The expanded lineup for this Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour features singers Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King, trombonist Clark Gayton and trumpeter Curt Ramm, all of whom have toured with Bruce Springsteen in the past, along with newcomer Barry Danielian on trumpet. E Street stalwart Eddie Manion and first time tour member Jake Clemons will share the saxophone role.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launch the first US leg of the 2012 'Wrecking Ball' World Tour on March 18 in Atlanta. Bruce Springsteen's 17th studio album 'Wrecking Ball' will be released on Columbia Records on March 6.
"We Take Care Of Our Own," the album's first single,' is "classic Springsteen" with "anguish and challenge [that] run thick and fast" (Rolling Stone); a "richly orchestrated Wall of Sound... that nods to the 'Born to Run' era" (Billboard).
The E Street Band's members are: Roy Bittan - piano, synthesizer; Nils Lofgren - guitar, vocals; Patti Scialfa - guitar, vocals; Garry Tallent - bass guitar; Stevie Van Zandt - guitar, vocals; and Max Weinberg - drums; with Soozie Tyrell - violin, guitar, vocals and Charlie Giordano - keyboards.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2012 Tour Dates:
US Tour Dates
March 18 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena (on sale Feb 4)
March 19 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (on sale Feb 3)
March 23 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum (on sale now)
March 26 - Boston, MA - TD Garden (on sale now)
March 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale now)
March 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale now)
April 1 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center (on sale now)
April 3 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale now)
April 4 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale now)
April 6 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale now)
April 9 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale now)
April 12 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale now)
April 13 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center (on sale now)
April 16 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center (on sale now)
April 17 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena (on sale now)
April 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion (on sale Feb 3)
April 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (on sale Feb 3)
April 29 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (on sale now)
May 2 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center (on sale now)
European Tour Dates
May 13 - Seville, Spain - Estadio Olimpico (on sale now)
May 17 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio Olimpico Lluis (on sale now)
May 18 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio Olimpico Lluis (on sale now)
May 25 - Frankfurt, Germany - Commerzbank Arena (on sale now)
May 27 - Cologne, Germany - RheinEnergieStadion (on sale now)
May 28 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop (on sale 3 March)
May 30 - Berlin, Germany - Olympia Stadion (on sale now)
June 2 - San Sebastian, Spain - Estadio Anoeta (on sale now)
June 3 - Lisboa, Portugal - Rock in Rio Lisboa (on sale now)
June 7 - Milan, Italy - Stadio Meaza (on sale now)
June 10 - Florence, Italy - Stadio Francesco (on sale now)
June 11 - Trieste, Italy - Stadio Trieste (on sale now)
June 17 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Santago Bernabu (on sale now)
June 19 - Montpellier, France - Park & Suites Arena (on sale now)
June 21 - Sunderland, UK - Stadium of Light (on sale now)
June 22 - Manchester, UK - Etihad Stadium (on sale now)
June 24 - Isle of Wight, UK - Isle of Wight Festival (on sale now)
July 4 - Paris, France - Bercy (on sale now)
July 5 - Paris, France - Bercy (on sale now)
July 7 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival (on sale now)
July 9 - Zurich, Switzerland - Stadium Letzigrund (on sale now)
July 11 - Prague, Czech Republic - Synot Tip Arena (on sale now)
July 12 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium (on sale now)
July 14 - London, UK - Hard Rock Calling (on sale now)
July 17 - Dublin, Ireland - RDS (on sale now)
July 18 - Dublin, Ireland - RDS (on sale now)
July 21 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hoven (on sale now)
July 23 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (on sale now)
July 24 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (on sale now)
July 27 - Gothenberg, Sweden - Ullevi (on sale now)
July 28 - Gothenberg, Sweden - Ullevi (on sale now)
July 31 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium (on sale now)
Bruce Springsteen's new album 'Wrecking Ball' has been set for March 6 release on Columbia Records. Marking his 17th studio album, 'Wrecking Ball' features 11 new Springsteen songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of 'Wrecking Ball' will also be available and include two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.
'Wrecking Ball' Song Titles:
"BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RETURNS WITH WILD NEW ALBUM"--Rolling Stone
Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports on the early word about Bruce Springsteen's soon-to-be released album. Your curiosity surely will be piqued by his report.
It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th.
Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence: Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.
We didn't want to believe it when we heard the news yesterday, but Backstreets has confirmed through independent sources that Clarence Clemons has suffered a massive stroke. After two subsequent brain surgeries at a Florida hospital, the good news is that Clarence is currently responsive and in stable condition, though still in a fight for his life. "If anyone can pull off the miracle, it's him," says a close friend. "He's fought back from so much before."
As we're praying for the Big Man's recovery, we heard from his sax tech, photographer Joe Lopez, who wanted to share these photos with fans. The off-stage photo is from "our last shoot a couple of weeks ago in the studio here in West Palm Beach — all smiles and laughs, the Clarence we all know and love."
Clarence told Backstreets in 2003, "What I bring to people is pure honesty, and pure love, and hopefully it brings some light and joy to the world." It does. And right now we're sending it right back to you, Big Man.
It helps to have friends in high places. That's the lesson the top seven on "American Idol" are learning this week, as the latest high-profile celebrity mentor helps them hone their star skills.
According to E! Online, Bruce Springsteen has been in the studio working with Casey Abrams, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone and Haley Reinhart. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer reportedly stopped by the "Idol" set on Friday to lend a hand and give the kids some tips on how to deliver a song with confidence.
"Holy pride of New Jersey....BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN in the studio right now listening to the idols sing!!!!" read a post on the show's official Twitter account on Friday evening. While it might seem odd at first that the Boss would appear on "Idol," keep in mind that this year's mentor, Interscope boss Jimmy Iovine, has a long history with the Jersey bard, going back to the 1970s when Iovine helped engineer such landmark albums as Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. A spokesperson for "Idol" would not comment on whether Springsteen would appear on the show this week.
If Bruce does make it to air, he'd follow the cavalcade of big names who've popped in so far on season 10, including Gwen Stefani, will.i.am., Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Russell Brand.
The theme this week is "Songs from the 21st Century," and Thursday's results show will feature the return of season seven winner David Cook singing his new single "The Last Goodbye," and Katy Perry beaming in for "E.T."
Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
According to a tweet from none other than Ms. Winfrey herself, Bruce Springsteen will be an upcoming guest on Oprah Presents: Master Class, which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
From the website: "Handpicked by Oprah for their unique impact on the world, eight true modern masters sit down to share the untold stories that have shaped their lives and the greatest life lessons they've learned along the way. In an intimate setting, they open up about their successes, failures, triumphs, disappointments and heartbreaks. Master Class offers an unprecedented first-person insight into the brilliant minds of famous people we love, respect and admire. First season masters include Diane Sawyer, Jay-Z, Dr. Maya Angelou, Simon Cowell, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Lorne Michaels and Oprah herself."
Last night's announcement from @Oprah: "There will be more Master Classes with Bono, Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Rock, Diana Ross and Barbara Walters #OprahLiveTweet"
THE EAGLES HAVE LANDED
Not only does Working on a Dream hit stores today, but our daily planner just filled in, in a big way. After a few scattered spottings yesterday, today we've got a bigger picture: Springsteen and the E Street Band's official Working on a Dream Tour intinerary from the beginning of April to the beginning of August, consisiting of a two-month North American leg and a two-month European leg.
