By: David Schultz

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton

By: David Schultz

Tell me if this sounds familiar. A young East Coast singer-songwriter releases a splendid debut album that draws a fair modicum of attention. Backed by a stellar band, he draws raves for his live performances and has critics salivating over his brilliance. They herald our hero as the voice of his generation and offer grand proclamations on his future potential. He releases his second album and despite being well-reviewed, it gets roundly ignored in the marketplace . . . and then people start falling off the bandwagon. This more-than-twice-told tale could be about any of the bands that the Internet wags will hype to the moon only to retreat when success doesn’t come right away.

As hard as it is to believe, it's also the story of Bruce Springsteen circa 1973 upon the release of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle. If the Internet were around back then, bloggers would be falling all over themselves to gush evocatively about Springsteen’s observational character studies, revel in his streetwise romanticism and marvel at his ability to poetically conjure up the raw emotions of being young and eager to begin life. Instead of proclaiming him the new Dylan, those with an eerie sense of prescience would proclaim Asbury Park’s favorite son the original Hold Steady (which would surely baffle those listening to their 8-tracks with gigantic headphones). The failure of E Street Shuffle to find a widespread audience gave people pause about Springsteen’s rock and roll future. With Born To Run two years off, no one would have thought back then that thirty-five years later we will look back on this and it will all seem funny.

For the first of two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, Springsteen looked back to an era when he wasn’t one of the biggest superstars in the world, playing The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle in its entirety. Recreating the heady swirl of the days when he used to pack rabid crowds into The Bottom Line, Springsteen and The E Street Band handled the twists and turns of their second album as if they’d recorded it this year. Best evidenced on “The E Street Shuffle” and an extended take on “Kitty’s Back,” the music sparkled with the give and take that has generally faded from the forefront of Springsteen’s songwriting in the years following Born In The USA, a casualty of moving from the clubs onto stadium stages. The subtleties of “Wild Billy’s Circus Story” and “New York City Serenade” weren’t lost at the Garden. With the exception of “Rosalita,” the songs from E Street Shuffle make rare appearances on Springsteen’s set lists and the MSG audience clearly appreciated the event for the watershed evening it was designed to be, enjoying hearing the sagas about Spanish Johnny and Sandy one more time.

The wanderings down memory lane weren’t limited to WI&EST. Springsteen opened with “Thundercrack,” an outtake from the sessions for his sophomore effort and during the stump-the-band segment, which has become a staple of his shows, he busted out the crowd-pleasing “Raise Your Hand” and “Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street” from Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ. Less of a rarity, the set also included “Prove It All Night,” a run through “Glory Days” dedicated to the New York Yankees, and, of course, a raging version of “Born To Run.”

Always a consummate showman, Springsteen relates to the audience unlike anyone else; even the stage stunts that might seem trite and clichéd seem fresh in his hands. During “Hungry Heart,” Springsteen made his way to a small platform amidst the general admission standees, stopping for a potentially misguided leap into the arms of some fans along the way. (From the quizzical look on his face, Springsteen seemed to question his own sanity as he was cradled by one of his fans). Taking a trust fall into the crowd, The Boss surfed the crowd as they passed him back up to the main stage. He coached a ten-year-old kid through some verses of “Waiting On A Sunny Day,” including the “Take it, Big Man” exhortation, and danced along the side of the stage with a Courtney Cox stand-in during “Dancing In The Dark.”

A week and a half ago, Springsteen anchored an All Star set at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concerts featuring appearances by John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Darlene Love, Tom Morello and Billy Joel. Tipping his hat to the night, Springsteen brought out Elvis Costello for a joyous romp through Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher,” recreating the finale from that night. Notwithstanding Bono, there’s no one more adept at grabbing a crowd and keeping them in their thrall for three hours. It’s such an ingrained axiom, it’s hard to believe there was a time when people entertained questions over whether Springsteen would last.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

By: David Schultz

Last week, Zac Lasher, Rob Salzer and Adam Bendy - 3/4 of U-Melt - offered a quiet little early evening acoustic set at New York City's Rockwood Music Hall, which long time readers will recall as the locale of Earvolution's first New York City showcase. I'd love to offer a lengthy dissertation on the set but due to the rigors of maintaining a day job, I only caught the tail end: the last half of "Folded" and the bawdy "Ballad Of Peniston." I can say that what I saw was pretty damn impressive. Playing on a stage slightly bigger than the piano, the stripped down setting let you really focus on how great each of these guys are. I only got a small taste, so I'm hoping there will be more Acousti-Melt in the future. In the meantime, U-Melt returns to Sullivan Hall on Friday night December 4 for a post-Phish after-hours gig.

