The River Tour (2016)
The River Tour[3] was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in support of Springsteen's 2015 The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set and in celebration of the 35th anniversary of Springsteen's 1980 album, The River.[4] The River Tour 2016 ended in September 2016, however dates in 2017 were added using the same promotional image from the original legs, and the tour was subsequently billed as Summer '17.[5]
Tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | |
Associated album | The Ties That Bind: The River Collection |
---|---|
Start date | January 16, 2016 |
End date | February 25, 2017 |
Legs | 4 |
No. of shows | 47 in North America 28 in Europe 14 in Oceania (Summer '17 tour) 89 in Total |
Box office | $306.5 million[1][2] |
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert chronology |
The River 2016 Tour was the top grossing worldwide tour of 2016 pulling in $268.3 million globally and was the highest-grossing tour since 2014 for any artist topping Taylor Swift's 2015 tour which grossed $250.1 million.[6] Springsteen and the E Street Band also hold the biggest Boxscore for 2016, with the May 27 and 29 shows at Dublin's Croke Park taking in $19,228,100 from 160,188 attendance for two sellout shows.[7]
The tour marked the first tour in two years for Springsteen and the E Street Band. All shows on the first North American leg of tour and some shows from the second leg featured a full-length sequential performance of The River album. The other shows have featured a large part of the album performed, albeit not always in album order.[8] Many of the shows have lasted over three and a half hours with around 33 songs being performed. Springsteen broke his longest show record in the United States a few times towards the end of the tour. His show on September 7, 2016 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia clocked in at 4 hours and 4 minutes, Springsteen's longest show in the United States, and the second longest ever in his career, at just two minutes shy of his 2012 show in Helsinki.[9]
Background
Springsteen released The Ties That Bind: The River Collection on December 4, 2015. The extensive box set features the original 1980 The River album along with many outtakes from those sessions. Along with the full album performance (for part of the tour), songs from Springsteen's other albums will be performed and it is possible that select outtakes from the box set will be performed live, some likely for the first time.
Rumors of shows or a full tour in support of the box set spread amongst fans and the media in the months prior to the release of the box set. In November 2015 it was announced that Springsteen and the E Street Band would perform on the December 19, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live which further fueled the rumors of a tour possibly starting in December or early 2016. The tour was announced on December 4, 2015 with tickets going on sale seven days later. The River Tour 2016 was extended with more added dates on January 24, 2016; with a rumored Las Vegas date that would be aired on HBO being cancelled.[10] On January 27, Springsteen announced 15 new dates to added to the tour.[11][12] On May 9, 2016, Springsteen announced he was extending the tour with eight late summer in the United States at mostly outdoor stadiums.[13]
The tour in support of the box set came unexpectedly as Springsteen was working on a new solo album and planned to tour in support of it however with it already being two years since his last tour with the E Street Band he didn't want to delay things even further with them. In November 2015, Springsteen and manager Jon Landau discussed how they wanted to promote the box set. Landau suggested performing The River at a few small shows in New York City and Los Angeles; however, Springsteen said it would take too long to rehearse and suggested doing twenty shows. Drummer Max Weinberg said he got the call from Springsteen on Thanksgiving, a week before the tour was announced to the public. "In all of my professional engagements, I have what I call the Springsteen Clause. It's inviolate. It's my own version of force majeure. It's an act of God or Bruce Springsteen. And it works all the time." Weinberg said. Nils Lofgren had to change dates on his solo tour, while Gary Tallent had to postpone his.[14][15][16]
This will be the first tour in which all dates will feature the same album performed in its entirety. Unlike the previous few tours, the touring lineup will be downsized and will not feature a full horn section or backing vocalists.[17]"I knew the basis of the show was going to be The River, and that was a small rock group. The tighter lineup feels much more like the old days", Springsteen said. Like previous tours, Patti Scialfa hasn't been present at every show due to her responsibilities as a mother supporting her daughter in her equestrian career. Due to Patti not being present at every show, along with no choir, Garry Tallent, standing in Patti's spot on stage, sang backup vocals on a consistent basis on the front line this tour.
The original River Tour began in October 1980 and continued through September 1981. With sets that regularly approached the four-hour range, the 140-date international tour firmly established a reputation for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as marathon performers.
