springsteen tour and covid

Bruce Springsteen Contracts COVID and Misses His Archives’ Inaugural Awards Show, but Presents Via Video

Springsteen and Patti Scialfa both had to skip an awards show where Steven Van Zandt, Darlene Love, Sam Moore and Steve Earle were being honored. The previous night, he closed out a gig with a moving dedication to his nephew, who died that day

By Michele Amabile Angermiller

Michele Amabile Angermiller

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The inaugural American Music Honors awards show — a fundraiser for the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University — launched Saturday night without two very important presenters in attendance: Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa.

Bob Santelli, the Archives’ executive director, broke the news that the Springsteens were both diagnosed with COVID-19 just hours after Springsteen took a final bow Friday night at the Prudential Center, wrapping the first part of his 2023 tour with the E Street Band.

Popular on Variety

Despite his absence physically, Springsteen was feeling spry enough to tape two videos presenting awards to Darlene Love and fellow E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt .

Stewart joked that Springsteen “with COVID looks better than me,” adding that he appeared “eerily healthy.”

“Aren’t you supposed to have sniffles or something?” he said. “We shut down the world for a year and a half.”

Springsteen was supposed to receive a proclamation from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who was in attendance with his wife, Tammy. Murphy, who joked that some in the audience were hoping that he was the one with COVID, unveiled a proclamation declaring Sept. 23, 2023, Springsteen’s birthday, “Bruce Springsteen Day” in the Garden State.

“I can’t believe it’s taken this long,” Murphy said.

“It’s not a rest area, but it’s nice,” quipped Stewart, an obvious reference to the Jon Bon Jovi rest stop and others in New Jersey. “It’s not like taking a whiz to ‘Livin’ on a Prayer,’ but it’ll do,”

The joyful tone was set early as the Disciples of Soul performed a medley of songs associated with each artist, starting with Love’s “A Fine, Fine Boy” and the Sam and Dave hit “Soul Sister, Brown Sugar.” The short set included Earle’s “Hard-Core Troubadour” and Van Zandt’s “I Am a Patriot.”

Tallent inducted Earle, crediting him for his decision to move to Nashville.

“When you’ve been around music as long as I’ve been, and if you’re lucky to come across an artist whose musical influences are so broad and whose understanding of the importance and meaning of music is so great that sometimes you just have to sit back and admire the genius — I play with basically one of those guys,” he said. “Steve Earle is one of those guys too.”

Earle, who performed his song “Copperhead Road” after accepting his award, said that although he has other awards — including not just three Grammys but a fleeting honor as the “fan of the game” on a Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium — this one meant “a lot to me because of the name over the door of the organization giving out this award.”

Springsteen wore a denim jacket and looked quite alert despite a late night in Newark the night before at a show where he performed for three hours and even did a shot with a fan from Avalon, NJ celebrating her 21st birthday. He saluted Love’s accomplishments and recounted how her relationship with Van Zandt and him dated back to seeing her perform in 1982 at a show where she sang his hit “Hungry Heart.”

“By that time, Darlene had become this mysterious figure in the music industry who had made this bunch of amazing records and was considered one of the best, if not the best, of all the ’60s singers, male or female — and then in the ’70s suddenly disappeared,” he said. “As fate would have it, Darlene leaves the business to become a housekeeper in the ’70s. I’m sure there’s something equally bizarre, unjust and impossible to imagine,” he added, though little comparable came to mind.

Love was overcome with emotion receiving her award, and celebrated by performing an uplifting version of “River Deep Mountain High” with the band.

“I said I was going to laugh for the first five minutes but now I’m going to try not to cry,” Love said. “I love you, Stevie, with all my heart. My husband loves you. You know, it’s hard. You never know what you have done for us. Because I had truly said goodbye to this business, because this is one of the hardest businesses you ever want to be in. You have to love it. You have to love people that don’t love you. You go the show and you say, why am I doing this? Why am I doing this? But it’s because of the gift that God has given me here and I truly intend to use it for the next 80.”

Lyon was reverential inducting Moore, recalling how he and Van Zandt were inspired to form the Asbury Jukes after watching Moore perform at a show in New Jersey.

