Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - 1999-07-18 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (2022) [24/44]

With the first Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts in six years now fewer than 50 days away, a return to where their rebirth began feels fitting. East Rutherford, NJ 7/18/99 was only the band’s second US date on the Reunion tour. It followed a 36-show European leg that saw them playing beloved outtakes (finally released on Tracks), exploring the depths of their own catalog, and rounding into form ahead of an audacious 15-night stand at Continental Airlines Arena to kick off the American run.

The 7/18/99 recording, newly mixed from multitrack masters by Jon Altschiller, bears a strong sense of purpose and urgency for reconnection. How thrilling it must have been to not only hear “I Wanna Be With You” for the first time, but to take Bruce’s title statement literally as he calls in the band members one by one in the song’s intro. We want to be with you.

As commonplace as “Prove It All Night” might feel in hindsight, longtime fans hadn’t heard it played with the E Street Band in 14 years, and surely many others in attendance never had. These early Reunion shows were marked by bang-bang pacing at the top as the first two songs roll right into “Two Hearts.” Nils Lofgren may take the solo in “Prove It,” but Stevie Van Zandt’s return to the band is undeniable in his call-and-response backing vocals, which extend into “Two Hearts.”

“Trapped” was a standout when the band christened this building back in 1981; in 1999, Patti Scialfa’s vocals lift the chorus higher while modern keyboard textures from Roy Bittan and Danny Federici give “Trapped” a subtle recharge. “Darlington County” teases the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” for several bars before the rowdy road trip begins, giving Clarence Clemons his fifth fine showcase of the night already.

TRACKLIST

01. Bruce Springsteen - I Wanna Be With You
02. Bruce Springsteen - Prove It All Night
03. Bruce Springsteen - Two Hearts
04. Bruce Springsteen - Trapped
05. Bruce Springsteen - Darlington County
06. Bruce Springsteen - Factory
07. Bruce Springsteen - The River
01. Bruce Springsteen - Youngstown
02. Bruce Springsteen - Murder Incorporated
03. Bruce Springsteen - Badlands
04. Bruce Springsteen - Out in the Street
05. Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
06. Bruce Springsteen - Loose End
07. Bruce Springsteen - Sherry Darling
08. Bruce Springsteen - Working on the Highway
09. Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad
10. Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland
01. Bruce Springsteen - Light Of Day
02. Bruce Springsteen - Freehold
03. Bruce Springsteen - Stand On It
04. Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart
05. Bruce Springsteen - Bobby Jean
06. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
07. Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road
08. Bruce Springsteen - If I Should Fall Behind
09. Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope and Dreams



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