bruce springsteen tour wrigley field

Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band coming to Wrigley Field in August

The shows are part of the 73-year-old superstar’s first major tour with the band in six years..

Bruce Springsteen smiles at the crowd during his Sept. 7, 2012, concert at Wrigley Field.

Sun-Times File

Updated Feb 17: second show added.

The Chicago stop on Bruce Springsteen’s tour will bring the rocker and his E Street Band to Wrigley Field on Aug. 9 and 11. The second show was announced on Feb. 17; tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 21 at Cubs.com/Springsteen .

The original date was one of several announced Tuesday as add-ons to the tour, which began Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida.

Gates for the Wrigley show will open at 5:30 pm and show time is 7:30 pm. Tickets for the Aug. 9 show are on sale at Cubs.com/Springsteen .

Springsteen’s only previous tour stops at Wrigley were Sept. 7 and 8, 2012, during the “Wrecking Ball’ tour.

This is the 73-year-old superstar’s first major tour with the E Street Band in six years. The lineup includes Springsteen’s wife, singer Patti Scialfa; guitarists Stevie Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren; drummer Max Weinberg; bassist Garry Tallent, and keyboardist Roy Bittan.

Jake Clemons is performing the sax parts originated by his late uncle, Clarence Clemons. A brass section rounds out the big sound.

Contributing: AP

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Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band to play concert at Wrigley Field

Tickets will go on sale Friday at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO (WLS) -- "The Boss" is coming to Chicago.

Bruce Springsteen and "The E Street Band" have announced they've added more dates to their North American tour.

They will be playing a show at Wrigley Field on August 9.

Tickets will be sold directly by the stadium and go on sale at Friday at 10 a.m.

Tickets for the stop in Philadelphia will also be sold at the concert site, with tickets for other venues being on sale through Ticketmaster.

August 9 - Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field

Onsale: Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM CT

August 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park

Onsale: Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 AM ET

August 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park

August 24 - Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium

Verified Fan Onsale: Monday, February 27 at 10:00 AM ET

August 28 - Washington, DC @ Nationals Park

Verified Fan Onsale: Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 AM ET

August 30 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium

Verified Fan Onsale: Friday, February 24 at 10:00 AM ET

September 1 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium

Verified Fan Onsale: Friday, February 24 at 12:00 PM ET

September 7 - Syracuse, NY @ JMA Wireless Dome

September 9 - Baltimore, MD @ Oriole Park at Camden Yards

September 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM ET

November 3 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM PT

November 6 - Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM MT

November 8 - Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome

November 10 - Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM CT

November 14 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM ET

November 16 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

November 18 - Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre

November 20 - Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell

November 30 - Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM MT

December 4 - Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM PT

December 6 - Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

December 8 - San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center

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• BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
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Wednesday 09 August 2023

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

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1060 W Addison St 60613 Chicago, IL, US chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/index.jsp

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Doors open: 19:30

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Bruce Springsteen Kicks Off North American Tour with World-Class Performance in Chicago: Review

The first night of Springsteen and the E Street Band's North American stadium tour

Oh, you thought Bruce Springsteen was done?

When the applause began, the chords of his first song, “No Surrender,” were still ringing through Chicago’s Wrigley Stadium. Of course Springsteen was done. On the opening night of his North American tour (get tickets here ), after the 73-year-old had played through the usual two verses and choruses, his longtime comrades in the E Street Band paused. Isn’t that what it sounds like when a song finishes — a pause? But as the clapping of some 40,000 people reached its crescendo, The Boss raised his hand, and “No Surrender”came roaring back to life. It was the first of many false endings, as Springsteen thumbed his nose at the very idea that the music should stop.

From “No Surrender” the E Street Band launched straight into “Ghosts” and “Prove It All Night,” while Springsteen never ceased moving. He raised his hands when they weren’t strumming a guitar, paced when he wasn’t rooted to the mic, and rocked his knees rather than stand flat. The first time he even briefly stood still came moments before “Letter to You,” when he swapped guitars with a roadie — an interaction as smooth and well-rehearsed as anything else on stage. The disruption lasted mere seconds before he was back at it. Many artists one-third Springsteen’s age would be gasping for breath, and here he was bounding into his fourth song.