The 87-year-old Moore took the stage seated in a chair and lead the crowd through an uplifting and fun performance of the hit “I Thank You.”

Springsteen appeared again on video to honor his friend Van Zandt and his accomplishments in music and socially conscious efforts, including organizing “Artists Against Apartheid” for the “Sun City” record. Springsteen reminisced about the first time the two met as teenagers at the Hullabaloo Club in Middletown, NJ and ” I found a rock ‘n’ roll partner in crime forever.”

“Yes, we liked the same music, yes, we liked the same bands, and it was at one time we liked the same clothes,” he said, quoting his song from “Born in the USA,” “Bobby Jean.”

“He does look kind of healthy, doesn’t he? — son of a bitch,” Van Zandt joked, before giving a speech about his passion for music and his mission to preserve the legacy through his TeachRock initiative, a program also offered at Monmouth University.

“This is nice to have a home for Bruce’s archives, and we’ll talk about other things as well as teaching workshops and all the rest that’s going to come with this wonderful organization,” he said.

“We were the luckiest generation ever growing up in a renaissance. I define renaissance very simply by when the greatest art is being made, it’s when it’s also the most commercial, you are in the middle of a renaissance. And that was the ’60s,” he said. “Of course, we were taking it for granted at the time, thinking that this was normal. Of course, we soon realized that it was a very, very special time.”

Van Zandt explained that the TeachRock initiative expands the standard S.T.E.M. basic curriculum of science, technology, engineering and math and adds an “A” for Arts, therefore transforming it to what he described as “S.T.E.A.M.”

“You integrate the art into math, into engineering, and not as a separate entity, but actually part of that same discipline. And this is changing the way kids are starting to learn,” he said.

The evening was capped by Van Zandt taking the stage to perform the song “Bitter Fruit” with the Disciples of Soul, and a finale that called all four honorees to the stage with Lyon to perform “It’s Been a Long Time,” “Hungry Heart” with Love on lead vocals, “Soul Man,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home.”

The previous night at Prudential Center, Springsteen closed out the show by dedicating the night’s final song, an acoustic version of “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” to his nephew, Michael Shave. An online family obituary noted by Springsteen fans reported that Shave died at age 53 on Friday, although Springsteen did not mention the death as part of his dedication.

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Bruce Springsteen Plays Stripped Back Set After Two E Street Band Members Test Positive For COVID

Steve Van Zandt, Soozie Tyrell and Patti Scialfa all missed the band's show in Dallas on Friday.

By Glenn Rowley

Glenn Rowley

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Bruce Springsteen was forced to perform without three of his E Street bandmates over the weekend after they had to bow out of the group’s Dallas, Texas show on Friday.

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According to The Boss, both guitarist Steven Van Zandt and violinist/singer Soozie Tyrel tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their tour stop at the American Airlines Center, while Springsteen’s wife singer/guitarist Patti Scialfa was also absent from the stage for undisclosed reasons.

Trending on Billboard

For his part, Van Zandt took to Twitter to assure fans he was already on the mend, tweeting, “Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest.” He soon followed his tweet up with another informing his followers he had received both the COVID-19 vaccine and a booster. “That’s why it’s a mild case. No real danger or damage,” he wrote.

Billboard has reached out to Springsteen and the E Street Band’s rep for comment on whether the next planned tour stop, on Tuesday (Feb. 14) in Houston, Texas, will feature the full band. Meanwhile, the band is continuing their international tour with a planned stop in Austin on Thursday (Feb. 16), before heading to Kansas City, Tulsa, Portland, Seattle, Denver and more. The U.S. leg of the trek will conclude on April 14 with a hometown show in Newark, New Jersey before the band jets off to Europe.

Check out fan-captured video of Springsteen explaining his bandmates’ absence as well as Van Zandt’s string of tweets below.

Sorry folks. Covid. https://t.co/QFV8cF8emy — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest. — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Totally. And boosted. That’s why it’s a mild case. No real danger or damage. https://t.co/3zcY6EgMgL — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

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Bruce Springsteen plays scaled back show after E Street Band members test positive for COVID-19

The Boss still promised the Dallas crowd "the best show they’ve ever seen"

Bruce Springsteen was forced to perform a show in Dallas, Texas this weekend without three members of the E Street Band.

• READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen: every album ranked in order of greatness

Earlier this month, Springsteen and co. kicked off their first tour in six years with a mammoth 28-song set in Tampa, Florida.

However, last Friday (February 10), The Boss was forced to take to the stage for a more scaled back affair, with guitarist Steven Van Zandt and violinist/singer Soozie Tyrel both having to miss the show after testing positive for COVID-19.

Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s wife and E Street band member, was also absent for an unknown reason.

“We got a few members missing tonight – Stevie Van Zandt – COVID, Soozie Tyrell – COVID, Patti Scialfa… But goddammit, we’re gonna give Dallas the best show they’ve ever seen,” Springsteen told the audience before performing ‘Out In The Street’.

Steven Van Zandt replied to a fan who tweeted asking why he was missing at Springsteen’s first Dallas show in seven years. “Sorry folks. Covid,” he replied.

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He followed up with another tweet, writing: “Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest.”

Replying to another tweet asking if he was vaccinated against Covid, Van Zandt wrote: “Totally. And boosted. That’s why it’s a mild case. No real danger or damage.”

Sorry folks. Covid. https://t.co/QFV8cF8emy — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest. — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Totally. And boosted. That’s why it’s a mild case. No real danger or damage. https://t.co/3zcY6EgMgL — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Kicking off the tour on February 1 , Springsteen and the band opened with ‘No Surrender’ before running through some of their greatest hits alongside newer material from their 2020 album ‘Letter To You’ over the course of almost three hours.

The set included a seven-song encore where they wheeled out tracks including ‘Born To Run’, ‘Rosalita’, ‘Dancing In The Dark’ and ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’ before Springsteen gave an acoustic solo performance of ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’.

Elsewhere, a fanzine dedicated to the music of Bruce Springsteen is set to close after 43 years .

• Related Topics
• Bruce Springsteen
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

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COVID strikes E Street Band, several members out as Springsteen tour soldiers on

• Published: Feb. 11, 2023, 9:29 a.m.

Three members were out for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Dallas performance Friday. AP

• Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

As Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s highly anticipated 2023 international tour took the stage in Dallas Friday night, three members were not at their stations.

Guitarist and right-hand man Steven Van Zandt , guitarist and Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa, and longtime violinist Soozie Tyrell were all absent from the stage.

The culprit for at least two of the three absences was all too familiar: COVID-19.

Van Zandt, 72, confirmed his diagnosis on Twitter Friday night: “Sorry folks. Covid.”

Sorry folks. Covid. https://t.co/QFV8cF8emy — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

Van Zandt noted on Twitter Saturday morning his case was “mild,” and hoped to be back for Houston Feb. 14 or Austin Feb. 16 at the latest.

Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest. — 🕉🇺🇦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023

And the reliable Springsteen fan site Brucebase, which meticulously catalogs every Springsteen show, noted Tyrell, 65, was also down with the illness, missing her second show in a row (she was also out Tuesday night in Hollywood, Florida, missing her first E Street show since 2002).

Scialfa, 69, who has not been confirmed to have COVID, missed two shows last week in Atlanta and Orlando, was back for the Hollywood show but then again absent Friday in Dallas.

A request for comment on the ill members’ condition, whether COVID had spread to other members including Springsteen himself, or the status of upcoming performances, was not returned by Springsteen’s spokespeople Saturday morning.

The tour kicked off Feb. 1 in Tampa and has so far completed five of its 31 U.S. arena dates, culminating with a home state performance at Prudential Center in Newark April 14.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook .

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Bruce Springsteen Plays Without Three E Street Band Members

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered a concert in Dallas with three members missing from the stage, two due to COVID .

Their Feb. 10 show at the American Airlines Center went ahead without guitarist Steven Van Zandt , violinist Soozie Tyrell and vocalist (and Springsteen's wife) Patti Scialfa. Van Zandt and Tyrell were both sick with COVID, while Scialfa sat out for undisclosed reasons. Tyrell had also missed the previous show in Hollywood, Fla., and Scialfa has been an irregular fixture on the group’s latest tour, which has logged five shows so far.

