Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??
"Cover Me" includes "Gimme Shelter" in the outro. "Part Man, Part Monkey" includes "Love Is Strange" in the outro. "Born To Run" is solo acoustic. Last night of five in Los Angeles.
incl. Rehearsals.
- 2016-03-19 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-17 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2012-04-27 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2012-04-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2009-04-16 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2009-04-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007-10-30 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007-10-29 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1992-09-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1992-09-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1992-09-24 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-27 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-23 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-22 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-11-04 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-11-02 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-31 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-29 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-27 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-24 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-23 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-21 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1981-08-20 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-11-03 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-11-01 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-10-31 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-10-30 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
© All credits to the original photographer. We do not monetize a photo in any way, but if you want your photo to be removed, let us know, and we will remove it.
Official concert recording available for purchase in multiple formats, including CD and high definition audio, from Springsteen's official live download site at nugs.net/bruce (previously live.brucespringsteen.net).
- Running Time: 3:24:05
Audience tape. Three recording sources circulate, available on CDR 'Thousand Footprints In The Sand' (Ev2) from master cassettes (Mark Persic) and a second source released as Tape Man Joe Master Volume 44 (Tape Man Joe). A third source was released from an anonymous trader of unknown source (Buckshot).
Intro to “Tunnel Of Love”
´´Are you ready to ride? (crowd cheers)….´´
Intro to “All That Heaven Will Allow”
´´So is this what spring in L.A is like? (crowd cheers) nice, nice today….oh….you get this kind of weather back east and everybody starts coming out, you know….people´ve been hybernating all winter long….they go to their closets, girls take out all their summer clothes ….people take their tops down on their convertibles….I always like to take a drive along, down along the Shore the first couple days like this….sometimes like I stop in this little park, you know….and I like to look around, see if any of my old friends are still around….hey, man, yo!…yo! how you doing? alright (chuckles)….what´d you say?….it´s good to see you, I haven´t seen you in a while, you know…the weather´s getting nice now, it´s good to see you out…what´s you been up to?….yeah? yeah? I see, oh, oh yeah, oh (chuckles) let me check it out….ooh, the Big Man´s been up to making a little Big Man, that´s what it is….he did a good job too, he says (chuckles) he looks good, he´s, uh, three years old, three….he´s almost as big as me already, you know, he´s got his own apartment, he´s got his own car already (chuckles) oh, he looks great….he´s got a little saxophone…..lots of little babies around now, they´re all running crazy backstage in the little things with the wheels on ´em, you know….in about 15 years there´s gonna be an E Street Band Volume Two….lookout….oh yeah, remember we used to sit on this bench in 1975?….me and Clarence, we used to come down here every day because there was this big office building on the corner and every day at 4.30 the girls´d get out of work and we´d sit here and watch ´em walk down the street past us…. and we´d bring down some sandwiches and a couple of beers and, you know, some cards…. and we´d play till they´d get out….they used to get out right about this time….check them out, here they come, here they come….check out this one in a, the one in the blue dress…..yeah…. (?) let me see if you still got it….oh….man….(giggles) oh, Jesus, man, I remember I was with you the night you met your wife….Clarence´d come running in my room, telling me that he was in love….met the girl he was gonna marry….you know….yeah, but he was always saying that kind of stuff….and he called me up and I was your best man, that´s right….and he was my best man, yeah….(giggles)….remember how you felt when she first came walking into the room?….she was looking so good and you were trying to pretend that you were like a lot nicer than you really are and stuff, you know….you did good too (chuckles)….she knows now, I bet….anyway, when that girl first comes into that room and you see her, back in New Jersey it feels kind of like, kind of like this, come on do it, Ritchie (the horn section starts harmonizing) kind of like that, you know….(laughs)….well, I gotta get going home, man, yeah, 6.30, dinnertime, I gotta be there like right on time….remember we used to stay out till four am?….11.30 I go to bed now….(?) I´ll see you around….you´re still carrying that thing, huh?….´´
Intro to “Spare Parts”
