pagePic

The Day Anne Murray Got Bruuuuuuuced.

August 28, 2024

Last week Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band returned to Philadelphia for 2 shows–Wed August 21 and Friday August 23. They were make-up dates from the 2023 leg of the tour which he needed to cancel due to illness. I had the tickets (for the Wednesday show) for more than a year and the show didn’t disappoint.

As you can see, there was no chance Bruce was going to pull me or my daughter Carolyn on stage for Dancing in the Dark since the photo showed we were in the “nosebleeds” defined as section 406, 3 rows from the top of the stadium. It provided a great view of the city and since we were across the stadium from the stage, the sound was crisp and clear. And the band images on the oversized video screens provided video.

The show lasted 3+ hours and while there always songs one wishes they heard, he served up great songs shown in the 30 song set list below

  1.  Atlantic City
  2.  Lonesome Day
  3.  Night
  4.  No Surrender
  5.  Ghosts
  6.  Working on the Highway
  7.  The Promised Land
  8.  Spirit in the Night
  9. Hungry Heart
  10. Youngstown
  11. Long Walk Home
  12. The E Street Shuffle
  13. Nightshift
  14. Streets of Philadelphia
  15. Racing in the Street
  16. Last Man Standing
  17. Backstreets
  18. Because the Night
  19. She’s the One
  20. Wrecking Ball
  21. The Rising
  22. Badlands
  23. Thunder Road

Encore:

The last hour of the show was as intense as any concert I’ve seen. The crowd was happy. Bruce still delivers. He has never mailed it in.

I am not a Bruce groupie though I’ve seen several shows over the years (including a show without the E Street Band in his Lucky Town/ Magic Touch era). Obviously Bruce is a big arena act and has been since his 3rd studio album, Born to Run, was released in 1975.

But before he was mega-Bruce, he was a big local act in New Jersey/New York/Philadelphia area. We live in Manalapan, NJ (next to Freehold) so retailers on Main Street in Freehold proudly display their photos of Bruce.

And we vacation in nearby Belmar where there really is a E Street and a 10th Avenue.

During my college days I was a DJ at WRSU the college station at Rutgers/New Brunswick. I was the Music Director as well so obviously I knew Bruce from his first 2 albums, Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. They were in heavy rotation at WRSU. So I loved hearing Spirit In the Night and Rosalita last week (I still think Rosalita is his best concert song).

But the first time I saw Bruce live was August 3, 1974 pre-Born to Run when Bruce still opened for other acts though he was a budding legend even then.

The show was in Central Park at the Schaefer Music Festival (“Schaefer is the the one beer to have when you’re having more than one”), a great concert series each summer at the Wolman Rink in Central Park from 1967-1976. The venue held roughly 6000 people. (BTW, the famous ice skating scene from the movie Love Story was filmed there).  

The show on August 3, 1974 featured 3 acts—Brewer & Shipley opened, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, and then the headliner…….Anne Murray! (huh?)

Brewer & Shipley was a good opener. One Toke Over the Line was a crowd pleaser. Then came Bruce playing his great tunes from the first two albums—Rosalita was a crowd pleaser then and now.

And then Anne Murray. Ugh. A lot of the crowd left before her but she sang Love Song, Snowbird & others. Poor Anne. The remaining crowd Bruuuuuced her to death. It was cruel.

No doubt she said, I am never playing after that Bruce again. And she never did, as was the last event Bruce opened for another artist. Springsteen was already a NY/NJ/PA star and in 1975 became a mega star when Born to Run was released. Big shows, cover of Time Magazine and international fame.

And no more opening for other acts since nobody wants to get Bruuuuuced.

BTW. The ticket price for the August 3, 1974 show was $2 for the 3 acts. Therefore the Bruce cost was 67 cents. Good value




More Strumings

Comments are closed.