The first arena leg begins on the West coast of the U.S. on April Fools Day and hits a few markets bypassed by the Magic tour -- howdy, Colorado! -- as well as regular strongholds (two in Boston, two in Philly) before wrapping up with two shows at the Meadowlands. No Garden dates, alas, but a third NYC-area show is at Nassau Coliseum. A small stadium sneaks in there, too, with a return to Hershey, PA. The vast majority of these go on sale the morning after the Super Bowl, February 2.
The European stadium leg begins with Hollan's Pinkpop festival on May 30, wrapping up with five Spanish shows in five different cities. We do expect additional dates to fill in, England being a conspicuous ommision at the moment, but here's the initial official itinerary. Onsale date/status in parentheses. We'll fill in the Tour/Ticket Info page with links, etc., as the day goes along.
Apr 1 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose (Feb 2)
Apr 3 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Center (Feb 2)
Apr 5 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center (Feb 7)
Apr 7 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center (Feb 7)
Apr 8 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center (Feb 7)
Apr 10 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Arena (Feb 2)
Apr 15 - Los Angeles, CA - LA Memorial Sports Arena (Feb 2)
Apr 21 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden (Feb 2)
Apr 22 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden (Feb 2)
Apr 24 - Hartford, CT - XL Center (Feb 2)
Apr 26 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena (Feb 2)
Apr 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum (Feb 2)
Apr 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum (Feb 2)
May 2 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (Feb 6)
May 4 - Hempstead, NY - Nassau Veterans Mem. Col. (Feb 2)
May 5 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena (Feb 2)
May 7 - Toronto, ONT - Air Canada Centre (Feb 6)
May 8 - University Park, PA - Bryce Jordan Center (Feb 2)
May 11 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center (Feb 2)
May 12 - Chicago, IL - United Center (Feb 2)
May 14 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center (Feb 2)
May 15 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium (Feb 2)
May 18 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center (Feb 2)
May 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena (Feb 2)
May 21 - E. Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (Feb 2)
May 23 - E. Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (Feb 2)
May 30 - Landgraaf, Holland - Pink Pop Festival (March 7)
June 2 - Tampere, Finland - Ratinan Stadion (ON SALE)
June 4 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Stadium (SOLD OUT)
June 5 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Stadium (SOLD OUT)
June 7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Stadium (SOLD OUT)
June 9 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (SOLD OUT)
June 10 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (SOLD OUT)
July 2 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion (ON SALE NOW)
July 3 - Frankfurt, Germany - Commerzbank Arena (ON SALE NOW)
July 5 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadion (ON SALE NOW)
July 8 - Herning, Denmark - Herning MCH (ON SALE NOW)
July 11 - Dublin, Ireland - RDS (Jan 30)
July 16 - Carhaix, France - Festival des Vielles Charrues (Jan 30)
July 19 - Rome, Italy - Stadio Olimpico (ON SALE SOON)
July 21 - Turino, Italy - Olimpico di Torino (ON SALE SOON)
July 23 - Udine, Italy - Stadio Friuli (ON SALE SOON)
July 26 - Bilbao, Spain - San Mames Stadium (ON SALE SOON)
July 28 - Benidorm, Spain - Estadio Municipal de Foietes (ON SALE SOON)
July 30 - Sevilla, Spain - La Cartuja Olympic Stadium (ON SALE SOON)
Aug 1 - Valladolid, Spain - Estadio Jose Zorrilla (ON SALE SOON)
Aug 2 - Santiago, Spain - Monte Del Gozo (ON SALE SOON)
- January 27, 2009
NEW YORK (AP) - Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from "Hungry Heart" through "The Rising," died Thursday. He was 58.
Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. News of his death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen's official Web site. He last performed with Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis. "Danny and I worked together for 40 years, he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much ... we grew up together," Springsteen said in a statement posted on his Web site. Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Saturday in Orlando were postponed.
Federici was born in Flemington, N.J., a long car ride from the Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in the late 1960s. The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park, N.J., a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best musicians in the state. It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band. By 1969, the self-effacing Federici often introduced in concert by Springsteen as "Phantom Dan" was playing with the Boss in a band called Child.
Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed shore bands Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce Springsteen Band. Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful tour in 1999. "Bruce has been supportive throughout my life," Federici said in a recent interview with Backstreets magazine. "I've had my ups and downs, and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been there for me."
Federici played accordion on the wistful "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, "Hungry Heart." His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song "You're Missing" provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on "The Rising" in 2002. In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bandana-wrapped guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt, Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as any instrument in the band.
Federici released a pair of solo albums that veered from the E Street sound and into soft jazz. Bandmates Nils Lofgren on guitar and Garry Tallent on bass joined Federici on his 1997 debut, "Flemington." In 2005, Federici released its follow-up, "Out of a Dream." Federici had taken a leave of absence during the band's tour in November 2007 to pursue treatment for melanoma, and was temporarily replaced by veteran musician Charles Giordano. At the time, Springsteen described Federici as "one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years. We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy return." Besides his work with Springsteen, Federici played on albums by an impressive roster of other artists: Van Zandt, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys.
The 50th Anniversary of the Super Bowl of Rock and Roll, the Grammy's, was held on February 10th and though Bruce did not make it to the Prime Time stage, The Boss did not come up empty on Music's biggest night. Bruce brought home the hardware for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Timebomb Beck [Interscope Records]
Only Mama Knows Paul McCartney Track from: Memory Almost Full [MPL/Hear Music]
Our Country John Mellencamp Track from: Freedom's Road [UME/Universal Republic]
Radio Nowhere Bruce Springsteen Track from: Magic [Columbia]
Come On Lucinda Williams Track from: West [Lost Highway Records]
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best Rock Song (A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. Singles or Tracks only.)
Come On Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams) Track from: West [Lost Highway Records; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/Lucy Jones Music]
Icky Thump Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes) Track from: Icky Thump [Third Man/Warner Bros.; Publisher: Peppermint Stripe Music]
It's Not Over Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry) [RCA Records/19 Recordings; Publishers: Surface Pretty Deep Ugly Music, G Watt Music/EMI April Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, Floating Leaf]
The Pretender Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters) [Roswell/RCA Records; Publishers: M.J. Twelve Music, I Love The Punk Rock Music, Living Under A Rock Music, Flying Earform Music]
Radio Nowhere Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen) Track from: Magic [Columbia; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen]
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best Rock Instrumental Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.)
The Ecstasy Of Gold Metallica Track from: We All Love Ennio Morricone [Sony Classical]
Malignant Narcissism Rush Track from: Snakes & Arrows [Anthem/Atlantic]
Always With Me, Always With You Joe Satriani Track from: Satriani Live! [Epic/Red Ink]
Once Upon A Time In The West Bruce Springsteen Track from: We All Love Ennio Morricone [Sony Classical]
The Attitude Song Steve Vai Track from: Sound Theories Vol. I & II [Epic/Red Ink]
Congrats Bruce...though it would have been nice to see our man Grace the Grammy stage.
Nothing was said at Monday's Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden. But Springsteen let the crowd know that the rumors were true: Danny Federici was seriously ill, and this would be his last show with the band, at least for a while.
The set list was full of songs that emphasized Federici's keyboard playing, like "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Kitty's Back." At the end of the show, when the musicians took their customary bows, Federici received special treatment.
"When Bruce threw his arm around Danny and brought him up front for his own bow, it was pretty clear that he was being honored," says Christopher Phillips, editor and publisher of the Springsteen magazine Backstreets.
