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The Magic Tour was
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
's 2007–2008
concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
of North America and
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
. The tour began October 2, 2007, in Hartford, Connecticut, and concluded August 30, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was his first tour with the E Street Band since 2004's Vote for Change shows and the first prolonged outing with them since the 2002–2003 Rising Tour."Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band Announce First Full Scale Tour Of US & Europe Since 2003"
,
Shore Fire Media Shore Fire Media is a public relations firm based in Brooklyn, New York that specializes in entertainment and popular culture. According to ''Variety,'' at 21 nominations, Shore Fire Media had the largest number of Grammy Award nods of any public r ...
, August 28, 2007. Accessed August 28, 2007.
After the conclusion of the tour's first leg on November 19, 2007, organist
Danny Federici Daniel Paul Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player and a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In 2014, Federici was posthumously induct ...
took a leave of absence from the tour, to pursue treatment for melanoma."Statement"
,
Shore Fire Media Shore Fire Media is a public relations firm based in Brooklyn, New York that specializes in entertainment and popular culture. According to ''Variety,'' at 21 nominations, Shore Fire Media had the largest number of Grammy Award nods of any public r ...
, November 21, 2007.
He was replaced by
Charles Giordano Charles Giordano (born October 13, 1954) is an American keyboardist and accordionist. Giordano is known primarily for his work with Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band, replacing Danny Federici as the band's organist following th ...
, who had played with Springsteen on the 2006 Sessions Band Tour. Federici made his only return to the stage on March 20, 2008, during the tour's third leg, when he appeared for portions of a show in Indianapolis. He died on April 17, 2008; the next two shows of the tour were postponed. The Magic Tour was one of the biggest tours of the year and won the 2008
Billboard Touring Awards The ''Billboard'' Live Music Awards (previously known as the ''Billboard'' Touring Conference and Awards until 2018) is an annual meeting sponsored by ''Billboard'' magazine that honors the top international live entertainment industry artists an ...
for Top Tour, Top Draw, and Top Manager (for
Jon Landau Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and re ...
). The Magic Tour had the second-highest gross worldwide for 2008 in Billboard's rankings, with $204.5 million and trailing only Bon Jovi's
Lost Highway Tour The Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi in support of their 10th studio album, '' Lost Highway''. It took place from October 2007 to July 2008. Originally planned as a 2008 greatest hits tour, the tour wa ...
. In
Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. History and profile Founded in 1981 in Fr ...
's calculus for North America, the Magic Tour had the sixth-highest gross for 2008 at $69.3 million. In any case, in total over its two years, the Magic Tour grossed more than $235 million.