AFTER ROCKING THE GARDEN AS part of the opening night of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary celebration, Bruce Springsteen returns this weekend for a pair of shows. As he did at Giants Stadium, he'll be playing an album in its entirety each night. Saturday night, he'll play The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle and Sunday night, he play The River.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

A visit to any Hall of Fame is usually akin to visiting a museum. The inductees enshrined, if they are still alive, are far past their prime and watching them practice their craft in the present day would be depressing. We like Old Timers’ Day because we can cheer our favorites one more time; we don’t cherish watching them exhibit severely diminished skills. Musicians are different: they generally get better with age. Gather the living members of the baseball Hall of Fame together and have them sign memorabilia and talk of the old days. Gather the living members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame together and you have the makings of a phenomenal night of music. If you’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, then you have the makings for two nights of legendary performances.

By all accounts, Thursday night’s show, the first of two historic nights captured for posterity by HBO, should have been an efficiently run four hour affair. In practice, six hours after the lights dimmed, the final notes of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher” as played by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Darlene Love, Tom Morello, Jackson Browne and Peter Wolf faded into the New York night, capping of a tireless night of classic rock.

With the exception of an opening welcome from Tom Hanks, there was very little exposition. If you didn’t know why the performers on the stage were important or why the songs they performed were relevant, you probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Before each set, a nicely produced video montage containing images and music from many of the Hall’s inductees provided context for the upcoming set. Crosby, Still & Nash represented the laid-back eloquence of West coast rock; Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel stood up for the suave legacy of New York pop songcraft; Stevie Wonder stepped up for Motown and Bruce Springsteen spoke for the populist singers who give voice to the working man, the next of kin in a family tree that includes Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.

As he was one of the few living stars from the 50s that could walk on stage under his own power and play without a band to cover him, 74-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis opened the night with a slightly shaky but fully engaging solo version of “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Goin’ On.” From there, the show used a blueprint that always made the Jammy Awards a memorable event: bring out a core band to anchor a set and let them work with a variety of guests.

Crosby, Stills & Nash opened with a run through “Woodstock,” “Marrakesh Express” and “Almost Cut My Hair” before bringing out Bonnie Raitt for “Love Has No Pride” and an acoustic version of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider.” Jackson Browne took lead on “The Pretender” and then James Taylor got the crowd swooning with “Mexico,” staying on for a romp through Stills’ “Love The One You’re With.” After tipping their hat to Buffalo Springfield, the mini No Nukes reunion concluded with “Teach Your Children.”

The ever nonplussed Paul Simon began his set with “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” and, were he playing before a younger crowd, would have had them all on their feet for “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard,” “You Can Call Me Al” an “Late In The Evening.” Dion emerged for a quick jaunt through “The Wanderer” and David Crosby and Graham Nash returned for an acoustic take on George Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun.” Simon and his large band left the stage so Little Anthony & The Imperials could do a proper a capella version of “Two Kinds Of People” and when they returned, Art Garfunkel came with them. Kicking off a mini set with “The Sounds Of Silence,” the beloved duo inserted Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” into “Mrs. Robinson” and washed the Garden in nostalgia with “The Boxer.” When Simon stepped back and Garfunkel belted out the final verse of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” they delivered the first of the night’s multitude of spine tingling moments. After that, their “encore” of “Cecilia” proved slightly anticlimactic.

Stevie Wonder’s set began with a host of technical problems, leaving the energized legend to improvise while he waited for his microphone and keyboards to come online. Instead of opening with “Uptight,” as seemed to be the plan, Wonder offered a quick version of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” before ripping into some vintage Little Stevie material complete with his inimitable harmonica. Smokey Robinson ambled forth for “The Tracks Of My Tears” and B.B. King brought the blues with “The Thrill Is Gone.” John Legend’s appearance was greeted with a skepticism that quickly dissipated once he launched into Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).” Legend remained on stage for a bouncy run through Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.” As the song progressed, Wonder seemed to lose his way, as if forgetting the words. When he reached up to wipe his eyes, it became clear he was emotionally choked up over the loss of his friend. His hokey attempt at a call-and-response chant that served to name check Jackson, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and quote Biblical verse can be forgiven, cause when he blazed through “Living For The City” and “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” Wonder reminded everyone that he was and can still be quite a badass when he wants to be. The finale of his set, which saw Sting sit in on a version of “Higher Ground,” that segued in and out of The Police's “Roxanne” and Jeff Beck bringing the night's first true burst of guitar virtuosity on "Superstition” was icing on the cake.