"All the E Street Band members wanted to give him a hug or pat his shoulder," said Phillips, who attended the show. "And the crowd started shouting, 'Danny! Danny! Danny!' Half the crowd was probably chanting just because he had a great night. He sounded great, and he had a lot of chances to do his thing."
Federici confirmed yesterday that he will take a leave of absence from the band, starting with Sunday's show in Madrid, to pursue treatment for melanoma, a form of cancer.
"Danny is one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years," Springsteen said in a press statement. "We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy re turn."
Charles Giordano, who played on Springsteen's 2006 "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" album and the subsequent tour, will fill in. His previous credits include stints in Pat Benatar's band and Buster Poindexter's Banshees of Blue.
Federici, a 57-year-old Fleming ton native, is one of three musicians who have been in the E Street Band every step of the way. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bassist Garry Tallent are the others.
Federici also played in Springsteen's pre-E Street bands Steel Mill and Child, and has released two jazz-pop albums on his own: 1997's "Flemington," re-released in 2001 with one new track as "Danny Federici"; and 2005's "Out of a Dream."
When Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, he called Federici "the most instinctive and natural musician I ever met," and told him, "Your organ and accordion playing brought the boardwalks of Central and South Jersey alive in my music."
The Madrid show kicks off a 3 1/2-week European tour that will be followed by more shows in the United States and Canada, begin ning in late February. But as long as Federici isn't there, it won't be the same E Street Band.
The sound probably won't be tremendously different. But the E Street Band is more than a sound. To its fans, it's also a symbol of friendship and loyalty, and the possibility that a bunch of hard-working guys can create something great together. With Federici not there, the band loses a little of its magic.
There is also a more concrete way that Federici's absence might affect the band. Like the other longtime E Streeters, he has an en cyclopedic knowledge of Springsteen's material.
"The Springsteen catalog runs so deep," said Phillips. "Where it might affect things is: Will they be as free to pull out anything that Bruce might want to pull out? When Bruce says, 'Okay, we haven't played "Ramrod" in five years, but we're playing it right now,' or whatever it might be ... Can they do that with Charlie? I don't know."
'Magic', Bruce Springsteen's new studio recording and his first with the E Street Band in five years, is has been released by Columbia Records. Produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, the album features eleven new Springsteen songs and was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta, GA.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced their first full scale tour of the US and Europe since 2002-03, starting in Hartford, CT on October 2, the release date for the new Springsteen album 'Magic.' The E Street Band's members are: Roy Bittan - keyboards; Clarence Clemons - saxophone, percussion; Danny Federici - keyboards; Nils Lofgren - guitars; Patti Scialfa - vocals, guitar; Garry Tallent - bass; Steven Van Zandt - guitars; Max Weinberg - drums.
"Radio Nowhere," the first single from Bruce Springsteen's upcoming album 'Magic,' will be available exclusively and free on the iTunes Store for one week starting today. The iTunes album pre-order for 'Magic' also begins today and includes the free download of the "Radio Nowhere" single plus the song's video and an exclusive digital booklet. 'Magic,' Bruce Springsteen's new studio recording and his first with the E Street Band in five years, is set for release by Columbia Records on October 2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fall tour itinerary
Date/City/Venue/On Sale
10/2 Hartford, CT Hartford Civic Center 9/8
10/5 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 9/8
10/9-10 East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena 9/10
10/14 Ottawa, ONT Civic Centre 9/17
10/15 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre 9/17
10/17-18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 9/10
10/21 Chicago, IL United Center 9/8
10/26 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena 9/15
10/28 Los Angeles, CA Venue TBA
11/2 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 9/22
11/4 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 9/15
11/5 Auburn Hills, MI Palace Of Auburn Hills 9/21
11/11 Washington, D.C. Verizon Arena 9/21
11/14 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena 9/14
11/15 Albany, NY Times Union Center 9/8
11/18 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden 9/22
11/25 Madrid, SPAIN Palacio De Deportes 10/2
11/26 Bilbao, SPAIN Bilbao Exhibition Centre 10/9
11/28 Milan, ITALY Datchforum 9/10
11/30 Arnhem, NETHERLANDS Geldredome 9/8
12/2 Mannheim, GERMANY Sap Arena 8/31
12/4 Oslo, NORWAY Oslo Spektrum 9/3
12/8 Copenhagen, DENMARK Forum Copenhagen 9/3
12/10 Stockholm, SWEDEN Globe Arena 9/1
12/12 Antwerp, BELGIUM Sports Paleis 9/8
12/13 Cologne, GERMANY Koln Arena 8/31
12/15 Belfast, IRELAND Odyssey Arena 9/6
12/17 Paris, FRANCE Palais Omnisports De Bercy 9/7
12/19 London, UK O2 Arena 8/30
The iTunes Store features the world's largest catalog with over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 500 movies. The iTunes Store has sold over 3 billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over two million movies, making it the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store.
'Magic', Bruce Springsteen's new studio recording and his first with the E Street Band in five years, is set for release by Columbia Records on October 2, 2007. Produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, the album features eleven new Springsteen songs and was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta, GA.
'Magic' Song Titles:
1. Radio Nowhere
2. You'll Be Comin' Down
3. Livin' in the Future
4. Your Own Worst Enemy
y 5. Gypsy Bike
r 6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. I'll Work for Your Love
8. Magic
9. Last to Die
10. Long Walk Home
11. Devil's Arcade
'Magic' is the first new studio album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band since 2002's GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum, number one album 'The Rising' (Columbia Records), which was also produced by O'Brien. Bruce Springsteen's longtime manager Jon Landau said, "'Magic' is a high energy rock CD. It's light on its feet, incredibly well played by Bruce and the members of the E Street Band, and, as always, has plenty to say. It's also immensely entertaining. 'Magic' is the third collaboration between Bruce and Brendan O'Brien and is a culmination of their very productive creative relationship."
The NFL is apparently figuring that there's only one way to top this year's completely epic performance by Prince at this year's Super Bowl, and that's to bring in The Boss. From Variety:
Bruce Springsteen and Norah Jones are at the top of the list. The NFL is hoping the recent successes of Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney can be used as leverage to bring in the Boss while Jones would be ideal to sing the National Anthem during the pregame ceremonies, according to NFL VP of programming Charles Coplin. The league is starting to approach performers "earlier than ever before in our history," said Coplin. "The music business is going through some hard times. Performers care deeply about their album sales, and an appearance on the Super Bowl can move the needle dramatically." Coplin points to the sales that followed Prince's performance at this year's Super Bowl. His overall album sales in the follow-ing week more than doubled to 31,000 and his digital downloads rose to 102,000 from 59,000.
While we're pretty sure that a performance by Springsteen would be nearly as epic as Prince's (maybe he can throw in a cover of "Big Me," just for good measure?), we have to wonder just what the NFL would decide to do for the next Super Bowl, because the "how-can-you-top-that" Monday morning chatter will surely be in full force should the Boss play. Clearly, the only solution to that speculation is the announcement of an endless U2/Prince/Springsteen cycle until at least Super Bowl L, when the downgrading of expectations from "extra large" to merely "large" will usher in an era where the 3-D Elvis concept becomes acceptable once again.
Bruce Springsteen's next album will be a compliation of 23 songs drawn from performances in Dublin. Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band live in Dublin out June 5, will be available as 2 CD's and in concert format DVD format. Songs include tracks from The Seeger Sessions, Interpretations from his songbook and songs being released for the first time. The DVD and CD capture the band at The Point on November 17, 18 and 19 of 2006.
Last night at the Super Bowl of Rock and Roll Bruce quietly brought home 2 more Grammy's to put on the mantle.
