BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : BOSTON 2023

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : BOSTON 2023

Disc One (59:08)

No Surrender
Ghosts
Prove It All Night
Letter To You
The Promised Land
Out In The Street
Candy's Room
Kitty's Back
Nightshift
Trapped

Disc Two (60:29)

The E Street Shuffle
Johnny 99
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because The Night
She's The One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands

Disc Three (48:45)

Dirty Water
Thunder Road
Born To Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Glory Days
Dancing In The Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I'll See You In My Dreams

Label : Live.BruceSpringsteen.Net

Venue : TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Recording Date : March 20, 2023

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Concert Review (Kieran's Thoughts) : Just two days shy of the forty-sixth anniversary of night one (of four) in Boston’s Music Hall, Springsteen and the E Street Band brought their 2023 International Tour to the city that has hosted many of their most exceptional shows, stepping into the TD Garden on fine form after playing heated and highly communal nights in Philadelphia and Penn State. Now it was Boston’s turn to showcase their special relationship with those onstage, and having witnessed many momentous shows over the years, this audience knew that if they brought their usual amount of high energy, it would surely result in another one. To say this show was business as usual in Boston for Springsteen and the E Street Band could be misleading. A city known for marathon sets and a wide variety of surprises, it was rather the tour’s standard setlist that shaped it, nonetheless making for a business as usual night on the 2023 tour. That said, Boston aren’t strangers to a locked-in setlist as Bruce and the Band’s last outing here on The River Tour 2016 was typical of that opening leg, but just like that night which saw the tour debut of “Roulette” after the full album performance concluded, there was also a special song performance for the Garden to relish here. That special performance would come later, though, and the night began in straightforward fashion with “No Surrender” fronting an opening sequence that continues to evoke catharsis and excitement, no matter how many times fans may have heard it. The Born in the U.S.A. rouser gave evidence of a Bruce vocal improving after a few shows with strain at the forefront, but that didn’t prevent him from singing with much intensity to complement thrilling efforts from the E Street Band. This was also the case in “Ghosts,” although the overly passionate vocal Bruce employed here made for a version that didn’t have much melodic beauty on his part. Thankfully the E Street Band gave the Garden an excellent example of what a good band does in response and covered those faults with a gorgeous display. Charlie Giordano, Roy Bittan and Jake Clemons shone with equal parts tender and roaring instrumentals on the organ, piano and saxophone, and they brought more in “Prove It All Night,” which could serve as the tagline of this tour regardless of its unyielding setlist. It was Bruce and Little Stevie Van Zandt, however, who brought Boston the most joy across these near-five minutes through intoxicating vocals and guitar playing so insatiable that this could well and truly be the best version of this Darkness track on the tour yet. With only one major change in the setlist, there may be fans who think Bruce and the E Street Band are approaching this tour with little to no motivation, but as noted, this song’s title could be the tagline of this tour for a reason. Then, as was the case in Pennsylvania, “Letter To You” resonated greater than usual throughout the Garden with the many years of memories made in this city at the front of everyone’s mind – onstage and off. This song brought about a change in tempo, however the passion remained the same as Bruce led an emotionally driven reading that told Boston how important they’ve been in his fifty+ year journey. That was stressed more in “The Promised Land” next, with Bruce at his most determined and the E Street Band at their most euphoric to let Boston know where their support has led them over the last five decades. These five minutes of communion and catharsis were perhaps best exemplified by the fiery backing vocals of Little Stevie (not to mention his stunning harmonies, too) as his passion typified the feeling of all inside the Garden. “Out in the Street” continued the communion, as well as the excitement, as another fantastic performance to once again conclude this opening sequence upon its return to the setlist in Penn State. With no missteps to be found, it seems as though its absence from the show allowed Bruce and the Band to find their groove without that ‘one song’ tainting the positives as an outlier, and evidently they’re now able to master