Bruce Springsteen 1974

BRUCEBASE 1974

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04/01/74 - JOE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen headlining and Peter Johnson & The Manic Depressives (Joe’s unofficial house band) opening. This was opening night of a 3-night (3 show) residency.

Note: A claim that some or all of one of these three Joes’s Place shows was filmed first surfaced in the 1992, 2nd edition Charles Cross/Backstreets book “Springsteen: The Man & His Music”. That book implies the filming had something to do with a Charity Telethon. Brucebase has been unable to confirm the filming. It is possible that this may be somehow related to filmmaker Barry Rebo and the extensive semi-pro live footage he shot of Springsteen during the 1973-76 era. Brief snippets from the Rebo Film Collection (now fully owned by Springsteen) are shown in the BTR 30TH Anniversary ‘Wings For Wheels’ Documentary, though none of what is shown is from Joe’s Place.

05/01/74 - JOE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen headlining and Peter Johnson & The Manic Depressives (Joe’s unofficial house band) opening. A live version of “Thundercrack” found on the boot ‘DEEP DOWN IN THE VAULTS’ (E Street Records) is not from this show, as is claimed in the liner notes. It’s the edited version of the performance from Max’s Kansas City on 31/01/73 (see listing for details). An “orphaned” audience recording of “Does This Bus Stop At 82nd St” has been linked to either this show or the Child Harold gig of 06/12/73 (see listing for details). However it is unlikely to be from this show.

Above right, Springsteen at Joe's Place Jan 5, 1974. Photo copyright Jeff Albertson.

06/01/74 - JOE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST / WALKING THE DOG / SAINT IN THE CITY / KITTY’S BACK / THUNDERCRACK / show intermission / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME / GROWIN’ UP / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW / ZERO & BLIND TERRY / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / FOR YOU / ROSALITA-SHOTGUN / Joe Spadafora’s speech / TWIST AND SHOUT

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen headlining and Peter Johnson & The Manic Depressives (Joe’s unofficial house band) opening. Springsteen’s show consisted of two hour-long sets separated by an intermission. The above-mentioned 15-song setlist represents Bruce’s complete show and can be found on the 2CD set ‘INTRODUCING ROSIE’ (B Street). The source is an audience recording of only fair quality that contains CB Radio interference. “Growin’ Up” is missing the opening 30 seconds and “Rosalita-Shotgun” is missing about 20 seconds mid song, seemingly the result of a tape glitch. There are historical inaccuracies in the liner notes of the ‘INTRODUCING ROSIE’ CD which have caused confusion over the years. This is not, as stated, the live debut of “Rosalita” – the song was performed during 1973 and two live recordings from early 1973 are in circulation. The CD also incorrectly lists the audio as coming from the 05/01/74 show. Yet comments made by club owner Joe Spadafora prior to “Twist And Shout” offer compelling evidence this recording is from the 06/01/74 show.

A soundboard recording of the final 8 songs of this show (i.e., the entire 2nd set) had been in very limited circulation since the early 1990’s. However 4 of these 8 soundboard songs surfaced into the wider collector arena on various boots during the mid-late 1990’s The 4 tracks that surfaced were as follows: – #1) “Let The Four Winds Blow” on the CD ‘THE INNER VIEW’ and the CD ‘THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN COLLECTION’, VOLUME 2’. It was also issued on the CD ‘PLAY THE TUBA AND RUN’ (which on some specimens had the complete performance but in other cases had a cut version with the final 4 minutes missing). #2) “Zero And Blind Terry” on the 4CD ‘THE GENUINE TRACKS 1972-1996’. #3) “Twist And Shout” on the CD ‘THE INNER VIEW’ and the CD ‘THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN COLLECTION, VOLUME 2’. #4) an edited (the 3-4 minute instrumental intro is missing), 5:59 version of “Blinded By The Light” on the 3CD set ‘DEEP DOWN IN THE VAULTS’ in 1998. The fact that most of these above-noted CD boots misidentified the source venue or date created much confusion that still lingers today.

In early 2007 the soundboard of all 8 songs in the 2nd set finally surfaced (in excellent quality) into the mainstream collector market via the title ‘UBER SERIES 21’. This source contains the edited (cut) version of “Blinded” previously issued on DDITV (see above). The soundboard of the opening 7 songs of this show (i.e. the entire 1ST set) has not surfaced into the mainstream – it allegedly exists in the hands of only a few people.

12/01/74 - THE JOINT IN THE WOODS, PARSIPPANY, N.J.

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (4.43)/ DOES THIS BUS STOP? (3.41)/ WALKING THE DOG (9.45)/ SAINT IN THE CITY (3.54)/ RING OF FIRE (9.49)/ KITTYS BACK (10.51)/ 634-5789 (SOULSVILLE, USA)(7.15)/ THUNDERCRACK (13.32)/ BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (10.09)/ GROWIN' UP (3.14)/ FOR YOU (4.35)/ YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (cut) (2.48)

Audience tape - poor quality with lots of hiss. Only known source of Ring Of Fire although it was played at other shows. Available on CDR "Joint In The Woods".

Thanks to Jersey Joe for the poster.

19/01/74 - KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, KENT, OHIO

ROSALITA - SHOTGUN

ONE show, double bill, held in the sold-out 1,600-seat Student Union Center Ballroom, with Springsteen opening for headliner BLACK OAK ARKANSAS. Springsteen opened but played about 80 minutes. However the vast majority of the fans in attendance had come to see Black Oak Arkansas - so it was a very raucous audience. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO FROM THIS SHOW. Please note that the widely circulating soundboard audio attributed to this show (most famously found on the CD "YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME" (Great Dane) is actually from a small club gig in Nashville 10 days later (see BRUCEBASE listing for 29/01/74 for specific details).

There were continual problems with feedback and echo inside the K.S.U. Ballroom during this show, prompting a scathing review by K.S.U. rock critic Clyde Hadlock following the concert. Hadlock felt the neither band had adequately prepared their sound systems to fit the auditorium's dynamics. According to Hadlock "if the echo had been any worse we could have heard the show twice". Hadlock's review of Springsteen's performance is positive and Hadlock makes no secret of the fact he felt the wrong band was headlining, calling Black Oak Arkansas "a bunch of backward crackers - they are to music what Roller Derby is to TV". Springsteen, on the other hand, he calls "a great poet". Hadlock doesn't articulate Springsteen's setlist in his review. However he gets very detailed about Bruce's final song at this show, "Rosalita". Says Hadlock in his review…"My biggest complaint (about Springsteen) is that he marred his big show-closing piece, "Rosalita", by whipping into Junior Walker's "Shotgun" and then taking 10 minutes to introduce the band." This detailed information concerning "Rosalita" is just one of many pieces of evidence that proves that the long-circulating soundboard audio assigned to this show is, in fact, NOT from this show.

25/01/74 - MOSQUE, RICHMOND, VA

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW / KITTYS BACK / FOR YOU / ROSALITA / TWIST AND SHOUT

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen headlining and local outfit GOOSE CREEK SYMPHONY opening. This was a rescheduled show, originally booked for 30/11/73 at the VCU Gym but postponed. The above-mentioned 8-song (90-minute) setlist is from a circulating audience recording of only fair quality.