By the time Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band launched into “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out,” the clock approached midnight. If anyone was lagging, Springsteen had them on their feet and in the palm of his hand. With the exception of Bono, no one can immediately capture a live audience and keep them enthralled like The Boss. Even when playing a set consisting primarily of covers, it's still Springsteen and it's still unforgettable. Sam Moore fronted the band for “Hold On, I’m Coming” and “Soul Man,” John Fogerty held sway with “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son” and Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” and Darlene Love, a nominee for the Class of 2010, dazzled with “A Fine Fine Boy” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” Despite all the star power of Springsteen’s set, Tom Morello stole the show. During “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” and The Clash’s “London Calling,” the Rage Against The Machine guitarist did things with his guitar that should have set off the smoke alarms. If HBO doesn’t include Morello’s pyrotechnics when they edit this together, they are doing everyone a disservice. Springsteen didn’t forget his own material, offering powerful versions of “Jungleland” and “Badlands," but for the most part, he seemed happy to be the ringleader of the revue.

Nearing 1:00 a.m., Springsteen seemed to leave enough time for “Born To Run” but there were other plans afoot. Informing the crowd of an impending New Jersey/Long Island summit, he brought out Billy Joel to the giddy delight of the still-amped audience. The two swapping verses on “You May Be Right,” “Only The Good Die Young” and “New York State Of Mind” would have been enough but Springsteen always has to take it that one step further, so of course, they traded verses on “Born To Run.”

Chuck Berry knew what he was talking about all those years ago, "Hail, Hail Rock & Roll!"

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Crosby Still and Nash, John Fogerty, Paul Simon, Rock Hall of Fame, Simon and Garkunkel, Stevie Wonder, Tom Morello

By: David Schultz

Right on the heels of U2 bringing their 360 tour through Giants Stadium, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street began a five night run that will serve as the final shows for the East Rutherford landmark. To give the shows a special touch, each night The Boss will be performing one of his classic albums in its entirety. For last night's opener and Thursday October 8, he has Born To Run on tap; for Saturday October 3 and Friday October 9, he'll bust out Born In The USA, the album that got him his first shows at the outdoor venue, and this Friday October 2 there will be a Darkness At The Edge Of Town. In the same way that Billy Joel closing Shea and Paul McCartney opening the new Shea (CitiField) seemed appropriate, Jersey's favorite son is the only person who could have fittingly locked the Giants Stadium doors behind him. At the conclusion of the run, he will have played the field a total of 24 sold-out times.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT there was a time when Halloween wasn't a particularly special night for live music. Other than Frank Zappa's annual show in New York City and the Grateful Dead trotting out "Werewolves Of London," there wasn't much to look forward to. Phish changed all that in 1994 when they donned the musical costume of The Beatles, playing The White Album in its entirety. They would follow it up in future years with Quadrophenia, Remain In Light and the Velvet Underground's Loaded and in the process give birth to a whole new industry of Halloween festivities. Gov't Mule has busted out (Haunted) Houses Of The Holy, Leroy Justice tackled Let It Be (Beatles not Replacements) and U-Melt offered their spin on the concept with a multimedia whirl through Pulp Fiction. This year, at Festival 8, Phish will be reclaiming their birthright this Halloween and they are having some fun with the idea. On their Web site, they are spinning through a roulette wheel of albums, eliminating them in ghoulish and macabre ways. Presumably, last one standing gets covered on October 31. Hidden Track has crunched such a startling amount of numbers on the subject, I worry for them.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Phish

By: Rinjo Njori

Judas Priest, Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3,Public Enemy, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, the Pixies, ASIA and the Boss all have or will trot out tours, mini-tours, or homecomings celebrating their musical legacy. This nostalgia trip has taken a new form in the last couple of years- performing one specific album from their catalogue (usually on the album's anniversary) from beginning to end. After 30 years Judas Priest are treating us to British Steel. Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) took his Miracle 3 lineup to LA and NYC to treat us to the 25th Anniversary of Dream Syndicate's Medicine Show. To rationalize another Pixie's tour, Black Francis and the gang will play Doolittle. Once a gimmick of cover bands (see Judas Priestess, etc.), hardcore punk bands (e.g. Killing Time, Minor Threat) and Phish's annual Halloween concert (covering Talking Heads, The Beatles, etc) most fans were never treated to a live version of an entire album from start to finish.

