Bruce Springsteen is most known for two things: being a great songwriter and a tremendous live performer.
I have known the former since first hearing "Hungry Heart" in the music room during my middle school days in 1980. I am appreciating the latter more these days as quarantine fever takes it toll.
The Boss on stage is magical. As he says in his autobiography "I could always get the crowd going." And it's not just Bruce. He is the bandleader of a special group of players who fit together perfectly, many of whom are still beside him nearly 50 years after they started.
Here are my top five concert performances by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
5. "My Hometown" holds meaning for me as the first Springsteen song I owned and lobbied to play within my circle of teenage friends. This version is from 2013 and finds Bruce and the boys in Hyde Park, London.
Bruce is somber and the lyrics stand strong nearly 40 years later. But it's the end that give me chills. A lot of singers can whip the crowd into a frenzy and even generate a good audience singalong if the hits are big enough.
Not many can do it without a word. In fact, I doubt anyone can. The audience is held mesmerized by the Boss and they dutifully comply with his wordless instructions. Take a watch and see if you can spot Bruce's mom offstage (spoiler alert):
4. "Tougher Than The Rest" I believe this is the official music video for this song, but it captures Bruce the high energy performer as good as anything I've seen. This came during a break from the E Street Band, when the Boss experimented with different things, and got divorced.
The Tunnel of Love tour shown in these clips incorporated more theatrical aspects that any other tour. Some of that is captured here at the beginning. But most of all, this is total showcase for Patti. With piles of New Jersey-bred red hair, she stands alongside Bruce as his new sidekick. These clips are early in their lifetime partnership, but it's easy to see why they made it last.
3. "Racing In The Streets" The vocals are just okay in this 2009 performance at The Paramount Theatre. This is one of Bruce's very best songs and he gives it just a B- rendition here. The magic comes at the 5-minute mark once the vocals are done and the guys cut loose.
I count seven musicians onstage rocking out in the best rendition of the "Racing" coda that I've heard yet. Roy Bittan is an amazing piano man and he demonstrates it here. All of these guys are in their late-50s or early 60s here, which is remarkable.
2. "Dancing In The Dark." Back to London we go for this one. Everybody is having fun here, from the horn section to Bruce and Stevie yukking it up on stage to the younger-than-you-might-expect crowd singing along.
The highlight is 88-year-old Adele Ann Springsteen, pulled on stage by her famous son for a little dancing. After a cue from Little Steven, sister Pamela is next on stage to bring the jam home.
1. "Hungry Heart." This clip is stunningly good concert footage from the 2016 tour stop at Washington, D.C. Lots of great stuff here, from the crowd signing the opening verse (a Bruce concert staple) to the band in a fun mood, matched by the crowd.
But Bruce is the star here as he wades deep into the audience, then crowdsurfs his way back to the stage. The man is 66 years old here. To be a great performer, you have to love performing and Bruce clearly does.