´´How you doing out there? (crowd cheers) how´s everybody in the backseat? (crowd cheers) ….(?)….that´s good….there was this fella and this girl and they met in a little bar down along, along the coast….and, uh, he was, uh, he was a house painter and he was kind of, kind of young, little on the wild side….and she was a little bit older and she, she liked that about him ….he had a little, uh, little bit of recklessness….and they, they fell in love and they moved into a little garage apartment a couple of blocks in off the beach….it was in the wintertime ….it was three or four rooms….and there was like a little sun-porch….and things went real, real nice for a long time….and she got pregnant and they made plans to be married….he got her a ring….and she picked out her dress….and then something happened, I guess maybe he was a, he was a little young or….or frightened, but he got scared and he took off….but she, she never really let him go, she kept in her mind….and she kept him in her heart….and every day he was there, even though he was never ever coming back….and it was like an old dream that the world just took and broke her heart with over and over again every single day…. because there comes a time when you gotta take the past and you gotta put it away….and this is a song about a woman, a woman struggling to understand the value of her own individual existence….trying to understand the value of the life of her child….trying to put her old dreams down, put the past away and find something new and beautiful and meaningful in her life now….´´
After “Born In The U.S.A”
´´Thanks, we´re gonna take a short break and then we´re gonna be right back to….rock you all night long, alright….see you in a little while, ok….´´
Intro to “You Can Look”
´´Alright…well, this song is dedicated to the great American pastime, shopping….every time I come into town, I like to pick up a little religious memorabilia….a little souvenir I can take home and keep by my bedside to remember you all by….´´
End of “You Can Look”
´´Let me regain my self-control….is my hair alright? is my tie straight?….´´
Intro to “I´m a Coward”
´´Is there anybody alive out there tonight? (crowd cheers) is there anybody that needs a little mercy out there tonight? (crowd cheers) you´ve come to the wrong place….because what I want to know is….do we have any rough, tough Los Angeles men out there tonight? (crowd cheers)….do we have any macho men out there tonight? (crowd cheers) I´m not talking about you sun-tanned beach boys….because what I want to know is….is why….I´ve seen brave men ….men that would swim rivers….men that would climb mountains….men that would wrestle with the beasts of the jungle, darling….and there was always one thing.that they was afraid of ….do you want to know what that one thing was? (crowd cheers) I´m gonna tell you….they were afraid of L-U-V, love, that´s what I´m talking about, man….that´s right, am I talking about you? am I talking about you? am I talking about you?….now do we have any courageous, brave Los Angeles women out there tonight? (crowd cheers) do we have any heroic, sexy California girls out there tonight? (crowd cheers) because I’m talking to you too ….it goes the same for you, girls….women that would jump out of an airplane at 30,000 feet …that would canoe down the Amazon….they get next to love and you know what they do? they run away like little babies home to their mommies, that´s right….now, I’m down here tonight…because I´ve got a confession that I´ve got to give….I can´t, I can´t carry this around with me any longer, what I wanna say is I have sinned!…and I´m not ashamed….and I don´t need no Jim Baker, no Pat Robertson, no Jimmy Swaggert to forgive me….they can kiss my ass, baby….and that Jerry Falwell, he can kiss my ass twice, both cheeks….because I´m not afraid of man-made things….but what I´ve got to confess to is…. that I’m a coward when it comes to love….´´
End of “Dancing in the Dark”
´´Sometimes I feel so very lonely….I just wanna….dance all night away….everybody needs a partner….so I say hey, baby, baby….´´
Middle of “Light of Day”
´´On the piano, Professor Roy Bittan….on the drums, the Mighty Max Weinberg….on the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa….on the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren….on the bass, Mr.Garry W.Tallent….on the organ, Phantom Dan Federici….and in the back we got Eddie ´Kingfish,´ Ritchie ´La Bamba,´ Mark ´The Love Man,´ Mike, Mario Cruz, the Horns of Love….and last but not least….ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to living history
…the handsomest man you´ve ever seen….Clarence ´Big Man´ Clemons on the saxophone…´´
Intro to “Born to Run”
´´Oh, thanks, this is, uh….this is a song I wrote when I was, uh, 24 years old….living in a little house about a block in off the beach in New Jersey….and it was in the afternoon, I was sitting on the end of my bed….and I remember (chuckles)….and I´ve sung it, I guess, every, almost every show every night ever since….and uh….it´s a song where it surprises me how much I knew about what I wanted back then because the questions that, that I asked myself in this song are questions I´ve been trying to find the answers to ever since….and uh….I guess when I wrote it, I thought it was a song about a guy and a girl that wanted to go out and run and keep on running and never come back….and that was a, that was a nice romantic idea, you know….but as I got older, I realised, I looked back at my work and I said ´Gee, I put all these people in all these cars, now I gotta give them someplace to go´….and, uh, and I realised that the two, that the guy and the girl in this song were out there searching for some connection….which is, I guess, what I´m doing here tonight….that they were out there….it doesn´t take long, I guess, before you find out that individual freedom, in and of itself, is pretty meaningless without that connection to some sort of community or some sort of family or friends….and the world around you….so the guy and the girl in this song were out there looking for something, a place they could stand, someplace that they could call ´home´….and I´d like to do this song and dedicate it to you tonight….you know, it´s kept me good company on my search, I hope it´s kept you good company on yours….and I, uh, wish with all my heart that you find a safe way home….´´