Somehow over the last few years this gimmick is suddenly becoming the way to celebrate the band's legacy, a singular point in time, and is a "treat" to fans. Sure, everyone's going to get excited when The Pixies open their hearts and mouths to the bass line that opens "Debaser" and backbeat of "Wave of Mutilation." After 45 minutes, are they going to shiver with anticipation for "Gouge Away?" "Heat of the Moment" essentially made Asia, but "Cutting it Fine" might inspire more than a few people to zone out. Realistically, the fans come to hear the songs they love and after 20, 25, or 30 years, playing the more obscure tracks is for the hardcore fan. Though the iTunes generation have pegged us as a music fan of the David Spade variety. During the Kevin Nealon era of Weekend Update he summed it up best, "I'm going to see Laura Branigan tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden, and, uh.. I have some advice for her: open and close with "Gloria." Do it a couple times in between, alright? Thank you very much!"

Labels: Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Pixies, Tour Dates

With demolition looming, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will close New Jersey's Giants Stadium with three shows to take place September 30, October 2 and October 3. Much in the same way that Billy Joel was an apt act to play the final concert at Shea Stadium and Paul McCartney the appropriate singer to sing its last song, no other choice but New Jersey's favorite son would suffice for the last show at the Meadowlands. (Stifle yourself Bon Jovi fans, this is no contest).

For those confused as to why the New York Giants play in New Jersey, for football purposes, New York moved to New Jersey about twenty years ago and in addition to hosting many Giants and Jets games the stadium has played host to numerous Springsteen shows.

Tickets will go on sale June 1 at 10:00 a.m. Expect Ticketmaster to treat this one with extra special loving care.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

By: David Schultz

When Bruce Springsteen released Magic, stories floated around that Springsteen had recorded enough material for a second album. Listening to Working On A Dream, you wouldn’t be hard pressed to believe that those rumors were true; too much of The Boss’ latest sounds like material that didn’t make the cut in 2007. Overly earnest songs of the plight of the working class sung by a multi-millionaire who reached his exalted status by singing paeans of busting out of his humble origins need to be crafted just right or they lose all relevance. On Working On A Dream, Springsteen’s creative barometer is slightly askew and instead of achieving poignancy, he comes up with songs like “Queen Of The Supermarket,” which would be the Springsteen parody since “Tweeter And The Monkey Man” if the spoof wasn’t unintentional.

Springsteen sounds like he’s having a blast, romping through “Good Eye” but his Seeger tinged “Surprise, Surprise” lacks the populist heart. Where Magic had a disquieting furor underscoring its reformative ethos, Working On A Dream contains the remnants of The Boss’ Yes We Can thoughts of idle optimism. When Springsteen is inspired, there’s no one better and slogging through the overly long (I Was Made For Loving) “Outlaw Pete,” which borrows way too heavily from the lowest point of Kiss’ career, pays dividends by the album’s end. “The Last Carnival” Springsteen’s elegy for Danny Federici hearkens back to the Greetings From Asbury Park days and even though the soaring gospel chorus that closes the song doesn’t entirely flow, it’s a fitting and apt coda to a heartfelt song. “The Wrestler” also hits its mark, Springsteen’s song for the Mickey Rourke vehicle, criminally ignored by this year’s Academy Awards, serves as a more apt encomium for the national mindset then any of the pablum that precedes it.

Springsteen has always had an intimate feel for the American mindset and outside of “The Wrestler,” Working On A Dream seems like last year’s sentiment. Perhaps if he’d waited a couple more months to truly get a feel for the economic collapse, Springsteen could have had come up with something epic, instead, we get the equivalent of a rummage through his closet.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

After rocking the Super Bowl halftime show, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are ready to take the party across the country. Bruce was in great form last night rolling through a medley of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," "Born to Run," "Working On a Dream" and "Glory Days."

