The Rising Tour
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Tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | |
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Associated album | The Rising |
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Start date | August 7, 2002 |
End date | October 4, 2003 |
Legs | 3 |
No. of shows | 120 |
Box office | US $221 million ($366.04 in 2023 dollars)[1] |
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert chronology |
The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003. It followed the release of their 2002 album The Rising.
Itinerary
Tour preparations began in late July and early August 2002 with closed and then semi-open rehearsals, and then several public rehearsal shows, at
The first leg of the tour formally began on August 7, 2002, with an opening show in Springsteen's home floor of
After a break of more than two months in winter, the second leg of the tour began on February 28, 2003, with 7 more one-night stands in the United States. The band then travelled to Australia and New Zealand in March for five shows down under. They then quickly returned to North America for 6 more barnstorming shows in April, mostly in Canada.
After a three-week break, barnstorming was over and the promised third leg of multiple-show stands was on. The tour went back to
In all, the tour played 120 shows in 82 cities over a span of 14 months.
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance | Revenue |
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North America | |||||
August 7, 2002 | East Rutherford | United States | Continental Airlines Arena
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August 10, 2002 | Washington, D.C. | MCI Center
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August 12, 2002 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | 18,725 / 18,725 | $1,403,175 | |
August 14, 2002 | Cleveland | Gund Arena |
19,602 / 19,602 | $1,470,150 | |
August 15, 2002 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 19,177 / 19,177 | $1,438,275 | |
August 18, 2002 | Las Vegas | Thomas & Mack Center | 14,196 / 14,500 | $1,064,700 | |
August 20, 2002 | Portland | Rose Garden | 10,576 / 14,446 | $793,200 | |
August 21, 2002 | Tacoma | Tacoma Dome | 13,736 / 17,945 | $987,750 | |
August 24, 2002 | Inglewood | Great Western Forum |
17,466 / 17,466 | $1,303,650 | |
August 25, 2002 | Phoenix | America West Arena |
13,830 / 13,830 | $1,002,398 | |
August 27, 2002 | San Jose | Compaq Center |
17,137 / 17,137 | $1,285,275 | |
August 30, 2002 | St. Louis | Savvis Center |
13,670 / 20,135 | $915,500 | |
September 22, 2002 | Denver | Pepsi Center |
17,713 / 17,713 | $1,343,452 | |
September 24, 2002 | Kansas City | Kemper Arena |
10,899 / 10,899 | $800,136 | |
September 25, 2002 | Chicago | United Center | 20,119 / 20,119 | $1,508,625 | |
September 27, 2002 | Milwaukee | Bradley Center | 19,131 / 19,131 | $1,396,563 | |
September 29, 2002 | Fargo | Fargodome | |||
September 30, 2002 | Saint Paul | Xcel Energy Center | 18,927 / 18,927 | $1,391,235 | |
October 4, 2002 | Boston | FleetCenter
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October 6, 2002 | Philadelphia | First Union Center |
19,738 / 19,738 | $1,414,594 | |
October 7, 2002 | Buffalo | HSBC Arena
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Europe | |||||
October 14, 2002 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
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October 16, 2002 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi | ||
October 18, 2002 | Bologna | Italy | Unipol Arena | ||
October 20, 2002 | Berlin | Germany | Velodrom
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October 22, 2002 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy | ||
October 24, 2002 | Stockholm | Sweden | Globe Arena
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October 27, 2002 | London | England | Wembley Arena | ||
North America | |||||
November 3, 2002 | Dallas | United States | American Airlines Center | ||
November 4, 2002 | Houston | Compaq Center
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November 12, 2002 | Cincinnati | U.S. Bank Arena
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November 14, 2002 | Lexington | Rupp Arena | 9,507 / 11,500 | $713,025 | |