We know younger artists can struggle with their stage stamina because last weekend Chicago hosted Lollapalooza . We watched bands wilt in scorching heat and fight to rouse rain-soaked audiences. We also saw the many tricks musicians use to catch their breath — the video clips, the audience banter, the clever ways to disguise a pause. But all of these things stop the music, which is a problem for Bruce Springsteen. So he avoided the problem by never needing to catch his breath. He may not move a spryly as he did five years ago, but his endurance is world-class.

Springsteen did talk to the audience but in very short bursts, such as asking, “Are you ready for a road trip?” before “Darlington County.” He gave a harmonica to an 11-year-old boy, and a lot of his communication with the crowd was nonverbal. During “Kitty’s Back,” after the E Street Band had taken turns with solos, Springsteen began his guitar part by holding a single note for a comical length of time, all the while wiping his brow as if dying of hard work — a guitar hero dad joke.

He’s clearly having fun even after some 50 years with the E Street Band, shouting “Max!” or “Steve!” to get the audience’s attention before Max Weinberg or Steven Van Zandt did something impressive. As drummer, Weinberg acted a bit as Master of Ceremonies, helping transition between songs and setting the tone with his body language. And Van Zandt remains a delightful ham, shredding on his paisley guitars and mugging for the cameras. Jake Clemons, who has been touring saxophonist since the death of his uncle Clarence Clemons, has emerged as a fan favorite, and got loud cheers at the start of every sax solo.

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Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band Performing At Wrigley Field This Summer

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WRIGLEYVILLE — Bruce Springsteen is coming back to Wrigley Field this summer on an international tour.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will take over the Friendly Confines Aug. 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. Friday on the Major League Baseball website .

Springsteen’s tour kicked off Feb. 1 in Tampa and will head to Europe in April, according to his website . The Wrigley Field show is the first of 18 North American dates added to the tour.

This is the second time Springsteen and the E Street Band have performed at Wrigley Field. They did shows Sept. 7 and 8, 2012, during the Wrecking Ball tour.

The upcoming show is one of a slew of concerts announced for the iconic baseball park this summer. Other shows include Dead & Company June 9 and 10, Fall Out Boy June 21 , Morgan Wallen June 22 and 23 and P!nk Aug. 12.

Tickets for some shows are already available on the  MLB website .

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Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

• Date Aug 9 - 11 , 2023
• Doors Open 5:30 PM
• On Sale On Sale Now
• Ages All Ages

We look forward to seeing you at Wrigley Field for the Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band shows on Wednesday, August 9 and Friday, August 11! Ballpark gates will open at approximately 5:30 p.m. CT.  Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the band’s performance is scheduled to begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Please take a moment to review the FAQ section below to help you prepare for the upcoming show.

Shop early for your Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band tour merchandise! A full selection of tour merch is available at Caretaker Way (1101 W. Waveland) and Gallagher Way (3637 N. Clark) today and Friday. Both stands open at 1pm.

Getting to Wrigley Field (1060 W. Addison St. Chicago, IL 60613) including Parking Options

Please give yourself plenty of time to travel to and from Wrigley Field. We encourage the use of public transportation including Metra trains and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses and trains. The CTA Red Line stops one block from Wrigley Field at the Addison station. Visit  Cubs.com/Transportation  for detailed information on transit options from across Chicago. Free remote parking  will be offered at 3900 N. Rockwell St., located approximately 2.5 miles from the ballpark. This lot includes free shuttle service to and from Wrigley Field. Services begin approximately two hours prior to the start of the show and returning shuttles run approximately one hour after the end of the show.  Free bicycle valet service  also will be available in the alley just east of the main entrance for the CTA Red Line stop on Addison Street. Limited parking will be available for cashless purchase beginning at 3 p.m. CT on the day of the show in our  Toyota Camry Lot  (1126 W. Grace St. Chicago, IL 60613) and  Irving Park Lot  (1052 W. Irving Park Rd. Chicago, IL 60613) on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment for parking includes a credit card, debit card or mobile wallet. No cash will be accepted. Tailgating is not permitted. A designated group charter, coach bus, limousine and black car service drop-off and pick-up location will be located on Irving Park Road between Clark Street and Seminary Avenue. Rideshares will pick up on Addison Street between Halsted Street and Broadway.

Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited at Wrigley Field during the show: 

• Cameras with large lenses, including those with detachable lenses
• Professional or non-mobile phone video cameras
• Weapons of any kind, including knives or sharp items
• Tactical gear
• Backpacks (including clear backpacks)
• Bags larger than 16 x 16 x 8 inches
• GoPro cameras, iPads, tablets or selfie sticks
• Frisbees, footballs or other "throwables"
• Glass, metal and aluminum bottles and containers (Only empty or reusable water bottles are permitted)
• Hard-sided coolers

General Admission Tickets

Attendees with General Admission tickets should enter through the Budweiser Bleacher Gate, located at the corner of Waveland and Sheffield avenues, to scan their ticket and receive a wristband. Those with General Admission tickets must retain both their ticket and wristband throughout the evening to ensure field access. Please note fans with General Admission tickets may line up on the north side of Waveland Avenue from the corner of Waveland and Sheffield avenues toward the east for entry beginning at 10 a.m. CT on the day of the show. Fans with Field seats can enter the ballpark via any gate. 

Coordinated Music and Light Shows

Please be advised the event may include coordinated music and light shows. These shows may contain bright, strobe lights and/or lasers that may cause discomfort and/or seizures for those with photosensitive epilepsy.

Wrigley Field is a Cashless Venue

Wrigley Field is a cashless venue for all food and beverage and merchandise purchases. Payment can include a credit card, debit card or mobile wallet. Reverse ATMs are available in the ballpark to convert cash to a card that can be used for purchases at Wrigley Field and elsewhere.

Please also note the Wrigley Field campus, including Gallagher Way, is smoke free. No smoking of any kind and no spitting is permitted in or around Wrigley Field. For a full list of permitted and prohibited items, visit  Cubs.com/Info .

The 2023 international tour began February 1 in Tampa, Florida with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band's first North American show in seven years. Opening night featured a high-energy 28-song set which included rocking fan favorites like "Born To Run," "Prove It All Night," and "Wrecking Ball," with The E Street Band effortlessly shifting to soul and R&B while complemented by a horn section and backing vocalists. Rolling Stone called the band's return "ecstatic and emotional," and SPIN added it was a "must-see." USA Today said they "rocked like their lives depended on it" and the Associated Press noted the "energy was as high as ever...every song seemed epic.”

Bruce Springsteen Adds 18 Cities to 2023 U.S. Tour, From East Coast Stadiums to the Forum in L.A.

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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At last, Bruce Springsteen fans can let go over their angst over whether the performer will reach Los Angeles and many other areas left off the first leg of his U.S. tour this year… and move on to the angst of the difficulty of getting tickets. The fact that some of the added gigs are in stadiums instead of arenas may ameliorate at least some of those concerns, though.

Popular on Variety

Out west, where the dates go indoors and into arenas instead of stadiums, hopes will be particularly high that added shows are in the cards, even though he is playing mostly single-nighters in arenas on the first leg. In L.A., two dates at the Forum have been announced, which is unlikely to meet demand. Springsteen used to play as many as seven nights at the now-demolished Sports Arena, although he stopped there for only three when he closed the place down in March 2016 on the E Street Band’s “The River” tour.

Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan pre-registration page for the tour is open through the end of the day this coming Sunday and can be found here .

The full rundown of Springsteen’s added dates for summer and fall and their on-sale dates:

August 9 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field

Onsale: Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM CT

August 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park

Onsale: Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 AM ET

August 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park

August 24 – Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium

Verified Fan Onsale: Monday, February 27 at 10:00 AM ET

August 28 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park

Verified Fan Onsale: Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 AM ET

August 30 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium Verified Fan Onsale: Friday, February 24 at 10:00 AM ET

September 1 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium

Verified Fan Onsale: Friday, February 24 at 12:00 PM ET

September 7 – Syracuse, NY @ JMA Wireless Dome

Verified Fan Onsale: Friday, February 24 at 10:00 AM ET

September 9 – Baltimore, MD @ Oriole Park at Camden Yards

September 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM ET

November 3 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM PT

November 6 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM MT

November 8 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome

November 10 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM CT

November 14 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM ET

November 16 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

November 18 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre

November 20 – Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell

November 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center

Verified Fan Onsale: Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM MT

December 4 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Verified Fan Onsale: Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 AM PT

December 6 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

December 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center

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How Milwaukee Brewers' American Family Field became one of country's top concert stadiums

In 2023, American Family Field had its biggest year ever for concerts — and it was one of the top-grossing stadiums for concerts in the world.

It may be the new normal.

After hosting four concerts last year — including the first two-night stadium run ever in Milwaukee, with Morgan Wallen, and shows with George Strait and Pink that both broke attendance records — American Family Field is ready to host four more in 2024.

