Sony in America is once again organizing listening parties in several large cities in the US... and Asbury Park. The first ones will be in Detroit and San Francisco on April 4 and three days later, April 7, the run of listening parties will end in New York and Boston. In between people in and around Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Asbury Park, Atlanta, and Los Angeles will get the chance to hear selected tracks from the new album. See the complete list and how to get a ticket on the official site. Read more

   

The good news is that there will be a single from Devils & Dust. The bad news is that it will only contain one song - "Devils & Dust" - and that you can only get it if you pre-order the album via Sony's own site. The single will be shipped to you in the first week f April free of charge. However, if you're not in the US you can forget about it altogether. No single for you. In return, everybody can listen to the song on AOL Music on March 28, one day before its release to radio stations. Read more

   

In connection with the release of Devils & Dust Bruce will make his first appearance on the VH1 performance series Storytellers. No exact date has been revealed, only that it will be in April. For those who are not familiar with Storytellers, the show features famous artists performing their music in an intimate setting and telling the stories behind it. Read more

   

According to Badlands in England the dual disc release of Devils & Dust is for America only. However, Europeans and others won't be cheated of the extra DVD material, but it will be included on a separate DVD rather than on an extra layer on the same disc. But Europeans may still get the better deal. Sony warns that Dual discs may not play in all CD players. Particularly older car players could have trouble with the new format. Read more

   

Hard Rock International has unveiled its latest Signature Series T-Shirt, inspired by Bruce Springsteen. Featuring the designs of 21 musicians to date, Hard Rock Cafe's Signature Series has raised millions of dollars for a number of charitable causes worldwide. The new Bruce Springsteen T-shirt benefits World Hunger Year - a nonprofit organization that strives to eliminate hunger and poverty by creating and promoting innovative programs and policies. The Springsteen T-shirt features a drawing of one of Bruce's favorite guitars, set on a black T-shirt. The shirt is available at Hard Rock locations in Europe, the U.S. and Canada and at www.hardrock.com. Read more

   

If you're in the Austin area you can be among the first people outside the inner-circle to listen to the new album, Devils & Dust. A listening party will be held tomorrow night, March 19, 7 PM, at Waterloo Records in Austin. Read more

   

While Greasy Lake took an early spring break, Bruce booked the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park for preliminary rehearsals for the new tour. Over three days during last week he went through several of the songs on the new album as well as songs from The Ghost of Tom Joad and other chestnuts. On the stage with him were various members of the E Street Band including Nils Lofgren, Soozie Tyrell, Danny Federici, Patti Scialfa, and Devils & Dust session player Steve Jordan. The rehearsals are seen as experimenting more than actually rehearsing. Bruce is still trying to find out if he wants to tour by himself or with band members and if so, who. Read more

   

Bruce made his almost annual appearance at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony last night at Waldorf Astoria in New York. He was there to induct U2 and did so with his usual wit and knowledge. In his speech he called the band "one of the Greats" and mocked Bono by saying that he "single-handedly pioneered the Irish mullet", perhaps in reply to Bono's comment in his induction of Bruce in 1999 about Bruce never having a bad hair period "even in the Eighties". Later in the evening Bruce joined U2 for a performance of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Read more

   

Two Springsteen shows have appeared on ticket broker lists in the UK. The shows will allegedly take place on May 27 and 28 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. No official word on the accuracy of this, but it may be a good indication. Bruce last played in Royal Albert Hall in 1996 on his Solo Acoustic tour. Read more

   

The cover for the new album, Devils & Dust, has now appeared on Bruce's official website. Unlike the picture we posted a few weeks ago, this one shows Bruce's face on a scratched surface to great effect. It was taken by Anton Corbijn who is best known for taking the picture on U2's Joshua Tree album. Read more