"Advertisment courtesy Special Collections and Archives, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, Richmond, VA".
Thanks to Lelands for the poster image. Upper right - Bruce at The Mosque in Richmond on January 25, 1974

26/01/74 - CHRYSLER HALL, NORFOLK, VA

No set details known. ONE show, with Bruce & The E Street Band headlining and THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND opening. This (at the time) recently opened venue had a seating capacity of 2,000. The show was a sellout.

29/01/74 - MUTHER'S MUSIC EMPORIUM, NASHVILLE, TN

DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (4:04) / WALKING THE DOG (9:12) / INCIDENT ON 52ND STREET (7:44) / KITTY'S BACK (9:53) / THUNDERCRACK (11:50) / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (start cut, 9:50) / GROWIN' UP (3:01) / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (11:00) / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW (start cut, 6:42) / ROSALITA - SHOTGUN (8:54)

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen opening for headlining Texas blues guitar legend FREDDIE KING (and his band). King was booked for a 6-night residency, however Springsteen was a special guest only for the first two nights. Bruce played before King both nights but was allowed to give a headliner-length performance. The above-mentioned 10-song setlist represents Bruce's complete performance and is from an excellent quality soundboard that is most commonly found on the widely circulating CD "YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME" (Great Dane). Unfortunately the folks at Great Dane incorrectly attributed this audio to a 19/01/74 show at Kent State University - and this erroneous information has widely propagated ever since. Please refer to the 19/01/74 Kent State listing for specific details about that show, which took place in a much larger venue before a substantially larger crowd.

Bruce's booking at this small, 300-seat club came about after Mike Appel became aware of a CBS Sales Convention taking place in Nashville and, additionally, that the entire CBS contingent would be staying in a hotel near this club. Appel conducted a handbill/leaflet drop to each room in the hotel, inviting nearly 200 CBS sales and marketing people to attend one the shows. However, according to Appel, nobody from CBS turned up and the club was painfully empty. The audio evidence certainly backs up Appel's recollection. There doesn't sound like there are more than 100 people in the club for Bruce's show. It is speculated this soundboard was recorded because Appel wanted to have momento material from the show to give to the CBS people he (wrongly) anticipated would show up. This was a single show consisting of two sets. There was a short intermission after "Thundercrack". The opening song of the second set, "You Mean So Much To Me", is missing its opening minute or so. Similarly "Blinded" was the final song in the 2nd set and the opening minute of the first encore, "Let The Four Winds Blow", is missing. "Rosalita" (which contains the "Shotgun" segment, as well as a very brief snippit of "High Heeled Sneakers") was the final encore.

30/01/74 - MUTHER'S MUSIC EMPORIUM, NASHVILLE, TN

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen opening for headlining Texas blues guitar legend FREDDIE KING (and his band). Springsteen opened but played a 90-minute show. Like the previous night, the crowd turnout was disappointing.

01/02/74 - ALLEN THEATRE, CLEVELAND, OH

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (4:49) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (3:34) / WALKING THE DOG (8:01) / ZERO AND BLIND TERRY (6:29) / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (8:05) / KITTY'S BACK (8:45) / THUNDERCRACK (12:18) / ROSALITA - SHOTGUN (11:03)

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band opening for headliner WISHBONE ASH. The above-mentioned 8-song setlist is from a circulating audience recording of fair-good quality and represents Springsteen complete 65-minute performance as the evening's undercard. "Rosalita" incorporates the Junior Walker "Shotgun" segment. An announcer can be heard announcing Wishbone Ash by name, positively linking the audio to this show. Available on the CDR "CLEVELAND 74"

02/02/74 - SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, SPRINGFIELD, MASS

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and THE PERSUASIONS opening.

Promotional AD and Bruce onstage at Springfield on Feb 2, 1974. Courtesy of Springfield College Archives Dept.

07/02/74 - RICHARDS, ATLANTA, GA

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band opening for headliners NRBQ.

08/02/74 - RICHARDS, ATLANTA, GA

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band opening for headliners NRBQ.

09/02/74 - RICHARDS, ATLANTA, GA

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band opening for headliners NRBQ.

12/02/74 - UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, LEXINGTON, KY

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / GROWIN’ UP / WALKING THE DOG / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / KITTY’S BACK / FOR YOU / ROSALITA-SHOTGUN

No circulating audio. ONE show, double bill, held in the Student Center Ballroom, with Springsteen headlining with a 90-minute performance and local blues-rock group THE HATFIELD CLAN opening with a 60-minute performance. The show was not a sellout – only about half of the venue’s 700 tickets were sold. The above-noted setlist (there are likely 3-4 songs missing) emanates from writer Joel Zakem’s original, glowing, review of the show in UOK student newspaper, as well as further details recently provided to Brucebase by Mr Zakem. Springsteen opened with the extended Sancious-led intro version of “New York City Serenade”. Thanks Joel.

NOTE: prior to the start of this show there had been a heated argument/skuffle between road manager Steve Appel (manager Mike Appel’s brother) and drummer Vini Lopez. Springsteen, after discussing the altercation incident with Mike Appel by phone following the show, then asked Lopez to submit his resignation. Consequently this turned out to be Vini's final show with the band. The sudden departure of Lopez would force the cancellation of the trip to Ohio and the next three scheduled shows.

Photo of Clarence and Bruce onstage on 12th February 1974 by Brian Harrigan. Photo and Ad courtesy of University of Kentucky Special Collections.

15/02/74 - UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, TOLEDO, OH

CANCELLED concert, never rescheduled. This show had been planned to be ONE show, held in the 500-seat Student Union Auditorium, with Springsteen the sole act on the bill. The bad news came via a phone call from Mike Appel to the head of the Student Union Concert Board on the early evening of 14/02/74. Appel stated that there had been a sudden, unforeseen departure of Bruce's drummer (Lopez) and that, while a new drummer (Carter) had already been chosen, rehearsals would be needed before any gigs could be played. The Student Union Board did ask that Springsteen (who was still back east) travel to Ohio and give a solo performance instead - but the request was denied. In a bizarre twist, only a few hours following Appel's phone call a robbery took place in which all the cash takings and unsold tickets for the Springsteen show were specifically targeted and stolen. The cancellation and robbery were not related. The announcement of both the cancellation and the robbery were made on the morning of 15/02/74 in the school's newspaper.

Advertisement for the cancelled Toledo show, courtesy of the University Of Toledo Library Special Collections.

17/02/74 - THE COLUMBUS AGORA, COLUMBUS, OH

CANCELLED concert, never re-scheduled. The cancellation was caused by the sudden, unplanned departure of drummer Vini Lopez following the show in Kentucky on 12/02/74.

18/02/74 - THE AGORA, CLEVELAND, OH

CANCELLED concert, never rescheduled. Planned as a ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and country-rock band L.A.W. opening. The cancellation was caused by the sudden, unplanned departure of drummer Lopez following the show in Kentucky on 12/02/74. NOTE: audio from The Agora radio broadcast of 03/06/74 is often incorrectly attributed to this cancelled gig.

Promotion for the cancelled Cleveland gig.

