The Boss On Tour

[Luxus]

Ich erlebe hier Erstaunliches ... bin emotional durch den Wind ... ich möchte dies teilen mit denen, die es möchten!!

"This night is a special one," said the somber voice of the Boss. "So we'd like to start with something for Danny."

With that, a video tribute unspooled onscreen as a recorded version of acoustic homage Blood Brothers played. With a spotlight illuminating Danny's longtime workplace, the band then launched into a crescendoing, cathartic Backstreets, with its notable refrain of "You swore we'd live forever."

"This one's for Dan," Springsteen said at the start of the encore, as the band roots-rocked an acoustic cover of gospel hymn I'll Fly Away ("Some bright morning when this life is over, I'll fly away.") On this tour, Springsteen has been reaching into the crowd each night to grab signs with song requests.

Die Tatsache, dass ein Mitglied der E-Street-Band gestorben ist, löst in den Foren gewaltige Anteilnahme aus. Aber auch Bruce gibt diesem Umstand genug Platz in den nun folgenden Shows (drei Abende wurden wegen des Todes und der Beerdigung vorschoben).

Die Tatsache, dass die Tour sofort wieder weitergeht zeigt ganz deutlich, wie wichtig dieser Gruppierung die Live-Auftritte sind und wie sehr sie diese Arbeit lieben.

APRIL 25, ATLANTA: THAT'S WHERE THE FUN IS
For the third show in four nights, Bruce is clearly keen to retain the element of surprise. He's writing setlists that veer dramatically off the course he'd set for so much of the Magic tour, and then when it comes time to perform, he's even shaking that up. Tonight in Atlanta, after opening with that high-octane "Reason to Believe" for the first time, two of the next three songs were audibles. That's keeping it interesting for everyone -- particularly in the first half of the show, there was no telling what would come next. And the crowd ate it up -- the Philips Arena ain't exactly intimate, but the place was packed to the rafters, and into it.

Eleven songs played in Atlanta that didn't come out in Orlando, including a magnificent "Point Blank," "Trapped," and "Murder Incorporated," with a great Bruce/Stevie guitar duel that made us miss "Gypsy Biker" at least a little less. Only six songs from Magic, though this was the city of its birth... and with "Lonesome Day" dropped out (and "Out in the Street" in), my pop rightly noted halfway through that it felt like the Reunion tour. Though not as well represented, Magic did get a deeper cut played tonight -- Bruce broke out "Your Own Worst Enemy," which he said was "in honor of producer extraordinaire Brendan O'Brien." He added, "It won't be as good as the record, but we'll try." And it was impressive, the full-sounding four-part vocals at least coming close to replicating the record's wall of sound.

Getting its tour premiere was "Blinded By the Light," in the slot that brought "Spirit" and "Sandy" the last few nights. "I want to thank you for all the prayers and condolences for Danny," Springsteen told the crowd before the song (and we got the video montage at the start of the show, too). "We appreciate it very much. His family appreciates it very much. We've been digging into the 'old' box these last few nights," he said to cheers, going on to reminisce a bit about the early days of the band, meeting at the Upstage in Asbury Park. "I met Steve at 16, Danny at 18... Danny and Mad Dog asked me to be in the band.... It was me, Danny, Garry, 'Mad Dog' Lopez, and Clarence. Just a little five piece -- with a setlist of masterpieces," Bruce laughed. "We know this one!" A rocky start, but yeah, they knew it, and "Blinded" was a blast.

"Bobby Jean" was a granted request-by-sign, and while I'd never put Sharpie to posterboard for that one myself, I was glad I kept my ears open: I heard a power and a poignancy in that song tonight that, to me, has been missing for a long time. More audibles came in the encore, with "Kitty's Back" replaced by "Rosalita" -- "This is for New Orleans!" Bruce hollered, in response to another sign -- and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" in for "Dancing in the Dark." Think you can pin Bruce down? Kid, you better get the picture.

Hautkrebs: Bruce Springsteen trauert um E Street-Musiker Danny Federici
Danny Federici, Gründungsmitglied von Bruce Springsteens E Street Band, ist im Alter von nur 58 Jahren an Hautkrebs gestorben. Dies gab Springsteen auf seiner Webseite bekannt, wo er auch eine erste Reaktion auf den Tod Federicis postete.

"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", so Springsteen.

Danny Federici hatte insbesondere als Keyboarder von Anfang an das Klangbild von Springsteen und der E Street Band mitentwickelt. Die Hautkrebserkankung war bereits vor drei Jahren diagnostiziert worden. Federici musste aufgrund seiner Erkrankung die Welttournee der Band im vergangenen November verlassen. Zuletzt war er bei einem Konzert in Indianapolis am 20. März aber noch einmal mit der E Street Band aufgetreten - es sollte das letzte Mal sein. RIP.

Hier der OFFIZIELLE Film, der seit dem Tod einige Male vor jedem Konzert auf einer Leinwand gezeigt wurde ... die gesamte Band steht live auf der Bühne und sieht es sich mit dem gesamten Publikum an ... danach beginnt das eigentliche Konzert:

+ YouTube Video

We played king of the mountain out on the end
The world come chargin' up the hill, and we were women and men
Now there's so much that time, time and memory fade away
We got our own roads to ride and chances we gotta take
We stood side by side each one fightin' for the other
We said until we died we'd always be blood brothers

Now the hardness of this world slowly grinds your dreams away
Makin' a fool's joke out of the promises we make
And what once seemed black and white turns to so many shades of gray
We lose ourselves in work to do and bills to pay
And it's a ride, ride, ride, and there ain't much cover
With no one runnin' by your side my blood brother

On through the houses of the dead past those fallen in their tracks
Always movin' ahead and never lookin' back
Now I don't know how I feel, I don't know how I feel tonight
If I've fallen 'neath the wheel, if I've lost or I've gained sight
I don't even know why, I don't know why I made this call
Or if any of this matters anymore after all

But the stars are burnin' bright like some mystery uncovered
I'll keep movin' through the dark with you in my heart
My blood brother

Und zum Aufheitern: ein Ausschnitt aus einem früheren Italien-Konzert, seine Band und SEINE Mutter + SEINE Tante, für wenige Minuten: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8jFsLKeObM
Ein aktueller Werbe-Trailer für die Frühjahrs-Tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbWSIYpTF4w

I'll keep movin' through the dark with you in my heart
My blood brother