Itinerary

On August 28, 2007, it was announced on Bruce Springsteen's website that there would be a tour with the
E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
immediately concurrent with the release of his album ''
Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
''."BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND ANNOUNCE FIRST FULL SCALE TOUR OF US & EUROPE SINCE 2003"
, Brucespringsteen.com, August 28, 2007. Accessed August 28, 2007.
The two first-announced legs followed the practice established during the 2002–2003 Rising Tour, of quickly visiting cities in North America followed by the same in
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
. Possible lengthier engagements, or dates in areas outside the Northeastern United States, where Springsteen's commercial appeal had dimmed, were viewed as additional legs in 2008. In an interview at the time of the tour's announcement, Springsteen made clear that this outing would be a return to expectations after the substantial stylistic departures of the solo, multi-instrumental 2005
Devils & Dust Tour The Devils & Dust Tour was a 2005 concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage on a variety of instruments. It followed the release of his 2005 album ''Devils & Dust''. The tour was named the Top Small Venue Tour of 2005 b ...
and the big folk 2006 Sessions Band Tour: "Yeah — I'll be playing the ''rock'' music this time.""Dates are set; Bruce revs up E Street Machine for Fall"
Backstreets.com, August 28, 2007. Accessed August 30, 2007.
''Magic'' selections would be likely heavily featured, as they were written for playing in concert. And he shot down fan speculation that (with band members getting on in age and health and drummer Max Weinberg likely heading to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
when Conan O'Brien would take over ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' in 2009) this might be a farewell tour – "I envision the band carrying on for many, many, many more years. There ain't gonna be any farewell tour.... I'll never do that, man — you're only gonna know that when you don't see me no more" – as did band members the following year. As per past Springsteen practice, the tour proper was preceded by a couple of weeks of the band holding closed rehearsals at
Asbury Park Convention Hall Asbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It was built between 1928 and 1930 and is used for sports, concerts and other special ...
– but now with loudspeakers playing local radio stations positioned outside the hall to foil the Springsteen faithful who gathered outside the building to hear a glimpse of the
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
s and arrangements to come. This was followed by two rehearsal shows (which doubled as charity benefits) at Convention Hall on September 24 and 25, an early morning appearance on ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...
s concert series on
Rockefeller Plaza Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
on September 28,"Rocking Rockefeller Plaza: Bruce & the E Street Band live on Today, Sept. 28"
Backstreets.com, August 30, 2007. Accessed August 30, 2007.
and another, small-audience rehearsal at
Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
that night. The first, North American leg began at the
Hartford Civic Center Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
on October 2, 2007, and played in
arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
s through two shows at the
TD Banknorth Garden TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...
in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, concluding November 19. The second, European leg began on November 25 at the
Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (English: ''Sports Palace of the Regional Community of Madrid''), officially WiZink Center since November 2016 for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor sporting arena located in Madrid, Spain. The forme ...
and finished at
The O2 The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, and restaurants. It was built largely withi ...
in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on December 19. As customary on some other Springsteen tours, a two-month winter holiday break was then taken. The third, North American leg again started up at the Hartford Civic Center, on February 28, 2008, playing both previously visited and not markets, in arenas. It concluded on May 2, 2008, at
BankAtlantic Center FLA Live Arena (previously known as the National Car Rental Center, Office Depot Center, BankAtlantic Center, and BB&T Center) is an indoor arena located next to Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida. It is the home venue for the Florida Panthers ...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (The leg's conclusion was followed by a special out-of-tour, very-high-priced benefit show May 7 for and at the
Count Basie Theatre The Count Basie Center for the Arts is a landmarked performing arts center in Red Bank, New Jersey, United States. In 1926, the building opened as the "Carlton Theater" became the "Monmouth Arts Center" in 1973, and was renamed "Count Basie The ...
in
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York Metropolitan ...
, where Springsteen's classic 1970s albums ''
Darkness on the Edge of Town ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is the fourth studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractu ...
'' and ''
Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
'' were played in sequence in their entirety.) Meanwhile, both arenas and stadiums were scheduled for a fourth, European leg to take place in mid-May through mid-July 2008, beginning at the
RDS Arena RDS Arena is a multi-purpose sports stadium, owned by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and located in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge, Ireland. The arena was developed to host equestrian events, primarily the annual Dublin Horse Show, which was ...
in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. The fifth and final leg of the tour would return to North America for a few stadium and mostly arena or smaller outdoor venue shows, starting at Giants Stadium in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and visiting such places as
Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...
, Richmond, Virginia,
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, and the like. The tour officially marked its end at the
Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
105th Anniversary Celebration in
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
on August 30, 2008, which ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' viewed as "a very odd way to end an epic tour." A more extensive final leg, running into the autumn, was "in the works" but scrapped in mid-June 2008. Fans, however, still hoped for something after the Harley show, and were rewarded when plans were announced for Springsteen and the E Street Band to play the halftime show at
Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
, with strong speculation extending to a new album in early 2009 and a tour run before Max Weinberg went to California for ''
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late N ...
''.