23/02/74 - SATELLITE LOUNGE, COOKSTOWN, NJ

No setlist details known. ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill at this notorious watering hole for military personnel from Fort Dix. This was the debut gig for drummer Boom Carter. As had been the case with the 3 previous scheduled shows in Ohio, Springsteen had directed Mike Appel to cancel or reschedule this gig, as Carter had only arrived in New Jersey (from Atlanta) a few days earlier and had only managed one brief rehearsal with the band. However under threat of retribution from Satellite Lounge owner Carlo Rossi, Bruce agreed to play. This was a long show that incorporated two very unusual 70 - 80 minute sets, with the opening set not starting until after midnight. There was then a long intermission, with the second set not starting until after 3AM. Since Carter had not had the opportunity to learn Springsteen's compositions this performance incorporated a uniquely high proportion of classic rock standards - material that Carter already knew. In Mike Appel's words, "one of those amazing nights where everything worked and not a soul new that Carter was a new drummer". Unfortunately there is no known audio from this show. Bruce recounted some hilarious details about this gig a couple of weeks later during a Texas radio interview (see the 08/03/74 KLOL-FM listing in BRUCEBASE).

Thanks to Lelands for the image.

24/02/74 - THE MAIN POINT, BRYN MAWR, PA

No set details known. TWO shows, 8PM and 10PM. Bruce & The E Street Band are the sole act on the bill.

25/02/74 - THE MAIN POINT, BRYN MAWR, PA

WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY / WALKING THE DOG / TOKYO / ROSALITA

ONE show, 8PM, with Springsteen the sole act on the bill. The partial setlist above is from an attendee recollection. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO. This final night of Springsteen's 2-night stint at The Main Point was nearly cancelled, as Bruce had come down with a bad case of influenza and could barely function. A BRUCEBASE reader who attended the final show affirms the story, commenting: "he had a fever of 101 and sat in a chair all night, except for 'Rosalita' - even sitting down, he was the best I ever saw".

The show must go on - a very ill Bruce performing at The Main Point on Feb 25, 1974. Photo by the late, great Phil Ceccola. Note: Phil's photo of Bruce that graces the cover of TRACKS was also taken at this show.

01/03/74 - STATE THEATER, NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.

CANCELLED concert (due to Bruce being ill), never re-scheduled. This concert was originally scheduled as TWO shows, double billing, with Springsteen opening for RICHIE HAVENS.

02/03/74 - THE JOINT IN THE WOODS, PARSIPPANY, N.J.

CANCELLED concert (due to Bruce being ill), never re-scheduled.

03/03/74 - GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, DC

Early (1st) Show:- WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / E STREET SHUFFLE / SANDY / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / KITTY'S BACK / ROSALITA

Late (2nd) Show:- WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY (5.30) / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE (15.00) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (5.57) / E STREET SHUFFLE (5.16) / WALKING THE DOG (14.44) / SANDY (6.22) / SAINT IN THE CITY (4.01) / KITTY'S BACK (10.59) / FOR YOU (9.28) / ROSALITA (9.03) / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW

TWO shows, 7:30PM and 10:30PM, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and ORLEANS opening. Held in the sold-out, 750-seat Gaston Hall. Critic Jerry Gilbert attended both shows and wrote a lengthy, highly detailed review of the night’s events that appeared a couple of weeks later in Sounds Magazine. The above-mentioned 9-song setlist for the first show is likely missing only one song title. This first (early) show included all 7 of the songs from the WIESS album – the only known time that’s happened, although it probably had happened before due to the amount of undocumented setlists from this era. There is no known audio of the early show.

Springsteen's 11-song Late (2nd) Show was simulcast (note: minus its final encore) on the University’s popular Radio Station WGTB-FM. It can be found in excellent soundboard quality on several different boots such as ‘SAINT IN THE CITY’, ‘NYC SERENADE’ and ‘THE BOSS KEEPS ROCKIN, VOL 3’. It is unknown if the lengthy final encore, “Let The Four Winds Blow”, was taped or not – it definitely was not broadcast that night (probably due to a 90-minute schedule restriction) and that piece of audio has never circulated among collectors. Intriguingly critic Jerry Gilbert (who clearly notes “Let The Four Winds Blow” as ending the 2nd show) mentions that following the 2nd show Springsteen sat down at a piano backstage and played him (plus Mike Appel and some of the ESB members) a brand new song that he’d recently written – unfortunately Gilbert doesn’t mention the song’s title.

Upper left advert courtesy of Georgetown University Special Collections.

07/03/74 - LIBERTY HALL, HOUSTON, TX

ONE show, 8PM, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and singer-songwriter JIMMY SPHEERIS opening. This is Thursday and opening night of what would be a 4-day (7-show) residency at the 300-seat capacity Liberty Hall. On this evening most (possibly all) of Springsteen's show is broadcast by radio station KPFT-FM as part of its "every Thursday night" broadcast segment from Liberty Hall (note the Poster below). As incredible and unlikely as it may seem, THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO from this night's show, making this the only verified Springsteen radio broadcast that has yet to surface. It does not appear that any of the later KPFT-FM "compilation" re-broadcasts of live material from Liberty Hall included any of the material from this show.

Click on the article to read the review.

08/03/74 - RADIO STATION KLOL-FM, HOUSTON, TX

SPRINGSTEEN INTERVIEW & CHAT (18:26)

An interesting discussion with KLOL-FM DJ Ed Beauchamp held during the afternoon at the station and broadcast live. Bruce did not perform any songs. The interview can be found complete on the CD boot "THE LOST RADIO SHOW" (Whoopy Cat), although the CD mistakenly lists it as taking place the following day. As there has been confusion about the date, location and other aspects of this show, some relevant points should be pointed out. During the interview Beauchamp mentions the station’s frequency (101), thereby confirming it as KLOL-FM. Comments made during the discussion positively confirm the show as being on the 8th and also confirm that none of the E Street Band members are present. However Bruce returned to KLOL with the entire E Street Band the following afternoon for an in-station performance. Some selections from the March 9th KLOL show are sometimes incorrectly attributed to this show.

08/03/74 - LIBERTY HALL, HOUSTON, TX

No set details known. TWO shows, 8PM and 11PM, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and singer-songwriter JIMMY SPHEERIS opening. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO from this night's shows.

Once Upon A Time In The West - one of only a couple of known photographs of the entire Carter-Sancious lineup of The E Street Band, taken on the front steps of Liberty Hall

09/03/74 - RADIO STATION KLOL-FM, HOUSTON, TX

Intro & Tuning (2:33) / SATIN DOLL (2:30) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (5:56) / chat - GROWIN' UP (10:17) / MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS (6:53) / WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY (5:30) / SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY (3:05) / THE FEVER (8:49) / SOMETHING YOU GOT (7:12)

The above-mentioned setlist represents the complete performance by Bruce & The E Street Band inside a recording studio KLOL-FM. This is lengthiest of all Bruce's radio station sojourns; in fact this is practically a concert in itself. "The Fever" is performed because a studio demo of the song (as issued on TRACKS) had been sent to the station by Mike Appel a couple of months earlier and had been receiving strong phone-in requests. The entire show can be found in excellent quality on the CD "THE LOST RADIO SHOW" (Whoopy Cat), (KTS), (Postscript), (Audifon). The so-called intro/tuning includes parts of “Satin Doll” and “Beer Barrel Polka". Comments made during this show positively confirm the stations as KLOL-FM and the recording and broadcast date as the afternoon of 09/03/74.

