Springsteen 2024 Tour Analysis: US Leg 1

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Now that the first 10 shows of the 2024 Springsteen tour are over and he's heading for the European run, I wanted to offer some thoughts on the set based on an analysis of the songs performed and from listening to a few show recordings: LA night one, SF night one, and Albany. These were chosen based on feedback from friends and other trusted sources and also what just looked the most interesting. 

The initial reports from the first two nights of the tour were not great, but, you know, it is the beginning of the tour and even with rehearsal it can take a while to get a large ensemble rolling smoothly. There are some bands that start the tour strong so you want to be there right at the beginning and then there are some who finish strong, and E Street has always been the latter. But I referred to the initial setlist as “a jumble sale” and rolled my eyes when I heard Bruce on E Street Radio telling Jim Rotolo “I’m waiting to see where the show’s gonna take me” when asked about the setlist. Given that he’d had the time to contemplate what he wanted to say, it just felt disappointing. 

But something changed after Las Vegas, when he showed up in California wearing the shirt, vest and tie after showing up in Arizona in a red flannel shirt. He got back to California and put on his father’s clothes again, and it looks like things snapped into place. I don’t think that’s accidental.