2012-04-03 Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time 20:26 / End Time 23:15

Info & Setlist | Venue

First of two nights at the Izod Center, the venue Springsteen opened back in 1981 when it was known as the Brendan Byrne Arena. This is Bruce's 55th headlining show at this arena. A 25-song set with the tour premiere of "So Young And In Love". "Badlands" returns after two shows off. "My City Of Ruins" includes "People Get Ready". The encores are a repeat of the previous show in Washington. For the first time on the tour, and one of only two times during the first American leg, the "this train" introduction is dropped from "Land Of Hope And Dreams".

'Soulman'

Hot damn! Those cats can set down some thunder, kick some serious ass, shack the entire earth and rattle your bones from head to toe. 62? He is 62 and can still bring on a ruckus for nearly 3 hours. He's not mortal, not human. No other performer can touch him, let alone come close. He comes out like a prizefighter, hitting hard with a 1-2, and 3-4 punch. We Take Care of Our Own, Wrecking Ball, Badlands! and Death to My Hometown simply knock your socks off and as you're staggering to regain yourself, Bruce and band level you with So Young and in Love and a whirlwind E Street Shuffle! You're about spent by then, but he's not finished with you, not by a long shot. He's looking to pour some potent rock and roll into your soul and give you a reason to keep pumping your fist, stomping your feet, singing until your throat is raw. Turned the place into cinders after Seeds and Prove It All Night. Channeling Sam Cooke, Otis, Wilson Pickett and James Brown, Bruce and band launch into a cool-cat medley of soulful tunes that puts you in the backseat of any car on a hot Saturday night with windows all steamed and the promise of that one very real moment. Bring on some more of that cool-cat strut with the likes of Midnight Hour, Hold On, Chain Gang, Mustang Sally, Sweet Soul Music… Nils ripped the roof off the joint with Because the Night, taking no prisoners as he shredded every note deep into the very marrow that holds us mere mortals together! Big Man! You are missed, brother, definitely missed, but Jake can hold is own and Bruce and band do the Big Man justice by highlighting many songs that C claimed as his own and gave to us as he blew his sax high from Mt. Olympus.
Check them out and be baptized by the power of their song.

Tommy C.

A solid performance from start to finish.
A terrific Badlands and very moving My City of Ruins, one of my favorite songs. Then Bruce sends the crowd crazy with a high energy version of So Young and In Love, followed by a blowout jam session of the E Street Shuffle that could have gone on for another 20 minutes and I probably would have wanted more. Seeds and Prove It were blistering, firey versions, full of fury. The new material keeps sounding better live. Love Jack of All Trades and We Are Alive. Wrecking Ball is filled with many great songs that have brought the band and this tour some new energy. The new songs fit well with Bruce's catalog, especially alongside the material from Darkness and The River. Would love to hear Price You Pay, Something in the Night and Stolen Car. The Apollo Medley is great. Nice tribute to the music that has inspired Bruce to carry on the tradition as the white James Brown. 41 Shots, an intense, powerful song. Because the Night was out of control once Nils turned loose. Keep that in the set every night! Out in the Street was a good addition to the encores, getting everyone up and singing before leading us thru Born to Run, Dancing and an amazing 10th Ave.

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