1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

Info & Setlist | Venue

Concert To Fight Hunger to benefit World Hunger Year, The Food & Hunger Hotline and The Community Food Bank Of New Jersey. A night of many guests: Joe Ely plays guitar and sings on "I Ain't Got No Home", "Settle For Love" and "Blowin' Down This Road". Patti Scialfa plays guitar and sings on "Brilliant Disguise", "Human Touch", "Blowin' Down This Road", and "Having A Party". Steven Van Zandt plays guitar and sings on "Glory Days", "It's Been A Long Time", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Born To Run", "Having A Party", and "It's All Right". The Miami Horns guest on "It's Been A Long Time", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Having A Party", "Jersey Girl", and "It's All Right". Clarence Clemons plays saxophone on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", and "Born To Run". Southside Johnny sings on "It's Been A Long Time", Having A Party", "It's All Right". Soozie Tyrell plays violin on "Blowin' Down This Road". Max Weinberg drums on "Jersey Girl". "Roll Of The Dice" includes "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love". "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played as a lead-in to "Born In The U.S.A.". First ever Springsteen performances in the U.S. of "Satan's Jeweled Crown", "Settle For Love", and "Blowin' Down This Road".

Concert to Fight Hunger

Intro to "Adam Raised a Cain"
´´Thank you and good evening….thank you, thanks for coming out….we´re here tonight for the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, the Food and Hunger Hotline…World Hunger Year…”

Intro to "This Hard Land"
´´Oh, thank you….thank you, thanks….this is a, this is a song I wrote, uh, in the mid-80´s, I think, and uh (cheers) might be one of the shitty ones, don´t get all excited….I never recorded it , I never got around to recording it, I guess it´s kind of about….friendship and trying to hold on to some last shred of, of your idealism….in face of the times….(?)…this is a song called ´This Hard Land´, I´ll do it for Stevie tonight !….”

Intro to "Atlantic City"
´´This is a song about running out of choices….and uh….I guess finding out what you´re capable of….”

Intro to "My Hometown"
´´(?) we´re here tonight for, uh, as I said earlier, the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, the Food and Hunger Hotline….World Hunger Year, these are all organizations that are out there through to Republicans, through to Democrats….and uh….trying to help resolve the growing problem of hunger that we still have here in the States….we started back in ´85 on the ´U.S.A´-tour, I met a lot of these folks and we did work for some of these organizations and rather than getting better, folks are telling me that it´s just getting worse, more people need help and assistance, these are organizations that are in the process of (?) feed people but help them find work, help them find….help them piece their lives together and they need money and they need volunteers….I´d like to take this opportunity to thank all you folks that voluntereed the last time we were around doing this, I know there´s a lot of you people that´ve been out there and that´ve worked very steadily every week, they told me, since, since we came here in ´85 and started talking about it…all I wanna say is that´s why we´re here tonight, help ´em out if you got some time, if you got some free cash….they need you out there….”

Intro to "Man´s Job"
´´My shoe !….damn, I gotta get another one…..gotta get a boot !….I need a boot….man, she got it, she can have it….but in the meantime….does this bus stop ?….need an acoustic ….oh, how kind, somebody sent me a spare….I got that one, I need the other one !….(a woman comes to the stage and puts the boot back on Bruce´s foot)….that´s sex, baby, right there …(?)…well, given that one, I gotta go right into this….are you ready, Bobby ? ….(?)….”

Intro to "Roll of the Dice"
´´Raise ´em up now….are you ready to roll with me now ? (cheers) that´s good….´cause I can feel it coming, baby….I can feel it coming now…I can feel it coming….I´ve been searching for so long….yeah, I´ve been searching for so long….and I can feel it coming now….oh, I can feel it rising….are you ready now ? (cheers) let´s go….
(….) Bring it down, band….that´s good….that´s good….that´s good…..one more time (drumming)….ladies and gentlemen, I´m so glad to be here tonight….I´m so glad to be here back in my hometown…..but we´re here tonight with a purpose….we´re here tonight to bring you a message….got meaningful reasons….to be here tonight….and what I want to tell you is….I´ve traveled around the world….I´ve kissed all kinds of girls….and there´s only thing….that I know is true….there´s only one thing that I know is real….that´s you can touch it and feel and feel it in your life….it change the way (?)…and what that thing is ….and you can run from it and you can hide….but my great hero Solomon Burke once said ….he said….Everybody needs somebody….”
(….) Thanks, we´re gonna take a short break then we´re gonna be right back to turn your insides out, so see you in a little while, ok ?….”