09/03/74 - LIBERTY HALL, HOUSTON, TX

Second Show: WILD BILLY’S CIRCUS STORY (9:53) / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE (14:45) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (5:32) / WALKING THE DOG (15:54) / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (4:15) / THE E STREET SHUFFLE (5:11) / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (10:20) / FOR YOU (10:36) / ROSALITA (10:14)

TWO shows, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and JIMMY SPHEERIS opening. The above-mentioned 9-song setlist (believed to be in the proper sequence) is taken from in-circulation audio that has been sourced from home tapings of radio broadcasts. All 9 recordings can be found on the 2CD boot “LIBERTY HALL (Mistral). The original taper/s utilized modest recording equipment, so the sound quality is good but not brilliant. Prior to “Rosalita” someone in the crowd requests “The Fever”. Bruce doesn’t perform it at this show but promises the crowd that he’ll work up a band arrangement and play it the next time he is in Houston. It seems Bruce accelerated that promise, as he surprises everyone by performing a semi-band version at the late show the following night.

Even though there are only 9 songs in this setlist, most of the performances during this show are quite extended versions. With a running time of about 90 minutes (depending on between-song edits) this is most likely the complete show, although there are edit points between some songs so it is possible that a couple of additional songs were performed but are not circulating. Comments Springsteen makes during the show relating to his March 9th afternoon in-station acoustic performance at KLOL-FM prove this audio is also from March 9th. Other comments made by Bruce strongly point to this being the 2nd show on the 9th. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO FROM THE 1ST (EARLY) SHOW.

There is still confusion about whether this night’s show was simulcast live by KLOL-FM or whether the show was taped only for later use. Current evidence suggests this show wasn’t simulcast but instead was first broadcast in November 1974 to promote Springsteen’s later Texas tour. There is also some evidence that the material was broadcast disjointed in Nov 1974, rather than in one continuous program segment.

"Clarence, Bruce and Ernest onstage at Liberty Hall on March 9, 1974 (early show)"

10/03/74 - LIBERTY HALL, HOUSTON, TX

First Show: WILD BILLY’S CIRCUS STORY / NEW YORK CITY SERENDADE

Second Show: MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS (5:29) / THE FEVER (9:48) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (5:30) / GIMME THAT WINE (3:02) / THE E STREET SHUFFLE (4:16) / SOMETHING YOU GOT (5:28) / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (4:25) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (3:32) / KITTY’S BACK (8:57) / ANGEL’S BLUES (8:08) / THUNDERCRACK (13:45) / FOR YOU (7:54) / ROSALITA (0:45, end cut)

TWO shows (8PM and 11PM), double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and JIMMY SPHEERIS opening. As advertising for the Liberty Hall residency states, this final night at Liberty Hall was originally scheduled as one show only. However due to strong demand a second (late) show was added at the very last moment. Attendee recollections from March 10th that have surfaced over the years have caused great confusion due to the fact that both shows featured somewhat different setlists and because it was not generally known/confirmed that two shows were performed on March 10th. Springsteen opened the first show of this night with an acoustic “Circus Story” and a partial band, acoustic-orientated rendition of “New York City Serenade” (the same two songs he had opened the 2nd show with the previous night). The remaining songs performed during this first show are still unclear. THERE IS NO AUDIO FROM ANY OF THIS FIRST SHOW KNOWN TO EXIST. For the 2nd show Bruce changed these two opening songs. Instead he began the late show with an acoustic “Mary Queen” and then the semi-acoustic “Fever”.

The second show has several interesting features. Springsteen sings the “The Fever” for the first time in a concert setting and predicates the rendition by mentioning the studio demo that has been sent out to some radio stations (but doesn’t mention the fact he played the song the day before inside the KLOL-FM studio). By performing “The Fever” at this show Bruce appears to have been delivering on a promised intention to do so that he made to the Liberty Hall audience the night before. Additionally Bruce breaks a guitar string during “Spirit” and so we get a rare rendition of Clarence’s time-filling comedy number “Gimme That Wine”. We’re also treated to the only known live performance of ‘Angel Blues” (known to most fans by the titles of “She So Fine” or “Ride On Sweet William”) a rather unspectacular song that dates from mid 1973. The performance is very ragged, indicating it may not have been rehearsed much.

The above-mentioned 13-song setlist for the 2ND show (believed to be in the proper sequence) is taken from in-circulation audio that has been sourced from home tapings of radio broadcasts. Current evidence suggests this show was not simulcast live at the time but, rather, was first broadcast in November 1974 to promote Springsteen’s later Texas tour. There is also some evidence that the material was broadcast in bits and pieces in Nov 1974, rather than in one complete program segment. The original taper/s utilized modest recording equipment, so the sound quality is good but not outstanding. With a running time of about 98 minutes (depending on between-song edits) this is most likely the complete show, although it is possible that a couple of songs are missing. Comments Springsteen makes between several songs offer quite compelling evidence all this audio is from the late show on March 10th.

The 13 songs that are known from this 2nd show on 10/03/74 have yet to appear coherently on any mainstream bootleg. The CD boots “LIBERTY HALL” (Mistral), “ALL THOSE YEARS” (Templar) and “LIVE & UNRELEASED” (Seagull) each include the same five recordings (“Mary Queen of Arkansas”, “Fever”, “Gimme That Wine”, “Angel Blues” and “Thundercrack”). “LIBERTY HALL” also includes “Something You Got”. “ALL THOSE YEARS” and “LIVE & UNRELEASED” also includes “The E Street Shuffle”. That makes 7 recordings that are commonly circulating. On the other hand, the 6 “rare/missing” recordings (‘Spirit”, “Saint In The City”, Bus Driver”, “Kitty’s Back”, “For You” and “Rosalita”) are currently circulating only via private CDR sources. Only the first 45 seconds of “Rosalita” seem to be in circulation. It should also be noted that there are unsubstantiated reports that this 2nd show included two additional songs (“Sandy” and “Let The Four Winds Blow”) that don’t seem to be circulating anywhere.

Thanks to John for the ticket image.

15/03/74 - ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS, AUSTIN, TX

ROSALITA / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / TWIST AND SHOUT / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW

ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining a capacity crowd of 1,500 and western swing band ALVIN CROW & THE PLEASANT VALLEY BOYS opening. Partial setlist details above are from attendee recollections, THERE IS NO AUDIO IN CIRCULATION. This was Bruce and the boys first-ever gig in Austin and both Springsteen and Appel were concerned about a potential clash of musical (and audience) styles between the two acts. The concern proved unfounded, as Bruce recounted during a 1980 interview in "Performance Magazine"….. "It worried me a little bit. I knew for sure we weren't cowboys and I didn't know how they (the audience) would act. But, you know, they were up and dancing by the second song…I didn't think there were people like that, able to shift from one extreme to another so quickly".

Two BRUCEBASE readers who attended recall… "It was a special weekend show so it was a whopping $1.50 to get in! It ended being the best show I ever saw, period. I remember there were four encores and the last song he played was 'Let The Four Winds Blow' and he yelled out 'somebody get me a cheeseburger' at the end. We ran down Guadalupe Street and ate lots of tacos to recoup our energy". "We were really blown away that night. From the minute the music started everyone was on their feet, dancing and screaming and holding hands. I had never seen such a tight band before - or since. Bruce was jumping up on everything - speakers, pianos, you name it. Thanks to Chuck and Craig for these remembrances.

16/03/74 - ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS, AUSTIN, TX

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / WALKING THE DOG / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW / TWIST AND SHOUT

ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and western swing band ALVIN CROW & THE PLEASANT VALLEY BOYS opening. Partial setlist details above are from a 1974 article/review in "Rolling Stone" Magazine. THERE IS NO AUDIO IN CIRCULATION.

