BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : SanDiego 2024

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND : SAN DIEGO 2024

Disc One (47:36)

Lonesome Day
Prove It All Night
No Surrender
Death To My Hometown
Ghosts
Letter To You
The Promised Land
My City Of Ruins

Disc Two (53:28)

Spirit In The Night
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
Nightshift
Mary's Place
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because The Night
She's The One

Disc Three (66:43)

Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands
Thunder Road
Detroit Medley
Born To Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Bobby Jean
Dancing In The Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I'll See You In My Dreams

Label : live.brucespringsteen.net

Venue : Pechanga Arena, San Diego, California, USA

Recording Date : March 25, 2024

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review (Kieran's Thoughts) : In Bruce’s first appearance there since 1996 and his first with the E Street Band since 1981, night three of the 2024 World Tour took us down San Diego way. With momentum high and excitement rife following the first two shows of the tour, all eyes were on this one (originally scheduled for early December last year) to see if and how Springsteen and the E Street Band’s new, but also ongoing tour was going to evolve. As Bruce stepped onstage and asserted “this looks like it’s gonna be good!” the excitement running through the Pechanga Arena surely skyrocketed, and although focus was on how the music was going to change, Bruce’s attire straight out of 2012 caught the attention of many as a real blast from the past. Would San Diego see a show of peak Wrecking Ball World Tour quality? A grand intro for “Lonesome Day” immediately highlighted the impressive quality that the E Street Band are already playing at this early into the tour, but there was an early misstep from Bruce as he sung the opening line of the song. Surprisingly, this has been edited on the Live Download – all the more surprising considering another small botch later on – with his reciting from another show patched in, and although this takes away from the warts and all factor of these live recordings no matter how unfortunate they may be, this fix has its benefits when it comes to repeated listening. Given that the performance of the song was fantastic after that opening, too, there’s extra reason to be thankful as this may well be one we find ourselves revisiting in the future. While the songs that followed the Rising track didn’t make for a setlist as appealing as the one in Las Vegas seventy-two hours earlier, despite Bruce still making some spontaneous changes and throwing in a few noteworthy songs, this allowed for an additional focus on the performance level. That was especially important when it came to “Prove It All Night” next, which was so blistering in its guitar playing goodness that felt it like Springsteen was right back in 1981! Last time out in Vegas that solo had some small room for improvement, and it seems like Bruce knew that upon listening to this. Wow! Advertisement Privacy Settings The intense approach didn’t falter as that strong guitar playing seeped into “No Surrender,” but what stood out to me most in this one was the way Bruce sang “Tonight I’m ready to grow young again.” Having just heard him evoke the spirit of his younger self to play that “Prove It” solo, and with knowledge of his last time with the E Street Band in this city in mind, through this pronounced vocal it can be said that this lyric meant more to him than usual on this night. Then came an addition to the 2024 setlist, “Death to My Hometown.” Led by a colourful intro, this was an apt selection considering Bruce’s choice of attire, however it was something of a contrast to those versions played in the year 2012. Though the E Street Band were no less forceful where it came to playing the song, there was a smoothness to Bruce’s voice rather than a scathing gravel. While that vocal approach meant the song wasn’t the most vicious we’ve heard, the fact that it let Bruce’s advice and condemning resonate as strongly as it did inside the Pechanga was a positive, no doubt. A similarly smooth vocal could also be found in “Ghosts,” which along with “Letter To You” afterward put a focus on the reality of where we are after those emphasised words during “No Surrender.” Of the two, “Ghosts” stood out as a fantastic performance, a highly committed masterclass from all onstage, done great justice on the Live Download recording by the surround sound mix of Jon Altschiller. These songs were then very nicely followed by an enthralling version of “The Promised Land,” of a similar ilk to the all-round quality of the night’s first track from Letter To You, which stressed that no matter our age, we can all continue searching with those romantic dreams of “No Surrender” in our heads. Up next, a tour debut, another song that complemented Bruce’s clothing, and a song that fit perfectly into the thematic setlist that he and the E Street Band have been playing since February 2023, “My