Screenshot via @AnnMarieLussier
Judging from the excellent live stream of the March Madness Music Festival, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are ready to dive full-steam into their all-too-brief (so far) U.S. spring tour. (Although Bruce did look like the rain and cold were taking their toll on him by the end, even if his energy never flagged — maybe he should have worn a funny hat.)
Funny hats.
Still, a few questions remain:
1) Will Patti be back? I’d like to think so, but her March Madness appearance is probably keeping with her recent practice of showing up only for higher-profile and televised shows — and her solo gig announced for Sting’s Rainforest concert April 17, when Bruce will be performing in Nashville, would seem to indicate she won’t be an ESB mainstay for this leg. Still, psyched to see her doing her own thing again — could a solo tour be in the offing? We vote yes.
2) What about Stevie? While there haven’t been any official announcements, his wife the marvelous Maureen Van Zandt has tweeted that Stevie will probably be at only a few shows this leg, thanks to his commitment to “Lillyhammer,” which has apparently become the most popular TV show in Norway since, well, ever. (It’s like M*A*S*H with gangsters and snow.) But you can bet he’ll be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday. That’s been a long time comin’, as they say.
3) Are more dates coming? Scuttlebutt is that the U.S. dates currently on the schedule are the only ones we’ll see for a while — no summer shows are in the works. But the wishful-thinking crowd is convinced that we’ll see Northeast stadium dates in and around August, just because. (We can dream, can’t we?)
4) Is bringing small children and tone-deaf college girls onstage becoming an every-song kind of thing? Because I’m against it.
5) Might Bruce Springsteen be tapped as the 47th lead signer for Van Halen? Again, against it.
Regardless, there’s no denying the excitement in the air as Cincinnati — and our own Anne Haines — readies for the official, non-festival U.S. tour kickoff tonight. Check back as always for setlist and post-show commentary, and pictures of whatever funny hats might be worn.