It was never a doubt in my mind once I heard We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions that it was bound for Grammy-Greatness. Not that a Grammy should be the measuring-stick for a great piece of work, but it was one of those albums that, even in the presence of folk greatness, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and a fine piece of work from Linda Ronstadt, had a certain magic to it. And if you were lucky enough to see the tour...you know what I mean by magic. So, with all my rambling (pun intended) I have neglected the category - Bruce and the Seeger Sessions Band won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Bruce's second 2007 Grammy was in the category of Best Long Form Music Video for the video Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born To Run. Though I have not seen the other videos, Wings For Wheels was an amazing look into the genius of Bruce Springsteen as he made one of Rock's all-time greatest albums. An album that changed the musical landscape in 1975 and put Bruce and the "Legendary" E-Street Band on the musical-map forever and ever, Amen!!
Congrats Bruce. We look forward to your next project...
-----------------------
Best Traditional Folk Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
I Stand Alone
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
[Anti]
Gonna Let It Shine
Odetta
[M.C. Records]
Adieu False Heart
Linda Ronstadt & Ann Savoy
[Vanguard Records]
* We Shall Overcome — The Seeger Sessions
Bruce Springsteen
[Columbia]
A Distant Land To Roam
Ralph Stanley
[Columbia/DMZ]
-----------------------
Best Long Form Music Video
(For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)
Flow: Living In The Stream Of Music
Terence Blanchard
Jim Gabour, video director; Robin Burgess & Jim Gabour, video producers
[Jazziz Music & Video]
Directions
Death Cab For Cutie
Noah Gelb, Nicholas Harmer, Jill Kaplan & Aaron Stewart,video producers
[Atlantic]
Demon Days — Live In Manchester
Gorillaz
Damon Albarn, David Barnard, Grant Gee & J.C. Hewlett, video directors; Kersti Bergstrom, Stefan Demetriou, Simon Jones & Claire Oxley, video producers
[Virgin]
I'm Going To Tell You A Secret
Madonna
Jonas Akerlund, video director; Susan Applegate, Angela Becker, Keeley Gould, Shelli Jury & David May, video producers
[Warner Bros.]
* Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Thom Zimny, video director; Thom Zimny, video producer
[Columbia]
* Denotes Winner
-----------------------
"The Bobby Bandiera All-Star Holiday Concert" lived up to its billing, as Bobby wrangled a whole host of New Jersey greats for a full night of holiday cheer. The show was a benefit for the PALS Support Group, a charity started by Terry Magovern in memory of Joan Dancy. After a few words from Dave Marsh about the good cause, it was right into nearly four hours of music: Tim McLoone and his Holiday Express kicked things off, followed by sets from the balcony-storming Mark Pender and LaBamba, Bandiera's smokin' Rock and Soul Revue, Southside Johnny, and Gary U.S. Bonds. The night's penultimate artist was Bon Jovi, who turned in a charming set of yuletide R&B, like "Please Come Home for Christmas," "Blue Christmas," and "Run Run Rudolph." Dave Gaetano tells us, "It was a fantastic evening of music. The night kept building and building. Everyone knows the vibe that is present when Bruce is going to be making an appearance, and that electricity was in the air from the pre-show reception right on through the last notes of the evening."
Yes, then there was Bruce, closing the show with a 35-minute set. Backed by Bandiera's Rock and Soul Revue, plus a big swath of Jukes making for an immense horn section, Springsteen brought the heat.
Flynn McLean writes: "Bruce was on fire from the minute he sauntered on stage last night, casually picked up an electric guitar, and launched right into the opening chords of 'Darlington County.' In a setting where he could have played it cool, he took it up a notch and had the entire theatre eating out of his hand. While many fans were just happy to see him strap on an electric guitar, Bruce showed that he could still make it talk -- the intensity of his playing, especially on 'Spirit in the Night,' not usually a guitar-driven song, blew everyone away. Bruce let the audience take over a couple of lines during 'Spirit,' much to its delight. The horns added a lot to 'Darlington' and 'Seaside Bar Song,' and, of course, 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,' which included Jon Bon Jovi. A fun 'Waitin' on a Sunny Day,' which Bruce dedicated to Terry, could have been better than in 2003.
"The finale of Santa Claus brought the surreal images of Bruce sharing the stage with the Grinch (not Southside Johnny, but a person in an actual Grinch suit) and a couple of Sesame Street characters. [It was a 'Flaming Lips-like scene,' says Gaetano.] Jon asked Bruce if he had been good this year, and Bruce responded by playing some hot licks on the guitar while Santa Claus bore witness. While we certainly enjoyed the artistry of Devils & Dust and the enthusiasm of the Seeger Sessions, last night reminded us of what Bruce does best: rock the house."
Setlist: Darlington County/Spirit in the Night/Seaside Bar Song/ Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Jon Bon Jovi)/Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (with all)
LOS ANGELES — The much-anticipated new studio album from mythic rock & roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, Last Man Standing, will be released on Sept. 26 featuring a dream roster of guest artists. Jimmy Rip and Steve Bing produced Lewis’ forthcoming CD, which was five years in the making, for Shangri-La Entertainment. Jeff Ayeroff’s Artists First music label will be releasing the CD through Warner Music Group’s Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA).
Last Man Standing pairs Jerry Lee Lewis with a who's who of rock & roll, country, R&B, and pop music superstars ripping their way through a fantastic set list of 21 monumental classic songs. The previously announced working title of Redemption has been changed to Last Man Standing.
Performing duets with Jerry Lee Lewis on Last Man Standing are:
Jimmy Page "Rock and Roll"
B.B. King "Before The Night Is Over"
Bruce Springsteen "Pink Cadillac"
Mick Jagger & Ronnie Wood "Evening Gown"
Neil Young "You Don't Have To Go"
Robbie Robertson "Twilight"
John Fogerty "Travelin' Band"
Keith Richards "That Kind of Fool"
Ringo Starr "Sweet Little Sixteen"
Merle Haggard “Just-a-Bummin’ Around”
Kid Rock “Honky Tonk Woman”
Rod Stewart "What's Made Milwaukee Famous"
George Jones "Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age"
Willie Nelson “A Couple More Years”
Toby Keith "Old Glory"
Eric Clapton "Trouble In Mind"
Little Richard "I Saw Her Standing There"
Delaney Bramlett "Lost Highway"
Buddy Guy “Hadacohl Boogie”
Don Henley “That’s What Makes The Irish Heart Beat”
Kris Kristofferson “The Pilgrim: Chapter 33”
Discovered by Sun Records’ Sam Phillips in 1954, Jerry Lee Lewis exploded on the scene in 1957 with his groundbreaking hit “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin’ On." His follow up hit in that same year "Great Balls of Fire" cemented his place as a rock ‘n roll icon. Jerry Lee Lewis is the Last Man Standing of rock’s founding fathers, the last living legend left from Sun Record's "Million Dollar Quartet" (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis).
Fifty years after his first hit and in his 70th year, Jerry Lee Lewis performs as powerfully as ever. Last Man Standing mixes Lewis’ old school finesse and fury, that essence of rock & roll that’s all his own, with the prowess of today’s great artists. The result is 21 songs that might just make up the best classic rock ‘n roll album ever.
For more info visit: www.jerryleelewis.com
I've never been happier to put anything on this site as I am with this statement. The following statement was made by Bruce, himself, on the official site regarding recent rumours of his marriage with Patti being over.