Intro to “Glory Days”
´´Alright….let me express my insecurities….´´
Intro to “Rosalita”
´´Before we continue, the manager of the hall would like me to ask and make sure is everybody in the house insured? (crowd cheers) are you insured against heart attacks? (crowd cheers) passing out? (crowd cheers) blowing your lunch out in the parking lot? (crowd cheers) good because otherwise it wouldn´t be responsible to continue this part of the show….so are you ready? (crowd cheers)….´´
Intro to “Have Love Will Travel”
´´Is there anybody out there (crowd cheers) in a little bit of trouble tonight? (crowd cheers) come on now, this is Los Angeles….is there anybody out there that needs a little love and affection tonight? (crowd cheers) that´s why we´re here….we came all the way from New Jersey, baby….you know where that is? that´s way the hell on the other side….and we didn´t take no fancy rockstar airplane either….we drove all the way here…..3,000 miles, it took us two weeks….alright, we did take one of them fancy rockstar airplanes….but we thought about driving…..but we´re here tonight…..with one reason….because our motto is ´Have Love Will Travel´….´´
Intro to “Sweet Soul Music”
´´We whipped your ass, didn´t we?….yeah….you´re probably thinking I´m getting a little tired about now….well, this is right where I get my second wind….but I don´t think you can take it (crowd cheers) I don´t think you´re tough enough out here (crowd cheers) I don´t think that West Coast is tough enough, baby….are you sure? (crowd cheers) are you sure? (crowd cheers) are you sure? (crowd cheers) then I´ve got a question that I wanna ask you…..´´
Intro to “Raise Your Hand”
´´Are you talking to me? (crowd cheers) then you better talk louder than that, are you talking to me? (crowd cheers) are you talking to me? (crowd cheers) are you talking to me? (crowd cheers) well, are you ready for a little religious liberation? (crowd cheers) are you ready for some spiritual affirmation? (crowd cheers) are you ready for some sexual consummation? (crowd cheers) then just raise your hand….
(….) My mission is not complete….before I go, there´s one thing I´ve got to know….is there something you need? (crowd cheers) is there something you want? (crowd cheers) is there something you´ve got to have? (crowd cheers) then just raise your hand…..´´
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi. |
Sorry, no Eyewitness-report available.
© All credits to the original photographer. We do not monetize a photo in any way, but if you want your photo to be removed, let us know, and we will remove it.
Every Dream Slips Through Your Hands |
I saw more shows on the Tunnel of Love Express Tour—21, to be exact—than on any Springsteen tour prior or since. As a result, 1988 holds a special place in my heart.
By the time I started my Tunnel run, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, it was clear these shows were purposefully distinct from that which came before, reflected in everything from the billing (Bruce Springsteen featuring the E Street Band) and the band members' positions, to the addition of on-stage set elements (the ticket booth, the park bench) and, most notably, a set list that varied by only a song or two if it changed at all.
Setlist consistency has historically been considered something of a demerit for the '88 tour. As I rolled from town to town, show after show, I'll admit I initially yearned for changes, though that was more to counter my own unusual circumstances than any sense that "the show needs them." It didn't.
I now admire the Tunnel of Love Express Tour for its commitment to Bruce's creative expression. Back in '88, once I made my peace with the lack of changes and focused more on what he was playing, I came to appreciate the shows even more. Certain gigs (I'm looking at you, St. Louis), still stand out for their performance energy and connection to the audience.
By the time the tour rolled into Los Angeles for a run of five shows (allowing me to sleep in the same bed for more than two nights), I was fully on board. Any changes, should we get them, were icing on an already delicious cake. The fifth and final LA performance on April 28, 1988 is peak Tunnel tour and, with the addition of one extra special song, warrants inclusion in the Live Archive series.
We have revisited this stand before, as the second show on April 23 was released back in July 2015. The first thing you'll notice about 4/28 by comparison is that the Man in Black has moved your seat forward about 10-15 rows closer to the stage, revealing more sonic detail and placing you right next to the band.
It remains a memorable show opening, as the E Streeters walk out in pairs, then Clarence Clemons, then Bruce, to take us on a ride through "Tunnel of Love" straight into the resurrection of River outtake and b-side "Be True," carried so capably by Clarence. 1988 was a great year for "Adam Raised a Cain," bolder than ever with the addition of the Horns of Love. Each version from '88 released in the series has its own distinct appeal in how Springsteen sings it. The tone of this night is expressed in the slightly tweaked reading of the line, "From the dark heart, baby, from the dark heart of a dream."