After an introductory segment of five songs, Springsteen told the crowd, “We got a few members missing tonight. Stevie Van Zandt — COVID! Soozie Tyrell — COVID! Patti Scialfa! But god-damn it, we’re gonna give Dallas the best show they’ve ever seen!” The concert continued with “Out in the Street” and featured 27 songs total, including the tour debut of “Detroit Medley.”

During the performance, Van Zandt responded to a fan tweet regarding his absence by saying , “Sorry folks. COVID.” He later added , “Thank you all for your best wishes and positive vibes. I’ve got a very mild case and hope to be back for Houston or Austin at the latest.” Asked by another fan if he’d been vaccinated, he replied , “Totally. And boosted. That’s why it’s a mild case. No real danger or damage.”

Watch Bruce Springsteen Explain Lineup Issue in Dallas

Springsteen's current tour marks his first outing with the E Street Band in six years. “It’s been a while and, you know, I’m just aching to play,” he told NJ.com when he announced the trek. “To travel and see our fans in all our different cities and feel that life again and see their faces again. And we got an old-school tour planned where we’ll be out there for quite a while and give everybody a chance to see us if they’d like to."

“At 15 it’s all tomorrows. At 73 it’s a lot of goodbyes," Springsteen said during his tour kickoff in Tampa, Fla. "That’s why you have to make the most of right now.”

The band’s next scheduled shows will take place on Feb. 14, 16 and 18 in Houston, Austin and Kansas City, respectively. The road trip is set to conclude on July 25 in Monza, Italy.

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Another E Street Band member has COVID, and Springsteen adds a second show in Chicago

2 minute read.

Jake Clemons had the night off due to COVID from the Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band show on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

But what exactly was he doing off stage?

“Our regular saxophonist Jake Clemons sends his love from the Four Seasons, where he’s sitting with COVID eating cheeseburgers and watching pornographic films,” said Springsteen from the stage early in the show, according to a livestream.

Yet, when the Spring-Nuts Springsteen fan club tweeted what Springsteen said on Thursday night, Clemons had a different story.

“Oh my! I think he meant Purim #HomeForPurim,” tweeted Clemons.

The E Street variant of COVID that's been running through the band has so far not resulted in any long-term issues. Band members have returned to the stage in less than a week: Nils Lofgren returned Thursday, and Little Steven Van Zandt and Soozie Tyrell returned earlier this week.

“Dear Austin, I’m crushed to not be rocking with you tonight,” tweeted Clemons, the nephew of Clarence Clemons, on Thursday night. “Give a little extra love to the great (Eddie Manion) and that fantastic horn section and I’ll be back out there soon! BigLove Always.”

Manion, a Lakewood native who was most recently a member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, rocked the arena in Austin on the sax solos usually performed by Clemons, according to fans.

“(Eddie Manion) stepped up big time!” tweeted Bud McLaughlin. “Freeze out, Jungleland, Rosalita, He killed it.”

Manion is part of the tour with the E Street Horns. Country music legend George Strait introduced the band in Austin, where the song “Cadillac Ranch” made its tour debut.

More: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announce stadium tour, coming to MetLife, Philly

More: 'My Hometown': Tour the Jersey Shore spots that Bruce Springsteen made famous

In other news, a second date at Wrigley Field in Chicago has been added to the stadium leg of the tour.

“Due to the overwhelming demand from fans a second show has been added on Friday, August 11, 2023,” according to Friday, Feb. 17, post on the Chicago Cubs website. Night two of Wrigley goes on sale 10 a.m. (CT) Tuesday, Feb. 21, via Cubs.com/Springsteen .

Subscribe to app.com for the latest Bruce Springsteen and the New Jersey music scene.

Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]

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Bruce Springsteen Day: New Jersey honor follows Covid diagnosis

Democratic governor Phil Murphy announces birthday celebration at event missed by singer, called ‘eerily healthy’ by Jon Stewart

New Jersey will on 23 September celebrate Bruce Springsteen Day for the first time, a move announced by the governor, Phil Murphy, a day after the singer and his wife, Patti Scialfa, tested positive for Covid-19.

“Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and influential musicians – and New Jerseyans – of all time,” Murphy, a Democrat, said on Saturday at the American Music Honors, an event at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University in West Long Branch.

The governor added: “It is important we recognise Bruce for all he has done and will continue to do, from giving us the gift of his music to lending his time to the causes close to his heart, including making … a repository that will inspire tomorrow’s songwriters and singers.”

Springsteen and Scialfa attended the event by video, having tested positive for Covid after a concert at the Prudential Center in Newark on Friday that the Asbury Park Press called “rollicking, rolling and boisterous … rock’n’roll glory delivered with guts”.

Hosting the West Long Branch event, the comedian Jon Stewart said Springsteen and Scialfa looked “eerily healthy”, telling worried attendees: “They’re alive. Don’t overreact. You can still see them in concert. They’re home sitting by the fire eating french onion soup.”

This 23 September, Springsteen, popularly known as the Boss, will turn 74. The Newark show was the last of a series of US dates to promote his 21st studio album, Only the Strong Survive . The tour will soon head to Europe, then return to the US in the summer.

Last month, Springsteen announced rescheduled dates in Connecticut, Albany, New York and Columbus, Ohio, in the weeks before his birthday. Those shows, first scheduled for March, were postponed after band members contracted Covid.

Also in March, Joe Biden awarded Springsteen the National Medal of Arts, for being “one of our greatest performers and storytellers [who] celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds, and gives us hope, capturing the unyielding spirit of what it means to be American”.

On Saturday, Murphy thanked Springsteen “for showing the world what it means to live our New Jersey values” and said: “I am both honored and proud to declare his birthday Bruce Springsteen Day in New Jersey.

“Truth be told, I know my place in the hierarchy of New Jersey . After all, I may be the 56th individual to be called ‘governor’, but there will ever only be just one Boss.”

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Screen Rant

Bruce springsteen's curb your enthusiasm season 12 cameo accidentally predicted a real-life event from last year.

Bruce Springsteen's COVID-riddled guest appearance in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 9 has an accidental parallel with real life.

• Bruce Springsteen's COVID storyline in Curb Your Enthusiasm parallels a real-life incident during his 2023 tour, adding humor to the show.
• Filming for Curb season 12 wrapped before Springsteen's COVID diagnosis, making the coincidental storyline truly uncanny.
• The show's ability to predict real events, like a Trump-like arrest, adds to the comedic genius of Curb Your Enthusiasm's plot twists.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 9.

Bruce Springsteen’s COVID-riddled guest appearance in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 9, “Ken/Kendra,” has an accidental parallel with a real-life event. Impressed by Larry’s supposed act of activism in Atlanta, Springsteen wants to meet Larry in Curb Your Enthusiasm ’s penultimate episode. During their meeting, their glasses of water get mixed up and Larry ends up infecting Springsteen with COVID, forcing him to cancel his upcoming shows. This causes Larry’s public image to take a nosedive as Springsteen’s massive fan base turns on him.

This storyline is identical to something that actually happened last year. There are often parallels between Curb Your Enthusiasm storylines and real-life events. Jeff’s confrontation with a passer-by who made fun of Susie in season 12, episode 6, “The Gettysburg Address,” was a nod to Will Smith’s notorious Oscars slap . These real-world parallels tend to be intentional references to well-known events, playing on the audience’s familiarity with them, but the Springsteen storyline’s parallel with a real-life event is purely coincidental.

Bruce Springsteen Actually Got COVID & Had To Postpone Tour Dates In 2023

Springsteen and his wife patti scialfa had to cancel an appearance in april 2023.

Springsteen’s COVID storyline in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 9 is similar to a real-life incident during his 2023 tour. In April of last year, Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa had to cancel an appearance when they both got diagnosed with COVID (via Variety ). In August of the same year, Springsteen had to postpone two concerts at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which had been scheduled for August 16 and 18, due to illness. This is near-identical to Springsteen’s Curb Your Enthusiasm storyline.