The show

When the tour opened at the
Hartford Civic Center Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, several things were immediately apparent. The show was clearly shorter than in years past, beginning at around 8:30 and ending at around 10:45. However more songs were played than could be extrapolated from this time, given past practice, due to the omission of elongated numbers with stage hijinks, and in particular no long monologues or band intros. As guitarist
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...
said of the tour's start, "Bruce tried to do an experiment with condensing everything, covering all the emotional territory he needed to." Soozie Tyrell, while now clearly not an official member of the E Street Band by analysis of publicity material, tour T-shirts and the like, was nonetheless a full member on-stage, appearing on every song with some combination of
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
, acoustic guitar, and
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
. On the front line of the stage, age was taking its toll: on one side
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for The E Street Band. Clemons released several s ...
was once again sitting in a chair when not playing his
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
or
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
parts and needing a steadying hand for getting on and off stage, while
Danny Federici Daniel Paul Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player and a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In 2014, Federici was posthumously induct ...
was also looking a little frail. On the other side, not only was Springsteen's
teleprompter A teleprompter, also known as an autocue, is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to using cue cards. The screen is in front of, and usually be ...
(a fixture since the early 1990s) still in view, but sidekick
Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...
had his own (for lyrics) as did wife and band member
Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
(for guitar chords). In the latter respect, however, the show featured a breakthrough: the first Scialfa song played in its entirety, the mid-set "A Town Called Heartbreak", which would continue to be played intermittently on the first leg of the tour. Drummer Max Weinberg also had a small teleprompter within his drum kit, showing lyrics, unusual in that Weinberg does not sing onstage. The
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
heavily leaned on ''Magic'' material, as might be expected, with '' The Rising'' initially also well represented. The 1970s were also featured, with a number of songs off ''
Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
'' and ''
Darkness on the Edge of Town ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is the fourth studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractu ...
''. Thematically, the show was organized in recent Springsteen fashion, with certain fixed sequences that appeared every night, interspersed with "wild card" sequences in which a variety of recent or old songs might appear. Shows usually began with a
calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muse ...
playing "
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a 19th-century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard ...
" as the band took the stage, followed by several calls out from the darkness by Springsteen — "Is there anybody ''alive'' out there!?" Then, as might be expected, ''Magic'''s first single "
Radio Nowhere "Radio Nowhere" is the first single released from Bruce Springsteen's 2007 studio album ''Magic''. It was awarded Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards of 2008. History The song is an up-tempo, electric guita ...
" and its expression of social longing began the concert. This was followed by some older number such as " The Ties That Bind" or "
No Surrender No Surrender may refer to: Politics * "No Surrender!", a British Unionist slogan originating from Siege of Derry now used in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England *No Surrender (to the IRA), a political chant since used by England football fans ...
" that supplied that social connection, and then by ''The Risings " Lonesome Day" to balance the equation. The next part of the show brought out ''Magic'''s political undercurrents, first with a spoken introduction to "Magic" that made clear that song's understated lyric: "This is about living in times when the truth gets twisted into lies and lies get twisted into truth. So, it's not about magic. It's about tricks." Thus set up to follow was just that, a trick: yet another at-first-puzzling rendition of the always challenging "Reason to Believe". The ''
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
'' closer was transformed from a low-key acoustic number to a heavy-hitting, harmonica-driven, boogie-woogie blues rock version, with Springsteen pumping up the audience with phantom overhand throwing motions ... all for a song that represented, despite frequent misinterpretations, a void empty of hope; only a return of the
