Bruce Springsteen made his long-awaited return to San Francisco after health issues caused the cancelation of a number of 2023 tour dates. Easter Sunday found the Chase Center packed to the rafters for the second of two Bay Area shows and when the lights suddenly dropped promptly at 7:45 PM, the crowd chanted “Bruce, Bruce…” as the 17-piece E-Street Band silently took the stage in the blackness.
As the lights came on, Springsteen greeted the fans with a “Happy Easter, it’s a religious crowd here tonight, I can tell.” By all appearances, it was indeed a spiritual experience for those life-long Springsteen fans as the band kicked into rarity “Light of Day,” an extra song from the Born in the USA recording sessions.
The nearly 3-hour set did as much justice to the Springsteen catalog as humanly possible, pleasing the die-hards with those rarities while ensuring that the hits weren’t missed. With 21 studio albums released, what that meant is that less than half of those albums were represented with Nebraska and 2022’s Only the Strong Survive notably absent. But no matter, it’s hard to complain too much when the 74-year-old frontman leaves it all on the stage.
Even for the casual fan, it was hard not to be impressed by Bruce and the E-Street band. Clearly showing no sign of his previous ailment, Bruce showed San Francisco why he is The Boss.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SETLIST
Light of Day
Lonesome Day
Night
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darlington County
Ghosts
Letter to You
The Promised Land
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
Hungry Heart
Nightshift (Commodores cover)
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because the Night (Patti Smith cover)
She’s the One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands
Thunder Road
ENCORE 1
Land of Hope and Dreams
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)
ENCORE 2
I’ll See You in My Dreams