The biggest difference between the real-life incident and the Curb Your Enthusiasm storyline is that, in real life, Springsteen didn’t blame his COVID diagnosis on anyone . In Curb Your Enthusiasm , he comes forward and tells all the major news outlets that he got COVID from Larry David, turning Larry into public enemy number one. This change highlights the key difference between real life and the Curb world: in Curb , everyone is absurdly petty and vindictive. The show focuses on these qualities in its exploration of the most ridiculous and reprehensible aspects of the human condition.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Filmed Bruce Springsteen's Episode Several Months Earlier

Filming for curb season 12 wrapped in march 2023.

It might seem as though Springsteen’s COVID storyline was written into Curb Your Enthusiasm as a reference to his 2023 bout with the virus, and that the storyline was thought up to blame a real-life mishap on Larry, but it’s a total coincidence. The Curb Your Enthusiasm storyline wasn’t conceived as a spoof of real events; it was just conceived as a hapless thing for Larry to do. Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12 wrapped filming in March 2023 , so the episode 9 storyline had been written and shot several months before it happened in real life.

It’s not so wild to predict that someone might get COVID – especially somebody who’s as busy and popular and in demand as Springsteen – because people catch COVID all the time. Ever since the pandemic, it’s been common to contract COVID from social interactions. But the specifics of Springsteen’s COVID diagnosis in Curb Your Enthusiasm , including the impact it has on upcoming concerts, make this particular prediction a little more uncanny. The fact that Springsteen got COVID and postponed shows in real life adds a degree of realism and believability that makes the Curb storyline even funnier.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Already Had A Coincidence With Real-Life Events After Filming

Curb also predicted donald trump's arrest in atlanta.

The Springsteen COVID storyline isn’t the first time that Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12 has unwittingly predicted a real-life event. The season 12 premiere episode, “Atlanta,” saw Larry traveling to Georgia to make an appearance at a rich businessman’s birthday party. Before leaving the state, he stopped by the polling station where Auntie Rae was waiting in line to vote, so he could return the glasses he borrowed from her and give her a bottle of water. Unbeknownst to Larry, it’s illegal to do this in Georgia, so he gets arrested on the spot.

This Atlanta arrest leads to a hilarious visual gag as Larry’s mugshot – a spot-on spoof of the badly lit grimace in Donald Trump’s mugshot following his own arrest in Atlanta – is shown over the end credits. Like the Springsteen storyline, the Atlanta arrest storyline seems too close to true events to be unintentional. But this episode had already been written and filmed with a storyline of Larry getting arrested in Atlanta long before Trump was arrested in Atlanta. Larry David never misses an opportunity for a gag, so the parody of Trump’s mugshot was added after the fact.

The Simpsons gets a lot of credit for predicting the future, but Curb Your Enthusiasm has a similar clairvoyance when it comes to life imitating art. The Simpsons has predicted all kinds of real-life events – including Trump’s presidency – years before they actually happened, but Curb ’s predictions are a lot closer to the real events. There aren’t quite as many instances of Curb Your Enthusiasm predicting the future as The Simpsons , but David’s ability to conjure up gags that come to life a couple of months later is worth noting.

What Larry Giving Bruce Springsteen COVID Means For Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Series Finale

Larry might be going to jail after all.

In next week’s series finale, “No Lessons Learned,” Larry will return to Atlanta to stand trial for bringing a bottle of water to Auntie Rae at the polling station. Ever since Larry was arrested, there’s been a lot of speculation that Curb Your Enthusiasm ’s series finale will be a redo of Seinfeld ’s notorious series finale , with Larry’s many enemies from the show’s history coming out of the woodwork to testify against him as character witnesses. The return of characters who despise Larry the most, like Mocha Joe (seemingly) and Mr. Takahashi, has reinforced these theories.

On the surface, it might not seem as though the Springsteen COVID storyline in Curb ’s penultimate episode has anything to do with Larry’s trial in Atlanta. But there’s a key scene in episode 9 in which Larry’s new lawyer, Sibby, tells him that the trial will hinge entirely on whether or not the jury likes him. This seemed easy enough when Larry was being hailed as a liberal hero for defying an unconstitutional law. But now that Larry has been blamed for giving one of the world’s most beloved musicians COVID, his public image has been soured.

