BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : OAKLAND ARENA, OAKLAND, CA, OCTOBER 28, 1999

Disc One (40:03)

1. Adam Raised a Cain
2. Prove It All Night
3. Two Hearts
4. The Promised Land
5. Atlantic City
6. Mansion on the Hill
7. Independence Day

Disc Two (65:07)

1. Youngstown
2. Murder Incorporated
3. Badlands
4. Out in the Street
5. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
6. Working on the Highway
7. The Ghost of Tom Joad
8. Sinaloa Cowboys

Disc Three (66:25)

1. Backstreets
2. Light of Day
3. Hungry Heart (with Southside Johnny)
4. Ramrod
5. Born to Run
6. Thunder Road
7. If I Should Fall Behind
8. Land of Hope and Dreams
9. Blinded by the Light

Label : BruceSpringsteen.net

Venue : Oakland Arena, Oakland, California, USA

Recording Date : October 28, 1999

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review (Kieran's Thoughts) : Days out from the kick-off of the 2025 Land of Hope and Dreams Tour in Europe, the Live Archive Series returns to hold us over with a show from another tour worthy of that title. The final night of a three-show stand in Oakland Arena transports us back to the fall of 1999 for another Reunion rouser. The last two Series instalments, from 2012 and 2008 respectively, have shown us how Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band responded to the passings of Clarence Clemons and Dan Federici, but with this one we can sit back and enjoy a perfect midpoint, with all of the core E Street Band present, healthy and with an immense drive to bring audiences “life, right now!” Five days after playing one of the tour’s most renowned shows inside the Staples Center (also one of the most celebrated Archive Series releases) October 28th in Oakland saw Springsteen and the E Street Band continue making magical moments by way of a blistering performance with plenty of scintillating songs to send shockwaves down their audience’s spines. It was scintillating from the off, too, as this relatively compact twenty-four song set began with the vicious combination of “Adam Raised a Cain” and “Prove It All Night.” Six months into their revival, Springsteen and the E Street Band were playing with a refined intensity and a maintained purpose which is well reflected in these Darkness tracks. A bubbling intro mirrored the audience’s great anticipation before the hellacious “Adam,” which saw Bruce sing with a most yearning vocal, full of pain to kickstart a night that would feature more than just this song about his relationship with his father. This final verse was particularly immense to cap off the fire and fury that had led us to it and “Prove It” afterward wasn’t exactly unrelenting. It saw Max Weinberg, Garry Tallent and Danny Federici shine on their respective instruments (drums, bass, organ) much to the delight of those in the house, and the passionate display of vocals and guitar from Bruce and Little Stevie Van Zandt was even more enjoyable at the forefront of the performance – Bruce’s guitar solo that followed Clarence Clemons’ first contribution on the evening was savage. Bruce and Stevie’s passion persisted through “Two Hearts,” which erupted with buoyancy as an utterly sensational performance. There were several moments throughout this show where Bruce’s vocal approach for a line here and there contrasted what we may expect in certain tour staples, and his delivery of “that’s why! I keep searching until I find!” was the first example. It wasn’t a long wait for the second either, as a soulful “it takes two noooow!” to end the song with a brotherly ode was much more akin to the original song than what Bruce and Stevie would settle on for good, not even a couple of months from the end of this show. “The Promised Land” maintained (and enhanced) the joyful tempo to conclude a romping start to the show, but that tempo soon dropped with “Atlantic City,” which nonetheless retained Oakland’s excitement and the E Street Band’s intensity. This was another song of yearning – this time for the protagonist’s future rather than their past – and that was best highlighted late on, as Bruce called to “meet me…” before heightening the music and that intensity for one almighty crescendo. One more Nebraska selection followed, this one lowering the tempo even further as a homely, country arrangement of “Mansion on the Hill” allowed Bruce and Patti to reflect together – the way Bruce sang “laughing allll the time!” served as another vocal adjustment to the touring norm – while Nils Lofgren and Little Stevie complemented with delicate pedal steel and acoustic guitar, and Danny did similar with tender organ. Bruce’s sobering songs of youth were prolonged by River track, “Independence Day,” also rearranged into an even slower, all the more