The first two are April 12 and 13, the stadium tour kickoff for country superstar Luke Combs. Kenny Chesney returns in June, this time with Zac Brown Band ; and Green Day is coming in August with the Smashing Pumpkins.

Going forward, depending on routing and the teams' schedule, the Brewers could book four to six major tours a year, predicted Jason Hartlund, who oversees concerts at the stadium as executive vice president — chief commercial officer for the Brewers.

“We’ve really bent over backwards for artists and production teams to be as hospitable and as easy a process (to stage a concert) as possible,” Hartlund said. “That reputation is starting to get out into the marketplace. It’s helped us.”

Last year, it helped 43,000-seat American Family Field become the 19th top-grossing stadium for concerts in the United States, and 35th in the world, according to concert trade magazine Pollstar, ranking prominently among football stadiums with larger seating capacities. The stadium sold 178,107 concert tickets, collectively grossing $35.4 million.

It's a remarkable development for a 23-year-old stadium in a market Milwaukee's size, especially since there are two stadiums in must-play Chicago — the Cubs' Wrigley Field and the Bears' home field (for now), Soldier Field — that routinely draw Milwaukee fans for shows.

But between the growth of the stadium tour sector of the concert industry — and the $500 million stadium funding bill signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers last December — American Family Field's future as a live music destination is promising.

"Philosophically, when we enter into an agreement with a sports team or stadium, we want to know that they want to be good partners," said Charlie Goldstone, co-president of Live Nation-backed Madison promoter FPC Live, which handled the Pink and Wallen concerts last year and is promoting Green Day's this year.

"It's more than just financial. Will they help promote the shows? Will the team be amenable to uses of the field and the locker rooms? When an artist gets there will they feel welcome? … With the Brewers, the answer is always yes."

More: These are all of the arena, amphitheater and stadium concerts in Milwaukee in 2024

More: Luke Combs at American Family Field: Everything to know for Milwaukee stadium tour kickoff

Years with few concerts at the Milwaukee Brewers' ballpark

For much of the stadium's existence, a big concert each year wasn't a guarantee. After it opened in 2001, Miller Park (renamed American Family Field in 2021) nabbed a few tours its first few years, including Strait, *NSYNC and Bruce Springsteen.

But after 2003, the stadium went a decade without hosting tours, although there were some special events, including Farm Aid in 2010, and birthday bashes for Harley-Davidson and Miller Brewing.

Then in 2013, Kenny Chesney headlined a stadium tour stop at Miller Park for the first time, the beginning of what's become a fruitful relationship with one of the stadium's most reliable promoters, the Messina Touring Group.

In addition to Chesney's headlining shows at the Brewers ballpark in 2016, 2018, 2022 and now this year, Messina brought Ed Sheeran to the stadium in 2018. The promoter also was responsible for Eric Church's second stadium-headlining show ever in 2022, and for the Strait show last year — one of only eight dates the country legend did in 2023 with Chris Stapleton.

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel last year, Louis Messina, head of AEG-backed Messina Touring Group, said doing shows at the stadium was "comfortable" and that the venue itself was "fan-friendly."

"Some stadiums, it's like pulling teeth to do a show there. In Milwaukee, it's not like that," Messina said. "From the top with management all the way down to the groundskeepers, they work with us and make it easy for us to produce shows."

"We're not just another tenant in the building. … That's really important, not only to me and the artists but to my team, box office people, production people — everybody."

After Chesney broke the tour drought, Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, put Paul McCartney and One Direction shows in the stadium, in 2013 and 2015.

A gamechanger for Wisconsin concerts in 2018

Then in 2018, Live Nation became a majority stakeholder of long-running Madison promoter Frank Productions, parent to FPC Live — and the Brewers took notice.

"The ballpark said they wanted to be in business, and it opened up a new level of shows that were not coming to the state," FPC Live co-president Scott Leslie said. By that time, touring was a rapidly growing business at other ballparks, Leslie noted, including Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in Boston.

"The Brewers saw that this was being done successfully among their peers, so why not them?" Leslie said.

FPC Live brought the only Billy Joel Midwestern concert of 2019 to American Family Field, and a Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett package to the ballpark in 2022. Aside from when the pandemic derailed the touring industry for most of 2020 and much of 2021, the ballpark has hosted at least one stadium tour every year since 2018, and nearly all of them have been at capacity.

