BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 26, 2007

Disc One (59:47)

Introduction
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason To Believe
Two Hearts
She's The One
Livin' In The Future
The Promised Land
Tunnel Of Love

Disc Two (75:15)

Racing In The Street
Working On The Highway
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Thundercrack
Born To Run
Dancing In The Dark
American Land

Label : Nugs.net

Venue : Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, USA

Recording Date : October 26, 2007

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review (Kieran's Thoughts) : One hundred not out, Bruce Springsteen’s Live Archive hits an important, wonderful milestone this month, as November’s First Friday makes a century of unique show releases since the Series’ debut in the year 2014. Although the history of this project hasn’t been notable for marking occasions, there was some expectation (at least by me) for a release to befit it. Rather than a timely, titanic drop of L.A. 1985 to conclude Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere coverage, or a show all the more surprising, Archive #100 has nonetheless sufficed by covering a period infrequently represented over the last decade: the first leg of the Magic Tour in fall 2007, before Dan Federici took leave of absence in his battle against melanoma. Up to now, Magic Tour releases in the Archive Series have been centred around Dan, from his final full show in Boston through to his final onstage appearance in Indianapolis; and the recovery of Bruce and the band from April 22nd onwards. You could be forgiven for forgetting with Tracks II: The Lost Albums, ‘Electric’ Nebraska and everything else that’s been released since, but Orlando, April 23rd was released earlier this year to continue the tributes that started in Tampa. Shows from Nashville and St. Louis later in the summer of 2008 serve as triumphs of their recovery, with the latter a shining jewel in the Archive Series’ crown for many fans. This month, the Archive Series transports us back a couple of weeks before that night in Boston, placing in Oakland’s Oracle Arena for a show that mightn’t catch the eye like St. Louis, but one that is stocked with delights. Essentially, it’s pure Magic, a short show shaping up with just twenty-three songs across a surprising two hours and sixteen minutes. In spite of those atypical aspects, there is much mightiness to the music with a focus on the touring album, including songs redeveloped in purpose, and a few stunners from the back catalogue to boot; one essential song in particular that the Phantom played on for the final time here. Stepping onstage to the Seeger Sessions-coated “Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze,” Springsteen and the E Street Band preceded to prove the quality of a show should not be measured by how many songs were played or how long they were onstage for. With that essential “IS THERE ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?!” they powered into “Radio Nowhere” for an opening of great intensity – and it was a good while before they relented. Bruce was in good, soulful voice from the off – “all I heard was a droooone!” – and so were his bandmates, with Ms. Patti Scialfa’s backing vocals great in their yearning – “I just want to hear some rhythm!” – and Little Steven Van Zandt ravenous in his efforts – “I want pounding drums! … a million different voices speaking in tongggueees!” Strong saxophone from Big Man Clarence Clemons was well received, too, setting a strong tone to be built on as the show continued. And build on it they did, as defiant anthems “No Surrender” and “Lonesome Day” followed. These two would change in sentiment as this tour went on (as would several others) but on this night they were fine-tuned rousers keeping Oakland out of their seats as the night got going. The Born in the U.S.A. favourite brought more punctuated backing vocals from Ms. Patti as well as delectable, driving piano from Roy Bittan to dreamily complement Bruce’s lead vocal. Of Bruce’s efforts, it was the final verse that stood out with a hushed, inspired delivery, and he carried that approach over into a similarly surging “Lonesome Day,” which saw its emphatic moments all the more so as a result: Nils Lofgren’s striking solo during the bridge; each declaration of “It’s alright!” and those falsetto cries late-on. “Gypsy Biker” afterward was a slight drop in tempo, but its blaze arguably eclipsed the three songs prior as the first of several anguished tirades towards the sitting government in the year 2007. The E Street Band’s well oiled connection is highlighted magnificently throughout this one (maybe better than any other song in the show) through Jon Altschiller’s mixing efforts; the immensity and clarity that each vocal and instrumental hits us with simply stunning. The tour’s title track followed, so the tirade continued in a song “that isn’t about magic, but about tricks.” It was much tender, but its alarming urgency was palpable in Bruce and Patti’s vocals, while Soozie Tyrell provided sensationally daunting violin. To gradually, and effectively restore a storming mood inside Oracle Arena was a song we’ve all spent a lot of time with over the last month, “Reason to Believe.” A rendition of greater electricity than the cut we’ve recently heard close the ‘Electric’ Nebraska LP, this hit perfectly