS AWAY With the new concert film almost upon us, an extended trailer posted now at Brucespringsteen.net features a whole lot more sneak peekage, as well as new interview footage with Springsteen himself talking about Live in Hyde Park. Bruce touches on the audibles and signs, capturing a daylight performance, European audiences, Brian Fallon's guest spot, and more.
On the big screen: Just added to the list of theater screenings from Emerging Pictures: Los Angeles, CA; Key West, FL; and an encore showing at the Detroit Institute of the Arts. See the full schedule by state below.
On the radio: E Street Radio's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park special is an hour-long program debuting tonight, to be followed by the band's entire Hyde Park concert from June 28, 2009. The special features more insights from Springsteen about the forthcoming concert film, along with highlights from past performances at the Glastonbury Festival, Wembley Stadium and Hammersmith Odeon. Dave Marsh will host the special and will discuss the progression of The E Street Band's live performances in England over the past four decades, from the band's 1975 performance at Hammersmith Odeon to last year’s performance at Hyde Park.
The program premieres tonight, Friday, June 18 at 7:00 pm Eastern on E Street Radio, (SIRIUS channel 10 and XM channel 58) and will be rebroadcast throughout the coming week.
Online: Preview "Seeds" at EW.com. - Updated June 19, 2010
SETH MARSH, REST IN PEACE Seeing a Bruce Springsteen concert in the 1980s had a way of being replayed in your mind for days, if not weeks and months, after Bruce left the stage. If you were lucky enough to live in Los Angeles during that decade, the entire experience was replayed every Tuesday night thanks to the efforts of Seth Marsh.
Like the rest of us, Seth was a Bruce diehard, but he was also incredibly sharing and entreprenurial at the same time. Soon after the Born in the U.S.A. tour hit town in October 1984, Seth created the Boss Club, a bar and dance space in the Imperial Gardens restaurant on the Sunset Strip. At 10 o'clock — if not a few minutes earlier for those desperately thirsting for some Bruce Juice — Seth would play records and cassettes (yes, cassettes!) of studio material and bootlegged live cuts from shows. Charging ten bucks at the door — or you could buy a lifetime pass for about $50 — Seth was there to greet everyone, sharing his favorite stories about everything from our favorite "Backstreets" rendition to the greatness of the Magic-led Showtime Lakers.
While there were always a few newbies every week, the core of who came every Tuesday, rain or shine, built a friendship that lasts today: Eddie, Gretchen, Matt, Dave, Illan, Ron, Tania, Dari, and others whose names I can't quite recall but if I saw them tomorrow at the next Bruce show it'd be like we were back at the Boss Club 25 years ago.
The reason I'm recalling such wonderful times is that I just heard that Seth passed away over the weekend following a terrible accident in which he hit his head and never recovered. I don't know his exact age, but we were about the same, and I'm 46. Last we spoke, he was married and had children.
Thanks, Seth, for giving us a place to let our inner Bruce to come out and be heard. Whether it was all of us "forming a line" during "Tenth Avenue Freezeout" or looking over our shoulder and mimicking Bruce wih a "Hey, there's someone in the back seat!" during an L.A. Sports Arena-inspired "Cadillac Ranch" we would listen to week after week, those times won't soon be forgotten.
You'll never be forgotten either, my friend. Here's hoping you and Danny are putting a hell of a setlist together right now.
LATEST THEATER LISTING FOR LIVE IN HYDE PARK Just added to the list are screenings in Naples, FL; Maitland, FL; and Albuquerque, NM. See the full schedule by state below. - June 11, 2010
MORE FROM MAX With the curtain going up on the Max Weinberg Big Band Tour tonight in Red Bank, Rolling Stone has an interview with the Mighty One. As for whether he'll be leading Conan O'Brien's band come fall, "I literally have not thought about it. There have been no discussions. It’s kind of an open question," says Max, "I'm strictly thinking about mounting my big band tour.... we have dates booked through the summer of 2011. In terms of Conan O'Brien and Max Weinberg, people will have to stay tuned." Max also touches on electric Nebraska, outtakes, the forthcoming Darkness reissue, and the future of the E Street Band. Read — and watch — more at Rollingstone.com.
Another new talk with Max is in the Jewish Exponent. - June 11, 2010
Talking about his new endeavor in an interview with Metromix, Max says, "It has always been my dream to create a 15 or 16-piece big band, which of course in today's economic climate is relatively unfeasible... but the music that I wanted to play really needs that big, thick horn sound, it's 12 horn players and three rhythm players.''
Concertgoers can expect music by the theater's namesake (Max mentions Count Basie's "The Kid From Red Bank" specifically) as well as by the Boss — rearranged for the Big Band, of course: "What we've done is taken some classic Bruce Springsteen songs and re-interpreted them in a jazz approach. Now, this is not just sort of playing the backing tracks without a vocal, this is significantly harmonically changed to reflect what we're doing, which is big band swing. I think people will get a kick out of it. I can tell you that one of the songs is going to be our take on 'Kitty's Back,' which lends itself to a swing interpretation.... There have been a lot of great interpretations of Bruce's material, but this is quite a different take on it.''
Over the weekend, Max also spoke with 105.7 The Hawk's Tom Cunningham, on his Bruce Brunch program (Sundays at 9 a.m). Over the course of a half-hour, Max and Tom touched on quite a few topics:
The Max Weinberg Big Band and their "ziggurat"-shaped swing through the States
Joining Conan O'Brien at the final stop of his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour on June 2: "I was privileged to play with my old band the other night at Radio City. Conan has never done an hour-stand up show, and he was killing.... I think he's got a whole new career as a stand-up! It was quite a fantastic show, I had a great time playing."
The E Street Band: "I think there will be more rather than less coming from us. We never have a timetable, because we're sort of like the mythical Brigadoon, a town that appears every 100 years out of the mists, I've always thought of the E Street Band that way. And I'm fairly confident that people will be hearing something new and different and also what they've come to expect from us."
The Hyde Park show, meeting Frank Sinatra, and more.