Devils & Dust Tour The Devils & Dust Tour was a 2005 concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage on a variety of instruments. It followed the release of his 2005 album ''Devils & Dust''. The tour was named the Top Small Venue Tour of 2005 b ...
's ultra-distorting "bullet mic" at the end served to reveal a bit of the deceit. An explicit
public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...
rap during "Livin' in the Future" listed Springsteen's complaints about developments in American during the
George W. Bush administration George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following a narrow victory over Democratic ...
, including
extraordinary rendition Extraordinary rendition is a euphemism for state-sponsored forcible abduction in another jurisdiction and transfer to a third state. The phrase usually refers to a United States-led program used during the War on Terror, which had the purpos ...
, illegal wiretapping,
voter suppression Voter suppression is a strategy used to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing specific groups of people from voting. It is distinguished from political campaigning in that campaigning attempts to change likely voting ...
, no habeas corpus, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the continuing
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...
. "The Promised Land" followed by wild card slots would then alleviate the mood. Another fixed, socio-political sequence occurred at the end of the main set, "Devil's Arcade" into " The Rising" into "Last to Die" into " Long Walk Home" into "
Badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...
"; in an interview, Springsteen said of the transition out of "The Rising" and into "Last to Die", signalling the course of American society from the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
to the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...
, "The whole night is going to turn on that segue. That's what we're up there for right now, that thirty seconds." Encores started with the relaxed lament of the new "
Girls in Their Summer Clothes "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" is a song by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, from his album '' Magic''. Matched with a pop-oriented melody, Springsteen's full-throated singing, and a pop-orchestral arrangement, the lyric portrays a s ...
". This was followed by pot luck back catalog choices, often involving one of his long epics, the inevitable "
Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
", a celebratory " Dancing in the Dark", and as the show finalé, "American Land". This, the only holdover from the Sessions Band Tour, featured Clemons on
pennywhistle The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, putting it in the same class as the recorder, Native American flute, and other woodwind instruments that meet such criteria. ...
, both Federici and Bittan on accordion and joining Tyrell and the others on the front stage line, in an up-tempo
jig The jig ( ga, port, gd, port-cruinn) is a form of lively folk dance in compound metre, as well as the accompanying dance tune. It is most associated with Irish music and dance. It first gained popularity in 16th-century Ireland and parts of ...
that sought to convey the whole tale of
immigration to the United States Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. In absolute numbers, the United States has a larger immigrant population than any other country in the worl ...
. As such it careened wildly in purpose between a rousing closer and a message summation; these dual roles were found in the start with Springsteen's exclamation over drums, “It’s your country, don’t let anyone take it from you!”Erik Remec
"Bruce Springsteen - Magic"
''FREE! Magazine'' Reprint, Retrieved June 14, 2012.
and was emphasized as the tour went on, when the large video screens above the stage began scrolling the lyrics as the song played, and then illustrated Springsteen's quick-paced band intro spiel with 1960s '' Batman''-styled cartoon bursts: E! Street! Band! The European second leg featured very enthusiastic crowds and shows lengthening towards two and a half hours, but also largely static set lists, possibly due to stand-in organist Charlie Giordano needing time to learn the Springsteen oeuvre. By the North American third leg, set lists were slightly loosened, with "
Night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...
" or other choices often preceding "Radio Nowhere" as the show opener. Oddball selections showed up more as wild cards or audibles, sometimes prompted by audience signs held up in the pit below the stage. The signs practice became more frequent starting in March, and eventually built up into a tradition that would carry over to the band's next tour. Clemons' chair was now comically upgraded to a gilded
throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...
, with a tambourine placed next to it so he could play along on songs where he was catching a breather. His role overall was not diminished, however, as "