Itinerary
North American leg 1
The tour got underway in Pittsburgh on January 16, 2016. Each show so far has kicked off with "Meet Me in the City" followed by the full album performance of The River and concluded with a twelve-song set featuring songs from the rest of Springsteen's catalog usually finishing the night with a cover of The Isley Brothers' classic, "Shout". At the first show in Pittsburgh, Springsteen and the E Street Band performed "Rebel Rebel" in tribute to David Bowie who had died earlier that week. Two nights later at the tour's second show, Springsteen gave an acoustic solo performance of "Take It Easy" in tribute to Glenn Frey who had died the previous day.[18] The show scheduled for January 24, 2016 at Madison Square Garden was postponed due to Winter Storm Jonas, a record setting snowstorm that hit the East Coast. The show was rescheduled for March 28. As a gift to fans due to the postponed concert, Springsteen made the MP3 download of his Chicago performance free for two days.[19] At Springsteen's Washington, D.C. stop he dedicated "No Surrender" to Ryan Chalmers, a man who used the song as his anthem as he pushed his wheelchair across the United States for 71 days and over 3,000 miles. He also dedicated it as he had done at past concerts to the various military veterans attending which included Bobby Muller, president and co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America.[20] Peter Wolf joined the band providing vocals on "Shout" during the show of February 4, 2016 while Joe Grushecky and Johnny Grushecky made a surprise appearance during "Born to Run" at the show of February 23, 2016. At the Rochester, New York show, Springsteen performed "I Wanna Be With You" for only the third time since 1999. Eddie Vedder made a surprise appearance on March 24, 2016 in Seattle when he joined the band for "Bobby Jean". On April 14, 2016 Bob Seger surprised the Auburn Hills crowd by joining on stage to sing on "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" and "Shout". On April 23, 2016, at the first of two Brooklyn shows to end the first leg of the tour, Springsteen said that Brooklyn would mark "the last two nights we're officially playing The River from start to finish".[21] That night he opened with "Purple Rain" in tribute to Prince, who had just died. He made the song available as a free download on his website two days later. Chris Christie was among the crowd in Brooklyn on April 25 at the Barclays Center when Springsteen and the E Street band broke the venue's all-time attendance record. It marked the final night of the first leg of The River 2016 Tour and last show the band would be performing the entire album.[22]
European leg
Two nights later in San Sebastián, "Fire", "Murder Incorporated", "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" and "This Hard Land" made their tour debuts. On May 25, 2016 at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Springsteen performed "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" after he spotted a fan in the crowd wearing a Santa Claus suit holding aloft a sign reading "Santa Claus is coming to Manchester", and inviting him on stage to sing with him. At the second show in Dublin on May 29, 2016, Springsteen opened the show with a rare solo piano performance of "Incident on 57th Street", which also made its tour debut, and Bono made a surprise appearance joining Springsteen on "Because the Night". The performance in The Hague on June 14, 2016, marked the second appearance of "Jersey Girl" in Europe. On July 13, 2016 and for the first time since April at the final day of the first North American leg of the tour, The River was performed in its entirety. At the same show, Springsteen opened with a solo performance of "Iceman" marking only the third time ever the song has been performed and the first time it was performed outside of the United States. Three nights later in Italy on July 16, 2016, Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the show with a very rare and surprising "New York City Serenade" complete with a string section. Springsteen has only performed the song three times outside of New York City since 2000, twice in Italy in the past three years. Springsteen also dedicated "Land of Hope and Dreams" to the victims of the 2016 Nice truck attack a few days earlier. On July 20, 2016, Springsteen opened the show with "Dream Baby Dream" in tribute to Suicide's Alan Vega who died a few days earlier.
North American leg 2
Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the second North American leg of the tour on August 23, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey at MetLife Stadium. The show opened with a performance of "New York City Serenade" complete with string section headed by violinist and composer Sam Bardfeld (who was a member of The Sessions Band), and that song would become the opener for all shows on this leg of the tour. The show closed with a fireworks display during the song Jersey Girl (song), which also made several appearances on this leg. The second night of his three night stand at MetLife Stadium on August 25, 2016 featured a surprise appearance by Tom Morello who joined the band on several songs. The final MetLife Stadium performance on August 30 clocked in at over 4 hours and opened with a remarkable, unprecedented run of nine original songs written in 1973 or earlier, plus early live favorites Summertime Blues and Pretty Flamingo. The practice of playing a string of tracks from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle continued throughout the rest of this leg.