piano driven ballad. This one featured several stretched out vocal deliveries, too, which equally emphasised and reflected on a heartbreaking struggle between father and son, now something of the past. Always something of a surprise when playing a Reunion Tour show, just like that the first portion was finished and it’s into “Youngstown” for the core sequence. Another solo album rearrangement, this one hits differently to “Atlantic City” and “Mansion on the Hill,” serving as the first of five tour de forces, anchored by a storming Springsteen vocal and highlighted by Nils Lofgren’s perennially evolving finale. The aggression intensified with “Murder Incorporated,” which pulsated by way of Weinberg and Tallent’s efforts and left jaws agape courtesy of the hard hitting work from Bruce – the height of his vocal can be found in a manic third verse – alongside Stevie and Nils. No doubt, those guitars were hot enough to set Oakland Arena ablaze! Then came “Badlands,” if the music wasn’t fiery enough. The extent of “Murder Incorporated’s” intensity was apparent very early on in the live essential as Bruce’s voice sounded slightly worn, but he refused to let that stop him as he led a rampaging performance. I especially loved the midpoint during this one, which saw Max hit his drums with such a crisp beat as Bruce called on Oakland to chant louder and louder, driving those onstage to more awesome heights. The Bossman got want he wanted. “There’s only one thing I want to know! I want to know! Is there anybody alive out there!?!!?” was the essential interrogative to raise Oakland up all the more before “Out in the Street” and although Bruce certainly sounded worn at the top of “Badlands,” the instant recovery throughout the rest of that one and into this River rouser was staggering. A frenzy of a performance, and with one more essential cry to Oakland, the hysteria of this sequence reached its summit. Understandably, this extended, near-twenty minute version of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” can be tiresome for fans – Bruce adding “I can the feel the spirit now!” into his preacher rant may be total overkill – but for me it’s near-twenty minutes of bliss. That lengthy, building intro and the sensational delivery of “to the waaaaaall now!” are regular favourites that once again hit the spot, and Bruce’s finale to that above mentioned “I can feel the spirit” riff is also great: “I feel him coming into me! I’m possessed… not by the ghost of Tom Joad, but the ghost of Tom Jones!” is an uncommon delight. For Oakland, thrusts ensue, but for us only listening there’s no doubt that Bruce is at his audience interacting best here even without the visual moments. As Bruce preached about that second chance he’s found and sings about that “gypsy woman!” he called on Roy to play a little piece, which segues in to his introduction of the E Street Band; as to whether Roy’s playing here is more stunning than the midpoint of “The Promised Land” I’m still torn over, but man, it’s lovely. As usual, the band intros were a delight, with a stand out moment seeing Bruce sing “I’m coming to getcha baby! In the midnight hour now!” after “Red Headed Woman” before laying it off to Patti for “Rumble Doll.” Now, it goes without saying what the stand out moment is here, but more joy follows the ‘important part,’ particularly Scooter and the Big Man sharing “la la la” harmonies after launching back into the song. The epic, extended “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” may not be every fan’s cup of tea, but no version is without an array of special moments. October 28th, 1999 is no exception. Special moments helped shape the second half of the set, too. Starting off ‘simple’ with a riveting “Working on the Highway,” the sole Born in the U.S.A. track on the night set the tone for a second half with equal amounts of excitement to the first, and it was highlighted by an enthusiastic Bruce and superb Clarence sax as the two brothers-in-arms combined once again. The high energy was soon quelled, however, by a second, then third (yes you read that right) Ghost of Tom Joad track in the show – the latter of which is sure to become an Archive Series essential. Having just finished reading “The Grapes of Wrath,” the significance of the title track being played in California wasn’t lost on me, even before hearing Bruce cite the novel in his introduction, as he compared the conditions of California’s poorest in the late nineties to the “Okies” whose journey in hope of a promised land Steinbeck chronicled sixty years prior. A tender, but also robust semi-full band performance, “Joad” commands our attention; and a most incredibly rare E Street arrangement of “Sinaloa Cowboys” certainly