November 16, 2002 | Greensboro | Greensboro Coliseum |
20,397 / 20,397 | $1,487,411 | |
November 19, 2002 | Birmingham | BJCC Arena |
9,648 / 9,648 | $670,000 | |
November 21, 2002 | Orlando | TD Waterhouse Centre |
13,375 / 13,375 | $946,981 | |
November 23, 2002 | Miami | American Airlines Arena
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November 24, 2002 | Tampa | St. Pete Times Forum |
19,644 / 19,644 | ||
December 2, 2002 | Atlanta | Philips Arena |
17,408 / 17,408 | $1,211,256 | |
December 4, 2002 | Pittsburgh | Mellon Arena
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December 5, 2002 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre |
19,060 / 19,060 | $1,391,160 |
December 8, 2002 | Charlotte | United States | Charlotte Coliseum | 18,968 / 20,030 | $1,396,425 |
December 9, 2002 | Columbia | Carolina Center |
12,513 / 13,512 | $903,225 | |
December 13, 2002 | Albany | Pepsi Arena |
16,015 / 16,015 | $1,170,310 | |
December 16, 2002 | Columbus | Schottenstein Center
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December 17, 2002 | Indianapolis | Conseco Fieldhouse
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February 28, 2003 | Duluth | Arena at Gwinnett Center
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March 2, 2003 | Austin | Frank Erwin Center | 10,110 / 15,900 | $758,250 | |
March 4, 2003 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville Coliseum | 9,469 / 9,515 | $690,077 | |
March 6, 2003 | Richmond | Richmond Coliseum | 13,424 / 13,424 | $1,001,925 | |
March 7, 2003 | Atlantic City | Boardwalk Hall | 12,500 / 12,500 | ||
March 10, 2003 | Providence | Dunkin' Donuts Center |
13,222 / 13,222 | $982,500 | |
March 11, 2003 | Rochester | Blue Cross Arena | 12,426 / 12,426 | $906,329 | |
Australia | |||||
March 20, 2003 | Melbourne | Australia | Telstra Dome
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March 22, 2003 | Sydney | Sydney Cricket Ground | |||
March 25, 2003 | Brisbane | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | |||
March 26, 2003 | |||||
March 28, 2003 | Auckland | New Zealand | Western Springs Stadium | ||
North America | |||||
April 9, 2003 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena | 14,285 / 14,763 | $1,038,176 |
April 11, 2003 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum | 14,531 / 14,531 | $1,137,832 |
April 13, 2003 | Calgary | Pengrowth Saddledome |
13,891 / 13,891 | $1,089,749 | |
April 14, 2003 | Edmonton | Skyreach Centre |
9,625 / 10,000 | $741,444 | |
April 18, 2003 | Ottawa | Corel Centre
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April 19, 2003 | Montreal | Bell Centre | 16,581 / 16,581 | $1,316,961 | |
Europe | |||||
May 6, 2003 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Feyenoord Stadion
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May 8, 2003 | |||||
May 10, 2003 | Ludwigshafen | Germany | Sudweststadion
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May 12, 2003 | Brussels | Belgium | King Baudouin Stadium | ||
May 15, 2003 | Gijón | Spain | El Molinon
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May 17, 2003 | Barcelona | Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic
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May 19, 2003 | Madrid | Estadio La Peineta
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May 22, 2003 | Gelsenkirchen | Germany | Arena AufSchalke | ||
May 24, 2003 | Saint-Denis |
France | Stade de France | ||
May 26, 2003 | London | England | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre | ||
May 27, 2003 | |||||
May 29, 2003 | Manchester | Old Trafford Cricket Ground | |||
May 31, 2003 | Dublin | Ireland | RDS Arena | ||
June 8, 2003 | Florence | Italy | Stadio Artemio Franchi | ||
June 10, 2003 | Munich | Germany | Olympiastadion | ||
June 12, 2003 | Hamburg | Volksparkstadion | |||
June 14, 2003 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Parken Stadium | ||
June 16, 2003 | Helsinki | Finland | Helsinki Olympic Stadium | ||
June 17, 2003 | |||||
June 19, 2003 | Oslo | Norway | Valle Hovin | ||
June 21, 2003 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Ullevi | ||
June 22, 2003 | |||||
June 25, 2003 | Vienna | Austria | Ernst-Happel-Stadion | ||