After the Red Bank date, Max's Big Band heads to the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Sunday, followed by World Cafe Live in Philly on Monday. See our Concert Calendar for their full itinerary. - June 9, 2010
BRIAN WILLIAMS TO GUEST DJ ON E STREET RADIO SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that NBC Nightly News anchor/managing editor Brian Williams will get behind the radio mic for the first time ever as a guest DJ on E Street Radio this Friday. Williams, a New Jersey native, will share personal stories about growing up as a “shore kid,” discuss what it was like seeing Bruce Springsteen perform in the early days at the Stone Pony on the Jersey Shore, and hand-pick some of his all time favorite Springsteen tracks, including songs from the dozens of concerts he attended.
"It was a very personal and intense experience to host this show, and I think that comes through on the air," said Williams. "As a native of the Jersey Shore (Exit 114), I first saw Bruce in 1975. While my seats have gotten better over the years, the music never changed. It's the soundtrack of my life — it's as great today as it was back in the day."
The special guest DJ session will air on E Street Radio (SIRIUS channel 10 and XM channel 58) on Friday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, rebroadcast on Saturday at 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. For video excerpts from the session, visit www.youtube.com/siriusxm. - June 8, 2010
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE DANNY FUND A sincere thank you to all who supported the Danny Fund / Melanoma Research Alliance’s entry for the Refresh Project during the month of May. Although we didn't win the $250,000, the public platform that the competition provided to help advance our awareness efforts of melanoma was priceless. Thanks to this campaign, and to your support, the Danny Fund's message reached thousands, and they are committed to building on this momentum and continuing their work to save lives from deadly skin cancer. - June 8, 2010
HERE IN NORTHEAST OHIO... Fans had clearly come from far and wide for Springsteen Weekend at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: at Saturday afternoon's panel discussion on the history of Bruce in Cleveland, Rock Hall VP of education Lauren Onkey asked how many of us in the packed theater were from the area, and surprisingly few hands went up. But you didn't need local pride to appreciate the talk she moderated. As she put it, growing up a Bruce fan, "you knew about Bruce and Cleveland... it was really key to his history." Anyone who has experienced the Agora broadcasts, who's heard about the Cleveland boys, who's interested in Bruce's progression from clubs to theaters to arenas to stadiums, found plenty to resonate here. Prior to the discussion, a big-screen showing of three songs from August '78 at the Agora Ballroom — when Bruce and a few E Streeters joined Southside and the Jukes for "The Fever," "I Don't Wanna Go Home," and "Havin' a Party" — set the scene.
Photographer Janet Macoska, part of the panel, began shooting Bruce locally in 1974, and her striking photos helped trace Springsteen's Cleveland history [L-R: Onkey, Macoska, WMMS's John Gorman, promoter Jules Belkin, and the Agora's Hank LoConti].
For the next event, Springsteen's engineer and archivist Toby Scott [right], in conversation with curator Jim Henke, provided some fascinating insights. In addition to acting as liason between Bruce and the Rock Hall to put together the exhibit, Scott has been recording Bruce from the full-band-in-the-studio days of The River to Bruce's more recent home studio work, not to mention working to preserve and archive every note. All aspects of his work were well covered in this hour and a half — though of course, most of us could have listened twice as long.
"So what's Bruce working on now?" Henke asked, to which Scott replied after a pregnant pause: "Material." That got a laugh, but Toby didn't leave us hanging. "Both new and old," he continued. "Best I can say is, he always has new songs. Yesterday he was playing around in the studio, playing and writing down, playing and writing down.... I go, 'You got another one?' And he says, 'Oh yeah, there's always another one.' So he's got new material, and we've been working on some old stuff [referring, we have to assume, to the impending Darkness box], we'll probably see that in another six months or so. I think everybody will really like that."
Toby expanded on their revisiting of old material when asked about the possibility of a Tracks 2: "There will be a Tracks 2, as far as I know," he stated. "Yesterday we were doing a session working on our next project, which will be out in November, I'm guessing? Or maybe October — they don't tell me until I'm late," he added to laughter. "But Bruce and Steve were there, and Bruce was saying, 'Hey, when we do Tracks 2, we can do this, we can do that...' speculating as to stuff he would include on the second Tracks record. And there's a ton of it. Of the unreleased material — the studio recordings — I'm probably guessing one to two hundred songs.... So there probably will be a Tracks 2. When? You know... when we're not doing something else."
Along with the premiere of the Hyde Park film, those were the big events — but then, of course, there was the exhibit itself, "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen," still the main attraction. Henke himself gave a few guided tours over the weekend. One motorcycle, two cars, and two floors of Bruce artifacts, from Bruce's Challenger surfboard to the rainbow ribbon from last year's Kennedy Center Honors, and enough handwritten notebook sheets to choke a silver palomino. It's an astounding collection, on display through the end of the year — get there if you can. And if you can't... the exhibit will be the focus of the summer issue of Backstreets Magazine, an in-depth look at the whole shebang.
On a personal note — great to see so many Backstreets readers there, thanks to everyone who came up and said hi!
- June 7, 2010 - report and photographs (1-4) by Christopher Phillips
SOUTHSIDE & FRIENDS LAUNCH PILLS AND AMMO Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have just released Pills and Ammo, a 12-track album of new material — and last week at the listening party, a bunch of friends joined in the celebration. Hosted by Q104.3's Ken Dashow, the event took place at Maxies Grill in New York City. Southside and cohorts including album co-writer/co-producer Jeff Kazee got up to jam, and they were soon joined by Litte Steven for a smokin' trio of "Loving Cup," "Broke Down Piece of Man," and "Forever." Gary U.S. Bonds (who guests on Pills and Ammo), stepped up for "Get Up, Stand Up"/"New Orleans" and "Land of a Thousand Dances"; Willie Nile came on for another Stones classic, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
Pills and Ammo is now available exclsuviely from Southsidejohnny.com, and we're taking pre-orders at Backstreet Records for its wider release in July. - June 7, 2010 - photographs by John Cavanaugh; thanks to Sammy Steinlight for reporting in
HYDE PARK WATCH
"Dancing in the Dark" on Amazon; updated theater list Over the weekend, London Calling: Live in Hyde Park made its big screen debut at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (more from "Springsteen Weekend" coming soon). If you couldn't make it to Cleveland, there's a new preview clip online to keep your appetite whetted as well: watch "Dancing in the Dark" at Amazon.com.