Image supplied by

LEGEND POSTERS

18/03/74 - GERTIE'S, DALLAS, TX

No set details known. TWO shows, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill. Opening of a 4-night (8-show) residency. This series of gigs was originally scheduled for a smaller club in Dallas called Mother Blues. However due to the rapturous reception and strong ticket sales that had occurred at the gigs in Houston and Austin, it was decided at the last moment to shift the residency to the larger Gertie’s venue. The decision turned out to be unnecessary, as ticket sales in Dallas were very poor, with only 50 to 75 people present at most of the shows – an indication of just how dramatically Bruce’s popularity varied from city to city at this point in his career.

19/03/74 - GERTIE'S, DALLAS, TX

No set details known. TWO shows, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill.

20/03/74 - GERTIE'S, DALLAS, TX

No set details known. TWO shows, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill.

21/03/74 - GERTIE'S, DALLAS, TX

No set details known. TWO shows, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill.

Promotion for the final night (March 21) shows at Gertie's. This AD says that it was a 3 day residency but this is likely an error. Bruce and others have stated it was for 4 nights.

23/03/74 - RADIO STATION KDKB-FM, PHOENIX, AZ

Although originally planned a 10-minute interview, Bruce joking accepts an on-the-spot invitation to play guest DJ and spends over an hour playing his favorite records and chatting about his musical influences between songs. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO of this show.

24/03/74 - CELEBRITY THEATRE, PHOENIX, AZ

WILD BILLY’S CIRCUS STORY / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / THE E STREET SHUFFLE / SANDY / WALKING THE DOG / KITTY’S BACK / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / FOR YOU / ROSALITA / TWIST AND SHOUT / backstage interview and discussions.

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen headlining and WENDY WALDMAN opening. This was Bruce’s first-ever experience performing on a revolving stage (he would spin again on 27/07/74 and 23/02/75). The above-mentioned 11-song setlist (believed to encompass the entire performance) is culled from a review of the concert that appeared in the Arizona State University paper, as well as a circulating audience recording. The fair-good quality 9-song recording (it’s missing “For You” and ‘Twist And Shout”) can be found on the CDR “WALKING THE DOG IN PHOENIX”. It would seem the original taper did not capture the two missing songs. Also from this night is an outstanding 40-minute discussion with Bruce (and Mike Appel in spots) that took place backstage after the show with reporters from The Phoenix New Times and Arizona State University. This is the most interesting interview with Springsteen available in any media format from the pre-Born To Run era - loaded with details about early shows and sessions. This interview can be found on the CDR “THE INNER VIEW”.

"Bruce making his mark in Phoenix on March 24, 1974."

05/04/74 - WIDENER COLLEGE, CHESTER, PA

KITTY'S BACK / FOR YOU / SANDY

ONE show, double bill, held in the sold-out 550-seat Macmorland Center, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and slide guitar virtuoso ELLEN McILWAINE opening with 60-minute set. The above-mentioned partial setlist details are from a review in the school newspaper. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO. The concert started 70 minutes late due to the late arrival of the Springsteen camp - but Bruce made up for it with a stellar, 1¾ hr performance. This is the infamous "gangster hat show" (see photos below) where Bruce departed from his ever-faithful beret in favor of a Bonnie & Clyde - era momento that he told a student reporter after the show he'd acquired during his recent Texas tour.

Bruce impersonating Miami Steve on April 5, 1974. Photos by Peggy Ratcliff. By kind permission of the Special Collections & Archives Department of Widener University.

06/04/74 - BURLINGTON COUNTY COLLEGE, PEMBERTON, NJ

NEW YORK CITY SERENDADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / THE E STREET SHUFFLE / SANDY / KITTY’S BACK / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / FOR YOU / ROSALITA

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and THE PERSUASIONS opening. The above-mentioned 9-song partial setlist is from an attendee recollection that is deemed reliable. There was about a 90-minute performance by Springsteen, so there are 3-4 songs missing from this list. Brucebase has received feedback that “Born To Run” may have been given a tryout performance at this show – but the evidence is hazy at this point. THERE IS NO KNOWN AUDIO FROM THIS SHOW.

"Bruce (with Texas hat) onstage at Burlington County College on April 6, 1974. Photo and ticket by kind permission and Copyright Mark del Costello."

07/04/74 - SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, SOUTH ORANGE, NJ

No set details known. One show, double bill, with Bruce & The E Street Band headlining. Held in the Main Lounge of the Bishop Dougherty Student Center and promoted as a dance concert - no chairs, people were told to bring their own blankets to sit on. The undercard was local outfit THE JIM MARINO BAND (featuring Seton Hall University student Max Weinberg on drums). Max has commented that he first met Bruce (very briefly) immediately following this show, when Max went up to Bruce and told him how much he enjoyed his performance. As fate would have it Max would end up auditioning and landing the drummer position in The E Street Band in August 1974.

09/04/74 - RADIO STATION WBCN-FM, BOSTON, MASS

SATIN DOLL (1:50) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (3:20) / GROWIN' UP (3:38) / WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY (5:37) / SANDY (8:29) / ROSALITA (9:12)

Yet another broadcast room acoustic show by Bruce and the band (minus Boom Carter). The above-mentioned setlist represents the entire performance and can be found in excellent broadcast quality on the CD "RADIO WAVES" (GDR). Unquestionably the highlight of this show is the unique acoustic performance of "Rosalita" - a genuine "must have" track.

09/04/74 - CHARLIE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

Early Show: NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / WALKING THE DOG / KITTY’S BACK / SANDY / ROSALITA

TWO shows, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and blues singer MIGHTY JOE YOUNG opening. Both artists had originally been scheduled to play separate, single show residencies at nearby Joe's Place (note the ill-fated Joe's Place AD below). However a fire destroyed Joe's Place on April 2nd and both artists quickly agreed to perform an adjusted double-billing schedule together at Charlie's (4 nights/8 shows). It should be noted that although Springsteen increased the amount of shows from 3 (as planned at Joe's) to 8 (at Charlie's), the length of the Bruce's performances at Charlie's were only 80 to 90 minutes, whereas the Joe's Place shows would have been 2hrs or more. There is no available audio from this show. A partial setlist from the early show is known via a gig review that appeared in a local paper (see NEWS item).

10/04/74 - CHARLIE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

Early Show: NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / FOR YOU / ROSALITA

Late Show: NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW

TWO shows, double bill, with Springsteen & the ESB headlining and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG opening. There is no known audio from either show. The partial setlist from the early show is courtesy of a Brucebase reader's confident recollection, who additionally notes: "I was there for the early show. He told a story about stopping in to see Junior Walker at Paul's Mall after his own show the night before, and then later stopping into some deli to get a meatball sub and finding they used flat meatballs". Springsteen met his future manager-producer Jon Landau for the first time on this night. Landau had arrived to see the 2nd (late) show and spotted Bruce alone on the sidewalk between shows, reading Landau's ‘Real Paper’ review of the WIESS album – it’d been posted by Charlie’s management on a wall near the club’s entrance. The partial setlist from the late show (the opening number and the 2nd encore) is from Landau’s recollection as conveyed to writer Dave Marsh.

11/04/74 - CHARLIE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

No set details known. TWO shows, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and blues singer MIGHTY JOE YOUNG opening.

12/04/74 - CHARLIE'S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

No set details known. TWO shows, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and blues singer MIGHTY JOE YOUNG opening. The profits for all 8 shows at Charlie's were used to help rebuild Joe's Place. Additionally both Springsteen and Mighty Joe Young donated their performance fees for this final night to The Joe's Place Disaster Fund. NOTE: various re-sequenced permutations of the audience taped performance from Joe's Place on 06/01/74 are circulating among collectors and are incorrectly attributed to either this or one of the previous nights shows at Charlie's Place. In reality there is currently no circulating audio from ANY of the 8 Charlie's Place shows from this April 9 thru 12 residency.