this with ease. “Candy’s Room” followed the opening six-pack by amplifying the energy those songs had created inside the Garden. As has been the case since night one in Tampa, it was Bruce, Little Stevie and Max Weinberg who drove the song, picking up where they left off in State College to deliver a very high-powered performance that contrasted the exuberance of the preceding River track with the damning dynamism that only the songs from Darkness on the Edge of Town can bring. “Candy’s” final guitar solo then segued swiftly – and viciously – into “Kitty’s Back,” and while different in themes to the songs prior, I do see these two songs as part of each night’s opening portion. With that, the WIESS delight brought the start of this show in Boston to a euphonic end. An opportunity for everyone onstage to showcase why they’re part of this year’s touring line-up was an opportunity taken advantage of, and the result was a magnificent version of this song. As Bruce delivered an impressive vocal (and guitar playing) performance – there was a voice break as he declared “Get dooooowwwwn!”, but there was no cause for concern – the E Street Band once again backed their boss with likewise playing. Standing out in particular here were the E Street Horns, whose vibrant riffs continue to exhilarate, Professor Roy, whose piano playing was particularly superb, and our two guitarists alongside Bruce: Little Stevie and Nils Lofgren, who when not spotlighted with a solo were shining in the background, with a prime example being the licks behind Bruce and the Band during the “Here she comes!” build for the finale. As an ever-present on the tour up to now and typically clocking in at twelve minutes long, “Kitty’s Back” mightn’t be for every fan, but there’s no denying that each version brings us something to make it worth our time. Having established a great amount of energy inside the Garden in front of an audience who were very excited from the get-go, it was time to bring the tempo down somewhat with the first of two reflections, “Nightshift.” One of the central songs on this tour as far as the themes of mortality and legacy are concerned, the Commodores’ song saw typically delectable efforts from Curtis King Jr. complement a committed Bruce vocal and spirited efforts from his fellow E Street Choir members, as well as the E Street Horns, and though sobering in tone, the stimulating coda served as an very important reminder for this Boston audience: we can miss those who are gone, but we must make sure we celebrate them while we can. The soul cover from Bruce’s 2022 LP, Only The Strong Survive, led into what many believe is his greatest concert cover, “Trapped,” and Boston reflected how loved this one is with a great ovation upon it starting. That ovation inspired those onstage to deliver a dedicated reading, and this was certainly devoted with Bruce ardently singing every line, joined by his band and his audience for the chorus, Jake playing a mighty solo, and Charlie anchoring the performance with sensational organ riffs; on the fifteenth anniversary of Danny Federici’s final show this was a timely performance, and as one of the songs that allowed the Phantom to mesmerise audiences most, Bruce and the E Street Band honoured his memory greatly, their passion showcased best by a refrain during the coda that saw more communal declarations of “TRAPPED!” chanted to great effect. The two songs of reflection were then followed by rowdy renditions of “The E Street Shuffle” and “Johnny 99” that restored the high energy inside the Garden. Whimsical riffs from the E Street Horns fronted their invigorating intro to the former, and they led into another enthralling song performance of a track that is becoming more and more enjoyable to listen to with each show (setlist repetition be damned!). Of course, the main highlight of the night’s second WIESS cut was the percussion battle between Max and Anthony Almonte, but as always there was much more to be found, and this was actually the first time I’ve found myself so overjoyed by the sparkling guitar riffs that follow the lyric about “dual flashlight phantoms in full star stream” (maybe Danny’s spirit influenced this moment also). With Bruce’s enthusiasm on the night showcased so well, that line wasn’t the only one that stood out, and though Max’s drumbeats after Bruce declares “hits ‘em with a double shot!” have been a delight for a long time, I loved hearing Jake and his sax join in with him on this occasion. If it wasn’t already apparent up to this point, Springsteen and the E Street Band were having a great time in Boston, and that continued into “Johnny 99.” Bringing to Boston the cowbell that has taken previously played cities by storm to ensure they were having a great time also, this one saw exciting efforts from Nils, Roy and Soozie Tyrell on their respective instruments, while Bruce and Little Stevie brought fantastic fierceness in their vocals (and their guitar playing) to