retains it. Bruce’s voice was beautiful for this one as he utilised a strong vocal, enhanced for a larger arena setting in comparison to those quiet theatre readings between 1995 and 1997, while the E Street Band, primarily Federici and Bittan, awe-inspire with grandiose instrumentals. It’s long been said that “select shows in select cities” were recorded on this tour, meaning many stand out shows and songs were left to bootleg history as a result. “Sinaloa Cowboys” is one song performance I never thought we’d see in the Archive Series, but eleven years and ninety-eight unique show releases later, this project is still full of surprises. As we’re well accustomed to in the year 2025, the quiet of a semi-solo Springsteen performance was juxtaposed by the mightiness of a majestic, full band “Backstreets.” Hitting with a different kind of sentiment on this occasion – the ode to brotherhood is apropos after the story of Miguel and Louis Rosales – this epic wowed with an even stronger Springsteen vocal, guitars blazing and the keyboards of Federici and Bittan swooshing with greater sensation. Those aspects anchored “Light of Day” also, which saw to a raucous end to the main set. In addition to his vocal strength, Bruce added a touch of madness to his performance, and as has become an exciting feature of this song in Reunion Tour releases, it came with a stupendous song snippet as those onstage briefly bust into “Boom Boom” with hopes of, quite simply, blowing Oakland away. Once again, the Bossman got what he wanted. Another special moment kicked off the encore, as Southside Johnny joined for a thoroughly enjoyable “Hungry Heart.” Perhaps aware of his guest’s capabilities, Bruce made sure to sing extra superbly here, before throwing Southside the second verse, which he added a unique touch to. As he left the stage Bruce called him a “walking chaos machine!” and then proclaimed “let’s get dirty now!” before revving into another kind of chaos machine, “Ramrod” to ensure this encore would be remembered for its energy as well as its upcoming emotion. “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road” blended both of those feelings, with the latter euphoric despite its acquired taste twang, and then one final drop of tempo on the night with “If I Should Fall Behind.” Allowing a verse to Stevie, Nils, Patti and Clarence, while Garry’s bass anchored the music beside Max’s soft cymbals, the Lucky Town staple saw a great contrast in vocal stylings, but the sentiments were the same from a band revitalised. And toward the finish line, one more vocal adjustment in the way Bruce sang that last “and should I faaaaaalll behiiiiiind! Waiiiiit for me!” differently to how we can hear on other releases from the tour. Just as powerful. Powerful, and beautiful too, was the typical show finale “Land of Hope and Dreams,” which struck me here as one of the best readings of the song I’ve ever heard Bruce deliver. The passion in his vocal was rife while the E Street Band – Roy standing out in particular – complemented him with an awe-inspiring effort. As usual, it was a perfect way to see this night out, maybe even more than usual on account of this performance quality… until Bruce shouted “ahhh f*ck, one more!” and called on Oakland to sing “Blinded By the Light” along with him. His newest epic into the song that started the ride for so many fans was a fantastic, albeit unintentional pairing at the end of the night and three-show stand in Oakland, and one more example of the E Street Band all shining in their roles. I get the feeling we could listen to this many times and notice a different nuance from all onstage on each occasion. Perfectly polished with just the right amount of chaos, there isn’t more you can ask for from “Blinded,” if not a Springsteen and the E Street Band show outright! “Ladies and gentlemen! The Boss has left the building!” The most recent releases from the year 1999 have placed us in July for celebratory shows in New Jersey, and immediately, six months into the tour, we can notice how refined Springsteen and the E Street Band are as a unit. Intense and playful; sincere and chaotic, a seemingly short and sweet twenty-four song set wrapping up just under the three-hour mark has much to offer from the get-go with boiling hot versions of “Adam Raised a Cain” and “Prove It All Night” to start the show, an attention-holding array of softer, semi-solo performances, of which “Sinaloa Cowboys” stands out in its one and only E Street outing, and a boatload of joy from “Two Hearts” to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” in its near-twenty minute glory, as well as “Hungry Heart” with Southside Johnny to an audibled “Blinded By the Light” at the end of the show.

