Bruce Springsteen Throws A Birthday Party With Giants

Back home after a two month run of shows in Europe, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street band took their Magic world tour to a packed house at Giants Stadium this past Monday night for the second show of a three night stand at the New Jersey football stadium. And in keeping with the tradition of the ever longer shows that started on the European run, the show stretched to the three hour mark, bearing ever closer down on the three and a half hour marathons the E Street Band became so widely known for in the seventies and the eighties.

The show also continued to look less like a tour for Springsteen’s 2007 certified platinum album Magic, and more like a career-spanning overview. Monday night's performance emphasized the built for stadiums anthemic rock of songs like the opening “Out In The Street,” “Badlands,” and of course “Born To Run,” as well as such rarely played gems as the raucous two minute long B-side “Held Up Without A Gun” and “Drive All Night” from the 1980 album The River.

Springsteen also threw in some well-chosen covers like “Summertime Blues” and “Twist And Shout” (where the E Street Band was joined onstage by Jesse Malin and Marah’s Dave Bielanko). But perhaps the most heartfelt non-original song was when he lovingly sang “Happy Birthday To You” to his wife Patti Scialfa. Daughter Jessica also joined the family on the very next song, “Girls In Their Summer Clothes.”

Not to be outdone, drummer Max Weinberg turned the skins over to his own son, Jay Weinberg for “Born To Run.” A tough number for any drummer to be sure, but by all accounts young Jay was a chip off the mighty block, and did just fine.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band conclude their three night Giants Stadium stand on Thursday night. The Magic tour continues its final American leg through the end of August.

Here is Monday’s Setlist courtesy of Backstreets Magazine:

Out in the Street
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Two Hearts
The Promised Land
Hungry Heart
Summertime Blues
Tunnel of Love
Held Up Without a Gun
It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Sherry Darling
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Drive All Night
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands

Encore

Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Thunder Road
Detroit Medley
Born to Run
Glory Days
American Land
Twist and Shout