Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band take the stage in Philadelphia
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band take the stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 16, 2023.
Chris Jordan, Asbury Park Press
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had a special message for Philadelphia on Wednesday night at a packed Citizen’s Bank Park.
They are not going anywhere.
“We don’t quit,” Springsteen said, announcing “Last Man Standing” from the band’s 2020 album “Letter to You.” “We don’t quit – why the (space)? Why do people quit?”
Why, actually? After all, the E Street Band was in full swing on stage in Philly on Wednesday and was bursting with fun.
Springsteen, 74, wore a big smile for most of the show. He served fans near the stage during the boisterous “Working on the Highway” and handed an item from his bag to a customer at the pit railing during “Hungry Heart.”
“We came all the way from Central Jersey, a 90-minute drive, just to ask one question – can you feel the spirit?” Springsteen said during the introduction to “Spirit in the Night.”
That would be an affirmative.
It was fun, but a Springsteen and the E Street Band show is not a one-dimensional affair. Wednesday’s concert had a certain solemnity to it. “Atlantic City,” a song that doesn’t exactly portray the city’s best side, opened the concert, followed by “Lonesome Day.”
Springsteen and E Street performed the somber “Streets of Philadelphia” for the first time since 2016. The Oscar-winning song from the 1993 film “Philadelphia,” about the plight of AIDS sufferers at the start of the epidemic, seemed to have new meaning here with the help of the E Street Choir, who gave the song an uplifting dimension. Max Weinberg’s subtly funky skip beat set the mood just right.
The summer noir classic “Racing on the Streets” was brilliant, thanks in particular to an epic piano piece by Roy Bittan.
But there was still plenty of fun to be had. After about three hours, a lively “Twist and Shout” was performed.
“I know Philly is a tough city, but don’t they look a little tired to you?” Springsteen said to Steven Van Zandt with a big smile mid-song.
“Do you think you can last longer than the E Street Band? Where have you been for the last 50 (damn) years?”
The beat started again, Springsteen swung his guitar around his neck five times quickly, and a woman next to me squealed with delight.
More: 6 historic moments with Bruce Springsteen in Philly
More: Bruce Springsteen is back: Boss accompanies Zach Bryan for two songs in Philadelphia
Wednesday’s concert was the first of two shows Springsteen and the E Street Band will play at Citizen’s Bank Park. The second is on Friday, August 23. The concerts are replacement dates for the August 16 and 18, 2023, concerts, which were postponed due to Springsteen’s illness. The Boss missed a series of concerts last fall while suffering from a stomach ulcer.
Springsteen and the E Street Band last played at the Wells Fargo Center on March 16, 2023 during the city’s early U.S. arena tour.
Springsteen has postponed four European shows this summer due to “vocal issues” that came after a May 22 performance at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, which fans said was cool and rainy.
After returning to the US from the European tour, Springsteen sang two songs, “Atlantic City” and “Sandpaper,” with Zach Bryan on August 7 at the country star’s show at nearby Lincoln Financial Field in Philly.
When there are no concerts, Lincoln Financial Field is the home of the Philadelphia Eagles and Citizen’s Bank Park is the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Tickets for Friday’s concert by Springsteen and the E Street Band start at $149 at www.mlb.com/phillies.
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Jersey Shore native Chris Jordan covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Reach him at [email protected]
