On Friday, August 23, Bruce Springsteen firmly squashed retirement and farewell tour speculation during a high-energy performance at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Addressing the crowd, Springsteen, 74, made it clear that the E Street Band, celebrating 50 years together, isn’t planning a farewell tour anytime soon.
“We ain’t doing no farewell tour bulls—,” Springsteen declared with characteristic intensity, as seen in a clip shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Jesus Christ. No farewell tour for the E Street Band!” He emphasized that his current world tour, with upcoming stops in Washington, D.C., and beyond, is far from being the last.
Springsteen’s defiant stance was echoed by guitarist Steven Van Zandt, who recently told The Telegraph that the band’s end isn’t in sight. “I don’t see the end anywhere in sight, to be honest, especially in Europe, where we’re bigger than we’ve ever been,” Van Zandt said. “I think we can play every summer forevermore, man.”
These comments come after a series of tour date postponements earlier this year, due to vocal issues. Springsteen had to reschedule performances in cities like Marseille, Prague, and Milan. Despite these setbacks and a previous postponement due to peptic ulcer disease, the 20-time Grammy winner has kept fans engaged with surprise appearances and impromptu duets.
Springsteen’s tour will resume on September 7 in Washington, D.C., before continuing to cities such as Baltimore, Asbury Park, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary. He also plans to make up for missed European dates next summer, with stops in Milan, Prague, and Marseille.
Why is Bruce Springsteen called the boss?
He attributed the nickname’s origins to both boardgame and practical reasons: he handled money after events. When a choice had to be made, someone would say, “Ask the Boss”. The label stayed, and Springsteen became associated with leadership.