Concert Review (Erik Flannigan) : If the modern era of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is demarcated by the start of the Reunion tour, we’ve nearly reached the moment where it also represents the midpoint of their touring career spanning late 1972 to present day. Amazingly, that means less time passed between the Born to Run and Reunion tours than the Reunion tour and today. So does a 1999 show have more in common with what came before or what’s come since? That’s probably best left hanging as a rhetorical question, but listening to Oakland 10/28/99, the last night of a three-show stand, this formidable performance harkens back to past championship seasons. Seventy-eight shows into the Reunion tour, the players on stage are fully match fit and committed to the cause: to do justice to Springsteen’s core catalog and take the music in compelling new directions. Mixing metaphors here, but who else would start a three-hour marathon with a five-song sprint? The evening commences with a rare opening slot for “Adam Raised a Cain” which sounds newly incensed. Springsteen sings it with age-defying conviction (listen to his falsetto on “from the dark heart of a dream”) and rips an angsty guitar solo. This shock to the system kicks straight into “Prove It All Night,” and again there’s no wavering in an excellent version sparked by back-and-forth vocal interplay between Springsteen and Stevie Van Zandt. With nary a second to breathe, the pair join forces again on “Two Hearts,” which in turn cues up our third taste of Darkness on the Edge of Town, “The Promised Land.” The fifth powerhouse in this sequence, “Atlantic City,” appears in its staggering full-band arrangement. Jon Altschiller’s mix puts listeners in the perfect seat (but feel free to stand) and the separation of voices and instruments is sharp, like when Nils Lofgren and Van Zandt play off each other in the left and right speakers respectively during the song’s conclusion. “Good evening,” Springsteen says after. “Thanks for coming out tonight.” The high energy expressed since the start of the show turns delicate. As it does on Nebraska, “Atlantic City” leads to “Mansion on the HIll” in its resplendent country-leaning arrangement with Lofgren on pedal steel, Van Zandt on acoustic guitar and Danny Federici on accordion. The players swirl around each other while Springsteen and Patti Scialfa lay down graceful vocals. The contrast from the barnstorming start of Oakland to this intimate section is stark. More captivating counterpoints follow, as Clarence Clemons’ saxophone and Roy Bittan’s piano shine during a moving “Independence Day.” Performed only 15 times on Reunion (though it landed on other Archive releases), this reading might be first among equals. Even compared to the version played in Los Angeles just five days prior, the Oakland “Independence Day” glides on a slower tempo; the mix and arrangement (again featuring Lofgren on pedal steel) feel more River-like in spirit despite being so wistfully distinct from the original. What a stately ending. Loud, soft, then loud again, with “Youngstown” firing up the furnaces. Logren’s showcase solo is more soaring and searing than pyrotechnical, which keeps it nicely inside the song, and Van Zandt’s mandolin playing is again a standout. “Murder Incorporated” plays tough — just like you want it to — and “Badlands” brings a flawless first half of the show to a figurative close. The second half of Reunion shows can lose focus a bit, since long songs like “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Light of Day” work great as live showstoppers but don’t always translate as well on playback. But if you haven’t listened to either in a while, the Oakland versions hold up nicely. “Tenth” nods to “It’s All Right” and “Take Me to the River” before Springsteen introduces Scialfa with a few lines of “Red Headed Woman” ahead of her sweet “Rumble Doll” showcase. “Boom Boom” infuses “Light of Day” with a welcome snatch of stomping blues. Between those showstoppers, a lively “Working on the Highway” starts with a sweet guitar line from Lofgren and Max Weinberg’s big beat before Springsteen darkens the tone again for “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Though an every-nighter at this point in the tour, Bruce brings subtle, in-the-moment variations to his vocal. The mix showcases the purity of the arrangement, which begins with Bruce on solo acoustic, joined by Federici on accordion, then Garry Tallent on bass, Weinberg on brushes, and Lofgren back on pedal steel. We stick with Joad for the only full-band performance ever of “Sinaloa Cowboys” which carries forth the instrumentation, augmented with Bittan’s gentle synthesizer and Springsteen’s fine, Mexican-tinged acoustic guitar picking. “Backstreets” rewards the patience of the Oakland audience, and like “Adam Raised a Cain” and “Prove It All Night” at the start, Bruce and the band turn back the clock and reconnect to the heart of the song. Something amusing to kick off the encore as Southside Johnny takes the second verse and sings along on “Hungry Heart.” By way of thanks for the seemingly impromptu appearance, Springsteen affectionately calls Johnny “a walking chaos machine.” Clemons continues his thick baritone sax sound to fuel up “Ramod,” and goes back to tenor for satisfying takes of “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road.” Though the tour’s traditional closers, “If I Should Fall Behind” and “Land of Hope and Dreams,” have brought the evening to rewarding finish, Bruce declares, “Ah fuck, one more!” ahead of a rare, all-verses-included “Blinded by the Light.” It’s a tricky song to get right, which may explain why it went uplayed after 1976 and was only attempted five times on Reunion; this is one of if not the best of the modern era. Clocking in at 24 songs and just under three hours, Oakland 10/28/99 might read like an average show statistically. But don’t let the numbers deter you from revisiting a peak Reunion tour performance that shines in both its loudest and softest moments.