Allow me to sell you on the idea of a Springsteen Live Anthology:
This set spans live shows from 1975 to 2016 covering the most important bases in Springsteen Live Archive. There isn't going to be any of that goatee 90's Springsteen in this box. Only the rollicking good time E-Street Band and Seeger Sessions Band shenanigans. I tried to capture what makes the Springsteen live experience so special; from the stories in between songs, the re-arrangments and re-imagining of classics, the spontaneity and fun of the band, and the epic 3 and 4 hour long marathons. I'm putting 10 shows in here, so that would probably be roughly 45 lps worth of music and cost somewhere in the $5000 dollar range if VMP Anthology got ahold of it.
I would love for something like this to exist with audio interviews with the man himself and those around him talking about each show.
1. Main Point - Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania - 2-5-1975
The coming out party for the E Street band. Born to Run was still half a year away and they played early versions of some of the songs at this show. It's well documented that the label had nearly given up on Springsteen and Born to Run was kind of his 'final chance' to make it. This live performance (being broadcast on a Philadelphia radio station) was the E Streeter's chance to show people what set them apart...and boy did they. There is a huge energy to this show and it opens with the single best rendition of Incident on 57th Street ever recorded. At one point the band covers I Want You by Bob Dylan and it transforms the song from one of young lust and adolescent want to one of aching yearning. They could have changed the name to I NEED You and it would have fit. Add to all of this an en fuego version of Kitty's Back and beautiful rendition of New York City Serenade with violins and this is a great jumping off point to show listeners what an early Springsteen show was about.
2. Uptown Theater - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 10-2-1975
The Milwaukee Bomb Scare Show. This one needs the set-up, as the show itself seems less tight than other Springsteen shows. The story goes that the venue was evacuated due to someone calling and saying they put a bomb in the theater. Springsteen told the audience that the police had to secure the building and to come back at midnight for the rest of the show. Well, midnight came and the Boss held to his word as the band gave the audience a raucous, rambunctious (rumored to be beer fueled) performance. Starting with the story of how the band was back at the Pppppppp-fister telling the bartender "somebody tried to blow us up tonight!". This show sees Springsteen being the conductor of the best bar band to ever play a stinky stage and riffing fast and loose with stage-mate Steven Van Zandt. Are ya loose?!
3. Capitol Theater - Passaic, New Jersey - 9-19-1978
The Piece de Resistance. What many in the Brucelegs community deem the single greatest E Street Band show of all time. This is a great introduction to the live show that Springsteen became a legend for. Recorded on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour, all of the early hits are in place and the band is about as tight as any you've ever heard live. There are definitive versions of classics like Thunder Road and Racing In The Streets on here, as well as less-payed, elusive gems from the Darkness On The Edge Of Town period. There is a recording out there with pristine audio, so if I were to give a Bruce fan any show to start with in the live archive, it would be this one.
4. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, New York - 12-31-1980
3 hours 40 minutes of peak E Street. Recorded during The River Tour. The band left nothing on the table this night. This show covers Springsteen's career up to this point and captures a decade of live experience in a night. A long night. Hell, there's a point almost 3 hours in when they count down to New Years, then play for another hour! As if playing every single one of their own hits wasn't enough, they play CC Rider, This Land is Your Land, Good Golly Miss Molly and TWO different Christmas Songs. This is the kind of show that it would be hard to keep the energy up as an audience member, let alone a performer. It's these type of shows that make the E Street Band not just one of the best ever live, but THE best.
5. Brendan Byrne Arena - East Rutherford, New Jersey - 8-20-1984
Springsteen is a megastar and full-on arena rocker at this point. Born in the USA is the number 1 album in the country and everyone involved is having the time of their lives. With one exception. Long time bandmate and friend of Springsteen's Steven Van Zandt had left the band prior to the Born in the USA Tour. Bruce exclaims "Tonight's the night!" at the beginning of the show and means it. One of the very best concerts in E Street band history made all the better by Van Zandt joining the band for a few songs at the end of the show. The stand-out being a great rendition of Drift Away. This is the epitome of the marathon 80's Springsteen shows.
6. First Union Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 9-25-1999
Philadelphia Sep 25 1999- Incident on 57th Street
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The E Street Band Reunion Tour. During the dark period of the early 90's Springsteen had called the members up in the middle of the night and broke up the band, grew a bad Don Johnson goatee, then went on to release two of the worst albums in his discography. This show is a return to form with original members of the band playing a blistering show like they hadn't missed a beat in 15 years. Springsteen had just turned 50 and you can hear the age in his voice on this tour and forth, but he still puts in 3 hours of work for the Philly crowd.
7. Shea Stadium - New York, New York - 10-4-2003
Full concert successful this time, featuring Bob Dylan, Willie Nile, Gary U.S Bonds and Jon Landau, A 30-song blowout that lasted nearly 3 hours and 10 minut...
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The last show on The Rising Tour. A good all-around set list from The Rising era that captures the band one album into their reunion. This show has an infamous appearance by none other than Bob Dylan! Dylan mumbles his way through a version of Highway 61 Revisited that sounds like a Ben Stiller parody of itself. It's bad in a very good way. This concert shows us what the gospel-inspired "Music as Salvation" tone of a Springsteen show would be for the next.....oh 20 years or so.
8. Van Andel Arena - Grand Rapids, Michigan - 8-3-2005
Devils & Dust TourI Wish I Were Blind2005 Grand Rapids, MIMusic is the property of the original artist.Music Video is for exhibition and educational purposes.
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This is part of the Devils and Dust Tour where Springsteen set off on his own with some acoustic guitars and a piano for a One Man Show across the country. I chose this one because it has the single greatest version of I Wish I Were Blind on it and because his performance of Darkness On The Edge of town has an emotional weight to it that nearly made me choke up as I sat in the arena that night. One of the most special concerts I've ever been to. Springsteen shows his mastery of the stage and presence with small banter and stories between songs.
9. New Orleans Jazz Festival - New Orleans, Louisiana - 4-30-2006
Bruce Springsteen performing an intro into "O Mary Don't You Weep", live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2006Listen to Bruce Springsteen: https:...
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This show is during the Seeger Sessions period, so there's not much in the way of E Street classics here, but the performance doesn't suffer for it. A rollicking set of mostly traditional songs and covers set against the backdrop of a city trying to recover from the devastation of Hurrican Katrina (which hit 8 month prior). The energy is apparent in the performance. There's an anger boiling under even the most jubilant songs from the night and it makes for one hell of a concert. Many of the songs have themes of loss and some could have a minor lyrical tweak or two and be about the tragedy that had occurred less than a year before, such as their version of How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live. It's not just an important concert in the Springsteen catalog it's and important concert in the history of American music.
10. MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey - 8-30-2016
An Epic night in NJ! Set the record for the longest US show ever at 4:01. Many rare songs played! See my other videos.
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A career spanning 34 songs of hit after hit after hit after hit. This is the culmination of one of the greatest career's in rock history. I don't know how long this show is, but I'd have to imagine it's longer than 4 hours. This could be a box set in itself.
