Bruce Springsteen and E Street relaunch tour in Phoenix: 'Pure joy watching Bruce'
Bruce Springsteen is back, and Jersey fans approve.
Springsteen and the E Street Band received high marks from New Jersey fans at the March 19 tour relaunch show at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The Boss had postponed shows late last year due to his bout with peptic ulcer disease.
“The show was fantastic,” said Mitch Salter of Westfield. “The energy right off the bat was really strong. It wasn't a Jersey crowd, but they were fairly well behaved.”
Springsteen and E Street played 29 songs in about two hours and 45 minutes. The setlist adhered largely to the 2023 tour, with a few changes and a sign request for “Twist and Shout.” The night included the spoken interlude about Springsteen's late Castiles bandmate George Theiss (who grew up in Freehold) prior to “Last Man Standing.”
“Amazing!” said Sharon Waters of Bloomfield via email. “Bruce’s voice sounded so strong. He seemed so pumped and it was like he was having the best time. Pure joy watching Bruce having so much fun. It was so wonderful to have Bruce and the whole band back — they were missed.”
The Phoenix show was the first for Springsteen and the E Street Band since Sept. 3, 2023, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
“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.”
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Rocker Alice Cooper liked it, too. He was seated near the stage.
“He was dancing along and he was singing,” Slater said. “He was grooving — he was having fun.”
Cooper met E Street Band members at the show.
“Alice Cooper Told Me I Was Beautiful!” posted E Street Choir member Michelle Moore on Facebook with guitars, smiley face and heart emojis. “WOW What A First Show. We Back.”
More: Springsteen tour relaunches in Phoenix. Fans staying on 'ride as long as it's going'
The band lineup was the same as the 2023 shows. Band member Patti Scialfa, as was the case for most of last year, was not on stage.
Up next is the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, March 22.
Springsteen Phoenix setlist
Lonesome Day
Night
No Surrender
Two Hearts
Darlington County
Ghosts
Prove it All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Letter to You
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)
Night Shift
Mary’s Place
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because the Night
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 @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen tour relaunches in Phoenix: 'Pure joy'
