Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – Hockenheimring; July 21st, 2023

After coming home from the Gothenburg show, I felt that this somehow was not enough and I wanted one concert somewhere in July. I was aiming for Munich, when suddenly there where new tickets released for Hockenheim – front of stage no less. I saw this as a sign and bought one. Great decision. It was a very relaxed and wonderful show. 🙂

I started out in Dortmund at 11:30 on a train to Mannheim, arrived without much delay and even the rain had stopped when I got there. Left my bag in a locker and took the S-Bahn to Hockeheim station from where it was a 35 minute walk to the venue. Then it took me something like ten minute sto find teh right entrance. 😀 Either way, got in, found a spot by th barrier in the back and had a nice chat with the guy next to me for the next 90 minutes. So far, so good.

They were late, later than at any other show I had been to, the setlist was renewed at least once, Kevin came out with Bruce’s guitar and enjoyed a moment in the limelight while people cheered for him, then more waiting. I could hear them practicing riffs – ‘Working on a Highway’? When they finally came out at around 7:30, I expected a grand opener and got ‘No Surrender’. Don’t get me wrong, I love the song very much, I just thought it took them so long to decide what to open with and that one is the standard first song. Either way, sound was great, view was good after I’d taken a few step forward, weather was perfect and I was in the zone almost immediately. 🙂

It made me so happy to be there and got the chance to see Bruce and the band one more time. They all looked like they were enjoying it and the audience was great too. The Band wasn’t missing a beat and continued with ‘Ghosts’, then ‘Prove it all Night’. I danced, I sang along as much as my cold would allow and I smiled happily all the way through. This was so good. Smiling Bruce, Band on fire, great song after great song. It was heaven.

He spent a lot of time on the platform in front of the main stage, close to the crowd, so often I could only see his head, but all the action was projected on the big screens. It was lovely to see him smile at people and how their faces lit up when he did. At least twice I saw him lean against the barrier with his  back to the crowd, watching the band at work. Many people took the opportunity to carefully touch his rms and back or pat him on the shoulders. It was lovely. So were the handshakes and he even signed someone’s poster. 😀

That evening I believed every word Bruce said or sang and felt ver connected to the people around me, even though I did not know any of them. That evening, we were one big family and Bruce’s ‘Letter to you’ was addressed to each one of  us. <3 ‘The Promised Land’ and ‘Out in the Street’ brought a happier mood and had Bruce walk around again. At some point he was joined by Jake and later Steve, but I cannot remember when exactly.

Then I felt like being transported back to the first E Street Band tour I saw back in 1999 with ‘Darlington County’ followed by ‘Workin’ on the Highway’. Both great versions, full of power. They just rocked really hard. They shifted gears a little with ‘Kitty’s back’ and ‘Nightshift’, where the band and especially the horn section and the choir got their chances to shine. All the songs were played beautifully.

‘Mary’s Place’ brought the party back, i.e. Bruce walking close to the crowd and everyone singing along, when he wasn’t shushing us. It surprises me every time just how well he controls the crowd. 😀 With ‘THe River’ everyone was singing along and I already got very emotional. It is still one of my all time favorite songs. ‘Last Man Standing’ then, coupled with the story of Bruce’s first band  The Castilles and his reflections on death and life, once again moved me to tears. He is the last man standing and he does so proudly and with dignity. I may be more than 20 years younger, but can very well relate to losing loved ones along the way and learning to embrace life even more after that. I got even more emotional when, during ‘Backstreets’ he told us about all the memorabilia he kept, the memories he has and the “rest that he is keeping right here… until the end” while holding his hand over his heart. <3

During ‘Because the Night’ I loved watching Nils turning round and round while playing his solo, smiled to myself thinking “he’s still got it”, all of them still got it. What a fantastic band and what a fantastic song. I sang along at the top of my lungs too and the ‘She’s the one’ with everyone clapping along in rhythm. absolutely perfect! With ‘Wrecking Ball’ and ‘The Rising’ Bruce told us not to lose hope and stand up for what we believe in or that is how I read it. Then ‘Badlands’ gave us a chance to jump and shout along, fist pumping, believing we would get out of whatever personal Badlands we were in. The final song of the main set was ‘Thunder Road’, full of power and beauty and still the perfect love song after all these years with some of the best lines to sing along to. “So you’re scared and your thinking that maybe we ain’t that young any more” and “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night”. It’s all true, somewhere.

Barely taking a bow and a break the band was right back for the encores and to my surprise the launched right into ‘Born to run’. OK, then, I don’t mind, I love that song. it had gotten dark and the whole place was lit up with bright lights, everyone singing and having a great time. ‘Bobby Jean’ then had us all waving in unison and ‘Glory Days’ was just a kicker. I turned around, looking at only happy faces everywhere. On the far end, in the seats, people were standing up. Bruce and Steve were having so much fun, extending their while “It’s time to go home” skit – hell no, we were not ready for that! After establishing that neither they nor we were going anywhere, including a lot of booty-shaking from Bruce and Steve taking a hold of the camera and filming said booty, they went straight into ‘Dancing in the Dark’. Oh yes we were!

It’s ain’t over till it’s over and ‘Tenth-Avenue freeze-out’ reminded everyone of Danny and the Big Man and so many of the great times with the E Street Band. As Bruce told us earlier “the E Street Band lasted 50 years – and it’s not over yet!” Of course we all shouted out their name in the end – legendary indeed. One last time (for e to see) Bruce shook hands or exchanged hugs with everyone as he send the off the stage, then returned o the mic with his harmonica and his guitar and played us ‘See you in my dreams’ It was beautiful, heartwarming and very moving, especially with phone lights being held up all around. Still the perfect ending to a perfect show. Happy and elated I made my way out of the stadium. What a wonderful night that was.

The transport situation after the show was more than chaotic, but i got lucky and scored a place in a taxi to Mannheim with a few strangers. From then on everything went smoothly and I slept on the night train, dreaming of the show.

Setlist

No Surrender
Ghosts
Prove It All Night
Letter to You
The Promised Land
Out in the Street
Darlington County
Working on the Highway
Kitty’s Back
Nightshift (Commodores cover)
Mary’s Place
The River
Last Man Standing
Backstreets
Because the Night
She’s the One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands
Thunder Road

Encore:
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I’ll See You in My Dreams