Category: Bruuuuuuuuce!!

Bruce Springsteen Releases Clarence Clemons’ Final E Street Gig as Live LP

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s November 22nd, 2009 concert in Buffalo, New York – the final stop on the Working on a Dream tour and their last full gig with saxophonist Clarence “Big Man” Clemons before his June 2011 death – was officially released as a live LP (and a last-minute Christmas gift to fans) Saturday through Springsteen’s site.

The performance also featured Springsteen and the E Street Band playing his 1973 debut LP Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in its entirety, from “Blinded by the Light” to “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City.”

The three-and-a-half-hour, 35-song November 22nd, 2009 concert is available to download now through the Live Bruce Springsteen site, with a physical release scheduled for January 23rd.

While the Live Bruce Springsteen site was frequently updated in 2016 with every gig from the band’s recent River Tour, the November 2009 Buffalo concert marks the first archival release since Springsteen unearthed his famed 1990 solo “Christic Shows” this past June.

As Ultimate Classic Rock notes, the November 22nd show also fell on guitarist Stevie Van Zandt’s birthday, resulting in a few surprises: a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and the live debut of The River era outtake “Restless Nights,” one of Van Zandt’s favorite tracks.

Following the Buffalo concert, Springsteen and the E Street Band would perform with Clemons one final time during a small Asbury Park gig for a Vevo webcast.

In Springsteen’s memoir Born the Run, the rocker wrote at length about Clemons’ final gig as well as auditioning saxophonist Jake Clemons, the Big Man’s nephew who showed up late and unprepared for the E Street audition.

“Let me get this straight,” Springsteen wrote of his audition interaction with Jake Clemons. “You are coming to audition for Clarence ‘Big Man’ Clemons’ seat in the E Street Band, which is not a job, by the way, but a sacred fucking position, and you are going to play Clarence’s most famous solos for Bruce Springsteen [referencing myself in the third person], the man who stood beside him for 40 years, who created those solos with him, and you’re gonna ‘sort of’ know them? Where … do … you … think … you … are? If you don’t know, let me tell you. You are in a CITADEL OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. You don’t DARE come in here and play this music for Bruce Springsteen without having your SHIT DOWN COLD! You embarrass yourself and waste my precious time.”

Jake Clemons returned to his hotel, learned the material and ultimately won the role previously held by his uncle.

Bruce Springsteen cancels North Carolina show over anti-LGBTQ law

Bruce Springsteen has canceled his upcoming concert in North Carolina due to a recently passed state law which discriminates against the LGBTQ community.

In a statement posted on his Facebook account, Springsteen explained why he decided to scrap the show, which was scheduled to take place at the Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday. “HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use,” he wrote. “Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden.”

The new law states that “Transgender people who have not taken surgical and legal steps to change the gender noted on their birth certificates have no legal right under state law to use public restrooms of the gender with which they identify,” according to the Charlotte Observer.

Springsteen, often an outspoken voice when it comes to political and social issues, added, “To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.”

He concluded by saying, “Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters.”

“Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”

Read his full message below.

“As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”

Springsteen’s The River Tour resumes on April 12th at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Bruce Springsteen wrote a rockin’ tardy note for a 9-year-old superfan

Nine-year-old Xabi Glovsky was a little late to school on Wednesday, but that was nothing a tardy note from Bruce Springsteen couldn’t solve.

Springsteen, who is infamous for his lengthy shows, noticed Xabi and his dad holding a sign in the crowd during his Los Angeles show last Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Watch Bruce Springsteen dance with a 91-year-old grandma
“Bruce, I will be late to school tomorrow. Please sign my note :),” the sign read.

Later, Xabi and his dad got to meet Springsteen backstage — after a 35-song set, naturally.

And not only did The Boss sign Xabi’s note, he also wrote it. The whole thing.

“Dear Ms. Jackson, Xabi has been out very late rocking & rolling. Please excuse him if he is tardy,” Springsteen wrote. He signed the note with a flourish — we’re sure Ms. Jackson was very impressed.

This isn’t the first time a kid has needed a tardy note after a Springsteen show, though it seems to be the first time Springsteen has stepped in to write the note himself.