It was obvious that Bruce was having as much fun as the crowd. The band sounded great and looked ready for the road. Here's a current list of announced U.S. dates:

April 1 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
April 3 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena
April 5 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
April 7 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
April 8 Houston, TX Toyota Center
April 10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
April 15 Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
April 21 - 22 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
April 24 Hartford, CT XL Center
April 26 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
April 28 - 29 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Spectrum
May 2 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
May 4 Hempstead, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
May 5 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
May 7 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
May 8 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
May 11 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
May 12 Chicago, IL United Center
May 14 Albany, NY Times Union Center
May 15 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
May 18 Washington, DC Verizon Center
May 19 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
May 21, 23 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center

If for some reason you were one of the few people who missed the Super Bowl you can catch clips of Bruce's half-time show here.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Tour Dates

In between helping get Barack Obama elected President and getting ready for his upcoming Super Bowl performance, Bruce Springsteen has been readying his new record, the appropriately titled for the times Working On A Dream. While a big fan of most Springsteen studio records, the true magic from this man comes from his live performances. Seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (preferably somewhere in New Jersey) should be on any music fan's bucket list. Beyond the Tampa Super Bowl show, the U.S. tour plan has not been released yet. However, several European dates have been and for those across the pond who may not be easily able to make it to Giants Stadium anytime soon here are your upcoming chances to party with the Boss:

Tampere, FIN Ratinan Stadion June 2
Stockholm, SWE Stockholm Stadion June 4-5
Bergen, NOR Bergenhus Festning June 9-10
Munich, GER Olympiastadion July 2
Frankfurt, GER Commerzbank Arena July 3
Vienna, AUT Ernst Happel Stadion July 5
Herning, DEN Herning Messe Center July 8
Rome, ITA Olimpico Stadium July 19
Torino, ITA Palaolimpico July 21
Udine, ITA Stadio Friuli July 23

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Tour Dates

Band Aid: Do They Know It's Christmas



Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody



U2: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)



George Thorogood: Rock and Roll Christmas



Trans Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Cannon Rock



Bruce Springsteen: Merry Christmas Baby



Jon Bon Jovi - Please Come For Christmas (Eagles Cover)



Elvis Presley: Blue Christmas (w/Martina McBride digitally added)



Ozzy Osborne & Jessica Simpson: Winter Wonderland



David Bowie & Bing Crosby: Little Drummer Boy



Coldplay: Last Christmas



Billy Idol: Jingle Bell Rock



Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty: Silent Night



Ramones: Merry Christmas



Elizabeth and the Catapult: Christmas with the Jews


Christmas with the Jews from Elizabeth & the Catapult on Vimeo.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Ramones, U2

Bonnaroo's rumor mill is working on all cylinders with the news that a reunited Phish will headline the 2009 edition of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Although Bonnaroo has evolved from hippie to hipster over the last few years, a Phish headlined festival will bring the show back to its roots, especially if the rumored appearance by The Dead also comes to fruition. Deadheads and Phish Phanatics in the same field will surely result in a Ghostbuster's style crossing of the streams (not to mention many Pig Pen dust cloud jokes - "I got a rock") but the excitement of this year's Bonnaroo will reach uncharted levels if the Springsteen at Bonnaroo story also proves true.

Before we get all excited and start having a big old Winston Wolf style celebration, let's remember that around this time last year, tongues were all awag over the rumors that Led Zeppelin and Metallica would headline the 2008 Festival with both bands offering strong denials. As we all know, Led Zeppelin kept their word and stayed home but those lying bastards Metallica didn't, showing up and making a high profile and well-received appearance in Manchester.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Phish

Beyond rousing crowds for President-elect Obama, Bruce Springsteen has also been busy working at his day job. Rumor has it that he will release his next record in January, just in time for inauguration. I'm betting good money the Boss and the E Street Band will play at one of the inaugural balls as well.

Meanwhile, Mr. Everyman continued his public service this week by appearing at New York's Town Hall as part of the Stand Up for Heroes benefit for which he also donated a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a guitar for the group's auction to raise funds to assist US military service members injured in the line of duty. I wonder if Springsteen speaking out on the under funding of post injury care for our troops will bring on more "shut up and sing" cat calls from the celebrities are stupid unless the support my point of view crowd?

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

Barack Obama has proven he doesn't need any help in drawing a crowd. But, it never hurts to have some friends on stage - particularly in the final days of the biggest Presidential election in a generation. And, if you're looking for working class votes in a state like Ohio having Bruce Springsteen show up will bring out some people and add some additional street cred on the issues near and dear to Joe and Jane Sixpack.