"Success breeds success," Hartlund said. "Where artists may have been hesitant to come to the Milwaukee market in the past, we have a catalog of success that tours can play Chicago and Milwaukee. … And because we have had success with shows in the past people are getting more comfortable moving off weekends."

Last year's Pink show at American Family Field, for instance, was on a Monday — and it stopped at Wrigley Field the prior Saturday. But the Milwaukee date was still a smash, with Pink breaking an attendance record at the stadium, performing for 46,644 people.

Leslie suggests that Pink's past success in the market — her Fiserv Forum show in 2019 was the top-grossing concert at the arena that year — likely gave her team more confidence to book a show in the city's biggest venue.

"With Fiserv Forum, there's a brand-new arena with a high volume of really amazing shows that let the market open up in a bigger way," FPC Live's Goldstone said.

The $524 million Milwaukee Bucks arena opened in 2018, bringing more shows nearly every year than the Bradley Center ever did during a single year. And the American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Maier Festival Park has seen a surge of shows, too, following a $51.3 million renovation, reaching its highest volume since 2004. And even though the amphitheater has nabbed some tour dates routed through other stadiums, Hartlund suggests their booking ability has benefited.

"The rising tide lifts all ships," Hartlund said. "Having a new arena is great for the city, having a revamped American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Summerfest is fantastic. The more shows we put in here, the better."

Stadium concert tours are surging around the world

Hartlund says the Brewers have been more aggressive about concert bookings coming out of the pandemic, driven not just by a desire to grow non-baseball revenue, but a growing comfort that field conditions won't be affected by more events.

And there are significantly more events at stadiums around the globe, which the Brewers are also benefiting from. Grosses from the world’s top 100 stadiums for concerts were up 35% in 2023 to $3.62 billion, according to Pollstar. The number of tickets sold for those tours also increased 22.2% to 29.1 million.

Since touring resumed after the pandemic, Dave Brooks, senior director of live and touring for Billboard, estimates that at least an artist or two in different genres, including country, pop and Latin music, have been able to rise up to the stadium level every year, while some artists have experimented with packages to help fill stadium seats, like Chesney is doing with Zac Brown Band and Green Day with the Pumpkins.

"The financial incentives are obvious," Brooks said. "You can get a much larger audience for the fraction of the price it costs you to do multiple arena shows. The costs are somewhat higher for a stadium concert than an arena show, but the increase in attendance is like double depending on how big the stadium is, and you can make almost double the money."

Promoters also like the "huge consumer marketing databases" that MLB and NFL teams have from selling tickets to their games to help them sell shows, Brooks continued, and fans have shown with their wallets that they don't mind the stadium concert experience.

"The use of video boards and technology makes the concert feel more intimate," Brooks said of more recent stadium tours.

New stadium developments could lead to more concerts

Hartlund is hopeful that the Brewers' new centerfield scoreboard — one of the largest in Major League Baseball — will appeal to some promoters. As of the Journal Sentinel interview, he was unsure if any tours would use the scoreboard this year, but Strait and Stapleton did last year.

And while the team's new QR code-based parking payment system was temporarily suspended due to technical issues for opening day — and will not be in operation for the Combs shows — Hartlund said that, when it's up and running, it will cut down on backups into the ballpark. Traffic into the park has triggered some backlash in the past, most notably for Sheeran's show in 2018, prompting the team to issue an apology.

And then there's the $500 million public-funding plan for the ballpark to support long-term renovations and improvements, which will include "winterizing" the venue so it could operate beyond its typical April-to-October timeframe.

The stadium's retractable roof has already been an asset — Hartlund suggests it was a key reason why Combs opted to kick off the tour there this year — but following renovations, American Family Field theoretically could host concerts in March or November.

And yes, some stadium tours have been routed through the Midwest in November; Stapleton and Strait played the indoor U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in November 2021, and Joel played the NFL stadium with Stevie Nicks last November.

"Promoters are aware of the plan for that to take place," Hartlund said, although a definitive timeline has yet to be set. "It's all about the comfort levels for the artist and the fans. If the building is winterized and heated to appropriate levels, it's no different from an arena show in November or March."

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or  [email protected] . Follow him on X at  @pietlevy  or Facebook at  facebook.com/PietLevyMJS .

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Bruce Springsteen’s Los Angeles Show: 7 Major Takeaways

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band performed its first of two sold-out shows at The Forum, delivering a set spanning three-and-a-half hours and filled with lessons from The Boss.