The show on September 3, 2016 in Virginia Beach was postponed until September 5, 2016 due to inclement weather. On September 7, 2016 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Springsteen again broke his longest show record clocking in at 4 hours and 4 minutes, which now stands as his longest show in the United States and second longest ever. The second night in Philadelphia featured original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez.[9] Springsteen performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2016, the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The show featured six songs from Springsteen's 9/11 inspired album, The Rising. Springsteen wrapped up The River Tour 2016 on September 14, 2016 in Foxborough, Massachusetts where he performed a 4 hr and 2-minute set.
Oceania leg / Summer '17 Tour
On September 12, 2016, a fourth leg of the tour was announced, scheduled for nine shows in Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) in early 2017, no longer being labelled as The River Tour 2016, but rather Summer '17; however, the same promotional artwork as the 2016 tour is used.[8] The tour kicked off in Perth on January 22, 2017. The opening night's setlist for the most part was very similar to the shows during the second North America leg in 2016. "Blood Brothers" was performed for the first time since 2008. During the show, Springsteen reflected on the historic 2017 Women's March held in opposition to President Donald Trump saying "The E Street Band is glad to be here in Western Australia. But we're a long way from home, and our hearts and spirits are with the hundreds of thousands of women and men that marched yesterday in every city in America and in Melbourne who rallied against hate and division and in support of tolerance, inclusion, reproductive rights, civil rights, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, the environment, wage equality, gender equality, healthcare, and immigrant rights. We stand with you. We are the new American resistance." Springsteen again during his show on January 30, 2017 in Adelaide spoke out against President Donald Trump's Muslim ban in the United States and defending the protests against it saying "Tonight we want to add our voices to the thousands of Americans who are protesting at airports around the country the Muslim Ban and the detention of foreign nationals and refugees. America is a nation of immigrants and we find this anti-democratic and fundamentally un-American." This statement was followed by American Land, an obscure song usually performed at the end of a set, which Springsteen called an immigrant song. The show featured a cover of Van Morrison's Brown-Eyed Girl, a solo acoustic performance of "If I Should Fall Behind" and Richie Sambora made a surprise appearance on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Shout".[23] On February 2, 2017 in Melbourne, Springsteen opened with a cover of The Orlons' "Don't Hang Up" in response to President Trump's heated phone call with the Prime Minister of Australia. "We stand before you embarrassed Americans tonight. This is a song from 1965 by The Orlons. We're going to use this to send a letter back home." The song was followed by "American Land" which Springsteen has been performing as a message of support for immigrants being kept out of America. The show also featured an acoustic performance of "Long Walk Home".[24]"Adam Raised a Cain" and "Detroit Medley" both made their tour debuts on February 9, 2017 in Australia.
Springsteen's concert in Christchurch on 21 February 2017 was especially poignant, as it fell on the eve of the anniversary of the earthquake which devastated the centre of the city. In the weeks that followed the quake, Springsteen's song "My City of Ruins" was adopted by Christchurch as an unofficial anthem. Springsteen played the song during the concert, dedicating it to the people of the city.[25]
Record-breaking shows
Springsteen throughout his career has been well known for his lengthy shows and this tour continued that trend with the longest shows of his entire career. The show on August 23, 2016 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey lasted 3 hours and 52 minutes, at the time his longest show ever in the United States and the third longest show of his career.[26] Two nights later, the second show at MetLife Stadium lasted 3 hours and 59 minutes surpassing the previous show.[27] At his third and final MetLife Stadium show Springsteen performed for 4 hours and 1 minute.[28] Springsteen's concert on September 7, 2016 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, topped the previous three shows, clocking in at 4 hours and 4 minutes, which now stands as his longest show in the United States and second longest ever just two minutes shy of his 2012 show in Helsinki.
Ticket scalping
As with previous Springsteen tours, ticket scalpers were a major problem when it came to buying tickets. Tickets for Springsteen's New York City shows began popping up on resale sites such as StubHub and eBay on December 7, 2015, four days before they went on sale to the public. Scalpers were re-selling tickets not yet available for as much as $5,000. This prompted the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to launch an investigation into how this happened and wrote a letter forcing both companies to immediately remove any listings for ticket sales.[29] When tickets finally went on sale on December 11, many fans again were shut out from buying tickets as most venues sold out quickly and within minutes, tickets were appearing for hundreds to thousands of dollars more on resale sites.[30] According to reports, Springsteen's shows sold out in record time. Springsteen's show in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center sold out in a few minutes. His previous 2012 show at the same venue took two hours to sell out.[31]
Recordings
All shows were professionally recorded and released on live.brucespringsteen.net Many were also featured on E Street Radio.