13/04/74 - RICHMOND COLISEUM, RICHMOND, VA

CANCELLED concert, never re-scheduled. Information is sketchy but it’s believed Springsteen was the scheduled undercard for this gig – anyone who has further details please contact Brucebase.

18/04/74 - MONMOUTH COLLEGE, LONG BRANCH, NJ

ONE show, with SPRINGSTEEN & THE ESB the sole act on the bill. Held in the Alumni (Memorial) Gym. Although this gig is noted in the Appel/Columbia Records tour itinerary files, it may have been very hastily arranged, as the school’s student newspaper archive reveals it was not pre-advertised or otherwise mentioned in that paper. Thanks to Monmouth College alumnae (and gig attendee) Mike for his recollections and his ticket stub from this show.

19/04/74 - STATE THEATRE, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and folk stylist JAE MASON opening. This concert went virtually unadvertised by its promoter, who gambled that "word-of-mouth" would be enough to fill the modest, 550-seat venue. Big mistake, as only about 250 people attended. A New Jersey local from this time has commented - "nobody knew this show was happening, in fact even students at Rutgers (in New Brunswick) were totally in the dark until after the fact". Journalist Penn Jillette, who attended this gig, has commented that despite the poor turnout Bruce played with the same intensity as if it were a full house at Madison Square Garden.

20/04/74 - URSINUS COLLEGE, COLLEGEVILLE, PA

No set details known. ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining. Support act was female folk stylist PERRY BARBER, who performed a brief, 35-minute solo set. Although Springsteen played for nearly 2hrs, the show was halted before the final encores when school officials became concerned that people in the audience lighting matches posed a fire threat to Helfferich Hall. Despite the disappointing finish the school's newspaper called Springsteen's performance "the greatest night in the history of Ursinus College".

Springsteen at Ursinus College April 20, 1974.

"Various shots of Bruce and the boys (and Perry Barber) on April 20, 1974, courtesy of Ursinus College's Archives"

26/04/74 - BROWN UNIVERSITY, PROVIDENCE, RI

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / THE E STREET SHUFFLE / GROWIN’ UP / SANDY / KITTY’S BACK / FOR YOU / ROSALITA – SHOTGUN / BOOM BOOM / TWIST AND SHOUT

ONE show, 12AM (Midnight, so technically speaking it was on the 27th), with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill. Held in the school’s sold-out Alumnae Hall on the Pembroke campus as part of Spring Carnival. There was no delay to the start of the show, as it had always been planned for midnight – a weird starting time given that Bruce was the only act on the bill. By all accounts a highly energized 1¾ hr performance that saw Bruce running amuck in the audience at one point and then undertake his James Brown-influenced “fainting-revival by the band” skit during the final song. The show included an early rendition of “Boom Boom”, although the tune may have actually formed part of the “Rosalita-Shotgun” combination. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO FROM THIS SHOW.

The above-mentioned setlist details (probably complete and in the correct sequence) are garnered from two fine reviews of the show, one by journalist Ty Davis in the Providence Journal and the other by student reporter J. Garrett Andrews in the Brown Herald. Andrews, who hailed from the Asbury Park area, procured a backstage interview with Bruce immediately following the show that was published in the school newspaper the following week. During this 2:00AM interview it’s noted that Bruce has a daytime gig in Connecticut coming up in just 11 hrs (1PM) and then an early evening (7PM) gig at another location right after it. Interestingly, this show did not include any (at that time) unissued Springsteen compositions (i.e. ‘Thundercrack”, “Zero”, “You Mean So Much To Me”, etc), a point not unnoticed by reporter Andrews, who queried Bruce on the matter. Bruce’s responds by stating the show setlist is in a transitional stage - he’s just written some new songs that he’s about to start incorporating into upcoming shows. It’s likely that Bruce was referring here to the new compositions he performed two weeks later at the Harvard Square Theatre.

27/04/74 - UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, STORRS, CT

No set details known. ONE show (a 4-artist Spring Carnival Extravaganza), held outdoors in the parking lot of the school’s Ice Hockey Arena from 1PM to 6PM. Springsteen was topped-billed but actually opened the show, seeming in order to be able to make it on time to another booked spring carnival show later that evening 60km away at the University Of Hartford (see following listing). All four bands played about 90-minute sets and it was an outstanding bill, with funk masters FATBACK, FAIRPORT CONVENTION and the always-hot-in-concert AEROSMITH (who closed the festivities). And to top it off the whole event was FREE, including food and drink!

By kind permission of the University Of Connecticut Archives & Special Collections Department, Storrs, CT

27/04/74 - UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD, HARTFORD, CT

No set details known. ONE show, with Springsteen & The ESB the sole act on the bill. The boys had already performed a full show earlier in the day at the University of Connecticut. That outdoor gig had been long planned but this indoor gig in Hartford was a late addition to the tour itinerary, with Bruce coming to the rescue of the school’s concert committee by agreeing to replace the ELVIN BISHOP BAND, who’d cancelled the week before.

Collectors note: there is no known audio from this gig. Unfortunately there is unofficial audio trading among collectors from a rogue broadcast by a daring DJ at Hartford radio station WHCN-FM in late 70’s. This audio is falsely labeled in some tape trading circles as being from this 1974 UOH show. It’s not. It’s all from very common bootleg sources. “Kitty’s Back” emanates from the July 13, 1974 show and both “Growin’ Up” and “Saint In The City” are from the April 17, 1976 show (see Brucebase listings for those shows). To make matters even more confusing there is a performance of “Growin’ Up” circulating that’s alleged to be from an in-station solo acoustic performance by Bruce at WHCH-FM prior to this 1974 UOH show. There was no such in-station performance - it turns out that this is merely the John Hammond studio demo.

28/04/74 - SWARTHMORE COLLEGE, SWARTHMORE, PA

No set details known. ONE afternoon, outdoor show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining. Opening act was Philadelphia acoustic-orientated outfit WIRE AND WOOD (Frank Collins, Craig Bickhardt and Rick Bell). According to an announcement in the student newspaper this show was originally scheduled indoors in Clothier Building Auditorium at 1:30PM. However lovely, unseasonably warm, weather enabled the event to be shifted to the campus’s picturesque amphitheatre. Apparently the atmosphere elicited a particularly loose and jazzy performance. Swarthmore was an all-girls school and Philadelphia Inquirer critic Bill Mandel, who attended this show, described Bruce and the band as performing “to a glade-full of barely clad satyrs and nymphs who writhed and danced in and out of the trees”.

29/04/74 - ROXY THEATER, NORTHAMPTON, PA

No set details known. TWO shows, 7:30PM and 10PM, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill. Both shows were sellouts. Promoted and sponsored by WSAN-AM in Allentown, however there was no radio broadcast of either show. This was Bruce's only appearance at this 600-seat, classically designed movie theater.