By Lyndsey Havens

Lyndsey Havens

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On Thursday, April 4, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band delivered its first of two headlining shows at Los Angeles’ The Forum — and it was a rousing, and lengthy, experience.

The trek, which kicked off mid-March in Phoenix (after being rescheduled from 2023 due to Springsteen’s peptic ulcer disease) has already produced headline-worthy highs, from the legendary rocker appearing on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm to crack jokes with Larry David about the delayed outing to signing a student’s absent note from school during his San Francisco show.

And that’s not all The Boss has been up to. At the end of March — amidst his own World Tour — Springsteen appeared as a guest performer during Zach Bryan’s headlining show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center alongside Maggie Rogers.

But tonight, the focus was all Springsteen from beginning to end — as both the opening and closing song featured the legend standing alone under a single spotlight. There were no special guests (other than his wife Patti Scialfa) and no major surprises (other than a few setlist additions of songs making their tour debut), but there was one key identifier of tonight’s show: its length.

As any fan should know, attending a Springsteen show is not only a sonic journey but a test of physical endurance. And for his first L.A. show, Springsteen came out swinging. The setlist included 32 songs and spanned three-and-a-half hours; judging by his wide smile and general exuberance throughout, it appeared as if he could have gone even longer.

“It’s like he doesn’t want to stop,” observed one fan. But all good things do indeed come to an end — and eventually, Springsteen walked off stage for good, for now.

Below are the seven most impressive takeaways from Springsteen’s L.A. show — including, of course, that infamous nonstop drive.

360° Engagement Is Possible (For a Rare Few)

For the first of Springsteen’s two sold-out shows at the Forum, there was – as expected – not a single empty seat in the entire venue.

The seats behind the stage were filled, with every single row up to the ceiling packed with fans, while the floor seats extended from end-to-end and reached as far as the back wall. Plus – and also as expected – Springsteen made sure to engage the entire room throughout the set, performing parts of songs, including hits like “Hungry Heart,” to the back of the stage, facing those who were more than happy to just be in the room.

There Are Benefits To Starting The Night Early (That Don't Include Going To Bed Early)

Minutes before 8 p.m. (at 7:54, to be exact), Springsteen lets out a signature “1, 2, 3, 4” followed by the bluesy rock riff to John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” as a single spotlight illuminates Springsteen’s silhouette. Yet, soon enough, the stage lights are brought up to reveal the 17 musicians on stage with Springsteen, including, of course, the famous E Street Band.

Though the earlier start time accounts for the lengthier set time, beginning while there’s still a touch of daylight to be found is a rare but welcome move — and also helps ignite the high-energy that Springsteen manages to maintain throughout the duration of the show, and demands back from each and every fan.

His Generosity Is Second Nature

Just under an hour into the show and Springsteen can’t help but give his fans his all – quite literally. At one point, he gifts his harmonica to a fan in the general admission front row (it’s replaced by another later in the show) and then, before walking back to center stage, he reaches deep into his pocket and finds a guitar pick, which he tosses to another fan before diving into the next hit.

There's Always Room For a Setlist Surprise (Or Three)

“We have a very special night prepared, Los Angeles,” teases Springsteen, who then welcomes his wife, Patti Scialfa, on stage to duet on “Tougher Than the Rest” – but that’s not all. “My baby’s back,” declares Springsteen right after, telling the crowd, “We haven’t done this song in a long time, Patti has never done it, I don’t think.” He then tells her to “sing over here,” placing her at the center stage mic and letting her take the lead on an acoustic rendition of “Fire.” 

For good measure, Springsteen throws in one more oldie but goodie: “Jole Blon.” The addition is thanks to a handmade, spray-painted sign from a fan (which also notes that it is their 131st time seeing Springsteen live). “This sign is impossible to read…. Can anybody read this thing? What is it?” laughs Springsteen. After the crowd helps him out, he declares, “We haven’t played this in many years, but we’re going to play it right now!”

His Stamina Will Never Not Be Shocking

At 9:12 p.m. – one-and-a-half hours into the set – Springsteen asks, “Good evening Los Angeles, are we having fun yet? ‘Cause we ain’t started to have fun yet… this is all pre-fun…We are here to wake you up and shake you up and take you to higher ground…We planned on sending you home with your feet hurting and your hands hurting and your ass in paralysis and your sexual organs stimulated.”