As for the upcoming Hyde Park theater screenings, the list continues to expand... here's the latest, organized alphabetically by state. These showings of the 90-minute cut will benefit either the venue itself (in the case of non-profits) or the Danny Fund. Updates in red.
Downtown Independent - Los Angeles, CA - June 21, 10 p.m.
Camera 3 – San Jose, CA – (June 16 & 21)
Laemmle's Playhouse 7 – Pasadena, CA – (June 17, 19 & 20)
Laemmle’s Sunset 5 – West Hollywood, CA – (June 17 & 19)
Laemmle’s Town Center 5 – Encino, CA – (June 17 & 19)
Michael D. Palm Theatre – Telluride, CO – (June 16 & 22)
Theatre N at Nemours – Wilmington, DE – (June 11 & 12)
Atlas Performing Arts Center – Washington, DC – (June 12 & 17)
Athens Theatre – Deland, FL – (July 2)
Beach Theatre – St. Pete’s Beach, FL – (June 11 & 18)
Cinema Paradiso – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – (June 12, 18 & 19)
Tropic Cinema - Key West, FL - (June 18, 19, 20)
Lake Worth Playhouse – Lake Worth, FL – (June 12, 18 & 19)
Mos’Art Theatre – Lake Park, FL – (June 12, 18 & 19)
Silverspot Cinema - Naples, FL - (June 19 & 20)
Enzian Theater - Maitland, FL - (June 20)
Murdock Theatre – Wichita, KS – (June 18, 19 & 20)
Robinson Film Center – Shreveport, LA – (June 17)
Cape Ann Community Cinema – Gloucester, MA – (June 21)
Frontier Café – Brunswick, ME – (June 19)
The Heights Theatre – St. Paul / Minneapolis, MN – (June 15)
Detroit Institute of Arts – Detroit, MI – (June 16 & 21)
Michigan Theatre-Jackson - Jackson, MI - (June 18)
KiMo Theatre - Albuquerque, NM (June 19)
City Winery – New York, NY – (June 17, 18 & 19)
Indian Lake Theater – Indian Lake, NY – (June 18 & 19)
Kew Gardens Cinemas - Queens, NY - (June 11)
Little Theatre – Rochester, NY – (June 11, 12 & 16)
Parrish Art Museum – Southampton, NY – (June 20)
Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY – (June 17 & 19)
Symphony Space – New York, NY – (June 17)
Apollo Theatre – Oberlin, OH – (June 17)
Cedar Lee Theater – Cleveland, OH – (June 17)
Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City, OK - (June 16 & 20)
Circle Cinema – Tulsa, OK – (June 17)
Ambler Theater – Ambler, PA – (June 10)
Bryn Mawr Film Institute– Bryn Mawr, PA – (June 17)
County Theatre – Doylestown, PA – (June 17)
Jane Pickens Theatre – Newport, RI – (June 12 & 15)
The Long Center – Austin, TX – (June 18 & 20)
Catamount Arts – St. Johnsbury, VT – (June 10)
Pickford Film Center– Bellingham, WA – (June 10)
Curzon Soho – London, UK – (June 16)
- Updated June 11, 2010
SPRINGSTEEN WEEKEND KICKS OFF FRIDAY AT THE ROCK HALL London Calling premieres on the big screen on Saturday Below we've posted a number of cities around the country and in the U.K. that are getting a silver screen sneak peek at London Calling:Live in Hyde Park. The first screening of this theatrical cut is this weekend in Cleveland, as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum's Springsteen Weekend, Friday June 4 - Sunday June 6. Backstreets is partnering with the Rock Hall for this weekend of special events surrounding their exhibit, "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen," and the 90-minute Hyde Park film will premiere there on Saturday, June 5, at 5:00 p.m (additional screenings at 7:00 p.m. on 6/5, and at 3:00 p.m. on 6/6).
Additional highlights of the weekend include a Bruce in Cleveland roundtable, film footage of Bruce and Steven with Southside Johnny and the Jukes at the Agora, and a talk between exhibit curator Jim Henke and engineer Toby Scott. The full schedule follows below.
PLUS: purchase a Rock Hall membership at the duet level ($75) or higher from now through Sunday, and receive a complimentary copy of the London Calling: Live in Hyde Park DVD!
SPRINGSTEEN WEEKEND SCHEDULE Friday, June 4
Special Screenings 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Springsteen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Highlights and 25th Anniversary Concert appearances in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall's Theater 3
1:00 p.m.: Screening of Blood Brothers documentary in the Foster Theater
2:25 p.m.: Screening of VH1's Storytellers in the Foster Theater
4:05 p.m.: Screening of Blood Brothers documentary in the Foster Theater
Meet the Curator Gallery Talk in "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land" exhibit at 4:00 p.m., beginning on the 4th floor at the entrance to the exhibit
Saturday, June 5
Member Appreciation Day 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.: Breakfast reception, state of the Museum, and special tours for Rock Hall members (special screening of "U23D" at 9:20 for Members)
Special Screenings 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.: Springsteen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Highlights and 25th Anniversary Concert Appearances in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall?s Theater 3
Meet the Curator Gallery Talk in "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land" exhibit at 10:15 a.m., beginning on the 4th floor at the entrance to the exhibit
Afternoon Public Programs and Interviews (Foster Theater) 12:00 p.m.: Bruce Springsteen's Cleveland History with Special Guests including Hank LoConti of the Agora Ballroom; concert promoter Jules Belkin, head of Belkin Productions; radio personality, author and broadcasting consultant John Gorman; and photographer Janet Macoska.