complement them and the rousing riffs of the Horns, to ultimately leave the audience just as breathless as they were overjoyed. That breathlessness called for another lowering of the tempo, so “Last Man Standing,” the centrepiece of the show that Bruce has been playing solo on this tour – albeit with the support of Curt Ramm in the form of a profound trumpet solo – was appropriate. With that said, however, fans know at this point that “Last Man Standing” isn’t an easy listen, as combined with Bruce’s monologue and the following performance of “Backstreets,” it’s each night’s most emotionally devastating moment. It’s with this song that Bruce is able to pay tribute to his first real rock and roll band, The Castiles, but more importantly its founding member, George Theiss, who invited Bruce into the band, and whose passing in the year 2018 left Bruce as the band’s last living member. Bruce described this to Boston as akin to “standing on the tracks with the white hot lights of an oncoming train bearing down on ya,” but for as much as George’s passing made Bruce think about his fate, it also made him think about now, and before playing this captivating performance he made sure Boston knew “how important living every moment of every day to the best of your ability” is. With a final plea to “be good to those you love, and to this world around you,” a lot has been said – on this site and others – about this being the last tour, E Street or entire, and if this is to be the last time, then it’s evident that Bruce is wanting his parting messages to be one his audience can take away and act on. The great emotion continued with “Backstreets,” its interlude in which Bruce paid another tribute to George Theiss serving as the apex, but where the interlude has become somewhat expected in this nightly epic, we’re perhaps now able to focus more on the song performance itself and the stand out aspects it brings. “Backstreets” in Boston can be a special thing, and the four shows in the Boston Music Hall that I mentioned at the top of this review are regarded as some of the best ever. So it’s no surprise that Springsteen and the E Street Band upped their game on this occasion to play a truly essential version on the tour, with Bruce playing the most mesmerising guitar solo that the song has seen in the year 2023, and his rapturous declarations of “Hiiiding!” and “Ruuunning!” standing out with extra passion – the delivery makes for a striking contrast to the howls in “Last Man Standing” – amidst brilliant work from Roy, Charlie, Stevie and Garry Tallent. To know that the men and women onstage were still capable of making this song even better is incredible. The exceptional performance quality continued after “Backstreets” as the usual five-pack to end the main set brought stellar readings of “Because the Night,” highlighted by the fervency of Max and Nils; “She’s the One,” in which the E Street Band entire evoked euphoria from the audience with a pulsating performance; “Wrecking Ball,” which again saw boos for the Giants – they’re an unforgiving bunch those Pats fans! – and laughs from Bruce to them to complement the defiance of a band not willing to let the proverbial wrecking ball take them down yet; and “Badlands” saw the set out as an explosive, gloriously guitar driven finale to the music that had been played over the last hour and fifty minutes; but for the second show in a row it was “The Rising” that stood out as the absolute highlight of this sequence. This tour’s unyielding setlist has drawn comparisons to Bruce’s Broadway show, and considering how much of a highlight “The Rising” was on Broadway, it’s unsurprising that Bruce is singing with similar inspiration. Unsurprising as this may be, it’s still a great delight to hear him put so much passion into his deliveries of lines such as “pictures of our children!”; “sky filled with light!”; “end of my liiiine!” and also the “Sky of…” verse, which stunned last time out in State College, too. Similarly to “Backstreets,” we’re now reaching a point where the songs we don’t expect to get better are doing just that. “Thunder Road” was set to follow “Badlands” on the setlist as the final song of the main set, but Bruce called something of an audible next and made it the second song in the encore instead as the chanting and enthusiasm of Boston following “Badlands” made for as good an opportunity as any to play the night’s big surprise, The Standells’ 1966 hit “Dirty Water,” a song that is synonymous with Boston. With hardened riffs instantly recognised by the Garden, their chanting continued, singing along with every instrumental and if you didn’t know any better you’d think this show was taking place inside the San Siro. Punctuated by nuanced Horns riffs and led by a strong Bruce vocal that flowed freely with him employing the Sprechgesang technique of singing and speaking lyrics, the joy inside the arena was simply stupendous. “Ohhhh you sound f*ckin’ good!” was