Nearly two hours later, and he’s still going – and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. At 11:03 p.m. he asks, “Do you have anything left?!” before taking a final bow as one last chorus of “BRUCE” chants echo throughout the arena. But even still, that wasn’t the end, as Springsteen fits in one final song – a solo, acoustic delivery of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” – before finally wrapping at 11:13 p.m. – nearly three-and-a-half hours after he started. And without a single break.

He Can Make a Big Room Feel Small

Springsteen manages to make a room full of nearly 20,000 fans feel just as intimate as a showing of Springsteen on Broadway – both in terms of how he talks to his fans, much like he’s catching up with longtime friends, and in terms of the stripped-down delivery of a handful of songs. At one point, as Springsteen begins to tell the story of how he got his start in music – “In 1965 I was 15 and I’d been playing guitar for six months …” – one fan whispers to their friends, “This is a great story,” with such excitement at the chance to hear it again. And later on, when Springsteen delivers a solo acoustic performance of “Last Man Standing,” every single person remains seated, and silent, as if holding their breath as to not miss a single note.

His Wisdom Is The Set's Special Sauce

“Death brings a certain clarity, and grieving is the price we pay for love,” Springsteen says while introducing “Last Man Standing” – and it’s a sentiment he revisits more than once throughout the set. While pondering immortality – and perhaps the “why” of it all – he tells the crowd, “I don’t know where we go when all of this is over, but I know what remains. The only thing I can guarantee tonight is that if you’re here and we’re here, then those that are missing are here with us,” before performing “My City of Ruins.”

Springsteen later makes sure to end the enthralling and seemingly never-ending evening on the same note, performing the emotive “I’ll See You In My Dreams” while standing alone on stage with nothing more than his guitar and harmonica, illuminated once more by a single beam of light. And as the clock nears midnight, the song’s title will be true for many fans who will surely be replaying this night when they close their eyes to sleep.

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Bruce Springsteen Remains The Gold Standard Of Live Music

Just a little over a year ago, when Taylor Swift launched her Eras Tour in Phoenix, Arizona , a very familiar analog was thrown around for obvious reasons. The sheer physical magnitude of her performance, stretching beyond three hours of seamless entertaining, evoked a name that’s become synonymous with marathon sets and crowd-pleasing live mythology. That name, of course, is Bruce Springsteen .

Sure, the comparison is relatively flimsy and speaks mostly to the career-spanning endurance of the performances. Swift’s concerts are a bit more set-in-stone, with her nightly acoustic set providing moments to dig deep into her catalog and surprise. Swift is more focused on choreography and spectacle. Swift lets the songs become the star of the show, with each performance space becoming a safe haven for unabashed superfandom .

On Sunday night at the second of his two sold-out nights at Los Angeles’ Forum, Springsteen underscored why his name has become interchangeable with “impressive, physically demanding live performances.” The New Jersey legend is 74 years old and is still stretching his appearances well beyond the three-hour mark on a nightly basis. And while some of his classic-rock brethren play similarly epic sets, none do so with Springsteen’s force, often letting backing vocalists and bloated bands carry the songs to their familiar heights. That’s less a knock on the performing abilities of folks past the typical retirement age and more a comment on how Springsteen’s vigor defies reason.

And though some might point to Springsteen’s complete backing choir and sprawling E-Street players as evidence to the contrary, the majesty of a Springsteen show is in the interplay between the two. The E-Street Band is never tasked with masking the shortcomings of its central figure. No, they simply take his power and strap a rocket to the back of it. During the main set’s closing of “Thunder Road,” a song that’s as perfect as any ever written, the band largely slowed down and let Bruce take the song as his own leisure. But once he’d reached its iconic crescendo, the horn section made their way to the front of the stage, with first Jake Clemmons leading the charge, only to be accompanied by his four other brassed compatriots, blasting the closing notes through the venue’s roof.

And moments like this were commonplace. It’s hard to imagine “Glory Days” live without Little Steven’s playful exchanges with The Boss, or a night without Max Weinberg providing a “shot” from his snare or Nils Lofgren spinning circles like a madman while dropping a guitar solo. The “couple” songs that Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa sings with her husband — including a version of “Tougher Than The Rest” where their mouths are as close as they can be without touching — were about as sexy as two Boomers are legally allowed to be. And a guest appearance from Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello for a pair of appropriate tunes, “American Skin (41 Shots)” and “The Ghost Of Tom Joad,” found the hard-rocking guitarist showcasing all his axe-wielding tricks to the audience’s delight.

