Springsteen & the E Street Band: Columbus, April 21, 2024

Springsteen in Columbus, April 21, 2024

There are times when words and pictures really can't do justice to the thing just witnessed. For example, a total eclipse of the sun. Or when Bruce Springsteen gets really good. And now, within an easy drive to Ohio, I've been blessed to experience both of these in a span of less than two weeks.

Bruce was originally scheduled to play Columbus on March 9, 2023, but it was postponed to September 21st due to an undisclosed illness. All three of the March shows rescheduled to September were then rescheduled again when Bruce's peptic ulcer disease forced postponement of all 2023 shows after September 3rd. The Columbus show last night was the final make-up date.

Solo all night. Columbus, April 21, 2024

Nothing against last year's shows: I went to three of them consecutively, and I had a great time. But the setlists were static, the ticket prices were high, and despite the high performance quality, the shows seemed somehow less than they could have been.

After the Detroit show, the first and arguably weakest of those three, I wrote, "Reviews I've seen of this tour have called out mortality as an ongoing theme of the show; frankly, I didn't hear it... Several songs seemed designed to give a particular band member a spotlight: 'Nightshift' for Curtis King; 'The E Street Shuffle' for Anthony Almonte and Max Weinberg; 'Because the Night' for Nils Lofgren and, to a lesser extent, the otherwise nearly comically underutilized E Street Choir... To me, the notion of bringing on the music, and the shtick, took precedent even over context. I mean, how else do you get Bruce vamping for more cowbell just before the singer says he had debts no honest many could pay?"

Had the content of the 2024 shows been the same static structure as 2023, I likely would not have made the effort to attend last night. It was a nice enough show,  but I had no need to go that far out of my way for one or two setlist changes within a familiar show. But Bruce promised to mix things up more this year, and early show reviews were glowing. Sign me up!

A little bit of vamping for Stevie. Columbus, April 21, 2024

Part of what we got last night was addition by subtraction: The vamps, at least Bruce's vamps, are gone. In some spots, the horns or choir have found spots in older material, but of the "let's highlight a specific band member" pieces, only "Because the Night" and "Nightshift" remain. But let's also be fair: While Anthony Almonte, Curtis King and Nils Lofgren are tremendously talented musicians, fans are not paying hundreds of dollars per ticket to see them, the horns, or the choir.

I'll See You in My Dreams. Columbus, April 21, 2024

We also got addition by addition: A wildcard opener for Ohio, "Youngstown." Multiple sign requests: A tour premiere of "Streets of Fire" followed immediately by a tour premiere of "I'm Going Down." "Detroit Medley" with "Twist And Shout" tacked on, just for a (lot of) fun. And an incredibly majestic "Racing in the Street," the show's emotional centerpiece, that seemed to unify all the show's themes and even set up the more structured part of the setlist that remains: it led straight to the pairing of "Last Man Standing" and "Backstreets," which retain their emotional punch. And not just setlist variation, either: the performance standard is up --  way up -- and a lot of that is driven by Bruce's engagement. For "Streets of Fire," he took two extended guitar solos, and clearly enjoyed the hell out of both. And for "Racing," I think he could have let Roy play all night.

Bruce has rediscovered the key to the universe, and was compelled to let us all know, and bring us
along for the ride. There were no long speeches or election year Public Service Announcements beyond a plea to help the Children's Hunger Alliance that was out in the lobby collecting donations. Not that there was any need: the "seize the moment" mantra -- which he did say, once or twice -- was self-evident throughout.

By the concluding solo performance of "I'll See You in My Dreams" -- which Bruce totally belted out of the next universe, by the way -- I was emotionally and physically wrecked. I scanned the still-packed arena, tearing up over what I... we... had witnessed and were witnessing, and counting down already until the next time. Outside the Arena, I heard comments like, "I won't be able to stand up tomorrow," but, you know, they weren't complaints.