Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made a triumphant return Wednesday night at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, following a three-week hiatus due to Springsteen’s vocal strain.
“Hola Madrid!” Springsteen greeted the lively crowd. “Are you ready?” The audience eagerly welcomed a marathon 30-song, two-and-a-half hour set that featured several surprises. Among them were the first live performance of “Frankie Fell in Love” from High Hopes since 2015, a rendition of John Fogerty’s “Rockin’ All Over the World” not played since 2016, and rare tracks like “Seeds” and “If I Was the Priest.”
During the tour break, Born in the U.S.A. marked its 40th anniversary, though unlike previous albums like Born to Run and Darkness On the Edge of Town, it didn’t receive a deluxe reissue. “Most of the great outtakes from Born in the U.S.A. are already out there on Tracks,” Springsteen explained to Rolling Stone in 2022. “What remains either isn’t up to par or simply doesn’t exist. We have no hidden treasures here. Unfortunately, much of the Born in the U.S.A. tour footage is also lacking.”
Earlier this month, Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg revisited Born In The U.S.A. on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “The [title track] is just two chords,” Bittan noted. “Sometimes, you have to embrace that simplicity. It’s about digging deep and connecting on a primal level.” Weinberg reflected on the band’s sessions for Nebraska, which were initially full-band but later streamlined to Springsteen’s solo performances. “We recorded all that Nebraska material in our classic E Street style,” he recalled. “But Jon Landau suggested a stripped-down approach, akin to Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding. We explored both versions.”
The E Street Band’s world tour resumes Friday at Metropolitano Stadium before heading to America in mid-August. They will play sporadic shows, concluding in Vancouver on November 22. Rescheduled European dates postponed earlier will take place in the summer of 2025.