Jungleland "Jungleland" is the closing song on Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album ''Born to Run''. It contains one of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons' most recognizable solos. It also features short-time E Streeter Suki Lahav, who performs the deli ...
" and his longest and most famous saxophone solo began appearing more often in the encores. "Long Walk Home" gained more emphasis, with
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...
and especially
Steve Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...
adding their own vocal parts during the coda. Once the tour resumed following Federici's death, the existing structure began to break down. For the first seven shows, a video montage about Federici, set to past-tour-finale-song "Blood Brothers", was shown preceding the start. Many old songs were performed, both well known, such as " Growin' Up", and songs which had remained virtually unplayed for 20 years, such as " Wild Billy's Circus Story". ''Magic'' slots were reduced and its songs put on rotation; the middle of the set became extremely varied, with "Livin' in the Future" and " She's the One" the only constants. "The Promised Land", which had been a mid-set regular, was moved to various places in the set lists. Encore length varied, but again "Born to Run" and "American Land" remained the only constants. The band found that playing shows helped them to cope with the emotional effects of the loss of Federici. On the European outdoor summer's leg, where unlike in the U.S. Springsteen was still a stadium-level attraction, the shows became increasingly longer, a pattern that had been taking hold throughout the tour. The
Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium ( fi, Helsingin Olympiastadion; sv, Helsingfors Olympiastadion), located in the Töölö district about from the centre of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used ...
show in
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
ran past three hours, containing no less than 31 songs (in that metric, the longest show of Springsteen's since 1993 on the "Other Band" Tour and the longest of
E-Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing car ...
since 1988). As the tour left Helsinki, the group had played a total of 117 different songs over 87 shows, the list having been expanded in Europe with rarities like "
I'm on Fire "I'm on Fire" is a song written and performed by American rock performer Bruce Springsteen. Released in 1985, it was the fourth single from his album '' Born in the U.S.A.'' History "I'm on Fire" was first recorded in January 1982 during the f ...
", " Held Up Without a Gun", " For You", "Drive All Night", "Rendezvous", "
Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the ''Bi ...
", " Cover Me", and "None But the Brave". Front pit audience signs and Springsteen audibles from same were now a constant feature of every show; never having been done by the band before, the Springsteen official website said that "All of us have been enjoying the signs and banners with song requests," and requested that they be kept a reasonable size during the upcoming final American leg. In some cases, songs were audibled that the band had not rehearsed at all, and arrangements were made up on the spot. Clemons, Lofgren, and Weinberg all indicated they enjoyed the new unexpectedness of the shows. ''Magic'' selections, in contrast, were sometimes down to four from their original usual eight. E Streeter
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...
described the state of the show in an interview after the end of this European leg: "The band, musically, is in the best shape we've ever been, I think. The whole show has become one long improv/audible now; sometimes pringsteenchanges the first song on the way to the stage, and usually by the second song he's calling audibles, so the set list is useless. It's fun to be part of something ... where a band leader can do that much improv and get away with it and have a band that'll deliver and make it work. So, it's all really a pretty historic run, from my perspective." The fifth and final U.S. leg began with three shows at home's Giants Stadium, seen at the time as possibly Springsteen's last there. The opening "
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is the second song on Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough album ''Born to Run'', released in 1975. Content The song tells the story of the formation of the E Street Band. The meaning of the title is unclear. Even Springs ...
" had the upper deck literally shaking, while Lofgren's impromptu
somersault A somersault (also ''flip'', ''heli'', and in gymnastics ''salto'') is an acrobatic exercise in which a person's body rotates 360° around a horizontal axis with the feet passing over the head. A somersault can be performed forwards, backwards ...
during " Because the Night" astounded everyone, especially since Lofgren was headed to double
hip replacement surgery Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement o ...
after the tour. The practice of longer shows and of songs played for sign requests continued. The latter was now cued by an extended drumbeat for "
Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the ''Bi ...
" or "
Light of Day ''Light of Day'' is a 1987 American musical drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Gena Rowlands and Joan Jett in her film debut. It was written and directed by Paul Schrader. The original music score was composed by Thomas Newman and the cinemato ...
" while Springsteen collected and assessed the many signs. The fourth and fifth legs also featured a new "Build Me a House" stage rap from Springsteen, located in 15-minute renditions of "Mary's Place"; the rap would carry over onto the next tour, albeit in a different song. Springsteen obscurities continued to be played, although the stadium audiences would be inattentive for quiet, intense numbers such as "Drive All Night". In other cases, the band would hash out onstage the key to play "
It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his debut album '' Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' in 1973. It is about a young man growing up on the streets of a city, and who is trying to stay g ...
" in. The biggest surprise was "Crush on You", which had not been performed since
The River Tour The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album '' The River''. Itinerary The first leg of the tour took plac ...
in 1980; Springsteen explained why by saying, "We firmly believe this is the worst song we ever put on a record." Show lengths and energy were such that Lofgren sometimes wondered whether the audience was up to handling extra songs in the encores. Beginning with the
Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...
show, one-off renditions of old 1960s songs that Springsteen had heard growing up, and that he and the band had played decades before, began showing up in set lists, sometimes taking up to as many five slots in a show. Such numbers included "
Pretty Flamingo "Pretty Flamingo" is a song written by Mark Barkan, which became a hit in 1966 when Manfred Mann's recording of it was released as a single. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 5 May 1966. Manfred Mann's recording was a minor ...
", "
Little Latin Lupe Lu "Little Latin Lupe Lu" was written by Bill Medley in 1962, and became the song that launched The Righteous Brothers' career. Though it peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 49 on June 8, 1963, Medley and his partner, Bobby Hatfield, were ...
", "
You Can't Sit Down "You Can't Sit Down" was originally recorded in 1959 as "Can't Sit Down" by The Bim Bam Boos on Dasher Records catalogue number D-500 and credited to Dasher - Muldrow; it featured Philip Upchurch on guitar and Cornell Muldrow on organ. Backgroun ...
", "
Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" is a song first recorded by Dick Holler & the Holidays, written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter. It was later recorded by the Swingin' Medallions who released it as their second single in 1966. Peaking at #17 on ...
", " Gloria", "
I Fought the Law "I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the ''Rolling Stone'' lis ...
", " Then She Kissed Me", " Mountain of Love", "
It's All Over Now "It's All Over Now" is a song written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack. It was first released by The Valentinos, featuring Bobby Womack, in 1964. The Rolling Stones heard it on its release and quickly recorded a cover versio ...
" (with Soozie Tyrell taking her first lead vocal with the E Street Band), and "
Boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...
" (with Max Weinberg surprisingly doing the same). In the final stretch of shows, Springsteen expressed the freedom to take on anything and everything. The tour's final performance at
Harleyfest Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
featured Danny Federici's son Jason playing accordion on " Sandy", followed by venue-thematic selections such as "
Wooly Bully "Wooly Bully" is a song originally recorded by novelty rock and roll band Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1964. Based on a standard 12-bar blues progression, it was written by the band's frontman, Domingo "Sam" Samudio. It was released as a sin ...
", "Gypsy Biker", " Racing in the Street", and a tour finale of "
Born to be Wild "Born to Be Wild" is a song written by Mars Bonfire and first performed by the band Steppenwolf. The song is often invoked in both popular and counter culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude. It is most notably featured in the 1969 f ...
". By the conclusion, some 144 to 148 different songs had been played, depending upon how snippets were counted. At the conclusion of the Harley show, Springsteen told the audience, "We just had the greatest tour of our lives." Springsteen would later say that the Magic Tour constituted "some of the most exciting shows we've ever done." And Springsteen echoed the sentiment he expressed before the tour's start, that it was not a swansong for the band, at the final show of it, saying "We'll be seein' ya ... we're only just getting started."