Springsteen’s massive fan base has turned against Larry, and any fans that Springsteen has in Atlanta will be eager to avenge “The Boss” by sending Larry to jail . Initially, it seemed like the show was setting up a huge twist in its finale. After making the audience think Larry was going to jail, the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale would take a wild left turn and do something else entirely. But after Larry has given Springsteen COVID, he might be going to jail in next week’s series finale after all.

Source: Variety

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a Comedy television show created by Larry David, the same creative mind behind the wildly popular sitcom, Seinfeld. Starring Larry David himself, along with Cheryl Hines, and Jeff Garlin, the show acts as a semi-fictionalized look at Larry's every day life and the people he would come in contact with.

Watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Kick Off Their 2024 World Tour

• By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Six months after Bruce Springsteen suspended his world tour so he could recover from a painful peptic ulcer, he was back onstage with the E Street Band Tuesday night in Phoenix, for the first gig of the year. And while the setlist was largely the same as the one he delivered nightly in 2023, he did make some minor alterations, and create space for further additions as the year progresses.

The majority of last year’s concerts kicked off with “No Surrender,” but it loosened up during the stadium portion at the very end when he started breaking out “Lonesome Day” and “Night” prior to it. He stuck with that trio of songs at the top of the Phoenix show, and also performed “Darlington County” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town” early in the night. Both songs were only played on selection occasions last year.

The second half of the show, kicking off with the story of his late Castiles bandmate George Theiss and the emotionally-charged double shot of “Last Man Standing” and “Backstreets,” was largely identical to previous sets. But he did bust out “Twist and Shout” at the end of the first encore in response to a sign from an 18-year-old fan that was seeing him for the first time.

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If the past is any precedent, the setlist should continue to evolve in the coming months. It may never reach the point Springsteen hit in the 2010s where the show changed radically from night to night, and he took random sign requests throughout the evening, but it’s impossible to say for sure. We have a long way to go until closing night in Vancouver.

Here is the complete Phoenix setlist: “Lonesome Day” “Night” “No Surrender” “Two Hearts” “Darlington County” “Ghosts” “Prove It All Night” “Darkness on the Edge of Town” “Letter to You” “The Promised Land” “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” “Wrecking Ball” “The Rising” “Badlands” “Thunder Road” Encore “Born To Run” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” “Glory Days” “Dancing in the Dark” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” “Twist and Shout” Encore “I’ll See You in My Dreams”

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Bruce Springsteen Is Back! Rocker Resumes Tour After Postponing Dates Due to Peptic Ulcer Disease

After canceling the remainder of his tour dates in 2023, the rock icon relaunched his tour on Tuesday night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix

John Medina/Getty 

"The Boss" is back on stage.

On Tuesday night, Bruce Springsteen resumed his tour after postponing several of his 2023 dates due to peptic ulcer disease .

According to the Associated Press , the "Born to Run" singer, 74, appeared in good spirits as he performed alongside the E Street Band — sans wife wife Patti Scialfa — at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Sporting dark jeans and a red flannel shirt, Springsteen was greeted with audience cheers of “Bruuuuce!” ahead of his performance, per the outlet.

At the end of his 29-song set — which included hits like "Born to Run" and a string of soul covers like “Nightshift” by the Commodores, “Because The Night” by Patti Smith Group, and “Twist and Shout” by The Top Notes/The Isley Brothers/The Beatles — he addressed his illness before starting his final track "I’ll See You In My Dream," per the AP.

"Phoenix, first I want to apologize if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time. . . . I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much," he told the crowd, according to the outlet.

In May 2022, Springsteen initially announced he'd be heading out on tour in February 2023 for his and the band's first international run since 2017, and their first US tour dates since 2016. However, his road back to the stage was rockier than expected.

Just a month after the tour began, Springsteen postponed three shows in a week "due to illness," according to a statement shared on the musician's Twitter page.

That April, the rock icon and Scialfa, 70, both tested positive for COVID at the end of the first leg of his tour and his first hometown show in their native New Jersey in seven years.

By August, Springsteen had to postpone two of his Philadelphia shows due to having “taken ill."

It was revealed in early September through a statement shared on the singer's social media accounts that he was "being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease."