04/05/74 - MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY, MONTCLAIR, NJ

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / GROWING UP / SAINT IN THE CITY / KITTY'S BACK / ROSALITA / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and BUZZY LINHART opening. Being a part of the school's Spring Carnival itinerary the concert had an unusual schedule, with Linhart performing a 90-minute show starting at 6PM, then a 3hr break before Springsteen took the stage at 11PM. Bruce's performance lasted just under 2hrs. A BRUCEBASE reader who attended comments: "the most memorable thing about the show was the beginning. The stage was totally dark and then as the lights slowly came up, like an early gray dawn, they played a long intro to "New York City Serenade" while the band members remained motionless like mannequins, like ghostly shadows…....one of the two or three best shows I have ever seen". THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO FROM THIS SHOW.

Bruce (with Texas hat) onstage at Montclair State on May 4, 1974 and pre-concert AD - all courtesy of Montclair State University Special Collections

05/05/74 - KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, KENT, OHIO

CANCELLED/POSTPONED concert, re-scheduled and played three weeks later (see listing for 1/6/74). This 5/5/74 show was re-scheduled well in advance, before any advertising took place or tickets sold.

06/05/74 - BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, NEWTOWN, PA

No setlist details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and jazz fusion outfit RETURN TO FOREVER (featuring Chick Corea) opening. A BRUCEBASE reader comments: "I got there early and found each member of R.T.F. practicing separately in a hallway surrounding the gym the show was held in. Stanley Clark was playing bass in the band then".

Thanks to Carlo for the ticket scan.

09/05/74 - HARVARD SQUARE THEATRE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS

Soundcheck: THE E STREET SHUFFLE / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST

Early Show: NEW YORK CITY SERENADE (13:44) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (5:26) / I SOLD MY HEART TO THE JUNKMAN (5:09) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (3:47) / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (4:01) / THE E STREET SHUFFLE (6:00) / KITTY'S BACK (13:28) / ROSALITA (9:34)

Late Show: THE E STREET SHUFFLE / NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / BORN TO RUN / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / KITTY'S BACK / FOR YOU / ROSALITA / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW / TWIST AND SHOUT

TWO shows, double bill, with Bruce opening for headliner BONNIE RAITT. This is one of most famous Springsteen gigs yet, ironically, one of the most inaccurately reported - the key point of confusion being that there were 2 separate admission shows on the night and the long-circulating audio has been long-attributed to the wrong show. An 8-song, 70-minute, continuous segment of the early show (plus two soundcheck tracks) can be found on "ROCK AND ROLL PUNK" (E ST) or "FEEL THE SPIRIT". This is the entire early show except for one or two encore songs that followed “Rosalita”. The MC’s use of the name “The E Street Band” in his introduction is the earliest appearance of that name on any show audio or promotional material yet unearthed. The “E Street Band” name was conjured up only a few weeks earlier. The first show’s audio is a quality audience recording made by a taper who had good equipment and an ideal recording spot. Indeed, a close analysis of background conversation during the soundcheck yields an argument between someone in Springsteen's camp and the taper over this person’s right to be recording the show. This person obviously got away with it during the first show but appears not have been so fortunate for the second. An excellent show that includes a unique cover of the Dinah Washington / Etta James WWII-era blues classic "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman" (performed by Bruce in the "comedy mode" as recorded by The Starlets in 1961 - the likely inspiration).

THERE IS NO KNOWN AUDIO OF THE 2ND SHOW and precise setlist details remain problematic due to conflicting recollections. Critic Jon Landau's much-quoted "I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen" line emanates from this night. Landau only attended… and his Real Paper review only covers… the late show. However Landau’s review, in conjunction with information from other attendee recollections, provides an accurate, albeit partial, setlist for the late show, one that lasted 20-30 minutes longer than the early show. Bruce opened with the slow arrangement of "E Street Shuffle", the only known instance that Bruce has opened with this song. "For You" was also performed in its piano-solo arrangement. Bruce knew that Landau was attending the late show and he unveiled at least one new composition (possibly up to three) for Landau's ears. One of these, "Born To Run" (identified in Landau's review as the song with the “Telstar” guitar opening), is confirmed via multiple recollections, including later comments by Landau to Dave Marsh. If one or two additional “new songs” were performed during the late show (and this is where there are conflicting stories) then these would have been either “Angel Blues” (previously only played on 10/3/74) or “The Fever” (rarely played and considered new) or two songs that Bruce had written and was already fiddling with in the studio - “Jungleland” and “A Love So Fine”.

Ads presented by kind permission of Harvard University.

10/05/74 - PALACE THEATRE, PROVIDENCE, RI

CANCELLED Springsteen performance (due to sessions at 914 Sound Studios), never rescheduled. This gig had originally been slated as a ONE show, double billing, with Springsteen opening for headliner HOT TUNA. The show went ahead anyway, with just Hot Tuna on the bill.

11/05/74 - FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY, RUTHERFORD, NJ

No details known. There remains some confusion if this show, which may have been outdoors, took place or was cancelled. The gig is noted as having been played on Mike Appel’s official accounting documentation and there is known (but lone) fan recollection of it having taken place - yet the University's Library has reported to Brucebase that they have no record of it. We’d like to hear from anyone who can shed light on this matter.

12/05/74 - GLASSBORO STATE COLLEGE, GLASSBORO, NJ

CANCELLED performance (due to recording sessions booked at 914 Sound Studios), never rescheduled. This concert had been planned as a double bill with Springsteen headlining and FAIRPORT CONVENTION opening. The event was restructured and went ahead without Springsteen, with Fairport Convention headlining and local group THE BOGUS BABY BAND opening. Thanks to Jan for the info. (At the event on the night - it was announced that Bruce was sick)

Thanks to Mark del Costello for the ticket scan.

14/05/74 - TUSCULUM COLLEGE, GREENEVILLE, TN

CANCELLED show (due to recording sessions booked at 914 Sound Studios), never rescheduled.

24/05/74 - WAR MEMORIAL THEATRE, TRENTON, NJ

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / FOR YOU

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and slide guitar virtuoso ELLEN McILWAINE opening (a late replacement for HALL & OATES). A BRUCEBASE reader who attended comments: "the opening act was originally supposed to be Hall & Oates but as we were on our way to the show on the Jersey Turnpike we heard them guest DJ'ing on WMMR-FM in Philadelphia. The show was primarily Wild & Innocent stuff. Bruce ended with a bunch of rock classics and them came back to do a solo "For You" on piano".

Original Mock Up Ad courtesy of It's Only Rock n Roll.

25/05/74 - ARCHBISHOP JOHN CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL, RADNOR, PA

CANCELLED Springsteen concert, never rescheduled. At the time (1974) there were separate boys and girls schools located on the same property. The concert had been planned for the school’s 500-seat theater, which was utilized by both schools. However the student entertainment committee in charge of organizing the event was unable to sell enough tickets to pay the required deposit, so the gig was cancelled.

28/05/74 - THE MAIN POINT, BRYN MAWR, PA

No set details known. TWO shows, 8PM and 10PM. Bruce & The E Street Band are the sole act on the bill.

29/05/74 - THE MAIN POINT, BRYN MAWR, PA

No set details known. TWO shows, 8PM and 10PM. Bruce & The E Street Band are the sole act on the bill.

31/05/74 - THE COLUMBUS AGORA, COLUMBUS, OHIO

CANCELLED concert due to weak advanced ticket sales, never rescheduled. BRUCEBASE reader Al comments: "having just seen Springsteen (March 3rd) at Georgetown University in Washington, upon my return to Ohio I got a group of people together to go to the Columbus show. When we arrived at the Agora we were told that, aside from the five of us, only two other tickets had been sold and the concert had been cancelled”.