"I hesitate to use this website for anything personal believing it should remain a place where fans of my music can come free of the distractions that occasionally arise with the rest of my job. However, due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn’t pass without comment. Patti and I have been together for 18 years- the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married. "
-- Bruce Springsteen
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Jersey's favourite son was adopted by New Orleans on Sunday, as Bruce Springsteen - through speeches and song - vocalized the
anger, frustration, pain and resilience of this hurricane-battered city at the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Decrying what he called "criminal ineptitude" in Hurricane Katrina's wake,
Springsteen jabbed at the political powers he deemed responsible for New Orleans' slow recovery.
Perhaps the most pointed moment came as he prepared to sing an old song that he had rewritten lyrics to for New Orleans. Noting that he visited the
city's ninth ward, perhaps the most devastated area in the city, Springsteen said: "I saw sights I never thought I'd see in an American city," and added:
"The criminal ineptitude makes you furious."
With that, he launched into a song titled How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? and dedicated the song to President Bystander. Its lyrics
included the lines: "There's bodies floatin' on Canal and the levees gone to hell . . . them who's got out of town, and them who ain't got left to drown,
tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?"
It was Springsteen's first appearance at the event, the biggest musical happening since Katrina struck last summer. The rock legend, along with Bob
Dylan and the Dave Matthews Band, were among the high-profile names who joined the city's homegrown music stars for the two weekend-long festival,
which kicked off Friday and will end next Sunday.
Other performers on Sunday included New Orleans music luminaries The Meters and jazzman Allen Toussiant, who performed with Elvis Costello. Toussaint's set was more buoyant than melancholy, as he celebrated with mostly upbeat
songs. During his final song, heled the audience in a chant: "Home, home, everybody come home."
But it was Springsteen who may have provided the most poignant moments. Springsteen eschewed the big hits he's most identified with and instead
performed classic folk and gospel songs epitomized by Pete Seeger that are featured on Springsteen's new album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Though they were decades old, many of the songs seemed particularly relevant
to New Orleans struggles - Mary Don't You Weep, Jacob's Ladder, and particularly My Oklahoma Home, which depicts a man's loss of his home and family after the devastating dust storms there in the 1930s.
But perhaps no song was as bittersweet as We Shall Overcome. As Springsteen somberly performed the tune, some people embraced each other, others dabbed their eyes. Another emotional moment came as he dedicated one of his old
tunes to New Orleans: My City in Ruins. Though he wrote it for his favourite town of Asbury Park, N.J., its lyrics resonated with the crowd: "Young men
on the corner, like scattered leaves, the boarded up windows, the hustlers and thieves, while my brother's down on his knees. My city of ruins."
By the time he sang the chorus, Come on rise up! the audience spontaneously rose their hands in their air, symbolizing the pain and the hope of the city.
Not all of Springsteen's two-hour long set was downbeat; his huge band at times sounded like a boisterous New Orleans brass band, with its booming horn system, while he later injected some boogie and swing with another jazzy tune. But he ended his performance on a tender note, sweetly singing, When The Saints Go Marching In.
The festival picks up next weekend with Paul Simon, Irma Thomas, Keith Urban, Jimmy Buffett, Buckwheat Zydeco and Fats Domino, who hasn't performed
in public since being evacuated from his damaged Ninth Ward home after Katrina.
A US tour has been confirmed for Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band. Following the band's initial US date in New Orleans on April 30 and a series of ten concerts in Europe, the US tour resumes with a series of 18 shows kicking off in Boston on May 27 and finishing in New Jersey on June 25. Each night, an all new evening of gospel, folk, and blues will be presented by Springsteen with the 17-member Seeger Sessions Band.
Tickets for the European tour dates have all sold out swiftly. Bruce Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band sold out London's Hammersmith Apollo Theatre in ten minutes, The Manchester Evening News Arena in six minutes, and Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall in just four minutes, all unprecedented. Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany also sold out in a matter of minutes. Legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith said, "We announced Bruce Springsteen's concerts in the UK at 9.00am on Friday 7 April. By 9.10am both shows had sold out. This is the fastest selling show ever in Manchester."
In addition to Springsteen on vocals, guitar and harmonica, the US tour dates for the Seeger Sessions Band will comprise the following lineup: Sam Bardfeld (violin), Art Baron (tuba), Frank Bruno (guitar), Jeremy Chatzky (upright bass), Larry Eagle (drums), Charles Giordano (accordion, keyboards), Curtis King (vocals), Greg Liszt (banjo), Lisa Lowell (vocals), Eddie Manion (sax), Cindy Mizelle (vocals), Mark Pender (trumpet), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel guitar), Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone), Patti Scialfa (vocals), Marc Anthony Thompson (vocals) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).
In Springsteen's note from 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions,' the musician describes the music on the album. He writes, "It was a carnival ride, the sound of surprise and the pure joy of playing. Street corner music, parlor music, tavern music, wilderness music, circus music, church music, gutter music, it was all there waiting in those old songs, some more than one hundred years old. It rocked, it swung, it rolled. It was a way back and forward to the informality, the freeness and the eclecticism of my earliest music and then some."
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN WITH THE SEEGER SESSIONS BAND 2006 US TOUR DATES
April 30 New Orleans, LA Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 27 Boston, MA TD Bank North Garden
May 28 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
May 30 Columbus, OH Germain Amphitheatre
May 31 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Amphitheatre
June 3 Phoenix, AZ Glendale Arena
June 5 Los Angeles, CA Greek Amphitheatre
June 6 San Francisco, CA Concord Pavilion
June 10 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
June 11 St. Paul, MN Xcel Arena
June 13 Chicago, IL First MidWest Bank
June 14 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
June 16 Cleveland, OH Blossom Amphitheatre
June 17 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Center
June 20 Philadelphia, PA Camden Tweeter Waterfront Amphitheater
June 21 Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 22 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
June 24 Holmdel, NJ PNC Amphitheatre
June 25 Holmdel, NJ PNC Amphitheatre
Bruce Springsteen has announced European concert dates in conjunction with the release of 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.' These concerts will feature music from the new CD. There are ten shows, commencing May 5 in Dublin, Ireland, and extending through May 21 in Stockholm, Sweden. These shows follow the performing debut of Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30. Each night, an all new evening of gospel, folk, and blues will be presented by Springsteen with his 17-member Seeger Sessions Band.
In addition to Springsteen on Vocals, Guitar and Harmonica, the European tour dates for the Seeger Sessions Band will comprise the following lineup: Sam Bardfeld (Violin), Art Baron (Tuba), Frank Bruno (Guitar), Jeremy Chatzky (Upright Bass), Larry Eagle (Drums), Clark Gayton (Trombone), Charles Giordano (Accordion, Keyboards), Curtis King (Vocals), Greg Liszt (Banjo), Lisa Lowell (Vocals), Eddie Manion (Sax), Cindy Mizell (Vocals), Curt Ramm (Trumpet), Marty Rifkin (Pedal Steel Guitar), Patti Scialfa (Vocals), Mark Thompson (Vocals) and Soozie Tyrell (Violin).
'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions' will be released by Columbia Records as a DualDisc or CD/DVD in some territories on April 25 (April 24 in Europe), with the full album on one side of the disc and DVD content on the other side. In addition, the DualDisc (or CD/DVD) package will contain two bonus tracks and a special booklet including a note from Springsteen. The album features the musician's personal interpretations of thirteen traditional songs, all of them associated with the legendary guiding light of American folk music, Pete Seeger.
U.S. tour dates will be announced soon.
Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band - Tour Dates
April 30 New Orleans, LA Jazz & Heritage Festival European Tour
May 5 Dublin, Ireland The Point
May 7 Manchester, UK The Manchester Evening News Arena
May 8 London, UK Hammersmith Apollo Theatre
May 10 Paris, France Palais Bercy
May 12 Milan, Italy Forum Arena
May 14 Barcelona, Spain Badalona Arena
May 16 Amsterdam, Netherlands Heineken Music Hall
May 17 Frankfurt, Germany Festhalle
May 20 Oslo, Norway Spektrum Arena
May 21 Stockholm, Sweden Hovet Arena
July 13 Ottawa,ON Corel Centre
July 14 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
July 16 Albany, NY Pepsi Arena
July 18 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
July 20 Bridgeport, CT Arena at Harbor Yard
July 23 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
July 24 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Coliseum
July 26 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
July 28 Pittsburgh, PA Petersen Events Center
July 31 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
August 1 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
August 3 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
August 6 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre
August 7 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
August 10 Portland, OR Rosegarden Theatre of the Clouds
August 11 Seattle, WA Key Arena
August 13 Vancouver, BC Pontiac Theatre at GM Place
Well, it's not official, but it looks like Bruce will be bringing his incredible acoustic show to Ontario! Sources say that Bruce may be playing the Corel Centre in Ottawa and the ACC in Toronto between July 11th and July 14th.
Check back to find out more!
Bruce Springsteen will begin a solo acoustic tour April 25 in Detroit, in support of his upcoming Columbia album, "Devils & Dust." The first North American leg of the tour will play 2,500- to 5,000-seat theaters and theater configurations in arenas through May 20 in Boston, to be followed by a European run that begins May 24 in Dublin.
The Boss will finish in Europe on June 25 in Stockholm, with more North American dates likely. "Our hope is that sometime by the fall we will come back to the U.S. and make some additional appearances in our biggest Bruce markets," longtime Springsteen manager Jon Landau tells Billboard.com.
Initially, the plan is to quickly showcase the new album, due April 26. "Bruce has a beautiful new CD that we're very excited about and we want to get out and show the colors right off, touching base with as many cities as we can conveniently do," Landau reports.
Ticket prices are still being finalized, but Landau says they will be in the $85 range for the premium seats. Springsteen last toured solo in support of the 1995 album "The Ghost of Tom Joad." On that outing, he played only acoustic guitar and harmonica; this time around, Springsteen will also play some piano, Landau says.
"Bruce is rehearsing the show right now, creating a very specific perspective for it," Landau says."As is always the case with Bruce, the set will evolve right up until the last show." Tickets for some shows go on sale this weekend.
Landau says the new album "has a combination of rock music and acoustic music, but as a body of work we thought that the intimacy of the solo show wound up best serving the CD as a whole. The full rock version of some of the new songs is sure to be part of the next E Street Band tour."
On Monday (April 4), Springsteen taped an episode of the occasional VH1 series "Storytellers" at the new Two River Theatre in Red Bank, N.J. He previewed the title track of "Devils & Dust," as well as "Jesus Was an Only Son," and touched on material from across his career, including "Thunder Road," "Brilliant Disguise" and "The Rising." The broadcast premiere is scheduled for April 23.
First official tour dates to be announced this coming Tuesday. Tour to open in USA..midwest.
Confirmed cities are as follows:
Columbus
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Detroit
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Tour to start last week in April to coincide with the release of the album.
All venues to be less than 5000 seats.
Europe leg of tour to start end part of May and to continue for about 4 weeks.
At this point in time, there is NO confirmation of any full blown tour later in the summer. There have been discussions about a full E Street Band leg but nothing is confirmed. Indications are that if there is a full band leg of the tour, it will be a Farewell tour. While this is unconfirmed and only rumor, there has been talk about retiring the full band. Apparently, the thought process goes that it has been well over 30 years and it is time to move on. Also, C.C. health has been at issue and Bruce would not replace him.
What does seem clear is that this tour may very well be very short in duration relative to past tours. It most likely will continue after Europe but the extent of which is still unclear. Also, from what I hear, and my gut feelings are that there will be E Street involvement later in the year or into 2006 and that this will in fact be the last time Bruce and E Street have any kind of major tour together.
Again, this is what I have heard. Not official, and a bit of conjecture on my part.
Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's nineteenth album, 'Devils & Dust' on April 26. 'Devils & Dust' features twelve new Springsteen songs.
'Devils & Dust' Track List
1. Devils & Dust
2. All The Way Home
3. Reno
4. Long Time Comin'
5. Black Cowboys
6. Maria's Bed
7. Silver Palomino
8. Jesus Was an Only Son
9. Leah
10. The Hitter
11. All I'm Thinkin' About
12. Matamoras Banks
'Devils & Dust' was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who first worked with Springsteen on the acclaimed CD, 'The Rising.' The new album was recorded at Thrill Hill Recording Studios in Los Angeles and New Jersey with additional engineering at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta.
Springsteen is planning a tour to accompany the release of the album. Details will be announced shortly.
This was posted on Greasy Lake by someone who supposedly has a solid track record for accuracy.....
Sounds more like TOL as I said then Joad.
The New Year brings some very good and interesting news. And for those who will reply that we will have to wait and see, let's just call that a given.
In any event, the recording of the new album was completed during the last three weeks and all indications are that not a lot of post production is needed. As a result, look for the new album to be released by April 2005, with a more realistic release date being by March 2005. Although not a solo album, the album has been described as very "GOTJ-esque" with a little more instrumentation. Members of the ESB have contributed to almost all of the songs recorded for the album with about 14 to be included on the final release. To be noted is that at least two to three songs from the unreleased LOTEOTW album have been rerecorded. At this point, none are scheduled to be released on this new album. As a result, beginning in the next 30- days there will be a growing momentum toward the release of the album with preliminary song(s) being released and then the entire album by March 2005.
Also, at the time the album is released a corresponding tour will also begin. It is anticipated the tour will begin by April 2005. Initially, this tour will be Bruce solo with maybe one or two other members of the ESB. After an initial first leg of the tour lasting approximately four months, additional members of the ESB will continue to join the tour until it culminates in an entire ESB world- wide tour. The tour will be in support of the new album to which the entire band will contribute to each song as the tour progresses. The tour will be a world wide tour with the solo shows being concentrated in the U.S. At this time, a few of the solo shows may be in Europe, but that has not been concluded. However, once the entire ESB is on tour, the tour will also include a number of dates throughout Europe.
Overall, the tour is expected to last at least 18 months.
The focus the tour will be to emphasize Bruce as a solo performer and how his music and message are enhanced by the ESB. The solo shows will obviously be in smaller venues to start with the venues increasing in size through the summer and fall.
It will be interesting to see the progression of the tour and the performance of these songs. Although none of the songs are expected to receive heavy radio airplay, Bruce is extremely happy with his writing and message contained in these songs.
Many will reply that this is good news and that we will have to wait and see if all this materializes. As everything in the world of Bruce Springsteen Inc., changes are a given. However, at this point this is how the next year have been mapped out.
The art of political speechmaking is now so lost to the dark machinations of the spin doctors, pollsters and pundits that most Americans have never heard a live campaign speech of any particular consequence. Perhaps that is why the crowd of 80,000 people who rallied for John Kerry on Thursday in Madison, Wisconsin, fell so completely silent a few minutes into what turned out to be the most poignant and powerful election address of 2004.
The speaker was not a candidate. Rather, the words that cut through the rhetorical fog were those of a guitar player from New Jersey.