The announcement advised that due to Springsteen's medical treatment and the "decision of his medical advisors," the remainder of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band's September shows were postponed .

The message also included a personal note from "The Rising" performer, who reassured fans that the band will "be back soon" with new tour dates.

“Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows. First, apologies to our fabulous Philly fans who we missed a few weeks ago. We’ll be back to pick these shows up and then some," it read.

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Jamie McCarthy/Getty

The message continued: "Thank you for your understanding and support. We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more great times. We’ll be back soon."

Later in the month, the remainder of dates for Springsteen's 2023 shows were canceled , and a statement was posted to his  social media explaining he was recovering from peptic ulcer disease: “Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice. With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be postponed until 2024.”

The 20-time Grammy winner shared a note of gratitude for his fans, too: “Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support. I'm on the mend and can't wait to see you all next year.”

Ahead of resuming his tour, Springsteen made a surprise appearance during John Mellencamp 's concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey earlier this month where he joined the singer onstage for a special duet of "Pink Houses."

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15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl in Moscow Oblast

Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram channel Shot reported .

29 people were also taken to police stations. Among the arrested were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

A mass brawl involving over 100 employees and security personnel broke out at the Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal on Dec. 8.

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Why has coronavirus not closed the Moscow Metro… yet?

The Moscow Metro won’t be closing down because of the coronavirus outbreak, the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has promised. “The Metro is technologically designed in such a way that trains should run all the time, circulating air, to ensure that all the networks are in good working order,” he said on the Rossiya 1 TV channel. He was answering questions about the measures the city is taking against the coronavirus. If the metro were stopped now, it would take six months to bring it back to full operation later. “Therefore under all circumstances the metro will continue to run.”

What would happen if the metro was shut down?

The Moscow Metro could still technically be closed to passengers, according to Russian experts: Quarantine measures of this kind were introduced in Wuhan, one of China's largest cities, as well as in Kiev, Ukraine.

Moscow does close down some sections of the Metro for repairs from time to time.

But it is not a question of merely turning off the lights and letting employees go home: metro staff need to continue to monitor ventilation systems and the condition of the tracks.

But there is the question of what would happen to the city, if the Moscow Metro were even partially closed down, and to what extent other measures would be able to compensate for the closure, according to Pavel Zyuzin, senior research fellow at the Center for Research of Urban Transport Problems, GeoPractice Managing Partner.

“Overground transport must be ready, and, above all, the procedure for online deliveries of food, medicines and other essential goods must be simplified as far as possible, because they will be most affected. And, of course, this would entail a massive increase of road users in the city,” Pavel says. He recalls that Moscow has experienced interruptions in the movement of trains before.

The one that had the biggest impact was the accident on May 25, 2005, which allegedly happened, due to a power grid overload in the city. As a result of the massive temporary blackout, the movement of trains came to a halt at 52 of the 170 Metro stations at 11 o’clock in the morning. Thousands of passengers had to be evacuated from trains stuck in tunnels, and there was no light anywhere. The operation of the Moscow Metro was only fully restored by nine o’clock in the evening.

Have there been occasions when the Metro wasn’t running at all?

In actual fact, since its opening in 1935, the Moscow Metro has carried passengers every day. It still remains the most popular form of public transport in the city (in 2019, it was used by over 9.5 million people a day!). It is hard to believe that in all this time there has been just one day when the Metro didn’t open its doors in the morning.

It happened on October 16, 1941. During the Great Patriotic War, the metro continued to carry passengers, despite enemy bombing. Trains ran until ten o’clock in the evening, after which people were accommodated at stations to hide from night air raids on the Soviet capital. Moscow experienced the worst bombing in October and November 1941. And the Soviet leadership even took the decision to destroy the Metro in the event of capture, in order to keep infrastructure facilities out of the hands of the enemy.

Mayakovskaya metro station, 1941.

On the night of October 15-16, workers started dismantling the escalators and cutting electric cables, but in the morning the decision was revoked. In a matter of hours, everything was brought back to normal and at 6:45 PM, the operation of metro trains resumed. And soon after, the construction of new stations and tunnels resumed as well ( read more here ).

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