Share:
Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??First night of ten at Madison Square Garden. Lots of controversy surrounding the "American Skin (41 Shots)" track - so Bruce plays it anyway. "Code Of Silence", a brand new track written with Joe Grushecky, opens the show, and the second run through "Further On (Up The Road)" is in the set. "Two Hearts" includes "It Takes Two". "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" includes "It's All Right", "Take Me To The River", "Red Headed Woman", and "Rumble Doll". Another airing for the country "Dancing In The Dark", the song's second and final performance this tour. "Born In The U.S.A." is acoustic. "Light Of Day" includes "I've Been Everywhere". Final tour appearances for "Be True" and "Roll Of The Dice" as well.
- On Stage
- Setlist
- Performances
- Appearances
- Cancelled
- Gallery
- Media
- Recording
- Storyteller
- Eyewitness
- News/Memorabilia
incl. Rehearsals.
- 2023-04-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2022-10-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2019-11-04 Hulu Theater At Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2018-11-05 Hulu Theater At Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2018-07-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2017-09-15 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2016-11-01 Theater At Madison Square Garden (The), New York City, NY
- 2016-03-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2016-01-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2015-11-10 Theater At Madison Square Garden (The), New York City, NY
- 2015-07-31 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2014-11-05 Theater At Madison Square Garden (The), New York City, NY
- 2013-11-06 Theater At Madison Square Garden (The), New York City, NY
- 2012-12-12 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2012-04-09 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2012-04-06 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2011-12-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-11-08 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-11-07 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-10-30 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-10-29 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-05-03 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2007-10-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2007-10-17 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2006-06-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2003-02-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2002-08-12 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-07-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-29 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-20 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-17 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-15 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-12 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1997-02-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1993-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-08-24 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-19 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-16 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1987-12-13 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1983-08-02 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-12-19 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-12-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-11-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-11-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-09-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-09-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1973-06-15 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1973-06-14 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
incl. Interviews and Recording-sessions.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
© 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.
Audience tape and DVD. Available on CDR 'To The Other Side', and two camera mix DVD.
 |
Middle of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"
´´(sings ‘Take Me to the River’) That´s right….that’s where I wanna go tonight….that´s right….that´s where I wanna go tonight….I wanna go to the riverside….I wanna go to that river of life….that river of love….that river of faith….I wanna find that river of hope….I wanna find that river of exultations…..and that river of transformation where you can go and you can be changed….I wanna find that river of resurrection….where everybody gets a second chance…..I wanna go tonight to that river of sexual healing….and companionship…. that river of joy…and the river of happiness….that´s where I wanna go tonight and I want you to go with me….I said I want you to go with me….because I need to go with you….that´s why we´re here tonight…..because you can´t get there by yourself….no matter how you try, you can´t get to those things by yourself….so tonight I wanna throw us a rock and roll baptism…. a rock and roll exorcism….I wanna be washed in those waters and I wanna be set free again ….one evening….one evening I stood as a young man before a dark grove of trees….and just like a child, I was frightened to pass through those trees even though I knew that on the other side….the river of life was waiting…..on the other side there were no fucking cellphones !…. and there was cold beer at a reasonable price…..but I was paralyzed and I couldn´t pass through those trees….then a gypsy woman called me onward and she said ´Son, what you need is you need some help….what you need, what´s your line ? what is your line ?´ and I told her and she said ´What you need, Son, is you need a band to walk beside you´….that´s why I´m proud tonight here in New York City, at Madison Square Garden….this is the main event…..and I wanna say in this corner, on the piano, weighing at 135 pounds in his underwear….the Long Island Piano Pounder, Professor Roy Bittan….with me at the riverside ….and in this corner we´ve got….the Minister of faith and friendship, star of the ´Sopranos´-television-show….the Middletown Mafioso, Little Steven Van Zandt….with me at the riverside, Brother….we´ve got the foundation of the E Street nation, the Tennesee Terror, Mr.Garry W.Tallent…..we´ve got the man that brings the power night after night after night, star of Late Night Television….the East Orange Offender, the Mighty, Mighty, Mighty, Mighty Max….ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, we´ve got the Maryland Mauler, Godfather of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren…..ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, with a record of a 165 unpaid New York City parking tickets….the Furious Flemington Furs´ Salesman, on the B-3 and accordion, Brother Dan Federici….and now, brunettes are fine and blondes are fun but when it come to getting a dirty job done, it takes a (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) the Asbury Park Heartbreaker (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) I´m looking for my baby (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) I´m searching for my girl now (crowd : ´Red headed woman´)(Patti sings a bit of ´Rumble Doll´), Miss Patti Scialfa on the guitar and vocals….thank you, baby… and last but not least…..in the far corner…. Minister of soul, Secretary of the brotherhood…..forget about that kid from Long Island, the next senator of the state of New York…..are you ready to rumble ?….do I have to say his name ? ….do I have to say his name ?…say who ?….say who ?….say who ?….say who ?….say who ? ….say who ?….say who ?….say who ?….