Of course, Springsteen has made several appearances for Obama this election season, including a massive rally in Philadelphia a few weeks back. But, this last one, just days before the vote, drew an estimated 90,000-100,000 people who braved some rain to hear both the Boss and Barack talk about bringing some needed change to America. Come on up for the rising...indeed.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, PoPolicy

Maybe they should call it Mis-Led Zeppelin. After Robert Plant rebuffed reunion overtures, it appears that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham will look for another singer to take out on the road in 2009. While stories of Steven Tyler appearing for rehearsals have surfaced, Billboard is reporting that Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy will front the band everyone wants to be Led Zeppelin.

Joining the ranks of the dumbest reunion rumors ever floated, Jermaine Jackson wagged his tongue about embattled brother Michael joining his siblings for a Jackson 5 reunion with sister Janet opening. Within days, Bahrain's most famous resident quashed the hopes of anyone silly enough to believe the reclusive singer will ever emerge from the self-imposed exile he entered after his acquittal on child molestation charges.

Whoever went trick-or-treating at the Bruce Springsteen Web site got a nice treat. He's giving everyone a nice shiny new song - "A Night With The Jersey Devil."

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson

Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel paired up for an All-Star benefit at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City to support Barack Obama. In addition to an appearance from the candidate himself - who told the crowd to ignore the high poll numbers, reminding them, "Don’t underestimate the power of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" - Billy & The Boss teamed up on each other's songs, trading verses on "Allentown" and "Glory Days" and dedicating "Movin' Out" to Messrs. Bush and Cheney. With all of the high-profile fundraisers for Obama, Garry Trudeau's joke about no musicians offering to perform for John McCain becomes less funny with each passing benefit.

Any humor to be found over Jim James falling off the stage in Iowa City last week has also faded. The injuries have proved serious enough that My Morning Jacket has cancelled their upcoming European tour. "Our hope was to merely postpone the tour but as our scheduling does not allow that to happen in the immediate future, we feel it is best to cancel this tour in hopes of re-scheduling at some point,” the band announced.

Staying on the subject of jokes that may no longer by funny, Axl Rose may be serious about the release of Chinese Democracy. The track listings have been released, possible cover art disclosed and there's been all sorts of confirmation that November 23rd will be the release date at Best Buy and on iTunes. Let's revisit this issue on November 24th.

Labels: Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Guns N' Roses, My Morning Jacket

On October 16, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel will headline a benefit concert for Barack Obama at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. Tickets will range from $500 for the balcony to $2,500 for the floor and $10,000 for the lounge, which better include a handshake from Billy Joel, a high five from The Boss and a cabinet position from the Candidate. On the other hand, perhaps the proceeds will serve as a substitute for the failed Bailout Bill.

Internet rumors sometimes turn out to be true: Springsteen will play half time at the 2009 Super Bowl, joining Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince & Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in the ongoing apology for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction."

Robert Plant crushed the other big Internet rumor, to wit, the Led Zeppelin reunion tour. “It‘s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” said Plant on a post on his Web site.

Another reunion rumor that's running wild is that Phish will play a three night reunion stand at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. If this turns out to be a hoax, it's one that's fished in a lot of people. (horrible pun unfortunately intended).

Labels: Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Phish

The NFL announced, perhaps disingenuously, that they have no idea who will be playing at half time of the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. This runs contrary to Internet rumors that the slot has been given to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Yet, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy insists, "We don’t currently have any talent confirmed for the Super Bowl." As past Super Bowl Sundays have featured a Beatle, The Rolling Stones, Prince and Tom Petty, it seems only natural that The Boss would be the rightful heir to the post-wardrobe malfunction throne.

Unless Led Zeppelin wants to reunite in Tampa or The Police want to Favre on their "final" concert promise, Bruce at the Bowl seems like something that has to happen.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

By: David Schultz

In 1974, then rock critic Jon Landau whetted appetites and imaginations by proclaiming, “I’ve seen the future of rock n’ roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” Landau’s career-making proclamation, which preceded the superlative-laden era of blogger buzz by nearly 30 years, came to mind in East Rutherford, New Jersey while the 58-year-old “future” was in the midst of his first of three sold-out shows at Giants Stadium. After a politically motivated speech in which he decried the current administration’s penchant for infringing on the civil liberties of its citizenry, Springsteen led the E Street band into a rousing rendition of “Living In The Future.” As Springsteen and the more than 50,000 in attendance belted out the chorus of “we’re living in the future,” the unintentional truth of the lyrics rang true. The future of the Seventies is now and anyone present at Sunday night’s show, for which the torrential rains that buffeted the Tri-State area all day relented, would be hard pressed to refute the fact that one of rock n’ roll’s most identifiable aliases is indeed Bruce Springsteen.