If The Boss wants to keep having 35-song concerts on school nights, this might be a practice he should continue.

Bruce Springsteen Talks ‘The River’ Tour & New Album Plans

The forthcoming record is “more of a solo project,” Springsteen tells E Street Radio.

Bruce Springsteen won’t be retiring anytime soon. As if a box set, Saturday Night Live appearance and full tour weren’t enough to do, the musician announced Wednesday morning (Dec. 9) that he has plans to release a new solo album.

“The project I’ve been working on is more of a solo project,” he told E Street Radio. “It wasn’t a project I was going to probably take the band out on. So I said, ‘Gee, that’s going to push the band playing again until a ways in the future.’ It’ll be nice to get some playing in so you don’t wind up being two or three years between E Street tours. This will give us a chance to get out there and stretch our muscles a little bit.”

Springsteen admitted at first he had no plans to tour after releasing the box set, but “missed playing with the guys” and “playing, period.”

The last time Springsteen played The River from top to bottom was at Madison Square Garden in 2009, and now he’s planning to do it again.

“My recollection was that it was a very good night of music when we played it at the Garden,” he said. “It’s something that we haven’t done, something unique for the fans.”

After giving it some thought, he thought the time was right to hit the road. “Then we felt, ‘Maybe we should do a show just to raise the flag and have some fun and make it a little more exciting,” he said. “I said, ‘OK, maybe we’ll do a show in New York.’ Then that went quick to, ‘Maybe we should do a couple of shows.’ Then it turns into, ‘Maybe we should do a small series of shows, basically one-nighters, with maybe a little bit around the country.'”

Although he concedes that the decision to play The River from beginning to end will take most of the “guessing out of the evening,” he said he will find room to work some other material into the set.

“Maybe we’ll make up for some of that in the encores. We plan on picking out some of the best of our outtakes for the end of the show, and there will obviously be some fan favorites,” he said. “I don’t know myself how it will play out. It should be interesting and a lot of fun for the fans.

“If you were ever curious to hear it played in concert, this is a shot for you to hear it,” he said.

Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band Set ‘The River’ Tour for 2016

To celebrate the arrival of The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will hit the road early next year for The River Tour. The jaunt, which will likely draw heavily from Springsteen’s 1980 album and its new outtakes-packed reissue, kicks off January 16th at Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center and spreads 24 dates across North America before concluding with a pair of March shows at Los Angeles’ Memorial Sports Arena.

While Springsteen has made a few sporadic low-key onstage appearances in 2015, the River Tour is the first for the rocker and the E Street Band since their High Hopes trek wrapped up in May 2014. Tickets for The River Tour go on sale December 11th. Each concert from the tour will be mixed for release as high-quality downloads or CDs through Live.BruceSpringsteen.net within days of the performance.

In addition to The River tour, Springsteen will serve as musical guest on the December 19th episode of Saturday Night Live, his third appearance on the venerable sketch comedy show.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s The River Tour Dates

January 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
January 19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
January 24 & 27 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
January 29 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
January 31 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
February 2 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
February 4 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
February 8 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
February 10 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
February 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
February 16 – Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
February 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
February 21 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
February 23 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
February 25 – Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
February 27 – Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
February 29 – St Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
March 3 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
March 6 – St Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena
March 10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena
March 13 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
March 15 & 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena

Van Zandt fretted directing Springsteen in ‘Lilyhammer’

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s always a bit uncomfortable having to tell your boss what to do.

So imagine how Steven Van Zandt felt when he directed his longtime friend and E Street Band mate Bruce Springsteen when The Boss made his acting debut — appearing in the third season finale of the Netflix dramedy “Lilyhammer.” (Springsteen also briefly appeared in the 2000 film “High Fidelity,” but as himself rather than in an acting role).

He says he was honored that Springsteen agreed to appear in the episode, which began airing on Nov. 21 and marked Van Zandt’s directorial debut, but there was “a little bit of anxiety involved.”

