And the 20,000 souls gathered at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., where Springsteen and his reunited E Street band kicked off their first U.S. tour together in 10 years, howl a hosanna: "Bruuuuce!" Now just a tad older than the music he rescued from its disco doldrums a quarter century ago, Springsteen, who turns 50 in September, reamps his crusade to resuscitate rock and roll with another round of full-throttle, joy-inducing music. "I can't promise you life everlasting!" he shouts from his pulpit as E Street drummer Max Weinberg punctuates the sermon with rim shots. "But I can promise you life right now!"
In anticipation of that very promise, rock-starved fans scooped up all 300,000 tickets to a record 15 New Jersey shows in 13 hours. They had also stormed box offices in Europe, where the tour began April 9, and tickets to 35 shows in seven U.S. cities, where they have gone on sale so far (more are to be announced), have all sold out within hours. "The first time I saw Bruce was 1973, and he played and played until there was nothing left to give," says Frank Holler, a Hartford, Conn., radio programmer. "I'm 50," adds Holler, who dipped into his savings to buy $700 worth of tickets to 10 shows. "All my friends want to stay home and watch TV. I'm going to watch Bruce."
Before the revival meeting began, fans strolled a makeshift boardwalk, played volleyball on sand imported from the Jersey Shore, shot hoops to win stuffed animals and scarfed Philly cheese steaks while listening to Bruce wannabes wail his songs on a karaoke stage. "His music is about your life," said Jenny Cittadino, 40, a nurse in Freehold, N.J., Springsteen's hometown, as she joined thousands of other barbecuers in parking-lot tailgate parties. "It expresses all the trials and tribulations you go through in life."
Now, as he stalks the stage with his sleeves rolled up above the elbow, Springsteen appears more laborer than Boss. But he's really an illusionist. "For the whole show, fans can forget the car payment and overdue rent and hook into something magic," says E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren. "It's very emotional, and it touches them." For some, the attraction is in seeing Springsteen reunited with Lofgren and the other old E Streeters, who disbanded 10 years ago. To join the current tour, saxman Clarence Clemons is juggling dates with the Florida bar band he leads, while Weinberg took a leave from his gig as Late Night with Conan O'Brien's bandleader. Guitarist Stevie Van Zandt has to shuttle between concert stage and film set to shoot the second season of HBO's The Sopranos, on which he plays a Mob boss's crony. Riffing with his other Boss, he says, "is nothing but fun."
And family. Backup singer and guitarist Patti Scialfa, 46, who joined the band in 1984 and married Springsteen in '91, is the mother of their three children, Evan, 9, Jessica, 7, and Sam, 5. The nightly concerts reach an emotional high when the couple duet on "Mansion on the Hill," a tender and mournful country hymn. Later, alone in the spotlight, Springsteen introduces "Freehold," a bittersweet memory poem about his roots. "It's my thank you and revenge at the same time," he says before singing about his first kiss—at a YMCA dance—and musing whether "all the pretty girls" at Freehold High School "would've dumped me if they knew I'd strike it rich."
The affluent Rumson, N.J., enclave where Springsteen lives on a sprawling and wooded gated estate is a far cry—if only 16 miles—from Freehold, where Springsteen can still be seen cruising the backstreets on his Harley or taking his kids, regulars at an area library's story hours, for ice cream at the Jersey Freeze. "I saw him getting his son's hair cut at a salon," recalls Tina Perri, 30, an employee of a Sea Bright beach club where Springsteen sometimes jams. "[Bruce] was quizzing him on his spelling words. It was so cute."
Finally, after three hours of jamming opening night, a spent but exhilarated Boss bids his flock adieu. "I want to thank everybody for such a warm welcome home," he says. And then comes the worshipful reply: "Bruuuuce!"
Steve Dougherty
Joanne Fowler in New Jersey and Sue Miller in New York City
- Contributors:
- Joanne Fowler,
- Sue Miller.
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