Middle of "Light of Day"
´´I drove thousands of miles just to get here tonight….I´ve been around the world twice to get here tonight….and I´m here tonight with a reason….I´m here tonight because I know you´re downhearted….I know you´re disappointed….I know you´re disenchanted….I know you´re depressed….I know there´s 57 fucking channels and nothing on….and I´m here tonight to say that I…I….I….I…..I….I know there´s a cure…..I know there´s a cure….I want to tell you something that´s gonna bring you hope….bring a little faith….bring a little love into your life….increase your sexual prowess….and I want to tell you that I…I….I….I….I wanna tell you that I….I…I….I….I….I got a confession to make that I….I….I…I….I….I…..I ….I….I….I said that I….I…I…I…I´m just a prisoner….of rock and roll !….”

Intro to "Settle for Love"
´´Thank you….I´d like to bring up a friend of mine, uh, we met in Ireland….we just finished a couple of months playing in Europe and uh….we were in Dublin one night and I came and played his show, he came and played at mine, he´s a great, great, great rocker out of Texas, Mr. Joe Ely, gonna come up and sing a song….”

Intro to "Glory Days"
´´Joe Ely, he´s got a record out now called Love and Danger, enough people ain´t heard it, he´s great, if you can, pick it up, alright….we got a cast of thousands tonight, uh…. who´s back there ?….who´s back there ? (Steve comes onstage)….oh, my Lord !….alright, come on, let´s do it…”

Intro to "Thunder Road"
´´(?)….thank you, thank you….oh….alright, can´t start the summer without this song….oh, I´d like to thank, uh….all my loyal New Jersey fans, thank you very much….oh yeah, thanks….”

Intro to "It´s Been a Long Time"
´´One, two, alright….come on out, alright, South….uh….(?) just in from, I won´t say it (Southside: ´Lord have mercy´) just back from, I won´t say it (Southside lived in Connecticut at the time) he used to live in New Jersey, now he lives in, I won´t say it…. (Southside : ´Leave me alone now´)….(Southside: ´Yeah baby´)(?) the inevitable…. Southside….(Southside: ´Here´s a song for all the people that kept faith in rock and roll, like Top-10 Scotty out there, all the people who´ve dedicated their life to rock and roll, this song is for you´) alright, if you say so (chuckles)….”

Intro to "Born to Run"
´´Alright….damn….can´t (?) the Big Man here without doing this one….it´s the Jersey set here….only in the Garden State !….”

Intro to "Blowin´Down This Old Dusty Road"
´´Once again I wanna remind you that we´re here tonight for the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, the Food and Hunger Hotline, World Hunger Year….we started the show with a Woody Guthrie song (?) this one right here and uh, once again remind you that, uh ….they can use your help, they need some volunteers who work during the week, if you have any spare time, they could use….they can always use some cash…..if you get a chance, look into them and see what you could do….come on, Joe….”

Intro to "Havin´a Party"
´´´A´ for effort (chuckles) alright, what do we got here ?….come on, man, South, come on up one more time….(Southside: ´Everybody gets to sing on this one ?´) oh yeah (Southside: ´You´re the Boss, man´)….”

Intro to "Jersey Girl"
´´Hell, we don´t know nothing else….(long pause)….oh, you´re going too far now, we don´t know that one (chuckles) but….we´ll stick with our theme here….(?) I need the words….”

Intro to "It´s Alright"
´´Max Weinberg on the drums….yeah….(?) starts this, uh….I´ll give you guys when to kick in, alright ?….alright….I wanna thank everybody for coming out tonight, thank you…. I wanna thank all my friends who showed up tonight to kick it in for the foodbanks…all the old boys….”

^{Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi.}

^{© 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.}

Down Along The River’s Silent Edge I Soar

In contrast to the periods that preceded it, the Human Touch/Lucky Town era has never established the same kind of collective characterization within Bruce Springsteen’s career narrative. We, the fans, have a consensus of opinion on, say, the Darkness tour or Europe ‘81, but 1992-93 remains more unsettled.

By definition it was an aberration, in that it broke from the norm of always touring with the E Street Band. But in hindsight, the greater aberration would have been if Bruce had never toured with other musicians.

For he was hardly alone in choosing to work without his most familiar and beloved bandmates. Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello, each to varying degrees, changed up who they recorded and toured with more than Springsteen. And like Dylan had done many times before, the 1992-93 line-up was assembled specifically as a touring band that would have to learn both old and new songs. In fact, it was Dylan’s friend and unofficial musical adviser, the late Debbie Gold who Springsteen turned to for help finding new musicians to fill some very big shoes.

The result was a diverse, multi-generational, big-band line-up that, with its five gospel-trained back-up singers, wouldn’t have looked out of place on stage with Dylan circa 1978-81. In fact, Carol Dennis had toured (and more) with Dylan and Bobby King has recorded with him. Elsewhere, Lone Justice veteran Shane Fontayne stepped in on guitar, while session musicians Tommy Sims (bass) and Zack Alford (drums) formed the rhythm section. They were augmented by multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero and familiar face Roy Bittan on piano and keyboards. Gia Ciambotti, Cleopatra Kennedy and Angel Rogers rounded out the back-up singers. This was the 11-piece new band.