2:00 p.m.: Behind the Scenes of From Asbury Park to the Promised Land exhibit: Jim Henke and Toby Scott
Performance 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Stone Pony Band will perform on the Main Stage
Special Screenings 11:15 a.m.: Highlights from a Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes show at the Agora with Bruce Springsteen & Steve Van Zandt as special guests (28 minutes)
5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: 90-minute highlight footage from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park in the Foster Theater
Sunday, June 6
Special Screenings 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Springsteen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Highlights and 25th Anniversary Concert Appearances in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall's Theater 3
10:00 a.m.: 90-minute highlight footage from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park in the Foster Theater
11:45 a.m.: Screening of Blood Brothers documentary in the Foster Theater
1:15 p.m.: Screening of VH1's Storytellers in the Foster Theater
3:00 p.m.: 90-minute highlight footage from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park in the Foster Theater
Hope to see you there. - June 2, 2010
ADDITIONAL VENUES ADDED FOR LONDON CALLING SCREENINGS The 90-minute cut of London Calling: Live in Hyde Park will also play the big screen in San Jose; Los Angeles; Austin; and Gloucester, MA... see below for the updated schedule of benefit screenings. - June 1, 2010
SONY'S EXCLUSIVE LONDON CALLING T-SHIRT & POSTER PACKAGE The release of London Calling: Live in Hyde Park is just three weeks away! We've got our own Backstreet Records pre-sales going for the DVD and Blu-ray releases, but we want to be sure to hip you to the packages that are exclsuively available through Sony's online store.
For just a few extra bucks, the DVD or Blu-ray disc from Sony will also come with an exclusive American Apparel T-shirt (featuring Bruce's handwritten setlist from the Hyde Park show on the back) and an 11" x 17" commemorative 2009 tour print. Available only from Sonymusicdigital.com. - June 1, 2010
GROOVIN'... ON A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND The Rascals' reunion performance from the April 24 Kristen Ann Carr Fund benefit — featuring Bruce Springsteen guesting on "Good Lovin'" — will be rebroadcast tomorrow (Saturday, May 29) at 8 p.m. Eastern on E Street Radio (SIRIUS channel 10 / XM channel 58) and on Little Steven’s Underground Garage (SIRIUS channel 25 / XM channel 59). Listeners will also hear a one hour Rascals special featuring interviews between Little Steven Van Zandt and Dave Marsh and the members of The Rascals. Additional airings will be scheduled over Memorial Day weekend. Visit www.sirius.com/estreetradio and www.sirius.com/undergroundgarage for broadcast times. Enjoy the holiday weekend! - May 28, 2010
HYDE PARK SNEAK PEEKS! Get your first looks and listens to the forthcoming London Calling: Live in Hyde Park E Street Band DVD with a few clips online now...
Vevo.com has "Glory Days." "It's curfew-breakin' Boss Time!"
Watch "Out in the Street" at Sonymusicdigital.com, where you can also pre-order the DVD or Blu-ray in a special package that includes an exclusive T-shirt and print. - May 27, 2010
CATCH LONDON CALLING ON THE SILVER SCREEN As they have before with Springsteen's concert films, Emerging Pictures are providing fans the opportunity to see the new London Calling: Live in Hyde Park on the big screen in advance of its June 22 DVD release date. A 90-minute version of the film will be showing at art house cinemas around the U.S. (and, appropriately enough, in London). In the case of non-profit theaters, the screenings will benefit the venues themselves; otherwise, box office proceeds will go to the Danny Fund/Melanoma Research Alliance.
Emerging Pictures' Barry Rebo (you've seen his own archival footage of Bruce in the Wings For Wheels documentary) says: "Needless to say we're thrilled — speaking for both Emerging and our venue partners — to be able to offer support for a diverse group of community-based cultural venues as well as promote added awareness of The Danny Fund and the Melanoma Research Alliance’s important work, and appreciate the help of Bruce Springsteen, Landau Management, and Sony Music.... With the warm weather just now coming on, it's especially timely to warn folks about the dangers of the sun. For sheer joyousness, an outdoor Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band experience is perfection."
The currently scheduled screenings (updates in red):
Thursday, 6/10/10
Pickford Film Center - Bellingham, WA
Ambler Theatre - Ambler, PA
Catamount Arts Center - St. Johnsbury, VT
Friday, 6/11/10
Little Theatre - Rochester, NY
Theatre N – Wilmington, DE
Beach Theater – St. Pete’s Beach, FL
Saturday, 6/12/10
Little Theatre - Rochester, NY
Jane Pickens Theatre - Newport, RI
Cinema Paradiso - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Theatre N – Wilmington, DE
Mos Art - Lake Park, FL
Lake Worth Playhouse - Lake Worth, FL
Atlas - Washington, DC
Tuesday, 6/15/10
Jane Pickens Theatre - Newport, RI
The Heights - St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN
Wednesday, 6/16/10
Little Theatre - Rochester, NY
Michael D. Palm Theatre - Telluride, CO
Detroit Institute of Arts – Detroit, MI
Curzon Soho - London, UK
HMV Curzon Wimbledon - London, UK
Camera 3 - San Jose, CA
Thursday, 6/17/10
Robinson Film Center - Shreveport, LA
Circle Cinema - Tulsa, OK
Cedar Lee Theatre (Cleveland Cinemas) - Cleveland Heights, OH
Apollo Theatre - Oberlin, OH
Bryn Mawr Film Institute - Bryn Mawr, PA
City Winery – NY, NY
Atlas - Washington, DC
Proctors Theatre - Schenectady, NY
County Theatre - Doylestown, PA
Laemmle Playhouse - Los Angeles, CA
Laemmle Sunset 5 - Los Angeles, CA
Laemmle Town Center - Los Angeles, CA
Symphony Space - New York, NY
Friday, 6/18/10
Indian Lake Theater, Inc. - Indian Lake, NY
City Winery – NY, NY
Beach Theater – St. Pete’s Beach, FL
Cinema Paradiso - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Mos Art - Lake Park, FL
Lake Worth Playhouse - Lake Worth, FL
Murdock Theatre - Wichita, KS
The Long Center - Austin, TX
Saturday, 6/19/10
City Winery – NY, NY
Cinema Paradiso - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Indian Lake Theater, Inc. - Indian Lake, NY
Mos Art - Lake Park, FL
Lake Worth Playhouse - Lake Worth, FL
Proctors Theatre - Schenectady, NY
Murdock Theatre - Wichita, KS
Frontier Café - Brunswick, ME
Laemmle Playhouse - Los Angeles, CA
Laemmle Sunset 5 - Los Angeles, CA
Laemmle Town Center - Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, 6/20/10
Parrish Art Museum - Southampton, NY
Murdock Theatre - Wichita, KS
Laemmle Playhouse - Los Angeles, CA
The Long Center - Austin, TX
Monday, 6/21/10
Camera 3 - San Jose, CA
Cape Ann Community Cinema - Gloucester, MA
Tuesday, 6/22/10
Michael D. Palm Theatre - Telluride, CO
Friday, 7/2/10
Athens Theatre - Deland, FL
Watch this list for updates. - Updated June 2, 2010
SWINGING INTO SUMMER WITH THE MAX WEINBERG BIG BAND After making their debut over the holidays, the Max Weinberg Big Band is now gearing up to hit the road. Beginning June 11 at Red Bank's Count Basie Theater -- a benefit for Joan Dancy & PALS -- Max will be taking his 15-piece band (featuring 12 horns!) coast-to-coast, through the Northeast and the Midwest before a trio of dates in California at the end of the month. Catch 'em if you can!
