Bruce Springsteen didn’t have to say something when he obtained onstage. Everybody at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium knew the event. After the E Road Band re-emerged for the primary time in seven years with an enviornment tour throughout America, they took to stadiums in Europe for the summer season, and now they’ve come again residence. Not simply to the States, however to New Jersey. “My folks!” Bruce stated, and the attendant cheers roared again in response. At this level, the reverence for Springsteen in his elder years means each present appears like a hallowed expertise. This goes with out saying, however the feeling is exponentially amplified at a Jersey present. Within the equation of Springsteen concert events, that is the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Accordingly, Springsteen threw a number of tiny curveballs. He loaded up the entrance of the set with a kind of one-two-three punch of openers in “Lonesome Day,” “No Give up,” and “Night time.” He stated, “Right here’s a little bit of summer season seashore music,” earlier than the tour debut of “Sherry Darling.” A few of the extra demanding corners of Springsteen’s fanbase have groused in regards to the setlist remaining static, particularly this far into the tour, and the primary of three nights at MetLife didn’t do a lot else to counsel that might change now. There are little treats popping up right here and there — the full-band storm of “Atlantic Metropolis” was a excessive level and a shock — however largely you’re assured a setlist that balances a little bit of Letter To You promotion and a best hits comeback.

This being my first time seeing the E Road Band since 2016, I used to be fairly alright with that. Whereas Springsteen differentiated himself from different getting old legends by not often taking the apparent route along with his late-career choices — together with free-wheeling setlists stretching previous 4 hours, properly into his sixties — it is a completely different second. The person is 73 — nonetheless comparatively superhuman when positioned towards his friends or any common 73-year-old, however human nonetheless. You can begin to see him getting old a bit greater than on every other semi-recent E Road run. He’s been candid in interviews. There’s solely so many extra years he might do these kind of big barn-burning stadium exhibits. If this isn’t the tip of E Road, it must be getting close to the tip.

Given these circumstances and the way in which Letter To You appears at loss and displays on the previous, the whole lot you’ve heard about these excursions stays true. Mortality hangs over this iteration of E Road. Springsteen makes it most specific when introducing an acoustic rendition of “Final Man Standing,” speaking about demise as an oncoming prepare, and the way demise clarifies our objective and second, how its final reward to the dwelling is to indicate us how wild and expansive this life is whereas we nonetheless have it. He pairs that track with “Backstreets,” operating from a really new track reflecting on a buddy from his teenage years, to an previous track that, from a a lot completely different perspective, additionally seemed again on wild younger friendships. He provides a bit of deal with in “Backstreets” now, talking to an unspecified “you” that any viewers member might fill in as their very own. “I nonetheless have your 45s, your books, that guitar that all the time had one damaged string,” he says, earlier than transferring his hand to his coronary heart. “The remainder of you I’ll hold proper right here, till the tip.”

In these moments, it wasn’t arduous to go searching and discover older viewers members brazenly crying. The present ended with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and montages of fallen E Road members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici taking part in on the screens, and Springsteen alone onstage closing all of it with an acoustic model of “I’ll See You In My Goals.” A lot of the night time acknowledged the band’s historical past, and what’s carried with them, and revolved round goodbyes.

But if all of this appears like we’re within the midst of a solemn, heavy epilogue for E Road, these are additionally refined threads in a three-hour live performance. Principally, E Road surge by way of the hits as a reclamation and reminder. There are nonetheless loads of the goofs they favor: Bruce and Stevie mugging throughout “Rosalita,” Springsteen shaking his butt right into a stage digicam throughout “Glory Days.” Bruce even riffs on the well-known SNL cowbell sketch throughout “Johnny 99.” There’s room for lots of various moods, however the concept continues to be to rework the viewers. To launch them from no matter else is occurring.

For the primary half of the present, it felt like they have been doing a strong job of it. That is graded otherwise as a result of we’re speaking about one of many best rock bands to ever do it, so: Whereas accounting for the truth that even decrease gear E Road continues to be higher than absolutely anything else you can see, there was that little twinge. I remembered the mind-blowing exhibits in the direction of the tip of 2016, and figured my best E Road experiences have been behind me, and that was OK. However one thing occurred about midway by way of. Across the 90-minute mark — you already know, when most artists could be wrapping their present up — E Road actually began cooking. The whole lot within the second half of the present simply had a unique degree of oomph. They warmed up, they usually have been as highly effective as ever. For the second 90 minutes of the present, I used to be overwhelmed, as soon as extra absolutely conscious that I used to be seeing one thing life-altering.

I suppose it helps that Springsteen making a best hits set means the again finish of the present is furiously loaded. He paces himself now, however from his full-throated bellow in “Backstreets” on, it appears like one thing else is woke up. Then it’s “As a result of The Night time,” and the previous Bo Diddley rhythm of “She’s The One” sounding thunderous, and “Wrecking Ball” sounding like an previous traditional alongside “The Rising.” Then it’s “Thunder Street” and the lights go on for “Born To Run” and “Rosalita” and “Glory Days” and “Dancing In The Darkish” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” The latter 5 are technically the encore, however the band doesn’t even depart the stage. It’s simply full take-no-prisoners mode.

All these songs rang out over the place that impressed them, the place by which I knew Springsteen’s music. Rising up within the northeast, dwelling in New York, all the time related to Jersey and taking without any consideration the flexibility to see the Boss on his personal turf. However now this tour has occurred in a 12 months the place I’ve lived on the highway, and recently have been staying manner out within the ether of south Florida. I got here again residence for this; the pilgrimage was actual this time, barely making my manner north on the sting of a hurricane. These present exhibits are designed, it’s important to think about, with the concept that each night time there are folks on the market who’re seeing the E Road Band for the primary time. I needed to be there as a result of some a part of me apprehensive: This could possibly be my final time.

On the finish, Springsteen as soon as extra doesn’t should say something, however we all know what he’s going to say. “You’ve simply seen the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, earth-shocking,” he begins, earlier than rattling off anyplace from three to 6 extra descriptors, earlier than concluding: “The history-making, legendary, E Road Band!” And there, for a second, an evening the place finality lingers within the air as a substitute appears like a resurrection.