As had become the norm, The River Tour started out before the supported album was even released, but that didn't stop Bruce from focusing heavily on The River right from the get go. Gone were most of the ultra-long guitar and impro exercises in favor of the short, rocking songs that The River is so full of. But that didn’t mean the shows were shorter. On the contrary, in the fall of 1980 the length of the shows often grew to an unprecedented four hours, culminating on New Years Eve 1980 with a 38-song show that lasted well into 1981.

The spring leg of the tour saw shows become somewhat shorter, but a planned European tour still had to be postponed by several weeks due to exhaustion on Bruce’s part. Still, the first extensive tour of Europe was carried out from April to June with shows in Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, the UK and other countries. Back in the US, Bruce opened the brand new Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey with a multi-night stand. Another multi-night stand took place in Los Angeles in August, including the now legendary Vietnam Veterans benefit show, which counts among the best and most emotional performances of Bruce’s career.

Roy Bittan: Piano
Clarence Clemons: Saxophone
Danny Federici: Organ
Bruce Springsteen: Vocals, guitar
Garry Tallent: Bass
Steve Van Zandt: Guitar
Max Weinberg: Drums