Critical and commercial reception

Reviews of the Magic Tour have been generally favorable. The ''
New Haven Register The ''New Haven Register'' is a daily newspaper published in New Haven, Connecticut. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The Register's main office is located at 100 Gando Drive in New Haven. The ''Register'' was established about 1812 and ...
'' found the band "ripping through a spirited set" on opening night and judged Weinberg, Van Zandt, and Clemons as the main stars of the performance besides Springsteen. The paper also profiled fans who had come from nearby states to see the opener. A
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' of a Madison Square Garden show two weeks later framed the performance thusly: The '' Syracuse New Times'' summed an
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...
show late in the first leg as "a masterful presentation of Springsteen’s new album ''Magic'' and a few moments of his mumbling political cajoling, all wrapped up in a joyous rock’n’roll revival replete with his most famous hits going back to the 1970s." North American ticket sales during the first leg were generally strong. Prime markets in the Northeast sold out in less than ten minutes. The faithful knew, as usual, that this was only the beginning of the ticket acquisition process, as the later secondary market — online ticket outlet drops of held-back allotments, later drops due to stage setup revelations, day of show drop lines, online forum exchanges, and
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
— all offered opportunities for success. The first, North American leg garnered $38.2 million in ticket revenues, making it the 14th biggest grossing concert tour in North America for 2007. Springsteen saw more younger fans appearing in America than in a decade, while in Europe younger fans were constantly replenishing his fan base. Meanwhile, over in Europe, the
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
concert, which went on sale first on August 30, sold out in about ten minutes. The
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
concert sold out in eight minutes, setting a venue record for
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...
; thousands left standing outside the venue, other ticket outlets, or phone or online users, were left quite frustrated. Most of the tickets were bought my major companies and sold on eBay or other websites for hundreds of pounds. The Belgian concert was sold out in a few minutes, the booking site having experienced constant lag. On the show's third leg, the ''
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle The ''Democrat and Chronicle'' is a daily newspaper serving the greater Rochester, New York, area. At 245 East Main Street in downtown Rochester, the ''Democrat and Chronicle'' operates under the ownership of Gannett. The paper's production fac ...
'' praised the show's concentration on newer material and detected implicit support for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. In a ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' interview Springsteen professed admiration for both Obama's effort and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, although he seemed to have a greater affinity for the former: "I always look at my work as trying to measure the distance between American promise and American reality. And I think
bama Bama or BAMA may refer to: Places * Bama, shortened form of Alabama, a state of the United States of America ** The University of Alabama, the public university serving the state, often known as simply ''Bama'' * Bama, one of the colloquial Burm ...
s inspired a lot of people with that idea: How do you make that distance shorter? How do we create a more humane society? We've lived through such ugly times that people want to have a romance with the idea of America again, and I think they need to." The '' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' saw the concert there as exemplifying Springsteen's ability to have "dark words ride along on a buoyant pop melody", terming the enterprise "an exercise in danceable agitation." Commercially, though, the third leg was softer, with most of its shows not sold out. Moreover, when tickets went on sale in December 2007 for three hometown, summer 2008, fifth-leg Giants Stadium shows, they did not come close to selling out right away, and may never have. This paled in comparison to the fast sales and many added dates for
The Rising Tour The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003. It followed the release of their 2002 album '' The Rising''. Itin ...
's Giants Stadium stand in 2003; theories advanced included poor sales timing before the holiday season and way in advance of the shows, a worsening U.S. economy, stagnant European second leg set lists, and aftereffects of Springsteen's Vote for Change explicit political stances and non-E Street Band tours. Nevertheless, the Giants Stadium stand grossed over $14 million, and was the fifth-highest concert stand gross for 2008. For the first half of 2008, the Magic Tour third leg was the second-highest grossing tour in North America, garnering $40.8 million, behind Bon Jovi's
Lost Highway Tour The Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi in support of their 10th studio album, '' Lost Highway''. It took place from October 2007 to July 2008. Originally planned as a 2008 greatest hits tour, the tour wa ...
for that period but ahead of the Van Halen 2007–2008 Tour. The European outdoor fourth leg was very strong commercially, selling out or nearly selling out its shows. The '' Billboard'' Boxscore Top Ten Concert Grosses report for the issue the week after the leg ended showed the first nine positions all held by Magic Tour shows; the highest grossing was the two nights at
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
's Camp Nou, where 143,804 total attendees brought in over $14 million gross. By the tour's finishing fifth leg, critical reaction was again strong. Of the penultimate show in
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, '' Billboard'' wrote that the band had "unleash dan epic, loose show that wowed the unwowable and flapped the unflappable." Ticketmaster Entertainment's TicketsNow portal reported that the average resale price of a 2008 Magic Tour ticket had been $235, sixth highest among touring acts for the year.


