Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

The Rising 2002-2003

After 14 months of traveling around the world with the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen concluded "The Rising” world tour concluded with 3 sold out shows in New York’s Shea Stadium on October 1st, 3rd & 4th. Not surprisingly to some of you dear readers, this concert reviewer was in attendance for the tour opener on August 7 2002 in New Jerseys Continental Arena, the tour closer at Shea on October 4^th and another 7 shows in between.

Sure, this may seem to be way overkill even for die-hard rock and roll fans but I figure that if some of my peers can attend as much baseball, hockey or football games in the same period of time than who’s to say? So I will take this opportunity to review,  what for me were the highlights and low points of these 9 concerts. 

  

August 31, 2003 Giants Stadium New Jersey 

As show number 7 for me on this tour and 2^nd in two days approached, even I started to wonder when I would become Bruced-out. But after performing 2 tour premieres within the first 5 songs, the answer for this night was not yet. The opening number was the rarely performed Cynthia and the title cut of Lucky Town, which again highlighted the Boss’ prowess with the electric guitar.

Also played the night before was one of Bruce’s biggest hits, Because The Night which is best known thanks to the FM radio hit version recorded in the late ‘70’s by Patti Smith.  I hadn’t seen the band do this number since the Born In The USA tour dates and this is definitely one of the most powerful stadium rock songs. ALL of the audience would scream out the Because The Night chorus, so it had to heard all the way over to the old Max’s Kansas City in Greenwich Village.

I was one of the very few in the 55,000 plus audience that recognized the first piano chords to Lost In The Flood and stood for the entire 8 minute plus opus to Chevy Stock Super 8’s, dressed in drag for homicide….

No special guests for the Jersey finale but a nonetheless apt ending to this seminal part of the tour was the last song, which Bruce dedicated to his wife Patti, Jersey Girl was a nice touch. I really liked this ending as did my wife Denise, although she is a through and through Lawn Guiland (nee Long Island) girl.

 What a night, what a home stand, nobody wanted to leave not even the clearly exhausted boss and his band! Happily, the announcements were already confirmed for 3 more shows in New York at Shea Stadium!