"As a songwriter, I've written about America for 30 years," explained Bruce Springsteen, after he finished playing the appropriately chosen song, "Promised Land."
"I've tried to write about who we are, what we stand for, what we fight for," he continued. "I believe that these essential ideals of American identity are what's at stake on November 2."
Springsteen's voice did not rise with the false drama of electioneering.
His words mingled so smoothly with the soft strumming of his guitar that it was easy to imagine that the singer might let those few spoken words be his message.
But there was a lot more to it.
With a nod to Tom Paine and a kiss for Walt Whitman, Springsteen reviewed the crisis and then called voters to be guided not by their fears but by the better angels of our nature. Lincoln spoke this way, Bobby Kennedy did, and so did Paul Wellstone. But, as this campaign closes, that rare mixture of politics and poetry is coming not from politicians but from a man who until Thursday had never appeared on the stage of a presidential campaign rally.
The response in Madison, and a few hours later in Columbus, Ohio, where the Kerry-Springsteen tour stopped next, was more than merely campaign-stop enthusiastic.
When the shouting stopped, the tens upon tens of thousands of people who filled the streets in front of him began to listen. Really listen.
Springsteen detailed the subjects that mattered to him: "the human principles of economic justice, healing the sick, health care, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, a living wage so folks don't have to go out and break their backs and still not be able to make ends meet" and "the protection of the environment, a sane and responsible foreign policy, civil rights and the protection and safeguarding of our precious democracy here at home."
Now, the crowd that stretched for block after block up a hill to the state Capitol began to settle. Something was being said here, and these people -- who just moments before had been rocking along with Springsteen -- were suddenly listening as the singer ran through his litany of progressive passions.
"I believe that John Kerry honors these ideals. He has lived their history over the past 50 years and formed an adult view of America and its people," Springsteen told the voters of Wisconsin, a battleground state that could well tip the electoral-college balance of this year's presidential contest. "He's had the life experience; I think he understands that we as humans are not infallible and that, as Senator (John) Edwards said during the Democratic National Convention, that struggle and heartbreak will always be with us. That's why 'united we stand,' 'one nation, indivisible,' aren't just slogans. They need to remain guiding principles of our public lives."
With autumn leaves drifting slowly from the trees that lined the street, Springsteen described the Democratic nominee for president in terms that made Kerry's resume read a good deal more lyrically than it has during this ugly campaign of Swift Boat vet charges and FOX-TV sneer fests. "He's shown us, starting as a young man, that by facing America's hard truths, both the good and the bad, that's where we find a deeper patriotism. That's where we find a complete view of who we are. That's where we find a more authentic experience as citizens, and that's where we find the power that is embedded only in truth to make our world a better and safer place."
Springsteen paused and then invoked the name of Wellstone, the late Minnesota senator who is an iconic figure among progressives in the neighboring state of Wisconsin.
"Paul Wellstone," the singer repeated, as the tension broke and the crowd began cheering. "He said the future is for the passionate and those who are willing to fight and work hard for it. Well, the future is now. And it's time to let your passions loose." Now, the applause was swelling. "Let's roll up our sleeves," Springsteen shouted above the roar of approval. "That's why I'm here today -- to stand alongside Senator Kerry and to tell you that the country we carry in our hearts is waiting, and together we can move America towards her deepest ideals."
Springsteen pulled his black guitar up and, referencing the musical instruments preferred by former President Bill Clinton and Kerry, said, "Besides, we had a sax player in the house. We need a guitar player in the White House." As the crowd roared its approval once more, the singer quietly continued, "Alright, this for John. This is for you, John." Then he launched into "No Surrender," a song that has been adopted as the Kerry campaign's anthem. Stripped down and slowed down, the song's words resonated even more clearly with crowd, especially the line, "I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies."
When Springsteen finished, he introduced Kerry, who bounded to the stage and announced, "I may be running for president of the United States, but we all know who the boss is."
Energized by the crowd and the company on stage, Kerry delivered a muscular, well-received address. And, surely, the throngs belonged as much or more to him as they did to Springsteen. Yet, when the day was done, it was the singer, not the candidate, who had delivered the most meaningful political address.
There are often debates about the extent to which serious attention should be granted to the political musings of singers, actors and other celebrities. The quality and character of Springsteen's addresses in Madison and Columbus on Thursday, and the responses to them, suggests that this issue may finally be settled. In a year when so many meaningless words have been spilled along the campaign trail, Bruce Springsteen is saying something that matters.
Over the span of his decades-long career, Bruce Springsteen concerts have had a comforting sameness in some very important respects: the thousands of adoring fans, the easy, between-songs conversational charm, the chants of his name, the committed, passionate performance.
But last night in Philadelphia, the source of that passion was disturbingly novel.
"I hope everybody saw the (presidential) debate last night," Springsteen said from the stage, his face set in a grim smile. He had just finished a potent version of "Lonesome Day." With a shake of the head, he launched wordlessly into the next song.
Springsteen, for the first time in his career, finds himself in a public, vocal political battle with no less than the president of the United States himself. In the mid-'80s, the singer politely rebuffed a Ronald Reagan request to use his song, "Born in the USA," as his campaign theme.
But this time, it's different. Springsteen, whose image is deeply rooted in his persona as an honest, average, hard-working American, is taking sides.
"I really feel this is a crisis in democracy," he told Rolling Stone magazine this week, in a lengthy interview in which he described his reasons for wading into partisan politics for the first time, a move that was sparked by the Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. "I felt they had been fundamentally dishonest and had frightened and manipulated the American people into war."
In the parking lot of the Wachovia Center, brothers Ben and Jeremy Master, from Springsteen's home turf in New Jersey, took part in a Springsteen concert ritual: the tailgate party.
"He could do 15 shows in a row here and sell them all out. This is his backyard. It's normal," said Ben.
What wasn't was the occasion.
Springsteen's commitment, to help oust a president, speaks to the gravity of the situation. And he has hardly been the sole musician to join the battle to elect Democrat John Kerry. Last night's show was his debut on the roster of the Vote for Change tour, a 10-day musical blitz through crucial swing states like Ohio and Michigan in which support for Bush and Kerry is, according to polls, nearly deadlocked.
A coalition of pop heavyweights such as Pearl Jam, REM, the Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt and Keb'Mo, among others, have pooled their talents, free of charge, to help bring about a change in leadership.
Organized by MoveOn, a West Coast-based political action committee founded in 1998 by software entrepreneurs Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, all proceeds will be funnelled to another political action committee, America Coming Together.
"Well, it's a painless way to make a political contribution," said Mary Lou Gere, sipping a beer in the parking lot. "I'm here because of the cause, sure, but I've always wanted to see him."
"But this is different," said her friend, Margie Lynch. "I saw Bruce in August last year. He was angry. You could tell by the way he was talking."
ACT hopes to channel some of that anger into serious campaigning.
Its regional offices sit above an Irish pub, in a shabby sector of central Philadelphia. On the wall is a colourful, hand-drawn poster, rendered in chunky block letters: "NO MORE BROKEN PROMISES." In one office, a photo of Bush looking out with a cockeyed stare and his mouth agape bore the words: "Vote for me. I'm clueless and obedient."
It would seem an unlikely base of operations to topple a sitting president. But that's exactly what ACT, a political action group devoted to ousting Bush, is determined to achieve.
The Vote for Change tour will infuse ACT with cash to perform what it sees as its crucial task: ensuring enough Democratic voters are registered to force Bush from office.