after the despairing, damning Magic songs preceding it, blending those aspects with a fierier rage. Its opening, unique to the Archive Series before that familiar guitar and harmonica build hits us all the more unnervingly than Soozie’s above mentioned efforts in “Magic,” surrounding and suffocating us to the extent we’ll all exhale upon the kick-in minutes later. Don’t be misled, though, it isn’t an easy ride after that kick-in, as Bruce hypnotises us with his pulsating, menacing vocal – the glee he took in singing lyrics including “Mary Lou loved John…” and “She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back” was simply evil. Complementing those devilish efforts was outstanding work from Roy, given freedom to play as he pleases, and the same can be said of Garry Tallent’s commanding bassline. It all led to a bullet mic finale, yet where this can be an acquired taste on 2005 tour releases, it’s just awesome here. Bruce didn’t hide his dismay for the people in power he was singing against, his slurring, “so effortless-*unintelligible*” raising eyebrows before he altered the final line, emphatically stating, “I don’t see how at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe.” We hear that loud and clear. A first of three tour debuts on the night briefly shifted focus as “Two Hearts” put romantic themes in the spotlight. Max Weinberg, already immense in the opening portion, rumbled the song into action with pure force, and Danny was at the fore to help this song elicit more relief than ever before – the soaring riff he unleashed at 2:10 is why Danny was and will always be the man. Roy was important, too, picking up where he left off in the Nebraska closer, and the two men on the keyboards combined to complement most passionate efforts from Springsteen and Van Zandt. It may take more than two in an E Street show to make the whole thing work, but it all starts with these brothers-in-arms. A superb transition into “She’s the One” further emphasised that, and the Born to Run track further conveyed the theme of youthful yearning. A platform for Clarence in particular, there are few songs to showcase Springsteen and the E Street Band as powerfully as this one, and this night’s offering was no exception. Just a few minutes later was another love themed-pairing, and it was a fascinating contrast that delved into the plight couples can experience with “Tunnel of Love” and “Racing in the Street.” A diehard’s dream of a double shot. “Tunnel” had something of a mini renaissance on this tour (fans have fondly recalled it while waiting on another one in the years since) and it’s well refined here in only its second outing of the tour – it had only been played four times since the end of its titular tour, all within a two-week span at the end of The Rising Tour. This version gleamed from the second Max kicked it off, his beat pulsating on his new electronic drum pad, and it didn’t falter with Soozie adding violin absent in 1988 while Bruce, Patti and Nils fell back into the groove of how they were singing and playing nineteen years prior; Nils clearly relished playing this favourite of his, refusing to let up after his solo and staggering for the remainder by way of whirlwind riffs. A delicious listen. “Racing in the Street” was less prominent on this tour (thankfully it would be called for much more over the next eighteen years) which makes its presence in this show even sweeter, especially considering that aforementioned fact about Danny playing on it here for the final time. A softer, melancholy intro from Roy led into a jovial, vigorous Bruce vocal, his deliveries of “outside the 7-Eleven store” and “we’re goin’ racing in the street!” joyous. It was back to the Professor after the latter declaration, and then enter the Phantom, a combination unmatched. The E Street Band entire shortly joined for a cathartic experience in Oakland, and the delight in Bruce’s vocal reflected that of his audience’s feeling as he once again stated “we’re callin’ out around the world…” That delight didn’t dissipate completely as the mood of the song tilted, but the hurt did override, leading to stunning, but crushing readings such as “when I come home the house is dark, she says ‘baby did yoouuuu make it alriiight?’” Fortunately for our characters, the ultimate promise of “We’re gonna ride to the sea…” was equally inspired, hinting at an optimistic future to heighten the power of this coda; Clarence’s baritone sax just as prominent in the mix of this finale as Roy and Danny’s keys, adding a firmness alongside Max and Garry to stress just how much baggage our characters need to unload. In the early years of the Archive Series I craved and craved “Racing in the Street” and over the last several years I’ve been lucky in relation to this song in ways I would never have believed. In October 2025, the Archive Series brought what may be the ‘definitive’ version of the song from the classic era; and in November 2025 we have a beautiful bookend, a version of it lesser praised, played brilliantly by the classic line-up for the final time. We continue to be blessed, and long may it continue. In-between those delights, the central “Livin’ in the Future,” nicely paired with “The Promised Land” for a juxtaposing insight into the world as it was in the year 2007 and a world we’re still believing in now. The Magic track was fronted by a fun, informative intro that