Two of the best tracks on Bruce Springsteen's debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.—“Blinded by the Light” and “Spirit in the Night"—featured the man who became Boss backed by musicians that he knew from the Jersey Shore. Springsteen liked the sound so much that, for the next 15 years, the same musicians—after some early changes, the lineup remained remarkably stable—played with him on nearly every album and accompanied him on every tour. And from the moment he hit it big, he and his raucous, powerful band were bound together. “My musicians grew from well-appointed sidemen,” he wrote in his 2016 autobiography, “into the E Street Band.” Those sidemen—drummer Max Weinberg, guitarist Steve Van Zandt, organist Danny Federici, pianist Roy Bittan and saxophonist Clarence Clemons—became one of the best bands in rock ’n’ roll. And while the group has been disbanded and reunited and expanded over the last three decades, its members still combine to make the ultimate Springsteen machine; their styles, their talents, their camaraderie, suit him perfectly. Springsteen is undeniably great on his own. But with the E Street Band, he can be transcendent.
ON TOUR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND
WHY WE LOVE THE E STREET BAND • When paired with his longtime mates, Springsteen’s heart and soul leap to life
1 FORMING THE BAND • Yes, there really is an E Street
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
PATTI SCIALFA
2 THE LIST • Ranking the E Street Band’s best albums
STEVEN VAN ZANDT
MAX WEINBERG
3 THE BEST LIVE SHOWS • The E Street Band was built to perform onstage. Here is the proof
GARRY TALLENT
ROY BITTAN
NILS LOFGREN
4 FRIENDS & COLLABORATORS • Springsteen has worked with an impressive collection of talent over the years, a group that collectively represents music history
DANNY FEDERICI
CLARENCE CLEMONS
5 LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS • Springsteen fans are very knowledgeable, but even the diehards may have missed these details
6 WHAT TO EXPECT • What we know about the upcoming tour … and beyond
On Tour: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
PHOTO CREDITS