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 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?

Continental Arena   New Jersey

 

As suggested above, this was the official opening of The Rising tour. The album had been released early in the summer and was initially supported with a flood of Bruce interviews in the press and on TV, including interviews on the Today show and Charley Rose.  

Due to the serious nature of 9/11 imagery that permeates the album, I recall the grim game face that Bruce displayed throughout almost the entire 2 and a half hour performance in front of his hometown crowd. The show included 10 of the new albums 14 songs and each of these songs resonated deeply with the “close to the edge” emotions of the audience. Be reminded that the first anniversary of 9/11 had not yet passed and the ruins of the World Trade Center had only recently ceased what seemed to be a never ending smoldering.

 The lightest moment of this heavy evening was the clear delight that Bruce had on his face as the entire audience sang the full chorus to “Waitin’ On a Sunny Day”, one of the few truly up tempo songs on the album. The album was barely a month old but clearly everybody in this audience was familiar enough with the material to bring the first of few smiles to the bands collective face.