"Two Faces," so rarely played after this tour, stands out for its pure songwriting excellence. The sweet "All That Heaven Will Allow" prelude with the Big Man on the park bench is heartwarming, a moment of looking ahead in life, not reflecting on his passing as we do now. Bruce mentions that when the weather turns warm, "Girls dig out all their summer clothes," clearly making a mental note that would be remembered 20 years later for Magic. Equally prescient, while looking at photos of Clarence's new baby, Springsteen jokes, "In about 15 years, there's gonna be an E Street Band Volume Two." He was off by just ten years and one familial branch, in predicting Jake Clemons joining the band.
There's serious high voltage in the back half of the first set. Springsteen's full-throated vocals fuel the tractor pistons of "Seeds," and this "Roulette" is a candidate for best-ever status. Every musical detail is vivid, in particular Max Weinberg's drumming and Roy Bittan's piano. "Roulette" melds into "Cover Me," and perhaps because of the horns, the '88 editions of the song are my favorites. "Cover Me" gallops with conviction, pace and power, twisted just a shade darker by a few snippets of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."
"Brilliant Disguise" eases off the throttle a little, though one could argue the subject matter is darker still, as desire gives way to self-doubt. Roy and Danny's gorgeous "Spare Parts" sonata prelude is one of those moments of E Street musical brilliance that never showed up on record but is nonetheless one of their most beautiful contributions to the canon. The full band and horns bring "Spare Parts" to a roaring conclusion that stops on a dime and resets into Edwin Starr's "War." Bruce makes sure every line lands, shifting one for extra impact as he swaps "friend only to the undertaker" to "ain't nothin' but a widow-maker."
The first set ends as it did every night on this leg with a fantastic "Born in the U.S.A." I've written before about the emotive guitar solos that marked the long versions of the song performed on the '88 tour, and this is a case in point. Jon Altschiller's mix also reveals the multi-part layering of synthesizer and piano sounds by Federici and Bittan that give "Born in the U.S.A." its staggering keyboard bite. Halftime.
The second set commences with "Tougher Than the Rest," Bruce's voice sounding slightly wearier and the swirling guitar sound (from a phaser pedal?) lusher than ever. In "She's the One," Springsteen's vocal command is on point, pushing "She the onnnnnne" to the edge just before the bridge. In the land of malls that was '80s LA, "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" resonates, and from there the second set only gains momentum. "I'm a Coward" is goofy fun; "I'm on Fire" offers a radical, alternate view on love to the point of obsession; and "One Step Up" nails one of the bittersweet parts of human relationships, another masterclass in songwriting. "Part Man, Part Monkey" turns the mood playful again, reminding us it's just evolution, baby.
At this point in the set, Springsteen had most frequently played "Walk Like a Man," occasionally swapping in "Backstreets." But for weeks, he and the band had soundchecked Ry Cooder's majestic "Across the Borderline," and it finally made the setlist for the last two LA shows.
The song was written by Cooder, Jim Dickinson, and John Hiatt for the soundtrack to the movie The Border, in a version sung by Freddie Fender and featuring background vocals from future Springsteen backing singer Bobby King. Cooder put out his own rendition in 1987.
Despite fewer than a dozen performances ever, you can hear the influence of "Across the Borderline" in music Springsteen wrote for The Ghost of Tom Joad and beyond, as his fascination with the intersection of roots music on both sides of the border continues to this day.
The Sports Arena arrangement adds soulful scope while maintaining the Mexican elements of the original versions. The song fits so well because it feels like Springsteen could have written it himself, but that's really a testament to the quality of the songwriting of the original. "Across the Borderline" is a welcome and worthy addition to the Live Archive series.
From there, hit the party lights, as, aside from the sublime solo acoustic "Born to Run," the last ten songs of the set turn into an E Street block party. Of note, "Sweet Soul Music," in rare standalone, non-medley form, brings a fitting bit of Memphis to a horn-driven show. Equally fun is the rare cover of The Sonics' "Have Love, Will Travel."
"Have Love, Will Travel" was written by Richard Perry (who also penned "Louie Louie") and popularized by Seattle garage-rock standard bearers The Sonics, who released their version in 1965 on the band's debut album, Here Are the Sonics. As the story goes, back in 1984, a record store employee from Seattle slipped Springsteen a Northwest Garage Rock mixtape that included "Have Love"; Springsteen found the song and it became an encore feature for the last few weeks of the U.S. Tunnel tour.
As he so often does, Bruce makes "Have Love, Will Travel" his own, keeping the chorus of the original, but rewriting the verses to fit the nomadic love themes of the tour, while making the arrangement a showcase for the Horns of Love.
When we regard several shows in a particular stand, setlist changes are often cited to distinguish good from great–the more changes the better being the general rule. Yet the 4/28/88 set differs by only one song from the previously released April 23 show. Even when the addition is as significant as "Across the Borderline," the takeaway is that setlist isn't everything, as Tunnel tour fans already know and I learned out on the road 33 years ago.
By Erik Flannigan via Nugs.net. |
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