The Boss has been playing stadiums for so long that it’s tempting to find the whole experience cliché. There are common threads to each of his shows: a good portion of any Springsteen concert, be it indoors or out, involves revisiting familiar tunes and participating in long-ingrained rituals and even though a substantial part of the set list changes every night, “Born To Run” will always be part of the encore. For night #1, Springsteen’s audience hit every note of the opener “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out,” marking out for the song’s reference to longtime sideman Clarence Clemons and finished the set proper by echoing the melody of the set closing “Badlands.” Springsteen keeps his shows from becoming a rehearsed spectacle by never letting the show remain in stasis for long. He exploits his large and adored repertoire by keeping a middle portion of the show open for audience requests. The songs may change nightly but the overall effect remains the same. Regardless of the set list, crowds get a chance to sing along with treasured classics and usually see something special. If one night’s crowd gets an extraordinary rendition of “Jungleland” and a rousing final run through “Rosalita,” as Sunday night’s audience received, the next night’s will get “Thunder Road” and “Hungry Heart.”

The opening night set list spanned Springsteen's transcendent Seventies output from Born To Run, his larger-than-life MTV superstar period from the Eighties, the elder statesman role he assumed in the Nineties and the voice of the people in post-9/11 America. Highlighting the ridiculously high level at which Springsteen’s operated at over that time, he weaves songs from the various periods of his career into a brilliant web with the gravelly voiced singer’s brilliance tying them together. On his last stadium tour following the release of The Rising, his intimate post 9/11 songs of hope were dwarfed by the enormity of the venue. Now, “Mary’s Place” and “The Rising” have grown into true Springsteen anthems.

In the early Seventies, Springsteen sprung to the forefront of the American music scene with the apolitical lyrical narratives found on Greeting From Asbury Park, NJ and The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, which described the characters that populated his hometown Jersey shore and the lifestyles they led, standing out as a beacon of positivism in the post-Watergate era. Three decades later, Springsteen is no longer solely a boisterous storyteller, picking up the activist gauntlet that many of his peers not named Neil Young have long since dropped when their record sales moved them into a higher tax bracket. Possibly one of the original psych-folk artists, Springsteen has let his liberalism and populist beliefs come more to the forefront in recent years. His inclusion of “American Land” in the encore accentuated the timelessness of the Pete Seeger classic and proved the adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The wide range of attitudes with which people come to a Springsteen show is what makes the experience so unique. Springsteen’s songs of escape, desire and betterment speak to a number of his fans on a deep, resonant level, especially those who share his New Jersey roots. The audience is populated with legions of fans, many who come clad in T-shirts purchased at past shows or simply adorned in red, white and blue Born In The USA-style bandannas, who come for the catharsis of communing with those who share their adulation for Springsteen. In the parking lot, these are the people who will listen to hours of Springsteen from their tailgate and regale anyone within earshot of their past experiences. There’s a small competitive nature amongst the Springsteen faithful but it’s relatively benign; it’s far from the who-saw-what-and-when contests that the Phish parking lot scene ultimately devolved into. Even if you don’t worship at the “altar of Bruce,” you can’t help but be swept away by the Springsteen’s charisma, his fans' excitement and the show’s energy.

A consummate showman, Springsteen is part carnival barker, part revivalist preacher and 100% rock star. Even though he had to jump down three separate levels to make his way to the crowd, Springsteen played Giants Stadium with the same closeness and intimacy as he would The Stone Pony; his ability to immediately connect with an audience remains unparalleled. Despite the lack of any true choreography, the spontaneity of the show seemed . . . well, not so spontaneous. Perhaps owing to Springsteen’s uber-charismatic personality, the seemingly adlibbed portions of the show had a nice polish and veneer. In the middle of the show, Springsteen collected signs bearing song requests from people at the front of the stage. Without a hiccup, Springsteen led the band through ostensibly unplanned versions of “Growing Up” and “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart.” Therein lies Springsteen’s skill: he either found signs to match up with what they were going to play anyway or he and the E Street Band have enough confidence that they don’t need much notice to play a song long ingrained into their neurons. Whatever did in fact transpire, it came across fantastically.