"This isn't about big advertising, this is about meeting people face to face and talking about the issues," said Rebecca Kirszner, ACT's communications manager in Philadelphia. "It's gone extremely well," she said. "We've already registered 130,000 voters in Pennsylvania, so we're really pleased."
The tour represents perhaps an unprecedented level of advocacy not just for Springsteen, but the musical community itself. Political music in the modern era stretches back at least as far as the civil rights movement but rarely crossed the line from advocating peace and equality to pointedly asking listeners to support one candidate or another. Even the folk music movement, which was quick to hold benefits for various causes, stopped short of taking official political sides.
If anything, the current political situation has drawn more sharply music's traditional genre lines, but has forced them into political camps: Pop music, rock and hip hop land with the Democrats, while country performers like Lee Ann Womack, the Gatlin Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd side with the president. Ben Master can't understand the surprise at Springsteen's political declaration.
"Most people don't seem to understand that Bruce has been making political music for years. "Born in the USA," "Nebraska" — those albums were both major criticisms of the economic collapse of the Reagan years," Master said.
Springsteen's music had a huge influence on his personal politics. "That's its power for young people," he said.
ACT hopes so. In the 2000 election, voter turnout between the ages of 18-34 was less than 40 per cent "If they can be encouraged to vote because of this, that's a great thing," Gere said.
A Pearl Jam fan, writing on the band's website, spoke to the impact the concerts might actually have on voters. "Well, if (lead singer) Eddie Vedder says to vote for Kerry over Bush, Nader, etc. we all should (cough ... sarcasm ... cough)."
For Tom Gartland, Springsteen's politics mean nothing. "I'm voting for George Bush and I'm here to see Bruce. I'm not mad at him. I just love his music," he said. "He's entitled to his opinions.... We're a free country. That's what it's about."
After weeks of speculation as to whether or not the megastar would play a protest concert at Giants Stadium during the Republican National Convention, the Boss will eschew the solo show to play dates as part of Vote for Change, a tour featuring the likes of the Dixie Chicks, R.E.M., the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, James Taylor, John Mellencamp and Bonnie Raitt.
"I felt like I couldn't have written the music I've written and been onstage singing about the things that I've sung about for the last 25 years and not take part in this particular election," says Springsteen, who has typically avoided partisan politics.
"A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America," adds Dave Matthews in a statement. "A vote for Bush is a vote for a divided, unstable, paranoid America. It is our duty to this beautiful land to let our voices be heard. That's the reason for the tour. That's why I'm doing it."
Sponsored in part by liberal groups MoveOn.org and America Coming Together, Vote for Change tour will play 34 shows in 28 cities in the so-called "swing states"--Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and, yes, Florida--in an effort to unseat President Bush in November's election.
As unveiled Wednesday, the tour will group artists together for each show. Springsteen and his E Street Band will play five dates, joined on the bill by R.E.M., John Fogerty and Bright Eyes. Pearl Jam is paired with Death Cab for Cutie for six gigs. Also playing six shows: Dave Matthews teamed with Jurassic 5 and My Morning Jacket; the Dixie Chicks, with Taylor; and Raitt, with Jackson Browne and Keb' Mo'. Mellencamp and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will perform five shows together. Other artists are expected to join the effort.
The shows kick off Oct. 1 in Pennsylvania, with each grouping of superstars hitting a different city. The last scheduled shows will be Oct. 8 in Florida, although Billboard reports that a larger concert, featuring many of the top acts, is expected to be added for Oct. 10 in Miami.
All shows will go on sale Aug. 21; there has been no immediate word on ticket prices.
The Vote for Change concert tour is just the latest example of musicians throwing their support behind a political cause. Once the rarified territory of artists like Neil Young, now it seems every conceivable genre of musician is down to get involved with this fall's election in one way or another.
Artists ranging from rap star P. Diddy, who launched his own Citizen Change campaign July 20, to soft-rock queen Linda Ronstadt (booted from a Las Vegas casino after she made laudatory comments about Michael Moore) have found themselves in the headlines lately--whether they wanted the attention or not--thanks to their political convictions. Bush, meanwhile, has received plugs from Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Toby Keith, Larry Gatlin and Ted Nugent, among others.
Springsteen himself has been becoming more outspoken regarding the Bush administration. He told a crowd of 50,000 at an October 2003 New York City concert to "shout a little louder if you want the President impeached." Springsteen also has had the full text of Al Gore's controversial New York University speech posted on the front page of his Website for weeks. Perhaps picking up on Springsteen's frustration with the real boss of the United States, New York-based former concert promoter Andrew Rasiej launched DraftBruce.com in June hoping to enlist the "Born in the U.S.A." singer to headline a massive Giants Stadium gig in September.
Despite the 125,000-plus signatures gathered online to draft Bruce to play the proposed Concert for Change, Springsteen opted to tour with like-minded artists like Pearl Jam and R.E.M. in the similarly named Vote for Change.
Rasiej is happy Bruce is getting involved, even though the concert he imagined will not take place. "Anyone who signed the petition should be happy," he tells E! Online. "The purpose of the effort was to show public support for Bruce and other artists getting involved."
And getting involved is exactly what many artists dream about these days.
"The upcoming election provides everyone an opportunity to change the direction our country is headed and to elect a government that is just, rational and respectful of the views and rights of the people it serves," says Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard. "This coalition of artists wants to be a part of that change."
Waxing political can be commercially risky. Just ask the Dixie Chicks, who faced fierce criticism, radio bans and album-destroying rallies in the wake of comments made by singer Natalie Maines during a concert last year in England. But the Chicks persevered, selling out their tour dates months after the height of their controversy.
But ultimately the Vote for Change artists say they felt compelled to get involved this election year, critics be dammed. "R.E.M. is very happy to be a part of the Vote for Change tour," says band bassist Mike Mills. "This unprecedented coming together of musicians underscores the depth of the desire for change in our country’s direction, and it feels right to use some of the freedoms granted to us in a democracy to try and affect that change."
"At some point, you can't sit still," adds Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, a frequent critic of Bush's policies. "You can't spend your life, when people are getting killed, without asking serious questions about why."
On Tuesday, June 15, Columbia Records will release 23rd Street Lullaby, the first album of new music from Patti Scialfa since her critically-acclaimed 1993 release, Rumble Doll. With all words and music written by Patti Scialfa, 23rd Street Lullaby is an intimate and powerful musical memoir combining imagery, empathy and honesty in twelve compelling tracks ranging from plaintive ballads to full-tilt rockers.
'When you write a song based on a story from years past. It's a way to go back and take a look where your compass was set,' Patti Scialfa explains. 'To see if you're still on course, or if that setting is still relevant-that's what's interesting to me. On 23rd Street Lullaby, Scialfa delves into her personal history to create a sort of musical memoir of a time when life was wild and deep. She uses that period to frame struggles between faith and failure, strength and surrender, standing up and giving in. 23rd Street Lullaby is populated by lotharios, rebels, dreamers. Realists-but most of all, by Patti Scialfa herself, who sees all these characters in the most personal perspective.
23rd Street Lullaby is co-produced by Patti Scialfa and Steve Jordan (who recently served as musical director for the PBS series, "Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues," helmed Robert Cray's Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy-winning Take Your Shoes Off, and has produced albums by Keith Richards, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and others). The album showcases an ensemble featuring guitarist Nils Lofgren, vocalist Soozie Tyrell, bassist Willie Weeks, keyboardist Clifford Carter, avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot, cellist Jane Scarpantoni, drummer/co-producer Steve Jordan, and others.
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