For more Max Weinberg Big Band dates, as well as schedules for other Friends of Bruce and related artists, see our Concert Calendar. - May 26, 2010
IF WALTER CRONKITE AND JERRY LEWIS HAD A BABY... Bruce turned the tables on Jon Stewart on Saturday night, referencing Stewart's Kennedy Center Honors speech from late last year. The pair shared the bill for the Gateway Schools' May 22 Gala Benefit, and the night's program listed Bruce opening the show. Jon came out first instead -- saying, "Even I would leave after Bruce performed" -- but Bruce seemed very proud of the introduction he had prepared for Jon, so he went ahead and delivered it anyway upon taking the stage. A seven-song set from Springsteen, including a beautiful solo piano version of "For You" and a warmly sung "Bobby Jean." The crowd was quiet, so Bruce encouraged them with "Come on, ya stiffs!" during "Working on the Highway." The highlight of the night had Bruce at the piano again for "If I should Fall Behind," sung with Patti and requested by their son, Sam. Overall a great night of laughter and music for a good cause.
For the full setlist from this and other recent shows,
visit our Setlists page
- May 24, 2010 - Christy Osoling reporting
YOU GOT YOUR JON STEWART IN MY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! Two great tastes that taste great together, tomorrow night in New York City... watch this space on Sunday for a report. - May 21, 2010
BRUCE'S "WE ARE ONE" PERFORMANCE ON OFFICIAL DVD Released with so little fanfare it almost missed our radar, The Official Inaugural Celebration home video release came out in April and features the full "We Are One" performance from 1/18/09, originally broadcast on HBO. So this is an official release of Springsteen's "The Rising" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as well as his duet with Pete Seeger on "This Land is Your Land."
FOR YOU RAFFLE BENEFITS THE MONTREAL HEART INSTITUTE
Enter by May 31 for a chance to win this out-of-print book In support of the Montreal Heart Institute’s spring fundraising drive, Lawrence Kirsch, publisher of For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans and The Light in Darkness, is holding a raffle with a chance to win a brand new signed copy of For You, which has been sold out since December 2008.
If you missed your chance to purchase a copy of this limited-edition book, or even if you just want a second copy to keep as a collector’s item, now is your opportunity. First edition copies of For You often sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay, and there are currently no plans for a second edition.
The contest is open to everyone, and raffle tickets can be purchased through May 31, 2010 at foryoubruce.com, where the winner will be announced June 4, 2010. Each $10 ticket gives you one chance to win, and a $15 ticket gives you three chances to win the book. Participants can enter the contest as many times as they wish and all proceeds go to a worthy cause. The book, autographed by the publisher, will be shipped to the winner free of charge anywhere in the world, so everyone is encouraged to enter. - May 20, 2010
THE MINISTER OF SOUL! AUTHOR! MAN OF LETTERS! DOCTOR! As Salisbury, Maryland's The Daily Times reports, Clarence Clemons will be given an honorary degree from his alma mater on Friday, May 21, at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's commencement. Clarence attended the school (then known as Maryland State College) in the '60s on a football scholarship. According to a UMES press release, Clarence "will receive the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his exceptional contributions to American music." He'll also play saxophone during tomorrow morning's ceremony. Congratulations, Big Man! - May 20, 2010
"EVERY GOOD SOUL SONG BEGINS WITH A SNARE SHOT"
More from the Rainforest Fund benefit
- May 19, 2010
STING ALSO UNFAMILIAR WITH SMELL OF WINE, CHEAP PERFUME See the New York Times for more on Thursday night's Rainforest Fund benefit, including the revelation that "Mr. Springsteen also chose the concert’s all-star finale ['Don't Stop Believin'"] — a song, Sting said, that he didn’t know. 'Everyone in the country knows it but you,' he was told." Mr. Sumner doesn't even watch The Sopranos? Also from the article: Springsteen "joked that when Sting had told him the theme was ’80s nostalgia, he had responded, 'Sting, we’re ’80s nostalgia.'" - May 16, 2010 - photograph by Brian Lattman
SPRINGSTEEN "DEEPLY HONORED" BY ASBURY PARK Asbury Park's Chamber of Commerce presented the 2010 Carousel Awards Friday evening at a dinner-dance held at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel. As stated in the event program, the awards honor people and businesses that have demonstrated "outstanding dedication to Asbury Park." Bruce Springsteen was one of this year's honorees, receiving the Humanitarian Award from the chamber for his support and promotion of the city. Bruce didn't attend or send anyone in his place, but he wrote a letter that Daniel DiBenedetto, president of the chamber's board of trustees, read during the award presentation:
Dear Members of the Chamber:
Thank you for naming me as the recipient of this year's Carousel Humanitarian Award. I'm deeply honored to be recognized by the city that has inspired me for so many years. I have taken great pride in its resurgence and helping the business community in the rebirth of its boardwalk area.