Personnel


The E Street Band

* Bruce Springsteen - lead vocals,
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...
, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, very occasional
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
*
Roy Bittan Roy J. Bittan (born July 2, 1949) is an American musician best known as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Professor", Bittan joined the E Street Band in 1974. He plays the piano, organ, accordion and synthe ...
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
, synthesizer, accordion *
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for The E Street Band. Clemons released several s ...
tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...
, baritone saxophone,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
,
pennywhistle The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, putting it in the same class as the recorder, Native American flute, and other woodwind instruments that meet such criteria. ...
,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
*
Danny Federici Daniel Paul Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player and a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In 2014, Federici was posthumously induct ...
organ, electronic glockenspiel, accordion (first leg, one appearance on third leg) *
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...
rhythm guitar,
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...
, pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
*
Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
-
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
, some featured
lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
and duet vocals, acoustic guitar *
Garry Tallent Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being bass player and founding member of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band si ...
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, occasional
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
*
Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...
rhythm guitar,
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...
, mandolin,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
, occasional featured
lead vocal The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
* Max Weinbergdrums, one surprise
lead vocal The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
with: *
Charles Giordano Charles Giordano (born October 13, 1954) is an American keyboardist and accordionist. Giordano is known primarily for his work with Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band, replacing Danny Federici as the band's organist following th ...
organ, accordion,
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
(second and subsequent legs), very occasional
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
* Soozie Tyrell -
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
, acoustic guitar,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
, some featured duet vocals when Scialfa absent, one
lead vocal The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
guest musicians: *
The Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member S ...
* Jon Bon Jovi * Joe Ely *
Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk ...
*
Joe Grushecky Joe Grushecky (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a rock musician in the United States known for his work with the Iron City Houserockers in the late 1970s and early 1980s; and for his works since the late the 1980s with his act Joe Grushecky and T ...
*
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
The beginning line-up was unchanged from the 2002–2003 Rising Tour. Scialfa missed a number of shows in the North American first leg, and all the shows in the European second leg, due to family duties. She missed all but one of the shows in the North American third leg as well, with Springsteen giving different humorous explanations at each stop for her absence, all revolving around their teenage children misbehaving. Scialfa said she was staying home to enjoy the last year of all three children being together, and to be fully involved in their eldest child's college application and decision process. Despite vowing to attend the European fourth leg, she missed all of those shows as well, until the Spanish ones near the end. She was at the first four shows of the fifth leg, then missed the rest of those too.


Broadcasts and recordings

Early on the first leg, the starting three songs (one more than planned) of the October 10, 2007
Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
show were broadcast live over
VH1 Classic MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Smooth, VH1 Classic Rock, and VH1 Classic) is an American pay television network owned by Paramount Media Networks. It was originally launched in 1998 as VH1 Smooth, an adult contemporary and smooth jazz channel. It w ...
. Throughout much of the tour, video clips of one performance from a show, usually cut down to a one- to two-minute excerpt, would be posted on Springsteen's official website. On July 4, 2008, with much fanfare,
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially lau ...
's E Street Radio channel broadcast selected songs from the show that day at the
Ullevi Ullevi, sometimes known as Nya Ullevi (, ''New Ullevi''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then has also hosted the World Allround Speed Skating Championships six times; the ...
in
Göteborg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a p ...
, Sweden, although in practice there was much more of host Dave Marsh talking with phone callers than there was of the concert. On July 15, 2008, Springsteen released the live audio and video EP '' Magic Tour Highlights'', which collected guest appearances from the third leg, including Federici's only return. Several shows were released as part of the Bruce Springsteen Archives: * '' Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO, 8/23/08'', released April 14, 2017 * ''TD Banknorth Garden, Boston 11/19/07'', released April 6, 2018 * ''St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL April 22, 2008'', released February 1, 2019 *Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NC April 28, 2008 released November 6, 2020 *Indianapolis Consesco Fieldhouse March 20, 2008 released October 22, 2021. *Nashville Sommett Center August 21, 2008 released December 2, 2022.


Tour dates


Songs performed

Source: http://www.brucespringsteen.net


See also

*
List of highest grossing concert tours This is an incomplete list of the highest-grossing concert tours. Only tours using reliable references and having grossed over $100 million (adjusted for inflation) have been added to the list. Some of the gross may be higher than reported ...


References


External links


Bruce Springsteen (Official Site) Magic Tour News


{{Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen concert tours 2007 concert tours 2008 concert tours