Set list
This set list is representative of the average setlist of the tour's first North American leg as conducted by Setlist.fm, which represents all concerts for the duration of the tour's first leg. The full album performance was dropped following the first leg although was performed at a few shows on the second leg of the tour.[32]
- "Meet Me in the City"
The River
- "The Ties That Bind"
- "Sherry Darling"
- "Jackson Cage"
- "Two Hearts"
- "Independence Day"
- "Hungry Heart"
- "Out in the Street"
- "Crush on You"
- "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)"
- "I Wanna Marry You"
- "The River"
- "Point Blank"
- "Cadillac Ranch"
- "I'm a Rocker"
- "Fade Away"
- "Stolen Car"
- "Ramrod"
- "The Price You Pay"
- "Drive All Night"
- "Wreck on the Highway"
Post-River
- "Badlands"
- "Lonesome Day"
- "No Surrender"
- "She's the One"
- "Because the Night"
- "The Rising"
- "Thunder Road"
Encore
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act | Attendance | Revenue | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America[33] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
January 16, 2016 | Pittsburgh | United States | Consol Energy Center | N/A | 18,353 / 18,353 | $2,412,020 | |||||||||||||||||
January 19, 2016 | Chicago | United Center | 19,120 / 19,120 | $2,756,475 | |||||||||||||||||||
January 27, 2016 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | 18,474 / 18,474 | $2,508,528 | |||||||||||||||||||
January 29, 2016 | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | 18,093 / 18,093 | $2,383,850 | |||||||||||||||||||
January 31, 2016 | Newark | Prudential Center | 16,539 / 16,539 | $2,227,836 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 2, 2016 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | 18,134 / 18,134 | $1,793,936 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 4, 2016 | Boston | United States | TD Garden | 17,039 / 17,039 | $2,062,417 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 8, 2016 | Albany | Times Union Center | 15,162 / 15,162 | $1,966,730 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 10, 2016 | Hartford | XL Center | 14,672 / 14,672 | $2,080,294 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 12, 2016 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | 19,411 / 19,411 | $2,503,356 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 16, 2016 | Sunrise | BB&T Center | 18,658 / 18,658 | $2,174,905 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 18, 2016 | Atlanta | Philips Arena | 16,713 / 17,450 | $1,888,030 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 21, 2016 | Louisville | KFC Yum! Center | 15,730 / 16,900 | $1,847,730 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 23, 2016 | Cleveland | Quicken Loans Arena | 19,071 / 19,071 | $2,520,055 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 25, 2016 | Buffalo | First Niagara Center | 18,351 / 18,351 | $2,186,795 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 27, 2016 | Rochester | Blue Cross Arena | 12,581 / 12,581 | $1,712,080 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 29, 2016 | Saint Paul | Xcel Energy Center | 18,628 / 18,628 | $2,576,190 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 3, 2016 | Milwaukee | BMO Harris Bradley Center | 17,653 / 17,653 | $1,969,655 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 6, 2016 | St. Louis | Chaifetz Arena | 9,965 / 9,965 | $1,334,370 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 10, 2016 | Phoenix | Talking Stick Resort Arena | 16,480 / 16,480 | $2,050,630 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 13, 2016 | Oakland | Oracle Arena | 17,117 / 17,117 | $2,245,715 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 15, 2016 | Los Angeles | Memorial Sports Arena | 49,302 / 49,302 | $7,050,775 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 17, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 19, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 22, 2016 | Portland | Moda Center | 12,074 / 13,700 | $1,639,915 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 24, 2016 | Seattle | KeyArena | 14,767 / 14,767 | $1,929,695 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 28, 2016[A] | New York City | Madison Square Garden | 18,484 / 18,484 | $2,508,003 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 31, 2016 | Denver | Pepsi Center | 16,770 / 18,540 | $2,211,320 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 3, 2016 | Oklahoma City | Chesapeake Energy Arena | 12,603 / 14,332 | $1,557,353 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 5, 2016 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | 15,563 / 16,961 | $1,991,405 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 7, 2016 | Kansas City | Sprint Center | 12,286 / 13,813 | $1,557,745 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 12, 2016 | Columbus | Schottenstein Center | 12,008 / 13,941 | $1,568,810 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 14, 2016 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 15,754 / 15,754 | $1,949,443 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 18, 2016 | University Park | Bryce Jordan Center | 14,447 / 15,000 | $2,038,548 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 20, 2016 | Baltimore | Royal Farms Arena | 14,124 / 14,124 | $2,054,260 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 23, 2016 | Brooklyn | Barclays Center | 33,248 / 33,248 | $4,641,260 | |||||||||||||||||||
