Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered a 32-song, three-and-a-half-hour concert last night at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The Boss treated fans to five tour debuts including two sung as duets with his wife Patti Scialfa.
Last night’s show, the first of two at The Forum, was the longest yet of Springsteen’s 2023 – 2024 World Tour. The concert was originally scheduled for December 2023 and was among dates postponed due to The Boss’ peptic ulcer disease. Scialfa’s appearance was her first of 2024 and just the fourth since the start of the trek last year.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came out of the gates with a cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” last played on September 14, 2016. The group performed the Jimmy Cliff classic “Trapped” for the first time in 2024 a few songs later. “We have a very special night prepared, Los Angeles,” Springsteen went on to tell the capacity crowd before bringing out his “beautiful wife” Patti Scialfa.
Patti Scialfa joined the E Street Band in 1984 but her time on-stage with the group has become increasingly rare. Scialfa did accompany her husband during most Springsteen On Broadway shows in 2017, 2018 and 2021. The vocalist dueted with Springsteen on the tour’s first versions of “Tougher Than The Rest” and “Fire.” The latter was played acoustic until the end.
Springsteen and his band continued on sans Scialfa with the beloved “Hungry Heart.” The Boss then spotted a sign requesting a cover of the traditional “Jole Blon” and endulged in trotting out the cover for the first time with the E Street Band since February 21, 2017.
The rest of the concert played out in similar form to other 2024 tour stops outside the length. “My City Of Ruins” and “Twist and Shout” both saw action last night after each was recently revived. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band wrapped the marathon show with a eight-song encore that included such favorites as “Born To Run,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” “Dancing In The Dark,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and the aforementioned “Twist And Shout.” Springsteen plucked a fan out of the crowd to dance with him during “Twist And Shout.”