June 28, 2003 | Milan | Italy | Stadio San Siro
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North America | |||||
July 15, 2003 | East Rutherford | United States | Giants Stadium | 566,560 / 566,560 | $38,684,050 |
July 17, 2003 | |||||
July 18, 2003 | |||||
July 21, 2003 | |||||
July 24, 2003 | |||||
July 26, 2003 | |||||
July 27, 2003 | |||||
August 1, 2003 | Foxborough | Gillette Stadium | 96,108 / 98,559 | $7,107,215 | |
August 2, 2003 | |||||
August 6, 2003 | Pittsburgh | PNC Park | 42,301 / 48,074 | $3,137,575 | |
August 8, 2003 | Philadelphia | Lincoln Financial Field | 139,318 / 147,763 | $10,342,060 | |
August 9, 2003 | |||||
August 11, 2003 | |||||
August 13, 2003 | Chicago | U.S. Cellular Field |
39,439 / 39,439 | $2,970,543 | |
August 16, 2003 | San Francisco | Pacific Bell Park |
40,702 / 40,702 | $3,134,054 | |
August 17, 2003 | Los Angeles | Dodger Stadium | 42,678 / 53,358 | $2,826,215 | |
August 28, 2003 | East Rutherford | Giants Stadium | [a] | [a] | |
August 30, 2003 | |||||
August 31, 2003 | |||||
September 6, 2003 | Boston | Fenway Park | 70,827 / 70,827 | $5,222,625 | |
September 7, 2003 | |||||
September 10, 2003 | Toronto | Canada | SkyDome
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September 13, 2003 | Washington, D.C. | United States | FedExField |
46,056 / 59,056 | $3,326,995 |
September 14, 2003 | Chapel Hill | Kenan Stadium |
26,501 / 39,607 | $1,632,685 | |
September 16, 2003 | East Hartford | Rentschler Field |
51,569 / 66,000 | $3,788,325 | |
September 18, 2003 | |||||
September 20, 2003 | Corfu | Darien Lake Performing Arts Center | 11,951 / 19,999 | $796,790 | |
September 21, 2003 | Detroit | Comerica Park | 27,728 / 37,437 | $2,048,816 | |
September 25, 2003 | Denver | Invesco Field at Mile High |
35,679 / 37,500 | $2,442,072 | |
September 27, 2003 | Milwaukee | Miller Park |
32,812 / 40,566 | $2,451,588 | |
October 1, 2003 | New York City | Shea Stadium | 147,892 / 161,000 | $10,858,610 | |
October 3, 2003 | |||||
October 4, 2003 |
The show
Songs from The Rising played a key role in the structure of the tour's shows. Concerts typically began with "
For the rest of the main set, a mixture of songs from throughout Springsteen's catalog would emerge.
First encores of shows were typically fun and upbeat, featuring the return after a long absence of Springsteen's biggest hit single, "
Some of the second leg shows took place during the run-up to, and March 20, 2003, start of, the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/BruceSpringsteen2003.jpg/286px-BruceSpringsteen2003.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/RisingTourRain.jpg/286px-RisingTourRain.jpg)
In the European stadium dates, the solo piano spot gave way to a rotating epic slot for "Jungleland", "Racing in the Street", and the like, and a new high-energy cover, "Seven Nights to Rock", became a regular in the encores, as did extended boogie piano solos by Roy Bittan. The final European show in Milan's Stadio San Siro was said by some fans, as well as by Springsteen manager Jon Landau, to be "one of the four or five best Bruce shows of all time." [2] By the time summer 2003 rolled around and the United States multiple night stadium dates were being played, the feel of the show became somewhat looser. As each show was about to begin, the stage video screens would show Springsteen and the band relaxedly walking in from backstage, while Frank Sinatra's classic recording of "Summer Wind" was aired. The second encores also brought a treat for audiences, as "Rosalita" made fully regular appearances for the first time since 1988.
During the ten Giants Stadium shows especially, Springsteen thanked those fans who were attending multiple shows and those who were coming from long distances or out of the country; the advent of robust Bruce-oriented
In the two shows immediately following the September 12, 2003, death of
The Rising Tour would come to a final conclusion in the early autumn with three nights in
Songs performed
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
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Other
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Critical and commercial reception
Reviews of The Rising Tour were generally favorable.