April 25, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Europe[34] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
May 14, 2016 | Barcelona | Spain | Camp Nou | N/A | 64,865 / 64,865 | $6,014,054 | |||||||||||||||||
May 17, 2016 | San Sebastián | Anoeta Stadium | 41,100 / 41,100 | $3,839,494 | |||||||||||||||||||
May 19, 2016[B] | Lisbon | Portugal | Parque da Bela Vista | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||
May 21, 2016 | Madrid | Spain | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium | 55,695 / 55,695 | $5,359,310 | ||||||||||||||||||
May 25, 2016 | Manchester | England | Etihad Stadium | 48,614 / 50,000 | $5,785,157 | ||||||||||||||||||
May 27, 2016 | Dublin | Ireland | Croke Park | 160,188 / 160,188 | $19,228,100 | ||||||||||||||||||
May 29, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 1, 2016 | Glasgow | Scotland | Hampden Park | 45,330 / 45,330 | $5,314,504 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 3, 2016 | Coventry | England | Ricoh Arena | 36,588 / 36,588 | $4,523,864 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 5, 2016 | London | Wembley Stadium | 68,696 / 68,696 | $9,251,527 | |||||||||||||||||||
June 14, 2016 | The Hague | Netherlands | Malieveld | 67,715 / 67,715 | $5,980,218 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 17, 2016 | Munich | Germany | Olympiastadion Munich | 54,119 / 54,119 | $4,797,890 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 19, 2016 | Berlin | Olympiastadion Berlin | 66,464 / 66,464 | $5,932,416 | |||||||||||||||||||
June 22, 2016 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Telia Parken | 50,178 / 50,178 | $4,931,456 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 25, 2016 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Ullevi | 124,734 / 124,734 | $10,016,748 | ||||||||||||||||||
June 27, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 29, 2016 | Oslo | Norway | Ullevaal Stadion | 30,283 / 30,283 | $3,111,732 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 3, 2016 | Milan | Italy | San Siro | 104,646 / 104,646 | $8,998,967 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 5, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
July 9, 2016[C] | Werchter | Belgium | Werchter Festival Grounds | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||
July 11, 2016 | Paris | France | AccorHotels Arena | 35,344 / 35,344 | $4,103,898 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 13, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
July 16, 2016[D] | Rome | Italy | Circus Maximus | 56,369 / 56,369 | $5,258,043 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 20, 2016 | Horsens | Denmark | CASA Arena Horsens | 29,423 / 29,423 | $2,927,130 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 23, 2016 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Ullevi | 64,622 / 64,622 | $5,052,563 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 26, 2016 | Trondheim | Norway | Granåsen | 36,994 / 36,994 | $3,897,365 | ||||||||||||||||||
July 28, 2016 | Oslo | Frogner Park | 37,126 / 37,126 | $3,858,353 | |||||||||||||||||||
July 31, 2016 | Zürich | Switzerland | Letzigrund | 36,728 / 36,728 | $5,178,033 | ||||||||||||||||||
North America | |||||||||||||||||||||||
August 23, 2016 | East Rutherford | United States | MetLife Stadium | N/A | 153,930 / 153,930 | $18,239,039 | |||||||||||||||||
August 25, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
August 28, 2016 | Chicago | United Center | 19,313 / 19,313 | $2,459,600 | |||||||||||||||||||
August 30, 2016 | East Rutherford | MetLife Stadium | –[lower-alpha 1] | –[lower-alpha 2] | |||||||||||||||||||
September 1, 2016 | Washington, D.C. | Nationals Park | 36,463 / 36,463 | $4,627,705 | |||||||||||||||||||
September 5, 2016[E] | Virginia Beach | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater |
11,629 / 15,000 | $1,082,764 | |||||||||||||||||||
September 7, 2016 | Philadelphia | Citizens Bank Park | 77,670 / 80,000 | $10,048,796 | |||||||||||||||||||
September 9, 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
September 11, 2016 | Pittsburgh | Consol Energy Center | 16,674 / 18,353 | $2,117,125 | |||||||||||||||||||
September 14, 2016 | Foxborough | Gillette Stadium | 48,324 / 51,664 | $5,439,521 | |||||||||||||||||||
