Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band return to concert stage: 'We're back!' Boss says
“We're back!”
That's the word from Bruce Springsteen moments after the E Street Band's tour relaunch at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on March 19. It comes courtesy of a backstage hype reel on his Instagram account, posted March 20.
The video starts with a look at the guitars of the E Street band, and then Springsteen picking his guitar from tech Kevin Buell under the stage. Springsteen then exhorts E Street Band members as they climb the stairs to the stage. Springsteen proceeds to march up the steps, dramatically backlit like a scene out of the Second Coming.
Fast forward neatly three hours and Springsteen comes down the steps and gets into a circle with the band.
“Great show everybody!” says Springsteen, flailing his arms in the air. “I'll see you in Las Vegas, Nevada!”
Then a leaning smile into the camera: “We're back!”
In Phoenix, Springsteen and E Street played 29 songs in about two hours and 45 minutes. The setlist largely adhered to the 2023 setlist with a few changes and a sign request for “Twist and Shout.”
Prior to "Last Man Standing" from 2020's "Letter to You" was the spoken interlude about Springsteen's late Castiles bandmate George Theiss of Freehold.
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“Bruce looked and sounded great,” said Pete Maimone of North Brunswick via email. “The entire band was as good as ever — very high energy as promised. There were some setlist changes, but nothing earth-shattering. Everyone around us walked out loving it.”
The band lineup was the same as the 2023 shows with Max Weinberg, drums; Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, guitars; Garry Tallent, bass; Roy Bittan and Charles Giordano, keyboards; Jake Clemons, saxophone; Soozie Tyrell, fiddle and vocals; the E Street Band Horns — Curt Ramm and Barry Danielian on trumpet, Eddie Manion on sax, and Ozzie Melendez on trombone; and the E Street Choir — Anthony Almonte, Curtis King, Michelle Moore, Lisa Lowell and Ada Dyer.
Almonte also plays percussion. Band member Patti Scialfa, as was the case for most of last year, was not on stage.
Springsteen postponed the tour last September due to a bout with peptic ulcer disease. Up next is the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, March 22.
“Thanks,” said Springsteen from the stage in Phoenix at the close of the show. “I want to apologize if there was any discomfort over moving the show last time — I had a (blanking) bellyache! I hope we didn't inconvenience you too much.”
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen returns to concert stage