(….) E Street Band !….the heart-stopping, earth-shaking, housebreaking, legendary, history-making E Street Band !….”
Intro to "Dancing in the Dark"
´´Oh yeah, thank you….alright, this is, uh….for the folks from City Harvest that are with us tonight….they´re out in the lobby….dig up some of that cash, City Harvest is a…..foodbank here in New York City dedicated to helping New York´s struggling citizens, there´s many, many, many people that, uh, the economy is not reaching and they depend on City Harvest to help them meet their daily needs….that no child need, may go to bed hungry at night so please, they´ll be out there in the hall on your way out, stop by and see ´em, they deserve your time and your support, this is for the folks from City Harvest….do my greatest hit for the folks from City Harvest….”
Middle of "Light of Day"
´´New York City !….New York City !….but everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen people lost in confusion….I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness….I´ve seen people lost on the subway in loneliness….I´ve seen people lost in envy of the New Jersey Devils winning the Stanley Cup….I´ve seen people lost at the Statue of Liberty which is actually in New Jersey….I´ve seen people lost in bitterness….but that´s alright ´cause tonight we´re here on a search-and-rescue mission, if you´ve been downhearted, disspirited, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, analyzed, stigmatised, fractionalised, retropsychedelizised….Republicanised….it´s not too late to repent….I’m here tonight….I’m here tonight…. I’m here tonight….I’m here tonight…. I’m here tonight….I’m here tonight …..I’m here tonight….I’m here tonight, I wanna re-educate you, resuscitate you, regenerate you, reconfiscate you, reindoctrinate you, recombobolate you, resexualate you….reliberate you with the power and the glory, with the majesty, with the mystery….with the ministry of rock and roll !….that´s right….with the ministry of rock and roll !….that´s right, that´s right…..now, unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I cannot promise you life everlasting ….but I can promise you life….right
now !…and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say ‘I’…..”
| 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.
Born to Run, or at Least to Be Redeemed |
For a songwriter who tries to be as concise and clear as possible, Bruce Springsteen can be strangely misunderstood. The mere fact that he had written a song prompted by the shooting of Amadou Diallo set off a hair-trigger response from police supporters.
In a case that divided the city, the four police officers who fired 41 shots at Mr. Diallo, an unarmed street vendor from Guinea, testified that they thought he was reaching for a gun when he was apparently reaching for a wallet. They were acquitted of murder charges.
Reacting to the title of the song, ''American Skin,'' and its refrain of ''41 shots,'' Bob Lucente, the president of the New York state chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, denounced both the song, for supposed anti-police messages, and Mr. Springsteen, calling him a ''dirt bag.''
''American Skin'' itself, which Mr. Springsteen performed on Monday night in his first of 10 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, is no anti-cop diatribe. With piano chords tolling behind Mr. Springsteen's care-worn voice, it's a resonant elegy and a reflection on how fear can become deadly.
The song begins with Mr. Springsteen intoning ''41 shots'' again and again. In the first verse, a policeman kneels after the shooting over the ''body in the vestibule, praying for his life''; in the second, a mother instructs her son to be polite to policemen, never run away and ''keep your hands in sight.''
The third and last verse declares, ''We're baptized in these waters and in each others' blood.'' In between, the chorus asks questions that may have run through the officers' minds — ''Is it a gun? Is it a knife? Is it a wallet? This is your life'' — and concludes, ''You can get killed just for living in your American skin,'' a line that could apply to both Diallo and the policemen. The song is determinedly evenhanded as it ponders what led to those 41 shots.
Mr. Springsteen has made no statement beyond the song itself. But on Monday night, he opened his three-hour set with a new rocker, ''Code of Silence,'' that he wrote with Joe Grushecky, a kindred songwriter. It could be about a couple who have stopped speaking — he calls someone ''darling'' and ''baby'' — or a broken public trust. He also placed ''American Skin'' between ''Point Blank'' and ''The Promised Land.''
''American Skin'' is not the first Springsteen song to be misread. ''Born in the U.S.A.,'' released in 1984, is the bitter testimony of a down-and-out Vietnam veteran wondering what became of his birthright. But President Ronald Reagan, in his re-election campaign, tried to enlist it as a patriotic anthem. On Monday, Mr. Springsteen sang the version of ''Born in the U.S.A.'' that he introduced in the 1990's: a solo, with keening slide guitar lines steeped in the blues, that makes the song's desperation unmistakable.
''American Skin'' and ''Born in the U.S.A.'' represent one side of Mr. Springsteen's songwriting: tales of ordinary people crushed by forces they cannot control. That's the side that has emerged as Mr. Springsteen, who is 50, has grown older. When he emerged in the 1970's, he was already writing about outsiders and castoffs, but they held on to some hope that in classic American style they could zoom down the road to better times.