Oceania[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
January 22, 2017 | Perth | Australia | Perth Arena | N/A | 39,957 / 39,957 | $5,914,782 | |||||||||||||||||
January 25, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
January 27, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
January 30, 2017 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | 10,920 / 10,920 | $1,612,374 | |||||||||||||||||||
February 2, 2017 | Melbourne | AAMI Park | Jet | 51,192 / 54,000 | $7,384,735 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 4, 2017 | Jet Diesel | ||||||||||||||||||||||
February 7, 2017 | Sydney | Qudos Bank Arena | N/A | 31,323 / 32,000 | $4,546,210 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 9, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
February 11, 2017 | Mount Macedon | Hanging Rock | Jet Diesel |
19,644 / 19,644 | $2,895,699 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 14, 2017 | Brisbane | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | N/A | 25,220 / 25,220 | $3,896,163 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 16, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
February 18, 2017 | Hunter Valley | Hope Estate Winery | Jet Diesel |
19,722 / 19,722 | $2,848,983 | ||||||||||||||||||
February 21, 2017 | Christchurch | New Zealand | AMI Stadium | Jet Marlon Williams |
29,254 / 29,254 | $4,106,197 | |||||||||||||||||
February 25, 2017 | Auckland | Mount Smart Stadium | 33,952 / 40,000 | $4,767,320 | |||||||||||||||||||
TOTAL | 2,486,058 / 2,520,141 (98.6%) | $293,703,964 | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Boxscore combined with the boxscore from August 23–25, 2016.
- Boxscore combined with the boxscore from August 23–25, 2016.
N/A Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
- A This concert was rescheduled from the show originally scheduled on January 24 which was postponed due to snow.
- B This concert was part of the "Rock in Rio Lisbon"
- C This concert was part of "TW Classic"
- D This concert was part of the "Rock in Roma"
- E This concert was rescheduled from the show originally scheduled on September 3 which was postponed due to inclement weather caused by Tropical Storm Hermine.
Cancelled/postponed shows
On April 8, 2016, Springsteen announced on his official website that he was cancelling his concert, two days later, at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina, in protest at the state legislature's new law, the HB2 (nicknamed the "Bathroom Bill"), which bans transgender people from using public restrooms of the gender with which they identify and overturns local laws that ban employers from discriminating against certain workers. "Some things are more important than a rock show", remarked the singer.[35] Springsteen was forced to postpone his concert on September 3, 2016 in Virginia Beach due to inclement weather from Hurricane Hermine. The show was rescheduled for two days later.
Date | City | Country | Venue | Reason/Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 10, 2016 | Greensboro | United States | Greensboro Coliseum | HB2 law in North Carolina[36] |
September 3, 2016 | Virginia Beach | United States | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater | Postponed to September 5, 2016 due to inclement weather from Hurricane Hermine |
Songs performed
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
|
The Essential Bruce Springsteen
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
The Ties That Bind: The River Collection
Non-album/cover songs
Source:[37]
|
Personnel
The E Street Band
- Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica,
- Roy Bittan – piano, synthesizer, accordion
- Nils Lofgren – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals
- Patti Scialfa – background vocals, some duet vocals, acoustic guitar, tambourine (only appeared at selected shows throughout the tour)
- Garry Tallent – bass guitar, background vocals
- Steven Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, background vocals
- Max Weinberg – drums
with
- Jake Clemons – saxophone, percussion, background vocals
- Soozie Tyrell – violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, background vocals
- Charles Giordano – organ, accordion, electronic glockenspiel
and
- Sam Bardfeld string section – strings on "New York City Serenade" and "Jack of All Trades"
Guest appearances
- Peter Wolf – provided vocals on "Shout" at shows in Boston on February 4, 2016, and Foxborough on September 14.
- Joe Grushecky and Johnny Grushecky – provided vocals on "Born to Run" during the show in Cleveland on February 23, 2016, and on "Light of Day" in Pittsburgh on September 11.
- Eddie Vedder – provided vocals on "Bobby Jean" in Seattle on March 24, 2016.
- Bob Seger – provided vocals on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Shout" during the show in Detroit on April 14, 2016.