City of Ruins.” A song that was rehearsed along with many of those that shaped the locked-in thematic setlist of the last year back in January 2023, and one that has seemingly been on the agenda to be played a couple of times, tonight was the night for this powerful song of loss and recovery from The Rising to feature. It was a real throwback of a rendition, too, as after a bemused interrogative of “I mean, where the f*ck was I?!” in reference to how long it’s been since he last played this city, Bruce took a similar approach to his 2012-13 tour with what he expressed to San Diego, even reciting that essential declaration of “if you’re here, and we’re here, then they’re here” during a roll call of who was in the house. The emotion of these words complemented a likewise song performance with stellar supporting efforts from the E Street Horns and E Street Choir and a heartfelt vocal from Bruce that saw him sing with equal parts tenderness and mighty passion to ensure his promise of “wake you, shake you, and take you to higher ground” to San Diego was fulfilled. For me, the best example of his passion came as he and the E Street Band built to the finale, during the “with these hands” sequence in which he delivered thunderous declarations of “and I pray for your looove!… strength! And hope!”. Though the mission statement this time around may be a little different to that of the years 2012 and 2013, this song hit just as powerful a punch. In a moment of setlist sequencing straight out of 2012, “Spirit in the Night” was next – a blast from the past indeed! – and it came with a tweaked intro. While nights one and two saw Bruce tell his Phoenix and Las Vegas audiences he only had one important question for them, that interrogative of “can you feel the spirit?” was preceded by a question of whether San Diego had ever been to Greasy Lake, as well as a check-in to make sure everyone was having fun. Whether everyone in the house had been to that mystical destination or not, that’s where Bruce was taking them next, and they were going to have a fun time en-route. As it did so often twelve years ago, this one very nicely contrasted the emotional tone of the song prior while complementing its themes in evoking those spirits Bruce assured were there as long as he, the audience and the E Street Band were. It was a song performance that came with a “too loose to fake” lyric stumble, but we can give the benefit of the doubt here as Bruce was notably having a good time. He clearly got lost in the music! I also liked the contrast to Vegas here where it concerned the vocals I spotlighted last time out. Inside the T-Mobile Arena, Bruce’s delivery of “Hazy Davy” and “socks and a shirt” were emphatic, but there was a soft melancholy to his singing here that I found interesting and exciting in the way it showed us how Bruce’s approach to the music can change night-to-night just as much as his approach to introducing a song such as this one can. Mind you, while Bruce played with the way fans can interpret this line, San Diego were no less eager than Vegas when it came to singing “love in the diiiiiiiirt!”! Giving back what they were getting! The end of “Spirit” meant it was time for some soul music and “Don’t Play That Song” followed, a delight once again. Despite a small mix up after Bruce’s spoken interlude when bringing the music back up, this performance was a joy to listen to for the third straight show, thanks to the Horns’ punching efforts and strong vocals from Springsteen and the Choir. As was the case in Vegas, it was the pronounced declarations of “darling/baby/sugar you lied!” from Bruce that stood out most here, sublimely conveying the anguish of his protagonist. These aspects ensured the song served as the highlight of a soulful trio alongside “Nightshift” and “Mary’s Place,” however the latter made sure it was close through Bruce’s captivating moment of hush and the splendid riffs of the Horns during the final chants of “turn it up!” and “let it rain!”. The end of “Mary’s Place” saw Bruce go right into his introduction for “Last Man Standing” – no “Hungry Heart” or “Racing in the Street” tonight – and this part of the show’s heartbeat had more meaning with Bruce dedicating it to Captain Paul Anthony Pence Bennett. Given the song’s consistency, I can’t say that the dedication inspired Bruce for an even greater performance, but it didn’t hurt as he went on to deliver another strong reading, highlighted by his emphatic delivery of the lines “somewhere DEEP into the heart of the crowd” and “thrift store jeans and FLANNEL SHIRTS!”, before ending the song with his vocal towering amidst the quiet inside the Pechanga. That quiet would of course then be replaced by the magnificence of “Backstreets,” the greatest of contrasts. Bruce’s passion would persist, but with much more intensity beside the E Street Band, who delivered a masterclass of organ, piano, guitar playing – that shift as Bruce began the “hiding on the backstreets” finale post-interlude was superb – and drumming. This rumbling tour-de-force undoubtedly had the Pechanga Arena shaking, and those inside of it in