After the presentation, the band Funktion 11 played "Glory Days." - May 16, 2010 - David Wilson reporting
HELP THE DANNY FUND WIN $250,000...
And win an autographed Springsteen DVD for yourself! From May 1 to May 31, the Danny Fund / Melanoma Research Alliance is participating in the Refresh Project and is in the running to win a $250,000 grant. Honor the memory of Danny Federici and help support Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in their efforts to save lives from melanoma by voting each day this month at www.refresheverything.com/dannyfundbrucespringsteen.
Fans also have the opportunity to win a free autographed copy of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park DVD by voting for MRA / Danny Fund. All you have to do is take a picture of yourself with your computer screen showing you voted, and email the picture to: dannyfund@gmail.com. You can enter the contest for every day you vote — a vote a day will give you more chances to win. (Pictures must show it's a new day and new vote for MRA / Danny Fund.)
Please spread the word about this project. Your efforts can help make a difference in the lives of thousands diagnosed with melanoma each year.
To sign up and vote in the Refresh Project now, click here.
- May 14, 2010
ASBURY PARK HONORS BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, HUMANITARIAN The Carousel Awards, presented by the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, honor outstanding dedication to the Jersey Shore town. Tonight, Springsteen is one of the recipients, as he'll be honored at the 2010 Carousel Awards Gala with the Humanitarian Award: "A legend around the world and a regular guy on the streets of Asbury Park, Bruce Springsteen launched his career buoyed by the City's music scene and has paid it tribute in songs ever since. As both an advocate and supporter of the City by the Sea, its residents and institutions, Bruce Springsteen is truly deserving of this Humanitarian recognition." - May 14, 2010
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION Just a month and a half after our April 1 goofing around had Springsteen and Lady Gaga performing together, fantasy became reality last night. At Carnegie Hall for Sting and Trudie Styler's annual Rainforest Foundation benefit, Bruce shared the stage with Ms. Gaga, (as well as Elton John, Sting, Debby Harry, Shirley Bassey, and eventually, a troupe of jockey shorts-clad male dancers) for Journey’s "Don't Stop Believin'." (No kidding — remember, this is the same anything-goes event where Bruce played "I'm Turning Into Elvis" back in 1995.) For all the surreality, it's cool to see the Boss holding it all together, singing the "payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time" line, and taking that solo at the end.
And that ain't the half of it. After Sting introduced Springsteen as a surprise guest toward the end of the night, Bruce performed a radically reworked "Dancing in the Dark" followed by — believe it! — Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like a Knife." Of the latter, the New York Daily News' Jim Farber writes that Springsteen "turned it from a toy-rock bauble into a Solomon Burke-like slice of soul." "Don't Stop Believin'" came next as the night's grand finale (see video above) — how could anyone follow that?
For the full setlist from this and other recent shows,
visit our Setlists page
- May 14, 2010
DO YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS?
Little Steven would prefer to keep rock 'n' roll alive Crawdaddy's Bob Hill recently spoke with Steven Van Zandt for an interview feature posted now at Crawdaddy.com. Steve talks about his myriad projects, some which have been underway for a while (Underground Garage, Wicked Cool Records, the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation) and some he's still working to get off the ground: an Underground Garage A-Go-Go TV show, and the Fuzztopia website.
Keeping rock 'n' roll alive is its own reward: "Unfortunately, the goal is not to make money because none of these projects really do make any money," Steve tells Hill. "And to be honest, they weren't designed to make money. We're starting to look for ways to achieve my lifelong goal of breaking even. But you have a certain amount of physical capital, and you have a certain amount of celebrity capital, and it's up to you to decide where you want to spend it. You could buy lots of houses and yachts and go sip pina coladas in the Mediterranean, like smart guys would do. Or you could be a dumb guy like me and say, 'You know, I want the next generation to have the same inspiration and motivation that I had.'" Read Steven Van Zandt: The Crawdaddy! Interview. - Updated May 13, 2010 - Michael Zorn photo
"A NIGHT WHEN I NEEDED TO FEEL YOUNG..." A Boston Globe story spotlights a recording of Springsteen from May 9, 1974 that can now be heard at the Rock Hall's "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land." That's the night at the Harvard Square Theater that moved Jon Landau to pen his famous "rock and roll future" piece for The Real Paper; the Globe's Steven Rosen writes that "the Harvard Square tape... remains one of the most fascinating parts of the exhibit, just as that night itself remains an enduring, pivotal moment in the Boss’s career." Read more at Boston.com, with an accompanying photo retrospective. - May 12, 2010
BIG MAN, STEVE & MAX AT THE "CLARENCE CLEMONS CLASSIC" Over the weekend, Clarence Clemons performed for the first time since major spinal surgery, for a Home Safe benefit in Hollywood. The Big Man was both the honoree, for his years of work with the charity, and the night's entertainment. Among the attendees were Max Weinberg and Steve Van Zandt, both of whom joined Clarence to jam.
The Associated Press reports from the May 8 Clarence Clemons Classic: "The stage 'always feels like home. It's where I belong,' Clemons, a former youth counselor, said after performing Saturday night... 'I'm huge!' he hollered with a grin as he was delivered by wheelchair, sax cradled on his lap, to the foot of the stage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. He stood, switched to his cane, and struggled up three stairs. At home, he occasionally tries to walk without the cane, until his wife catches him."
The A.P. also asked Mighty Max about the recent late-night TV shake-ups: "His Max Weinberg Big Band is starting a national tour next month in New Jersey. But Weinberg remained coy about any career reincarnation in television, which he smilingly called 'a tough business.... As they say in television, you'll have to stay tuned.'"
