The "Magic" is missing

I'm seriously considering it ... the more old concerts I hear on Sirius 10, the more I realize I need to see Springsteen live at least once in my life. This might be one of my last chances.

 

If you have any interest in his music, go.

My suspicion is this is the end of the E Street Band as we have known it.

That's already happened, of course, with the death of Danny Federici, but I think the end of this tour will mean the end of the full-scale E Street tours.

I don't think Bruce will retire or only play solo acoustic or Seeger Sessions-style hootenannies, but I think this will be it for the full-band tours. Clarence Clemons is 66 (although frankly, I think he looked better this time around than on the last couple of tours).

My completely uninformed guess is they'll play to the end of the tour on August 30, then maybe a farewell/finale show in Asbury Park at Christmastime. After that, one-off shows or very brief tours every couple of years depending on when Bruce wants to put out records.

 

setlists still growing and get improvements. this is the show i would love to have seen:

http://backstreets.com/setlists.html

 

Sometimes, it takes years before a song grows on you or you gain appreciation for it.

Using two examples from my favorite bands, I hated Tom Petty's "It's Good To Be King" from the time it came out until just last year. Then I suddenly started loving it for no apparent reason.

When Fleetwood Mac released its 2003 CD Say You Will, I always skipped "Murrow Turning Over In His Grave." I thought it was hackneyed and over-political. I actually listened to it this year when one of my friends started "retroing" on it. Now it's one of the songs that gets regular play off that disc. Perhaps the fact I'm now in media has something to do with it?

Musical tastes evolve. People can go from loving a song to hating it or from hating a song to loving it. Perhaps a song is playing at the right time for you to start appreciating it differently. The same can definitely be said for Bruce.

 

31 songs tonight in helsinki. including a july 11th rendition of "santa claus is coming to town."

http://backstreets.com/setlists.html

 

According to the setlist commentary, the show is up to 3:10.

The longest Springsteen show ever was 38 songs, 4:00 on Dec. 31, 1980.

 

Some great songs there -- I love "Sherry Darling" live. He's going past "American Land" now in every show.

I really get the feeling that this is it for the band. No formal retirement, but this is going to be the last real tour that they do. All of the guys are beyond flush from the 3 tours in the past 10 years and Danny's death may have allowed some of the other members to speak up that they don't want to spend another year away from home.

 

There are rumors going around that there will be another band tour in April 2009 to support a new album.
After the tour ends in August two band members are allegedly having surgery (one rumor said Clarence and Nils having hip replacement surgery; another said Clarence's hip and Max's back).
They have been recording during the breaks in this tour so the material is there for another album.

The E Street Band as we've come to love it might be ending, but it will continue to go on in some fashion.

In early 1974 Ernest "Boom" Carter replaced Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez on drums and it was still the E Street Band. In late 1974 Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan joined the band replacing Carter and David Sancious. In 1975, Steve formally joined the band. In 1984 Patti Scialfa was added to the band and Nils Lofgren replaced Steve Van Zandt. That lineup stayed intact for two tours before Bruce broke the band up. They reunited, with Steve added back to the mix, record additional songs for Greatest Hits and play two concerts (Sony Studios and the bar I'm forgetting the name of for the Murder Inc. video).
Four years later they reunited for the "reunion" tour and The Rising.
So now with Charles Giordano replacing Danny Federici its still the E Street Band.

Some fans hated the 92-93 tour because it wasn't the E Street Band, I enjoyed those shows as they added a soulful side to the music, plus they forced Bruce out front more with more guitar solos.

So his days of touring with a rock band aren't over yet. The E Street Band will continue, in some fashion. Once Conan takes over for Leno, if he keeps the MW7 as his house band, Max won't be able to tour with Bruce as much, which means a new drummer for the band.

In the mid/late 80s they spent almost the entire time on the road -- Born in the USA tour (84-85), Tunnel/Amnesty Tours (87-88). That's four years out of 5 on the road. This time around it was nearly all of 99-first half of 2000; late 2002-almost all of 2003; and now late 2007 through just over half of 2008. A nice four year break in the middle. They all love touring with Bruce and playing the music, so I don't think the frequency of the touring is an issue.

 

using the phrase "in some fashion" -- is ESJ actually Bruce?

I still think that this is it.

 

I was channeling Bruce.

 

Tonight in Barcelona, "Tougher Than the Rest" followed by "Incident". Very strong.

 

What are the odds they release a live album culled from the post-reunion tours?