“I know we’re friends for 50 years but still it meant a lot to me that he chose me and trusted me enough to direct him when literally everybody on earth’s been wanting to do it ,” said Van Zandt, who stars, writes, produces and composes music for the show.

“Lilyhammer” is a fish out of water story about fictional New York gangster Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano (Van Zandt), who is trying to start a new life in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer.

Springsteen played Frank’s older brother Giuseppe — a small role that was key to the plot, Van Zandt said.

“He’s really acting,” says Van Zandt. “It’s not some cameo. He’s not playing himself. It’s a real thing.”

Van Zandt says it all went well and Springsteen “did great” as Giuseppe.

“Was if fun? Yeah, but it’s more fun when it’s over,” he says with a laugh. “It’s fun now.”

Bruce Springsteen headlines Stand Up For Heroes event

Bruce Springsteen and a collection of all-star comedians will headline the eighth annual Stand Up for Heroes event at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5. Louis C.K., John Mulaney, John Oliver, and NBC’s Brian Williams are already confirmed, and several surprise guests are expected. The event, presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and New York Comedy Festival, has raised millions for injured military veterans and their families.

“Lee and I are so humbled by the generous contributions of the talent, sponsors, and variety of organizations in honor of our nation’s heroes and their families,” said Bob Woodruff, the ABC News journalist who nearly died in 2006 after being struck by an IED in Iraq. “Each year the show gets bigger and better, demonstrating the unwavering support of all those involved.”

Tickets for the Stand Up For Heroes show go on sale Wednesday at noon ET and can be purchased at bobwoodrufffoundation.org or www.nycomedyfestival.com. The 11th annual New York Comedy Festival runs Nov. 5-9. Maria Bamford, Hannibal Buress, Dane Cook, Bill Cosby, Chris D’Elia, Bill Maher, Marc Maron, Tig Notaro, Nick Offerman, and Amy Schumer are all slated to perform at the festival.

On the Books: Bruce Springsteen’s publishing a book about a bank-robbing baby

The Boss is jumping on the bandwagon of musicians writing children’s books with the November 4 release of Outlaw Pete, a picture book based on his 2009 song of the same name. The book will be composed of Springsteen’s lengthy lyrics about a bank-robbing baby paired with illustrations by cartoonist/author Frank Caruso, according to New York Times.

While it’s being marketed as a picture book for adults, Simon & Schuster president Jonathan Karp said it’s “for readers of all ages.”

“It’s a book for anybody who loves a good Western,” he told The Times. “Obviously, the song it’s based on is for adults. It has an adult sensibility, and so does the book. Outlaw Pete is a quintessentially Springsteen character, brought to life here, and like the song, it’s a meditation on fate. Pete is robbing banks at a very young age, and he does a lot of things he regrets, but as the lyric says, you can’t undo the things you’ve done.”

Fellow musician Keith Richards announced back in March would be writing a children’s book, following in the footsteps of Madonna, Jimmy Buffett, and three of the four Beatles.

64-year-old Bruce Springsteen announces directorial debut

At 64 years young, Bruce Springsteen is stepping into the director’s chair for the first time. As announced today, Springsteen has teamed with Thom Zimny for a short film called Hunter of Invisible Game. It’s scheduled to premiere on July 9th at 12:00pm ET.

Bruce Springsteen to receive his own online museum

An online museum of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia is set to launch in June to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the singer’s record ‘Born in the USA’.

BlindedByTheLight.com will feature over 300 objects, ranging from concert posters to handwritten lyrics – with more items to be added in the future. The online museum will offer contest prizes every six months, with website creator Michael Crane offering signed album artwork as the prize for the first contest, reports Rolling Stone.

Springsteen has recently been making headlines by playing a number of unexpected cover versions during his live shows, most recently playing Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ at the March Madness Music Festival in Dallas in April.

While touring Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, the singer covered songs such as AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’, for which he brought on stage Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by The Bee Gees, ‘Friday On My Mind’ by The Easybeats and INXS’ ‘Don’t Change’.

A show in Auckland, New Zealand also saw Springsteen cover Lorde’s ‘Royals’, a cover which she subsequently said made her “teary”.