The Palm Beach Post has more on the event, including Clarence's annoucnement that this would be the last year he hosts this gala: "I'm not turning my back, I'm not quitting. I'm just changing job descriptions, but I'm still going to help out... Look, I'm here tonight, but I really should be at home in bed." - May 10, 2010 - photographs by Billy Smith
HOT OFF THE PRESSES: BACKSTREETS #88 The new issue of Backstreets Magazine, a massive 100-pager, has been printed and is mailing to subscribers now! Issue #88 features our tribute to Danny Federici, including in-depth interviews with his E Street Bandmates (lengthy Q&As with Garry, Max, Roy, Nils, and Clarence); all of the eulogies from his memorial service (including those from Dave Marsh, Max, Bruce, and his son Jason); looks at his work from his first band on the Jersey Shore to his solo work in the '90s, and more. Plus: Magic/WOAD tour wrap-ups, stats, and best "fan-based recordings; Springsteen's 2009 Vanity Fair Italy interview; Clarence on his Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales, and much more. All with gorgeous photography, as usual. Click here for full contents list and page previews.
Subscribe and save!
New subscriptions begin with this issue — subscribe now for significant savings off the cover price, to eliminate shipping charges, and to automatically receive the issues to come.
Issue #88 will be followed fairly quickly by our summer issue, #89.
If you'd like to receive these issues and more, susbcribe online now! Or call our order line to subscribe by phone, at 1-800-326-BOSS. Each year you subscribe for will get you four issues of the Boss magazine sent straight to your door. If you're a reader of this website, there's a lot more waiting for you in the pages of Backstreets Magazine... don't wait any longer to get on board!
Already a subscriber? Check our Subscriber Services page for more details on when you can expect your copy of the new issue, in the hands of the postal service now. - May 7, 2010
NEW SPRINGSTEEN PODCAST: BEYOND THE BOSS Premiere episodes tell the Backstreets story Officially launching today, Beyond the Boss is a new documentary style podcast sharing unique stories and perspectives about people who have been impacted by Bruce Springsteen and his music. Creator Neil Van Harte, native New Jerseyan and Springsteen fan, says, "Our interview subjects run the gamut from fans, to musicians, authors, publishers, photographers, producers, engineers, tribute bands... the list is virtually endless and the stories are always engaging."
We're psyched that the first two episodes of Beyond the Boss are about... us! Neil spoke with both Backstreets founder Charles R. Cross and myself for a two-parter to tell the story of Backstreets' 30 years. Click here for episode one, with episode two coming soon. - May 7, 2010
THE POETS DOWN HERE... Bruce Springsteen and poet Robert Pinsky, both born in the same New Jersey hospital, appeared together on Thursday for the 2010 WAMFEST Words and Music Festival event, "Jersey Rain: Robert Pinsky and Bruce Springsteen in Conversation and Performance with John Wesley Harding." For two hours, the artists discussed and performed their work for a packed auditorium of 400 students.
David Porter reports for the Associated Press: "The two men, joined at times by Harding, performed their works separately and together. Pinsky's poem 'Shirt' segued into Springsteen's 'The River,' and Springsteen read Pinsky's 'Samurai Song' as a prelude to his own 'Darkness on the Edge of Town,' played on 12-string guitar. Springsteen also performed 'Promised Land,' 'Nebraska' and 'Born to Run,' and he joked that 'you have to be careful if you're a songwriter reading poetry, because the temptation to steal is ever present.'" Springsteen also remarked, "What I've been trying to write about for 40 years, Robert gets into a single poem."
Update: Harding writes on his blog: "As ever, Bruce bowled me over with his enthusiasm and determination to do the best show possible, even leading an E Street Band-like 'prayer huddle' before we went onstage. ('Can I get an Amen?') And once we were on, it was plain sailing for a very exciting, very funny, never awkward and occasionally moving two hours. (Tears came to my eyes during 'The River,' more or less the first Springsteen song I ever heard, when it suddenly hit me that one of my very greatest heroes was sitting a foot to my right singing the shit out of my favourite song. It was, in particular, the unearthly falsetto moan at the end, just after we'd been talking about Pavarotti...."
For the full setlist from this and other recent shows,
visit our Setlists page
- Updated May 7, 2010
TRAMPS LIKE US TO RECREATE 1975 BOTTOM LINE SHOW With guests Mike Appel & Eric Meola, Saturday, May 15 in NYC This summer is the 35th anniversary of Springsteen and the E Street Band's five-day, ten-show marathon run at The Bottom Line in New York City. On Saturday May 15 at BB Kings in Times Square, Tramps Like Us is set to re-create one of the most historic Springsteen concerts ever... the August 15, 1975 show which was broadcast live on the radio and widely bootlegged around the world. Rolling Stone included this concert on their list of "The 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll." "It was our coming-out party," Springsteen said. "And some sort of transformation occurred over those five nights. We walked out of there in a different place."
With a special introduction and Q&A session with Springsteen's former manager and producerMike Appel to set the scene, Tramps Like Us will then perform all the songs in the order and arrangements as they were done that night in 1975. This is the second time ever that an entire Bruce Springsteen concert has been recreated, both times by Tramps Like Us. Their first was the legendary September 19, 1978 concert from the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ, which Tramps Like Us performed at BB King's in February to rave reviews and a complete sell-out.
In addition to a special show and special guests, there'll be a special offer for a great cause. When originally offered in late 2006, the limited edition of Eric Meola's photography book, Born to Run: The Unseen Photos, sold out quickly. Now, the last twoof these photographic gems are in the process of being signed on the title page especially for this event by both Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons. The autographed books will be auctioned off prior to the concert at BB Kings on May 15, with all proceeds going to support theThe Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
TODAY'S JERSEY SUMMIT AT WAMFEST The 2010 Words and Music Festival wraps up this afternoon with a visit from the Boss: Today's 4:00 event, open to lottery-winning students only, is "Jersey Rain: Bruce Springsteen and Robert Pinsky in Conversation," hosted by Wes Stace (AKA John Wesley Harding). From the WAMFEST blog:
Born in the same New Jersey hospital, former American poet laureate Pinsky and rock hall of famer Springsteen have risen to the pinnacle of their respective fields. “Robert’s classic book of poems, Jersey Rain, was said to remind the world that 'poetry is a tool for living,' and his astonishing career as a poet and essayist has done more than any other poet I know to promote and exemplify how poetry is and can be made relevant in all our lives,” [WAMFEST' founder David] Daniel said. “Likewise, Bruce’s astonishing lyrics reveal the 'poetry' that may be discovered at the heart of American life, the stories that bind us all together — and both of these great artists have shown us the art and beauty and dignity and truth that may be mined from those stories, those ordinary lives led in sunlight or in Jersey rain."
