1975-09-21 - GUTHRIE THEATER, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
1975-09-23 - HILL AUDITORIUM, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR
Held in the school’s Hill Auditorium. Bruce’s 26th birthday.
1975-09-25 - AUDITORIUM THEATRE, CHICAGO
1975-09-27 - AMBASSADOR THEATRE, ST LOUIS
1975-10-02 - UPTOWN THEATRE, MILWAUKEE
The 'bomb scare show'. Just 45 minutes into the concert a bomb threat is phoned in to the theatre, and the night's MC Bob Reitman (disc jockey for WQFM) is forced to enter the stage after "Thunder Road" (which is the slow version featuring Roy on piano and Bruce on harmonica and vocals) to inform the crowd of the threat, asking them to return in three hours time. The police search the theatre and find no bomb, so the band return at midnight for another two hours on stage. Bruce and the boys passed the time during the delay in a nearby bar (according to Bruce, the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee) and as the show gets back underway it's evident that Bruce has had a few drinks - repeatedly and hilariously asking the audience "are you loose?!"
1975-10-11 - MONMOUTH ARTS CENTER, RED BANK,
early
1975-10-16 - THE ROXY THEATRE, WEST HOLLYWOOD
This was the opening of a four-night (six-show) residency at the club. Songwriter Carole King was present at this show and Springsteen premiered and dedicated a heartfelt rendition of her 1966 song "Goin' Back" to her. Other luminaries present include Jack Nicholson, Peter Boyle, Robert de Niro, Jackson Browne, Jim Messina and Neil Diamond. It may have been at this show that de Niro heard Springsteen's "you talkin' to me?" schtick that he later famously improvised in
Taxi Driver.
early
1975-10-18 - THE ROXY THEATRE, WEST HOLLYWOOD
late
1975-11-06 - GRADY GAMMAGE MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, TEMPE
Held in the school's Gammage Auditorium. One of the more memorable - and best - shows of the Born To Run Tour. There were phoned-in bomb threats received several hours before the start of this show - however, after some initial panic by organizers and the Springsteen camp, the police determined that the individuals making the threats had gotten their schedules mixed up - they'd been intended for controversial ex-Vietnam veteran Lieutenant William Calley's speaking engagement in Gammage the previous night! Springsteen delivered a blistering show and worked the crowd into a complete frenzy, so much so that the large, humanity-packed balcony of Gammage began visibly swaying during the final stages of the concert. It was later reported that school officials had nearly decided to stop the show prematurely, although a post-concert engineering report gave the balcony a clean bill of health. Bruce refers to this incident when he returns to the same venue in 1996: "It's nice to be back at the Gammage… I seem to remember wrecking this place as a young man… yeah, something about the balcony, I don´t know… I´m sure they got it all fixed by now, fortunately…" He went on to suggest that those seated on the balcony refrain from too much dancing. "
1975-11-24 - HAMMERSMITH ODEON, LONDON, ENGLAND
1975-12-03 - MUSIC HALL, BOSTON, MA
Pretty Flamingo replacing "The E Street Shuffle" .
1975-12-05 - McDONOUGH ARENA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, DC
1975-12-06 - McDONOUGH ARENA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, DC
1975-12-11 - WALSH AUDITORIUM, SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, SOUTH ORANGE, NJ
1975-12-16 - LAKER HALL GYM, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, OSWEGO
1975-12-17 - KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL, BUFFALO, NY
Despite newspaper reports to the contrary, the show does not feature a unique performance of "Here Comes Santa Claus", a cover of the early 60s Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans / Phil Spector-produced hit; instead the tape confirms the expected performance of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." This song was immediately followed by Santa making a surprise appearance onstage, clowning around with Bruce, and handing out toy instruments as gifts to the band. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", which includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.
1975-12-20 - NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, OTTAWA
1975-12-21 - SENECA FIELD HOUSE, SENECA COLLEGE, TORONTO
1975-12-28 - TOWER THEATER, UPPER DARBY, PHILADELPHIA
1975-12-31 - TOWER THEATER, UPPER DARBY, PHILADELPHIA
1976-04-05 - OHIO THEATRE, COLUMBUS
1976-04-10 - PAUL MELLON ARTS CENTER, CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL, WALLINGFORD, CT
A special concert played at the request of John Hammond, who was close friends with the family of a Rosemary Hall resident. As a result Springsteen performed for a substantially lower fee than usual.
1976-04-29 - ELLIS AUDITORIUM, MEMPHIS
Excellent set features Eddie Floyd guesting on "Raise Your Hand" and "Knock On Wood" (which includes the only known Springsteen rendition of "Yum Yum Yum (I Want Some)"). "Spirit In The Night" includes a line from "Stagger Lee" in the introduction. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. It's after this particular show that Springsteen and Van Zandt take a cab out to Graceland, and Bruce jumps the gate in an attempt to meet Elvis, who is actually in Lake Tahoe. Bruce is escorted off the grounds by security.
1976-05-03 - ROBINSON AUDITORIUM, LITTLE ROCK, AR
1976-05-13 - MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM, NEW ORLEANS
1976-05-27 - EISENHOWER HALL AUDITORIUM, U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINT, NY
1976-05-28 - HALSEY FIELD HOUSE, U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY, ANNAPOLIS, MD
-
Darkness on the edge of town tour
1978-12-20 - SEATTLE CENTER ARENA, SEATTLE, WA
Famous concert when Bruce returned to the stage after the house lights went on to perform the last two numbers to a stunned remaining few. The excellent show includes the first version of "Pretty Flamingo" since the '75 tour.
1978-12-27 - STANLEY THEATRE, PITTSBURGH
1978-12-31 - RICHFIELD COLISEUM, RICHFIELD, OH
last known "Pretty Flamingo" (until 2003). This is the famous "Firecracker show" where someone threw one on stage which hit Bruce, provoking a rant from Steven Van Zandt.