- Bono – provided vocals on "Because the Night" during the show in Dublin on May 29, 2016.
- Elliott Murphy – jammed with Bruce and the band on "Born to Run" in Paris on July 11, 2016.
- Tom Morello – played guitar on "Death to My Hometown", "American Skin (41 Shots)", "Badlands" and played guitar and provided co-lead vocals on "The Ghost of Tom Joad" during the show in East Rutherford on August 25, 2016.
- Rickie Lee Jones – provided vocals on "Spirit in the Night" in East Rutherford on August 30, 2016.
- Vini Lopez – performed "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" and "Spirit in the Night" in Philadelphia on September 9, 2016.
- Richie Sambora – performed on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Shout" in Adelaide on January 30, 2017
Opening acts
- Counting Crows – (16/7/16)
- Jet – (2/2/17, 2/11/17, 2/18/17, 2/21/17, 2/25/17)
- Diesel – (2/11/17, 2/18/17)
- Marlon Williams and the Yarra Benders – (2/21/17, 2/25/17)
References
- "2016 Year End Top 100 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). pollstar.com. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- "2017 Mid Year Top 100 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). pollstar.com. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- Kreps, Daniel (December 4, 2015). "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Set The River Tour For 2016". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- "Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Announce 2016 The River Tour". www.brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
- Company, The Frontier Touring. "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2017 Australia & New Zealand Official Tickets, Concert Dates, Pre-sale & Tour Information - Frontier Touring Australia & New Zealand". Frontier Touring Australia & New Zealand. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé post top-grossing tours of 2016". latimes.com. December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- "Bruce Springsteen Manager Jon Landau Talks 'The River' Tour, Forthcoming 'Expansive' Solo Album". billboard.com. July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- Springsteen, Bruce (September 12, 2016). "ANNOUNCING TOUR DATES IN AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- "Springsteen breaks concert length record yet again in Philly; see the setlist". Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- "Bruce: Vegas Scrapped, River Tour 2016 Extended - SongMango.com". songmango.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Tribeca Talks: Storytellers with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Live Dates". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "New U.S. Tour Dates". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Bruce Springsteen Reveals In-Progress Solo Album, River Tour Plans". rollingstone.com. December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- "The River Tour 2016 Update". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "How Bruce Springsteen Got Back to 'The River'". rollingstone.com. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- "Backstreets.com: Springsteen News". backstreets.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- Kreps, Daniel (January 20, 2016). "Watch Bruce Springsteen Pay Tribute to Glenn Frey With 'Take It Easy' Cover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- Kreps, Daniel (January 25, 2016). "Bruce Springsteen Offers Free Download of Chicago 'River' Gig". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- "Bruce Springsteen". www.facebook.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- Pont, Jonathan (April 23, 2016). "April 23 / Barclays Center / Brooklyn, NY". Backstreets Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Set Attendance Mark at Barclays Center as U.S. 'River' Tour Wraps". billboard.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- Chianca, Pete. "SETLIST: Bruce Springsteen in Adelaide, Australia, 1/30/17". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- Robson, Steve (February 2, 2017). "Springsteen mocks Trump phone call to Aussie PM with 'Dont Hang Up' cover song". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- Nicol-Williamson, Kate (February 21, 2017). "Watch: Bruce Springsteen dedicates City of Ruins to people of Christchurch during quake anniversary eve concert". One News. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- "Report: Springsteen Performs Longest U.S. Show At MetLife Stadium". newyork.cbslocal.com. August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- "Springsteen breaks his record for longest US show". www.msn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Springsteen dishes dream set in 3rd N.J. concert; breaks record yet again". Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- "New York probes sale of 'speculative' Bruce Springsteen tickets on StubHub". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- "Springsteen Ticket Buyers Left Dancing in the Dark". www.wsj.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- "Bruce Springsteen tickets sold out in moments". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- "Average setlist for tour: The River Tour 2016". Setlist.fm. April 25, 2016. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- North America box score:
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. March 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. April 20, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. April 28, 2016. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- Europe box score:
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. June 7, 2016. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. June 22, 2016. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. June 28, 2016. Archived from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. July 13, 2016. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- "Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert over anti-LGBT laws". www.whatsworthseeing.com. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- "Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert Over Law That 'Attacks LGBT Rights'". billboard.com. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- "Tribeca Talks: Storytellers with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks". www.brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved May 10, 2017.