Continuing, he said, “Without the slightest doubt, I believe this is the most significant event in the literary history of my lifetime. There’s simply never been a meeting like this. Even if they spend the entire time telling jokes, the symbolic aspect of this discussion may well lead to the ultimate achievement of WAMFEST’s primary goal: To break down barriers between 'high' and 'low' art that have led to the marginalization of poetry (and literature generally) in society and to the marginalization of popular arts in education.
“This is the best imaginable start toward that end.”
If you're on on the right side of the door for this one, we'd love to hear from you afterward... it is a writing festival, after all. E-mail your report to editor@backstreets.com! - May 6, 2010
THE HEAT Jesse Malin — who has a new album just out with his band the St. Marks Social, Love it to Life — has always even been a Bruce fan, even when it wasn't fashionable. As he tells Spinner, "All my friends that liked punk hated Springsteen," and Malin would do his best to show them the light. That must have earned him some good Bruce karma: read Jesse Malin Credits Bruce Springsteen for Getting Him Out of Jail. - May 5, 2010
UNCUT'S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Out now, from the makers of UK music mag Uncut, is The Ultimate Music Guide: Springsteen. A follow-up to their U2 guide, it's 148 pages of Bruce, cover to cover -- starting with an introduction from Steve Van Zandt. Looking to the future, Steve says:
Bruce has never talked about stopping. It's unimaginable. He's not even close to running out of ideas. Physically, he's in the greatest shape of his life. He may decide to do some other things, but there's no reason why we shouldn't keep the band together another 10 years, maybe more.
Following Steve's welcome, there's a look at each of the albums, Bruce interviews from the NME / Melody Maker / Uncut archives, rare photography... closing with the story of the night Springsteen met Phil Spector. A pretty spectacular compendium.
May 5 update: Backstreet Records has run through our stock already, but we're working to get our hands on additional copies -- hopefully it's just a temporary sell-out. Keep your eye on this page for the option to order once we've got them back in. - Updated May 5, 2010
GLORY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN As the Star-Ledger reports, Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at last night's New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Newark, to do the honors for new inductee Danny DeVito. "He has Jersey attitude pouring out of him, even when he is standing still," said Springsteen. The pair teamed up for a performance of "Glory Days." Turnabout is fair play — they sang that one together two years ago, when DeVito inducted Springsteen as part of the NJHOF's inaugural class. - May 3, 2010 - Gary Gellman photo
"ROSALITA" COMES OUT TONIGHT London Calling DVD to present Hyde Park show in full We're pleased as Punch -- chuffed, even -- to see a corrected press release for the upcoming London Calling release, which now lists "Rosalita" in its rightful slot between "Born to Run" and "Hard Times." Which means the new DVD will capture the E Street Band's complete show from the Hard Rock Calling festival, from the "London Calling" opener through the closing "Dancing in the Dark." There, that feels better.
We're taking pre-orders now, for both the 2-DVD and Blu-ray versions of London Calling: Live in Hyde Park, both due June 22. Place yours now to get our pre-order sale price! - May 3, 2010
HELP THE DANNY FUND WIN $250,000 From May 1 to May 31, the Danny Fund / Melanoma Research Alliance is participating in the Refresh Project and is in the running to win a $250,000 grant. Honor the memory of Danny Federici and help support Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in their efforts to save lives from melanoma. Please spread the word about this project — you can vote every day in the month of May. Your efforts can help make a difference in the lives of thousands diagnosed with melanoma each year.
To sign up and vote in the Refresh Project now, click here.
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE The Backstreets Liner Notes, our own song-by-song printed booklet, comes exclusive and FREE with each CD & LP! ORDER NOW
Backstreet Records is the mailorder division of Backstreets, delivering Springsteen merchandise to fans for more than 25 years. We carry numerous collectibles, tour shirts, books, magazines, and imported CDs and records.
The world's best selection of Springsteen collectibles, all available by mail.
BACKSTREETS #91 Our most recent issue honors a very Big Man. More than half of the 116-page, perfect bound Backstreets #91 is a tribute to the life and music of... do we have to say his name?
We also post all known concert dates for some of our favorite Jersey Shore (and Shore-adopted) musicians:
Willie Nile Bobby Bandiera Southside Johnny John Eddie JoBonanno Joe D'Urso... and more.
For more information on upcoming shows such as these, check out our Concert Calendar.
SAVE TILLIE
Many from the Springsteen community banded together to preserve this Asbury Park landmark.... and Tillie has now been saved!
Check our Save Tillie page for the latest developments.
THE SPRINGSTEEN SPECIAL COLLECTION
Organized by Backstreets in 2001, this storehouse of Boss books and magazines is the largest such collection outside of Bruce's mother's basement. Thanks to the generosity of fans around the world, total holdings are now well over 11,000. But the collection is by no means complete.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have just released Pills and Ammo, a 12-track album of new material — and last week at the listening party, a bunch of friends joined in the celebration. Hosted by Q104.3's Ken Dashow, the event took place at Maxies Grill in New York City. Southside and cohorts including album co-writer/co-producer Jeff Kazee got up to jam, and they were soon joined by Litte Steven for a smokin' trio of "Loving Cup," "Broke Down Piece of Man," and "Forever." Gary U.S. Bonds (who guests on Pills and Ammo), stepped up for "Get Up, Stand Up"/"New Orleans" and "Land of a Thousand Dances"; Willie Nile came on for another Stones classic, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
The 
The A.P. also asked Mighty Max about the recent late-night TV shake-ups: "His Max Weinberg Big Band is starting a national tour next month in New Jersey. But Weinberg remained coy about any career reincarnation in television, which he smilingly called 'a tough business.... As they say in television, you'll have to stay tuned.'"
David Porter reports for the 
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