A reviewer for PopMatters found an early New York City barnstorming show to be the first Springsteen show he'd seen that lived up to the classic Springsteen he imagined from the 1970s and early 1980s. [5] As a response to the tour's role in helping fans mourn after 9/11, David Segal wrote in a review which appeared the Washington Post, "Lordy, lordy, we needed that. We needed Bruce Springsteen even more than we thought, and we thought we needed him a lot."[4] CLUAS.com reported that a May 2003
E Street drummer Max Weinberg gave his own assessment: "Playing for a country that was so much in pain from the events of 9/11 made the Rising Tour so much more than a series of rock concerts. People looked to us — actually they looked to the music — to quiet their sorrows. At first it seemed like the responsibility hoisted on us was too much. How could rock musicians meet these expectations? But somehow we did it. Somehow the tour was a great success." [Santelli, p. 89]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/RisingTourGiantsStadiumLot.jpg/286px-RisingTourGiantsStadiumLot.jpg)
While Springsteen's popularity had dipped over the years in some southern and midwestern regions of the United States, it was still quite strong in Europe and along the United States coasts, as exemplified by the unprecedented 10 nights he played in outdoor football Giants Stadium in New Jersey, a ticket-selling feat that no other musical act can come close to. [8]. Reuters reported that those 10 nights alone resulted in 566,560 tickets being sold and a gross of $38.8 million, a world record for one engagement. [9] The Giants Stadium management reported that ticket buyers to those shows came from all 50 states and all over the world; they had celebrated the event by building a huge boardwalk and amusement park in the parking lot next to the stadium. [10]
Overall, according to
Broadcasts and recordings
The first half of the October 16, 2002, show in
That entire concert was then released as a two-disc DVD, Live in Barcelona, on November 18, 2003, the first time any Springsteen concert had been officially released in full. The DVD opened with his performance of the title song, "The Rising".[2] It also included a documentary, Drop the Needle and Pray: The Rising on Tour, with interviews and additional concert snippets from some of the United States summer stadium dates, including a clip compilation from the shows at Fenway Park entitled "Night of the Living Boss". (The last three nights of the Giants Stadium, both shows at Fenway Park, and all three Shea Stadium shows were filmed in full, but have otherwise not seen release.)
The June 16, 2003, show at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium was released through the Bruce Springsteen Archives in October 2018. Live audio of this tour was noted to be difficult to release due to being recorded using proprietary audio software that has since become out of date.[5]
Personnel
The E Street Band
- Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, most lead guitars, harmonica, occasional piano
- Roy Bittan – piano, synthesizer
- Clarence Clemons – saxophone, background vocals
- electronic glockenspiel, accordion
- Nils Lofgren – guitars, pedal steel guitar, dobro, banjo, background vocals
- duet vocals, electric guitar on Ramrod[6]
- Garry Tallent – bass guitar
- Steven Van Zandt – guitars, mandolin, background vocals
- Max Weinberg – drums
with:
- percussion, background vocals
Scialfa missed some shows in Europe due to family duties.
The only change from the 1999–2000 Reunion Tour line-up was the addition of Tyrell.
Sources
- Santelli, Robert. Greetings From E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8118-5348-9.
- Springsteen's official website does not have much on the 2002–2003 period anymore.
- Shore Fire Media press release archives are useful for understanding scheme behind the tour.
- Live in Barcelona DVD cover notes.
- Backstreets.com's 2002 set lists and show descriptions and Backstreets.com's 2003 set lists and show descriptions capture the contents and feel of each show; unfortunately, they are not structured as to allow direct linking to individual shows.
- Killing Floor's concert database gives valuable coverage as well, but also does not support direct linking to individual dates.
References
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-415-97807-1.
- ^ Roeser, Steve (1 January 2007). "A Tale of Two Springsteens: "The River" and "The Rising"". Goldmine. 33 (2): 18. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ Segal, David (12 August 2002). "Thanks, Boss; Bruce Springsteen Rises to the Occasion at MCI Center". Washington Post.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Releases Helsinki 2003 Live Album". Rolling Stone. 2018-10-05. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Ramrod - Bruce Springsteen [DVD Live in Barcelona 2002] ( Subtitles & lyrics )". YouTube.