Once the prototype for a rock and roll collective, the E Street Band - whose current incarnation includes “The Big Man” Clarence Clemons, Sopranos star Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Springsteen’s wife, Patty Scialfa, bassist Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, violinist Soozie Tyrell and Max Weinberg – has matured into a phenomenally tight band that can follow Springsteen in any direction he wishes to go. The waistline of Springsteen’s right-hand man Clarence Clemons has grown considerably over the years as has the sentimental value of his stage presence. For most of the show, Clemons provided additional percussion or the deep bass of “the man” in “Summertime Blues.” However, when it came time for the saxophone lines that are intimately associated with Springsteen classics, it’s hard to imagine them coming out of any of other horn. On a less nostalgic note, Van Zandt and Lofgren provided the night’s most technically proficient moments during “Youngstown,” “Murder Incorporated” and “Tunnel Of Love,” seizing the grand stage with inspired solos.

Rock and roll always lives with an eye cocked towards the past. It’s the reason why reunion shows spark such interest even though the experience of yesteryear can never be duplicated. The reason why Springsteen’s shows retain their allure is that he can still deliver the thrills that his fans have come to depend on without turning himself into a caricature of his former self. Pete Townshend never had Springsteen in mind when he wrote the words, but he might as well as had Springsteen in mind when he wrote, “meet the new Boss, same as the old Boss.”

Labels: Bruce Springsteen

The Arcade Fire is set to take on the dust bowl that can be Randalls Island. The show takes place October 6th, so the weather may be better than for some of the summer shows. The Fire are bringing some friends along for the ride. Wild Light, Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead and LCD Soundsystem will share the bill.

You may recall us featuring Demander back in January. The New York trio are still going strong and the buzz will likely only increase this fall as they join both the Hold Steady and Art Brut on the road for a series of shows and then going abroad for some dates with New Model Army. Just before hitting the road the band will release their new cd The Kindness of Ravens on October 2nd. Check out some tunes and get all the tour scoop on their Myspace page.

Mink, the New York based power-gritters, are hitting the road with Perry Farrell's Satellite Party (who we caught in Austin). Sounds like a great matching of high energy bands and worth seeing. Their new self-titled record, produced by Sylvia Massy (Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers) & Chris Shaw (Dylan, Wilco), came out yesterday. You check out Mink's video for the "Talk to Me" over on YouTube and get the show dates on their MySpace page.

Mp3 Offerings:
They Might Be Giants (new record out now): "Careful What You Pack"
Cannonball Jane (this is not the Adrock remix): "Take It To The Fantastic"
Division Day (starts of good, not sure about ending): "Tigers"
Tim Williams (new record in October): "Novel"
The Hot Springs (another Montreal act to watch): "Headrush"

The Decemberists are hitting the road for what they are calling "The Long and Short Of It" tour. The name refers to the idea that the band will play longer songs on some nights and shorter songs on others. The band will play two nights in each city so seemingly you could go to both shows and see two entirely different sets. Laura Veirs, who appears on The Crane Wife, will open.

Natalie Merchant and some friends are banding together to help the homeless. A benefit cd titled Give US Your Poor features new songs by Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Madeleine Peyroux, Sonya Kitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Merchant, Michelle Shocked, Keb’ Mo’ and others. Merchant even recorded a song written by 15-year-old Nichole Cooper when she was homeless. You can check out a clip from a related documentary here. The record comes out September 25th on Appleseed Recordings.

Labels: Arcade Fire, Art Brut, Bruce Springsteen, Demander, Mp3s, The Decemberists, The Hold Steady, The Hot Springs

Bob Dylan has reportedly bought a sweet new pad. The troubadour is reportedly ready to nestle into a Scottish mansion that sits on 25 acres of woodland near the village of Nethy Bridge, Inverness-shire. Sounds like quite the place! Enjoy it Bob, you've earned it.

Reports also have a new Dylan tune called "Huck's Theme," appearing on the soundtrack for the film Lucky You. The movie, which stars Drew Barrymore, is also said to feature a pair of Bruce Springsteen tunes, including old school track "The Fever."

Labels: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Scotland