So as all you Americans will know, TV host Tim Russert passed away the other day. As a news junkie I saw it mentioned on various American news sites, but didn't think much of it. Just some TV dude only known to Americans who wouldn't be around anymore. No big deal to me or anyone other than his family, I figured. But then everybody kept talking about it, and I heard that Bruce mentioned his death from the stage in Cardiff and dedicated "Thunder Road" to him. WTF? And just yesterday or the day before, Bruce, again, sang "Thunder Road" on a memorial show on NBC recorded earlier in the day from an unknown location in Europe. So apparently Tim Russert wasn't just anybody. It turns out he was both a fan and a friend of Bruce, not to mention he was one of the most respected news journalists in America. Plus his wife, Maureen Orth, wrote the famous cover story for Newsweek in 1975. So, RIP, Tim. I should have paid better attention. Watch the clip here:
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...of Bruce Springsteen and its name is Pete Hulne. Check out his hilarious parody. Probably the best piece of Bruce humor I have ever seen:
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Another show has been added to the so far very brief American stadium tour in August. The show will take place on August 19 in a town called Hershey in Pennsylvania at the Hersheypark Stadium. And if you haven't heard of Hershey, PA, don't feel bad. It's a tiny town about 100 miles north west of Philadelphia. It's much closer to Harrisburg, which is somewhat bigger than Hershey, but still not big enough to be an obvious choice for a Bruce Springsteen concert. So why he's making all the Philadelphians and New Jerseyans and New Yorkers drive hundreds of miles to Hershey is anyone's guess. But Hersheypark is allegedly a pretty cool place with an amusement park and a zoo and lots of other things. Maybe Bruce is taking his family and figured he might as well do a show while he's there. Whatever the case, tickets go on sale this Saturday, June 21, via Ticketmaster. Go for it! Read more

   

Several sources are now saying that the fall leg of the Magic tour has been scrapped and that the tour will end in Milwaukee on August 30. There may be more shows added to the August schedule (including allegedly one in Philly), but that will be it. There is no official word, let alone an official reason for this change of plans, but one source says that it's due to "health reasons" and possible recording plans. We can only speculate what might be going on behind the scenes, but this does not sound like a voluntary decision on Bruce's part. It seemed like a given that he would want to be on the road during the high tide of the presidential election.

Particularly the word "health reasons" is already making fans dread that this may be the last hoorah of the E Street Band we will be witnessing this summer, and while another band member putting down his instrument so soon after Danny's death would be almost to much to bear, that is stil a way too premature conclusion to make. The way they have been playing lately there is no reason to think they couldn't pull off another tour. Read more

   

After only about 1? weeks in Europe, Bruce and the band will be back in the States for a couple of weeks off until picking up again on the 14th in Cardiff. And when he does, he will have something to live up to. The five shows he played in Europe really saw a band in absolute top shape, taking tons of requests, playing 30 minutes longer than when they were here in December and Bruce being all over the stage, including a little new projection in the center that we haven't seen before. As for the setlist, after the Dublin shows, as fantastic as they may have been, I had already started to formulate a slightly bitchy post about how European stadium shows seem to put an end to setlist experiments and spontaneity. But then came Manchester with "Adam Raised a Cain", "Saint in the City" and "Rosalita" and the first London show with a crazy long setlist that included "Point Blank", "Cadillac Ranch" and a host of other songs that hadn't been played at the other shows in Europe. Not to mention the second London show last night, which may not have been as long as the first one (Bruce had allegedly been fined ?80,000 the previous night for breaking the 10:30 p.m. curfew), but where, for the first hour it seemed the basic setlist structure had been completely scrapped and no one knew what would be next. "Darkness" as the third song, "Gypsy Biker" before "Radio Nowhere". WTF? The latter may have been a result of pre-senility on Bruce's part since the written setlist did have "Radio Nowhere" in its usual second spot. Whatever the case, if the last few shows are any indication we're in for a legendary summer of Bruce. Read more

   

Some of us have only just received the reprint of Chuck Yopp's amazing Greetings From Asbury Park when a new book about the music scene Asbury Park emerges. But this time the focus is not on Bruce, but on the hundreds of other artists who helped created the sound of the Jersey Shore. Local Heroes - The Asbury Park Music Scene was written by two Swedes, Anders M?rtensson and J?rgen Johansson. Together they have spent a ton of time researching, interviewing, taking pictures of, and documenting the bands and names that roamed Asbury Park in the last 40-50 years, including several Springsteen associates. Read more about this exciting new title. Read more

   

The outdoor European tour was kicked off on Thursday night at Dublin's RDS followed by another show last night at the same place. While several songs changed over the two nights, the Irish didn't get any tour premieres, although that could still happen tomorrow night when the Dublin stand ends. Altogether, the setlist instantly seemed to adapt to a stadium audience with Bruce skipping some of the more obscure songs played recently in the US in favor of more hit type material such as "Bobby Jean", "Glory Days", "The River" and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day". Still, by all accounts a succesful and energetic couple of performances from the band, with Bruce doing more skits than during their last visit in December when all focus seemed to be on the music. Check out setlists from night one and night two. Read more

   

If you live in Europe put a checkmark in your calendar for September 27 and 28 of this year, because that's when what is already called the "biggest Springsteen fan event ever" will happen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Springsteen fans from all over Europe (and hopefully other parts of the world, too) will get together for two days of music, fan talk, shopping, videos, and loads of other events, dubbed the Magic Convention 2008. The program for the event is still being worked out, but several names have already agreed to perform, including Mark Wright from England and several European cover artists and bands. Keep an eye on www.rouletteshop.nl to be kept up to date. Hope to see you there! Read more

   

For the second time in a week Bruce hit the Stone Pony stage when he joined Mike Ness of Social Distortion for five songs on Saturday Night. Together they did five songs of Ness originals and covers, including Bob Dylans "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and a blistering "I Fought the Law". In 1999 Bruce added vocals to a track on Ness' first solo album Cheating at Solitaire, and Mike Ness is a declared Springsteen fan. However, this seems to be the first time the two have performed live together, although that may be bad research on my part. Read more

   

Bruce is not spending much time relaxing before heading to Europe for the next leg of the Magic Tour. Last week it was the Count Basie Theater benefit, and this week he was at the Stone Pony collecting money for a local school. Backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, Bruce did a 2? hour show of 25 cover songs and originals. The setlist was similar to previous years' school benefits with the additions of Everly Brothers classic "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Girls in Their Summer Clothes". And like previous years, Patti was featured on a few songs as was Southside Johnny. Check the complete setlist. Read more