awe. The six cemented songs that followed “Backstreets” maintained a very stimulating atmosphere, bringing more robust vocals, more seamless work from the E Street Band, more energy from San Diego, and more life affirming themes. Through these resounding and rallying versions of “Because the Night,” “She’s the One,” “Wrecking Ball,” “The Rising,” “Badlands” and “Thunder Road,” Springsteen and the E Street Band evoked themes of love, loss, defiance, resilience and promise. While some of us who have been paying a lot of attention to setlists since last February could bemoan the ‘more of the same’ approach, for San Diego who’d been waiting forty-three years, this was everything they’d been missing. In a liberating sequence, the best exemplification of what was surely San Diego’s mood came during the penultimate song, as Bruce singing those pronounced, joyful declarations of “badlaaaaaands!” perfectly summarised the catharsis inside the arena. There’d be an even greater sense of liberation in the encore, too, as Bruce paid a similar tribute to San Diego as he did with “Viva Las Vegas” seventy-two hours prior. However this tribute wasn’t an encore leading song dedication of Tom Waits’ “San Diego Serenade” or his own “Balboa Park,” but rather a special moment in one of the staples. Before that, Bruce kicked off the home stretch with a song attributed to another city! Yes, the “Detroit Medley” was back and it sounded damn good! Supported by a band sounding like they’d played this every night for an entire tour, Bruce was really feeling their music, as it brought out of him inspired vocals – “shades to match!”; “good golly Miss Molllllyyy!” (check out the highly energetic delivery at 2:08 on your recordings); “hear your mama caaaall!” – that set the tone for an encore to remember. “Born to Run” followed with more of those striking guitar riffs from Little Stevie Van Zandt during the final moments (they were pretty stellar throughout, too), and then, with a shout of “SAN DIEGOOO!” it was time for that above mentioned song with a tribute to this city. Now, if you’re not familiar with “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” this one features a lyric about “a little café” and on this occasion Springsteen and the E Street Band just so happened to be in the city where that café stands. Already a stormer of a performance played with maximum energy – its excitement all the more palpable because we know what’s coming – when the song reached that line during the midpoint of the final verse, Bruce brought those onstage to a complete stop, allowing the audience to shout out exactly where that “pretty little place in Southern California” is. The fact that we can feel the electricity of this moment on the Live Download speaks volumes about how loud it was inside the arena (we know how difficult it can be for these recordings to truly convey the moment) and once this tour is said and done, it’ll no doubt be remembered as a pure moment of essence. This is what we’d all been missing, let alone just San Diego! Advertisement Privacy Settings Another small surprise came after “Rosie,” as “Glory Days” was out in favour of “Bobby Jean.” At the end of this show, Bruce would heighten San Diego’s high by declaring the much desired “we’ll be back!”, yet with forty-three years passing in-between their last show here and this one, we can never really tell what the future holds. So, just in case, this served as something of a farewell. It was led by a hearty vocal and highlighted by pronounced horns, particularly Jake Clemons’ closing sax solo, which much like the sound of his uncle’s on September 2nd, 1981, was an absolute force of nature. As usual, the end of one Born in the U.S.A. track led into another, and this night’s version of “Dancing in the Dark” certainly helped typify the energy those onstage were playing with. Be it Stevie’s jovial “start a fiiiiireeeee!” harmony at the end of the second chorus, or Bruce halting the band at the end of the fourth verse to then give a spirited “come on baby give me just one look!” that stands out most to you (the latter had me shouting “YES!”), there was more than usual in this one to help towards making this encore memorable. Unfortunately, this home stretch wasn’t perfect as the penultimate song of the show, “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” was marred by the same, premature misstep that could be heard on opening night in Phoenix. We can only hope Bruce and the Band get this one worked out so that the song can be consistently solid moving forward. For those of us listening to the Live Download, there is also a strange rattling during the closing “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” which is a little bit distracting as we try to maintain focus on Bruce’s emotional solo performance to see the night out. Of course, that rattle had no impact the quality of Bruce’s effort and while a lot has changed on E Street since he and and the Band were last in San Diego, this song and really the night as a whole showed that their determination to put on a damn good show was just as it was way back in 1981.