Bruce Springsteen, during second night in Philly, talks about last year's illness
Bruce Springsteen is feeling better, thank you.
The Boss and the E Street Band delivered a rafter-shaking three-hour concert Friday, Aug. 23 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. This time a year ago, he wasn’t doing so well and was scheduled to play in Philly with the E Street Band.
“So there I was on the Jersey Shore,” said Springsteen, 74, during a musical break in “Growin’ Up.” “I think it was last summer because my belly was (blanking) killing me. Anything I did, my belly hurt. Trying to sing, my belly hurt. If I tried to play the guitar, my belly hurt. If I went to kiss my baby, my belly hurt! I was laying there thinking, (blank), I’d rather be in Philadelphia!”
The show Friday and Wednesday, Aug. 21 were makeup shows for last August when Springsteen postponed the E Street Band tour due to a bout with peptic ulcer disease.
On Friday, a few setlist change-ups from Wednesday keep fans on their feet. Opener “Seeds” was delivered with burning intensity and Steven Van Zandt scorched a solo for “Prove It All Night” on his black and purple Fender guitar early in the show.
“My Love Will Not Let You Down,” recorded for “Born in the US.A.” in the early '80s but finally released on the 1998 “Tracks” compilation, was another early set surprise.
“Reason to Believe,” “Atlantic City,” and “Long Walk Home,” worked well as a somber and stirring mid-set theme. A glint of redemption and hope when the night is at its darkest.
There will be better -- and fun -- days ahead. Later in the show, Springsteen let Philly Elvis in the front row sing part of “Thunder Road” and Springsteen and Van Zandt danced across the stage on their tippy toes like two Fred Astaires on "Glory Days.".
All was forgiven in Philly, including missing the two shows last summer and referring to the Meadowlands and the Giants in the song “Wrecking Ball,” which drew boos, not “Bruuuces.”
Springsteen also delivered another state of the band address in Philly, following up on his Wednesday declaration they ain’t quitting.
“We ain’t doing no farewell tour bull(blanking),” Springsteen said. “Jesus Christ, no farewell tour for the E Street Band! Hell no! Farewell to what? Thousands of people screaming your name? Yeah, I want to quit that!”
The crowd responded with a stadium-sized Bruuuuce.
“That’s it, that's all it takes,” Springsteen quipped. “I ain’t going anywhere.”
Up next is Sept. 7 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.; Sept. 13 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore; and then Sept. 15 as part of the Sea Hear Now festival on the beach in Asbury Park.
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Shows are scheduled through Nov. 22 of this year and there are four make-up dates scheduled for the summer of 2025 in Europe. Shows in Europe were postponed in May of this year due to Springsteen's “vocal issues” that arose after a May 22 performance at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, in what fans called a chilly and rainy day.
“We ain’t quittin’,” said Springsteen at the Aug. 21 show. “We ain’t stopping -- what the (blank) for? Why do people stop?”
E Street Band members Steven Van Zandt, Roy Bittan, Garry Tallent, Jake Clemons, Anthony Almonte and Curtis King Jr, visited Asbury Park on Thursday, Aug. 22 for a TeachRock benefit at Asbury Lanes. Photographers Pam Springsteen (Bruce's sister), Nicki Germaine and Rob DeMartin also participated. Filmmaker Thom Zimny hosted and newsman Brian Williams emceed.
Attendees at the big-ticket event, which benefited Van Zandt's TeachRock educational initiative, were shown rare footage of E Street Band performances spanning from the 1970s to more recent years.
Springsteen, E Street Philly night 2 setlist
Seeds
Prove It All Night
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Two Hearts
Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Promised Land
Hungry Heart
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Reason to Believe
Atlantic City
Long Walk Home
The E Street Shuffle
Growin' Up
Nightshift
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because the Night
I'm on Fire
She's the One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Twist and Shout
I'll See You in My Dreams
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: At Philly concert, Bruce Springsteen opens up about illness