Those were the songs he recorded in the 1970's and 80's with the E Street Band; he and the band members went separate ways until the late 90's. Mr. Springsteen has been touring with them for a year, and they have reached a new peak as an ensemble: gleaming with the keyboards of Roy Bittan and Danny Federici, surging with the bass lines of Gary W. Tallent and the drumming of Max Weinberg, honking with rhythm-and-blues from Clarence Clemons's saxophone and unleashing three lead guitarists — Mr. Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren. Mr. Springsteen's wife, Patti Scialfa, strums acoustic guitar and sings backup. The band vamps like a soul revue, then hits like a stainless-steel fist.
And while Mr. Springsteen performed some of his no-way-out songs — including a version of ''Youngstown'' that howled with desolation — the concert was not about compassion or fatalism. It was about camaraderie and redemption. Twice, Mr. Springsteen let songs stretch out and turned himself into a preacher, promising to spread ''the ministry of rock 'n' roll.''
He dropped to his knees, stretched out his arms and worked the crowd like a gospel singer. The house lights stayed on through much of the show; Mr. Springsteen wanted the audience to join in, and wouldn't rest until it did (although he met no resistance). He was also bonded with the band, sharing a microphone with all the musicians whose instruments were portable, even trading vocals on a love song, ''If I Should Fall Behind.''
Reuniting with the band and singing anthems like ''Born to Run'' and ''Thunder Road'' have rejuvenated Mr. Springsteen. There were also unreleased songs in the set, and they were substantial and tinged with optimism. ''Further on Up the Road'' vowed, ''Let's take the good times as they come'' and ''Land of Hope and Dreams'' predicted, ''Tomorrow there will be sunshine, and all this darkness pass.'' The way the band sounded, it was easy to believe.
'American Skin (41 Shots)'
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots and we'll take that ride
Across this bloody river to the other side
41 shots they cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
Laina gets her son ready for school
She says now on these streets Charles
You got to understand the rules
Promise me if an officer stops you that you'll always be polite
Never ever run away,
Promise me you'll keep your hands in sight
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41shots
41 shots
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it in your heart?
Is it in your eyes?
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
41 shots and we'll take that ride
Across this bloody river to the other side
41 shots I got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters and in each other's blood
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
| By Jon Pareles via The New York Times. |
Springsteen Song About Diallo Prompts Anger From Police |
Standing on the stage at Madison Square Garden momentarily shrouded in darkness, Bruce Springsteen sang the words ''41 shots'' nine times last night. The words begin his new song deploring the killing of Amadou Diallo by four police officers.
The crowd grew silent, then rose in applause, as Mr. Springsteen began to sing. Scattered boos were quickly enveloped in the cries of ''Bruce!''
The song, ''American Skin,'' has been criticized by Police Commissioner Howard Safir and Patrick J. Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, who has urged New York City officers to boycott Mr. Springsteen's concerts.
But that boycott was not strictly observed yesterday. ''It's not a big deal. People blow things up,'' said Natalie Carbone, 25, a New Jersey native, lifelong Springsteen fan and New York City police officer. ''I don't think this will affect what police officers think about Bruce Springsteen. It's just a song.''
But other fans said they were disappointed that Mr. Springsteen had chosen to perform the song in New York City. ''He shouldn't use his power to make a statement like that,'' said Heather Milyo of Staten Island, whose fiance is a police officer. ''I think you have to be in a cop's shoes to understand what happened.''
The ''41 shots'' Mr. Springsteen sings about refer to the number of bullets fired at Mr. Diallo as he stood in front of his apartment in the Bronx last year, and it includes the lyric, ''You can get killed just for living in your American skin.''
Although Mr. Springsteen has not released a recording of the song, controversy has built around it since he first performed it on June 4 in Atlanta. Mr. Diallo's mother, Kadiatou Diallo, has said she took the song as a sign that people cared about her son. But police officers, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mr. Safir have frowned on it, suggesting that it is wrong to condemn the officers who were acquitted of murder and other charges in February.
Representatives of Mr. Springsteen yesterday declined to comment on the criticism of the song.
Mr. Diallo, a black street vendor from Guinea, was shot by the four white officers on Feb. 4, 1999. The officers testified that they had thought he was reaching for a gun. Mr. Diallo was unarmed and was apparently reaching for his wallet, a fact Mr. Springsteen focuses on in the song.
Mr. Springsteen sang: ''Is it a gun? Is it a knife? Is it a wallet? This is your life.''
Mr. Giuliani said yesterday that he understood why the officers were angry about the song. ''There are still people trying to create the impression that the police officers are guilty, and they are going to feel strongly about that,'' he said.
Mr. Safir said that police officers had a right not to like Mr. Springsteen's music. ''I personally don't particularly care for Bruce Springsteen's music or his songs,'' he said.
| By Julian E. Barnes via The New York Times. |
Links:
- Born to Run, or at Least to Be Redeemed (NewYorkTimes)
- Springsteen Song About Diallo Prompts Anger From Police (NewYorkTimes)
Disclaimer | © 1996 - 2024 | Brucebase