the call from Bruce to Boston on the night, and I’m sure fans listening to the Live Download will be shouting the same as they enjoy this song in its first appearance on an official Springsteen recording. Not bad for a static set! Bruce’s decision to capitalise on the audience’s chanting proved to be a masterstroke as far as the rest of the encore was concerned, because “Dirty Water” further invigorated all inside the Garden and the energy that flowed through the final six full-band song performances was palpable. “Thunder Road” found extra vigour in being so stunningly sung by Bruce, while “Born to Run” gleamed thanks to the pronounced playing of Roy, Garry and the Horns. These two songs were only a taster of the energy, though, and it was magnified to even greater heights courtesy of a manic “Rosalita” that saw the E Street Band’s playing as immense as any other song on the night – even “Backstreets”! It also gave witness to what may be another duel of sorts in the show, as the wild man noises are seemingly now not enough for Bruce and Stevie, and it’s now a case of who can make audiences laugh more with eccentric declarations: for Bruce it’s “I’m coming to liberate you! To confiscate you! I want to be your man!”; while Stevie’s battle cry is “Rosieee! I’m hooome!”. And we thought Max vs Anthony in “The E Street Shuffle” was intense! “Glory Days” then saw more Springsteen and Van Zandt antics at the forefront of the performance, and when Bruce first stressed his desire to stay onstage, his consigliere’s emphatic response of “Hell no I don’t wanna go home!” was a perfect summary of the mood in Boston on this night. So, with that settled the E Street Band launched into “Dancing in the Dark” to continue the party. Now, this song has been played at a lightning-fast pace since opening night, but this version served as another example of just how much Boston were driving those onstage on, because it was rapid, and that word doesn’t even speak for what came after Bruce sang “I need a love reaction!” and the E Street Band briefly halted the music. When the music restarted they played with even more energy, so much that it was like their life depended on it. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve played with that sort of attitude in this city, and after fifty years of shows in Boston this was really the most perfect bookend. Of course, the night wasn’t over, and Bruce carried that rapturous attitude into his band introductions, commanding Boston to “WAKE UP THE WHOLE F*CKIN’ NEIGHBOURHOOD!” and let the neighbourhood know who they’d just seen with a whirlwind recitation. The story of the E Street Band then followed with a resounding “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and it brought the Band’s night to a fitting conclusion, before Bruce closed the night out solo. With “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” Bruce was able to end the show with a song that wraps it up thematically, linking with its Letter To You counterparts and “Backstreets” especially; and this song also allowed him to say goodbye to Boston with one final nod to their history and the special connection they’ve shared during it. This is an audience that supported Bruce during a lawsuit; during a time when his worldview was changing drastically; when he toured with different bands; when he was saying goodbye to Danny Federici, and healing from the loss of Clarence Clemons. The road has been long, but it’s one that they’ve travelled together and this finale perfectly reflected that. A gorgeous end to a damn good show. Willed on by an excellent audience, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered in Boston as their 2023 International Tour gets better and better. With the exception of The Standells’ “Dirty Water” in its tour (and Live Downloads) debut, this show was shaped by – just about – the same set that has shaped every other, but where that may seem disappointing on paper, the execution was an excellent performance from men and women who are using it to tighten up as a unit and ultimately blow every audience they play in front of away. That was the case here as songs such as “Prove It All Night,” “Trapped,” “Backstreets,” “The Rising” and “Dancing in the Dark” stunned in how intensely passionate they were played. Whether it was guitar playing, organ riffs, vocal nuances or energy, these songs ensured Boston got the best that Springsteen and the E Street Band had to offer, and that’s not to forget quality renditions of tour highlights like “Kitty’s Back” and “The E Street Shuffle” that are beginning to see different aspects stand out in addition to those we’re anticipating. Bruce and the E Street Band return to Massachusetts at the end of August, and it’ll be great to see if they can top this! Next up for Bruce was the White House ceremony in which he received the National Medal of Arts from President Biden, but for the E Street Band and fans it was all eyes on Buffalo.