01/06/74 - KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, KENT, OHIO

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE / NO MONEY DOWN / KITTY'S BACK / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW - I'M READY

ONE show, a 6hr quadruple billing extravaganza, with Springsteen headlining. Support acts were MICHAEL STANLEY, THE BANKY BROTHERS BAND and 15-60-75 (a.k.a. THE NUMBERS BAND). Held in the 5,000-seat Memorial Gymnasium. A good attendance, but not a sellout. The 2nd-billed Michael Stanley (and his band) opened the festivities with a 90-minute performance, followed by the two local bands, each of which played 60-minute sets - culminating in Springsteen & The E Street Band taking the stage at 10:30PM and playing for 2hrs. According to the contract documentation, the ticket price was $2. The above-mentioned partial setlist is from an attendee recollection. THE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO FROM THIS SHOW.

Bruce onstage at Kent State on June 1, 1974. Advertisement and Photo from the Special Collections & Archives of Kent State University

02/06/74 - THE TOLEDO AGORA, TOLEDO, OH

Bruce tuning and chat (1:07) / A NIGHT LIKE THIS (7:45) / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST (4:05) / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (4:29) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (cut, 0:07) / FOR YOU (8:16) / LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW - I'M READY (start cut, 9:56)

ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining. Beginning shows with one or two acoustic numbers had been a pretty consistent hallmark of Springsteen's concerts up to this point. However this was one of the last shows of this type, as the hiring of Mark Brickman as stage lighting director in July 1974 pretty much ended the opening acoustic solo spots in shows.

The above-mentioned partial setlist is taken from an audience recording of very weak quality that has been in limited circulation for many years. The material has yet to appear on any mainstream bootleg. The audio likely represents only about 30% of the evening’s total performance. All but a few opening seconds of "Spirit" is cut, as well as the opening minute or so of the evening finale, "Let The Four Winds Blow". Although this tape often circulates as undated, there are in fact several vital clues that almost certainly pinpoint the tape to this date and venue. Firstly, Bruce specifically mentions the name "The E Street Band" (which places the show no earlier than April 1974). Secondly, Bruce asks the audience how many of them have travelled from Detroit for this show (most respond yes - Toledo is only 70km from Detroit). Thirdly, this arrangement of "Let The Four Winds Blow - I'm Ready" was unique to the mid-1974 period and very similar to the following night's rendition in Cleveland.

From an historical standpoint the important performance is the wonderful love song “A Night Like This” (often referred to by collectors by the title “Dance On Little Angel” or Bruce’s original working title “Angel Baby”). Springsteen, identifying it as "a new song" but not mentioning the title to the crowd, performs it acoustically (with Clarence and Danny). Fortunately the audio of this song is complete and the sound quality is somewhat better on this track than the rest of the audio. Although "A Night Like This" bears no common melody or lyrics with "Sandy", both are stylistically similar and set along the summer Jersey shoreline. A studio take of this song has never surfaced but one was recorded a few months later (at 914 Sound Studios on Oct 16, 1974). Bruce later used a few tidbits of lyric from "A Night Like This" for his early 1975 composition "Lonely Night In The Park", another uncirculating recording from the BTR sessions.

03/06/74 - THE AGORA, CLEVELAND, OH

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (6.04)/ E ST SHUFFLE (8.13)/ 4TH JULY ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6.43)/ YOU NEVER CAN TELL (8.40)/ TOKYO (edit) (5.22)/ ROSALITA (9.54)/ LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW - I'M READY (11.04)

ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining and ORPHAN opening. Most (possibly all) of this 100-minute show was recorded by WMMS-FM in Cleveland, then edited to fit into a 60-minute time schedule and broadcast for the first time on 05/06/74 at 10PM-11PM. There was approximately 40 minutes (4-6 songs) of the performance not broadcast and none of unbroadcast material is in circulation, if indeed it ever survived the editing room. The above-mentioned setlist represents only those songs that were broadcast and these songs can be found in excellent soundboard quality on the CD "YOU NEVER CAN TELL" (Pigghan), as well as titles such as "AND THE BAND PLAYED" (Swinging Pig) plus "AND THE E STREET BAND PLAYED" (Scorpion). "Tokyo" is also found in the "ALL THOSE YEARS" compilation. WMMS-FM editors selected a good cross-section of the entire show. Highlights include a striking rendition of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" and the last known (and probably tightest) live performance of "Tokyo", which by mid-74 seems to be morphing into a new title with altered lyrics called "Sleepytown". NOTE: The audio from this show is often incorrectly linked to the Agora show of 18/02/74 - however this earlier show was cancelled and never happened.

Bruce and Clarence at the Agora 1974 - courtesy of Billy Smith.

13/06/74 - CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

CANCELLED show, never rescheduled. Springsteen & The E Street Band had been booked as the show opener for headliner THE GUESS WHO, at the time one of the biggest selling rock acts in North America. Apparently the sudden resignation of two of the members of The Guess Who (Kurt Winter and Donnie McDougall) was the reason for the cancellation.

14/06/74 - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON, ARLINGTON, TX

CANCELLED Springsteen performance, never rescheduled. This gig had been slated to take place in the school’s “Texas Hall” venue. Details and reason for the cancellation are unknown.

15/06/74 - ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS, AUSTIN, TX

No set details known. ONE show, with Springsteen & The E Street Band the sole act on the bill.

16/06/74 - MUSIC HALL, HOUSTON, TX

CANCELLED Springsteen performance, although the concert went ahead anyway. Originally slated as a ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen opening for headliner MARIA MULDAUR, who was riding high in the charts at the time with “Midnight At The Oasis”. The show went ahead anyway, with DANNY O’KEEFE substituted for Springsteen. Apparently the concert tickets exhibit Springsteen’s, not Okeefe’s, name as the undercard – so Bruce must’ve pulled out fairly late in the process.

19/06/74 - COWTOWN BALLROOM, KANSAS CITY, MO

CANCELLED concert. There have been rumours that this show was re-scheduled and played on 20/07/74. However no supporting information has ever surfaced. BRUCEBASE would like to hear from anyone who has any hard evidence concerning this matter.

21/06/74 - LE GARAGE, SPRAY BEACH, N.J.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining. A local glam-rock band (name unverified) opened the show. The 2-night (2-show) residency at this now-defunct club on Long Beach Island was a last minute addition to the tour itinerary and took place amidst recording sessions at 914 Sound Studios.

22/06/74 - LE GARAGE, SPRAY BEACH, N.J.

No setlist details known. ONE show, double bill, with Springsteen & The E Street Band headlining at this club out on Long Beach Island. Although not mentioned on the Poster, a local glam-rock "house" band (name unknown) opened. A BRUCEBASE reader comments: "the venue was right next to the beach and I spoke to Bruce in between the opening band and his show, while listening to the ocean waves. You paid at the door and got a folding chair to sit in. The place is now a clothing store I think". Another BRUCEBASE reader adds: "Someone asked for 'Rosalita' and Bruce said 'I don't know if I remember that one' - then launched right into it. I also remember the folding chairs"!

25/06/74 - LAFAYETTE'S MUSIC ROOM, MEMPHIS, TN

CANCELLED show, never rescheduled. This was to be the opening of a 6-night (6-show) residency for Springsteen & The E Street Band at this small, jazz club in Overton Square. However, for reasons uncertain, the entire 6-night residency was cancelled.

“Promotion for the soul group LIBERATION, who replaced Springsteen for all 6 nights after he cancelled”.