saw Bruce go from sourdough bread desires to the problems that were currently plaguing his country: rendition, illegal wiretapping, the rolling-back of civil liberties, and while the Clarence anchored song leaned towards jubilance rather than despair with comforting lyrics, to borrow a line from Bruce in the year 2025: “This is all happening now.” “Working on the Highway” rotated in as that third and final tour debut, freeing Oakland from those turbulent songs of love – also breaking the bewitching spell of “Racing’s” coda – for some needed levity… of an obsessive love gone very wrong. It doesn’t hit the spot here as well as it continues to do on the Boston release, but its levity is worth savouring in spite of that with the main set ending five-pack following. “Devil’s Arcade” was a stark contrast, as haunting as any song Bruce has released this century with its pain staked vocal and its devastating, bleeding guitar and violin. The way in which everything combined and crescendoed for the finale from “Rising from a long night…” onwards was simply spine-tingling. A gorgeous reading of “The Rising” uplifted with Springsteen and the E Street Band not letting up their purposeful performance; Stevie’s ardent harmonies – “fiery li-ight!” – standing out en route to another immense build in the “Sky of…” verse for a mighty finale, complete with very lovely playing from Clarence to see it out. It was then into a barraging “Last to Die,” the show’s most scathing song. If we consider the goal of a home stretch in an E Street show, we’re likely going to conclude that goal as ‘crowd rallying.’ On the Magic Tour that goal was to make a statement, and no song typifies that better than this one. If it wasn’t “Last to Die,” it would be “Long Walk Home,” a prayer of equal parts acceptance and optimism. The ache in Bruce’s voice was clear from the get-go, but he persevered, because we can’t do anything but when dealt such a hand. This version was different to what “Long Walk Home” would ultimately evolve into as the tour progressed – there’s no immense “HEY PRETTY DARLING!” from the audience in the first chorus, and there’s no spotlight vocal for Stevie – but it kept all enthralled regardless with passionate declarations from the combination of Bruce, Stevie, Nils and Patti who knew the journey was tiresome, but had faith they’d get there eventually. To see the set out, the old faithful, the fantastic “Badlands.” This one also hits different to what we heard from Orlando earlier this year, with its passion more breathtaking than barnstorming. Even with a false finale, it’s a much more compact performance, akin to a Darkness Tour outing than a late career marathon. That makes for a nice summation of what this tour was: tight, passionate – listen out for that biting “what I go-o-ot!” from Stevie – and to the point! With a shout out to the Oakland California People’s Grocery as well as the California girls and the New Jersey one, they got stuck into the encore, also very compact, with the lush “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” the night’s heartiest song, done justice with a very strong vocal and stupendous sax. In subsequent years, encores became rather routine with a focus on the hits, but this one, as quick fire as it was, came with a nice balance on this night. “An old song, our first showstopper” followed: “Thundercrack.” This is another song that enjoyed a small revival of sorts on the opening stretch of the tour, and this tenth of twelve outings highlighted how practice just about made perfect. As it got underway, Bruce teased Oakland’s ‘terrible‘ “sha na-oh oh” harmonies, impressively communal for a rarity, and as he quipped, “you’re f*cking the whole band up!” he grooved the music in for a remarkable reading, his delivery so direct and determined. If there’s one drawback, it’s a rare moment of weakness from Clarence on October 26th during the solo break, but that can easily be forgiven with how that sax was sounding in the moments leading up to it! Bruce’s glistening guitar work also has us in awe shortly after to the extent that nothing else matters, and we don’t fall out of the spell as he led a mesmerising “All night!” finale. They proceeded to put those two words into effect with the mega hit combination of “Born to Run” and “Dancing in the Dark.” It’s easy to play it safe with these two, but there was none of that here as the men and women onstage played with a point to prove. Tremendous, towering performances, and to make them even better was the Big Man storming through his “Dancing in the Dark” solo! As he got weaker across the tour it was often this song where he struggled most. Not on October 26th, and his power was infectious at the finish as we hear him show off with little, punctuated riffs. With a mighty “HEYYYYYY!” from Bruce to end also, he put a cap on what instantly becomes an Archive Series stand out of the song from the modern era. The show ended the way it began, as the Seeger-tinted “American Land” saw all home as a final ode to the true promise and purpose of Springsteen’s country, and while this one has felt ‘off’ on previous tour releases given the tone and tributes of the music preceding it, here it hits just right as a rallying call to arms from a man and his band who’d stepped onstage to play their music and send a message to the powers that be, relishing the opportunity to give Oakland a show.