This all serves to highlight the elements of a Bruce Springsteen concert that are beyond compare. For all the things that a massive pop concert can provide, rarely is it impressive because of musicianship. And where some might use confetti cannons or fireworks to give the crowd a visceral jolt, Bruce Springsteen is a living reminder that there are other ways to achieve similar results, and they only require a guitar or a drum set or a saxophone. Or, in the case of Bruce himself, the personal introspection and clarity he provides when using the space between songs to illuminate his own story and reflect on his personal journey.

The “Bruce Springsteen tells a story while introducing a song” archetype has been a meme since before memes were a thing. But still, when The Boss uses the intro of a tune to reflect on grief, on love, on friendship, or on his beloved rock and roll, thousands of people still shut up and listen. It’s a superpower to be so innately poetic without resorting explicitly to poetry and provides balance to the emotional catharsis of shouting his anthems back to him. So while Springsteen might not have backing dancers or lasers or excessive visuals, he still remains the gold standard for live music. It’s the kind of set that makes sense regardless of fandom, where the value is inherent. It might not be what the future of live music on the biggest scale looks like, but career artists would benefit from looking at how far passion and craftsmanship can take you.

Check out an exclusive gallery of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Forum in Los Angeles below.

Bruce Springsteen to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena after rescheduling tour due to illness

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) – Tickets are still available to see Bruce Springsteen perform this Friday at Mohegan Sun.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour- including their Mohegan stop – was postponed last year while the 74-year-old rock star was recovering from peptic ulcer disease.

Their visit to Connecticut was postponed twice.

“Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support,” Springsteen said in a short statement last year . “I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.”

Friday’s show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Anyone who had tickets to the original September date can use their tickets for the rescheduled show.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.

Bruce Springsteen comes to the rescue for 11-year-old at his concert

• Published: Apr. 05, 2024, 5:30 a.m.

Bruce Springsteen performs at MetLife Stadium on August 30, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images

• Brian Linder | [email protected]

Bruce Springsteen is back on the road touring after a peptic ulcer late last year had him worried that he might never sing again.

It’s music to his fans’ ears. Also, “The Boss” is still pretty, danged awesome.

Don’t believe it?

Well, a clip from a recent concert is creating a social media stir because the 74-year-old came to the rescue of an 11-year-old in attendance. No, there wasn’t a life-or-death situation here, but it turns out the kid skipped school to make it to the show.

And when you skip school, you need an excuse.

That’s what the 11-year-old explained with a big sign, asking Springsteen to sign her excuse.

It resulted in the memory of a lifetime because Springsteen saw the sign and went to work. A clip from the concert shows him taking the note from the girl, kneeling down, and writing a long message on her excuse. He also held up the sign, and blew a kiss to her all while smiling.

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“No words!!!!!” Karen Pitcher Scovell wrote while sharing a recording of the interaction to Facebook. “To be in such close proximity to greatness was more than I had ever expected. Bruce knelt down directly in front of me to sing a school excuse for the little girl behind me…”

You can see her post here.

Apparently, it’s not the first time “The Boss” has come through for kids skipping school to see his show. You can read more about that here.

The 74-year-old Springsteen, who had to postpone his tour last September due to the ulcer, admitted in a recent interview that he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to sing again.

“Once I started singing, you know, you can rehearse singing, but your voice isn’t the same in rehearsal,” he said according to Deadline. “You don’t have the edge of adrenaline that really pushes it into a better place and the thing when I had the stomach problem, one of the big problems was I couldn’t sing.

“You sing with your diaphragm,” he continued. “My diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing, it was killing me, you know? So, I literally couldn’t sing at all, you know, and that lasted for two or three months, along with just a myriad of other painful problems.”

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Springsteen said people kept telling him he would return, but he said the ulcer was so painful that, at times, he did not believe that.

“You know, you’re thinking like, ‘Hey, am I gonna sing again?’” he said. “And you know, this is one of the things I love to do the best, the most, and right now I can’t do it.”

He said doctors kept telling him that would change.

“At the end of the day, I found some great doctors, and they straightened me out,” he said. “And I can’t do anything but thank them all.”

“The Boss” is slated to play in Pittsburgh on Aug. 15 and Aug. 18, and in Philadelphia on Aug 21 and Aug. 23. He also has a date in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 7 and in Baltimore on Sept. 13.

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