We can only imagine the pressure these musicians felt at the start, with the shadow of E Street looming over them, and, to be fair, when the tour kicked off in June 1992, the cohesion of a band wasn’t there yet. An 11-night run in New Jersey later that summer (not coincidentally one more than the famed 10-night stand in 1984) was a bold statement of commitment to the new, but at times the striving was palpable.

One year later, back at Brendan Byrne Arena for a benefit concert to fight hunger and kick off a two-show wrap-up to the tour, things felt decidedly different. After touring Europe a second time and having not played a stateside show in six months, Springsteen and the his band returned with newfound ease, cohesion and quiet confidence.

The June 24, 1993 show, captured on multi-tracks by Toby Scott and newly mixed by Jon Altschiller, is a fascinating listen and offers a chance to reassess the 1992-93 band at their best. It also documents the blending of past and present, as guests from E Street and adjacent neighborhoods also share the stage on this genuinely special night.

As he had begun doing so effectively in Europe, the show starts with a strong mini-acoustic set. Bruce and Joe Ely had shared each other’s stages in Dublin a month earlier, and Ely makes his first guest appearance of the night dueting on Woody Guthrie’s “I Ain’t Got No Home.” Springsteen then plays sharp solo acoustic versions of “Seeds,” “Adam Raised a Cain” and “This Hard Land” that point the way forward to The Ghost of Tom Joad two years on.

The rest of the first set (this was the last band tour with an intermission) serves as a fine showcase of new and old material and the strengths of the musicians. Soul and gospel flavors run rich in these versions of “Better Days,” “Leap of Faith,” “Roll of the Dice” (with its “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” Solomon Burke coda) and especially the vocal exchange with Bobby King on the in hindsight quite charming “Man’s Job.” The traditional “Satan’s Jewel Crown” is a particular high point and something clearly born from the singers’ gospel heritage. The rock edge is there, too. “Atlantic City” and “Lucky Town” pack the right punch, and though “Badlands” without a saxophone solo still takes some getting used to, it is well played.

The outstanding second set is sharper still, opening with an acoustic guitar and piano version of “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?” that is worth the price of the download alone. Bruce and Roy intertwine magnificently and it is but one of many moments of Bittan’s masterful playing this night. You’ll hear keyboard and piano parts throughout the show that you’ve likely never noticed before as on many songs Roy leads the way.

Elsewhere in the second set, the strength of the gospel chorus is brought to bear powerfully in compelling arrangements of “Because the Night,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Light of Day.” Patti Scialfa joins her husband for “Brilliant Disguise” and a terrific, long version of “Human Touch.” But the heart of the set lies in the three-song sequence of “Souls of the Departed,” “Living Proof” and “Born in the U.S.A.”

“Souls of the Departed” is a sober elegy, accented with audio from newscasts about the Iraq war that make its sentiments crystal clear (similar audio augmentation of “57 Channels [And Nothing On] in the first set isn’t quite as effective). It flows straight into “Living Proof,” a song of rebirth and arguably some of Bruce’s finest writing of the period. From that point of hope and renewal, the light darkens again with a Hendrix-flavored “Star-Spangled Banner” preface and “Born in the U.S.A.,” in which Bruce emotionally pleads, in manner not heard on other tours, “I got nowhere to go. I got nowhere to go. I got nowhere to run.”

The legendary encore that would see old friends like Stevie Van Zandt, Southside Johnny, Max Weinberg, the Miami Horns and Clarence Clemons take the stage largely speaks for itself. It sounds just as fun now as it surely was then. To their credit, the new band plays songs like “Glory Days” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” capably, and the performance of Joe Ely’s “Settle for Love” is a surprise highlight. A Springsteen cover of the song wouldn’t have been out of place on High Hopes.

Beyond the undeniable fun of “It’s Been a Long Time,” “Having a Party” and “It’s All Right,” two other encore songs merit attention. Like “Does This Bus Stop,” “Thunder Road” is another Bruce and Roy showcase, this time with Bittan adding sweet organ fills to Springsteen’s acoustic strumming. Finally, if a single song captures the spirit of this era, it the spiritual dream of “My Beautiful Reward,” played here with sparse beauty.

The 1992-93 tour was a shock to the system for fans at the time. But viewed through the lens of nearly two decades of a reunited E Street Band, the expanded Wrecking Ball line-up and the Seeger Sessions Band, this particular period of musical exploration now feels kindred. Meadowlands ‘93 provides a fine snapshot of a hot, soulful summer night when Springsteen’s past and present united.

^{By Erik Flannigan via Nugs.net.}

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Down Along The River’s Silent Edge I Soar