If you've been paying attention, you know that Bruce Springsteen promised a few surprises this year -- and we just got another one, as tickets to a summer return engagement of "Springsteen on Broadway" went on sale today. Reports are that many vaccinated individuals (a requirement for entry) came away from the on-sale happy -- if you call having just shelled out as much as $1,700 for a pair of tickets a happy occasion.
But not just that: Bruce himself called into SiriusXM's E Street Radio today to talk to Jim Rotolo -- radio's nicest host, IMHO -- about all sorts of exciting upcoming developments. If you missed it, never fear: Here's what you need to know.
1) "Springsteen on Broadway" is the same "Springsteen on Broadway."
It sounds like Bruce isn't looking to radically reinvent his Broadway debut, saying he'll tighten up the script but isn't looking to change things up from the show people saw in 2018-2019. And don't expect it to be especially rehearsed, either: "The truth is, I didn’t rehearse it much the first time," he said. (Bruce, at these prices you may want to at least pretend you're rehearsing.)
2) Springsteen is opening the vault this fall.
“We have something that is going to come out in the fall,” he said. “We worked on a lot of things from the vault. I will let it be a surprise.” So "Tracks 2" wouldn't be a surprise right now, since he's been talking about it for a while, and a "Born in the USA" box set wouldn't exactly shock people either. But whatever it is, we'll take it! (Electric "Nebraska"? Oh, why not.)
3) Bruce seems to be under the impression that the E Street Band will be touring next year.
Another non-surprise that has come up repeatedly in recent months, Bruce casually mentioned that “I knew we were going to tour with the band next year" when he was considering the return to Broadway. That said, some specific dates would be nice so I could get them into my Google Calendar.
4) Springsteen likes John Mellencamp. Like, "like"-like.
“I love John a lot," Bruce said, discussing his stint with Mellencamp in Indiana where he worked on three tracks for Mellencamp's next album. "He’s a great songwriter and I have become very close and had a lot of fun with him." The thought of them tooling around Indiana is a fun one, although I ask again: Where was Bob Seger? It's a mere 5-hour-26-minute drive from Detroit to Bloomington, probably faster on a Harley.
5) We're finally getting the Springsteen/Killers collab that Brandon Flowers has dreamed about since he was 8.
I'm just assuming that about Brandon, but 15 years after his band's unabashed Springsteen homage-ing on "Sam's Town," they're finally working together for real. “It’s [Brandon] and I with the band -- we have done something that is going to come out soon, in a week or so," Bruce said. Of course, The Killers aren't the only this-century outfit Springsteen has hooked up with of late: Bruce also appeared on the Bleachers track "Chinatown," and the new Bleachers single "How Dare You Want More" sounds like it could be a lost "River" outtake. So Springsteen remains popular with the whippersnappers. (Yes, I know Brandon Flowers is almost 40 -- to me he's still young.)
6) We have a mysterious "friend" to thank for "Springsteen on Broadway" redux.
“I had a friend who got so enthusiastic about it to me that he talked me into it sitting on my couch one night,” Bruce said. But who could it be, that has such privileged access to Bruce's furniture? Maybe it was Billy Joel, who knows a thing or two about residencies and who we like to imagine has his own room in the barn. Regardless, on behalf of those getting the chance to see the show now who didn't the first time around, thank you, friend!
That sounds like a lot, but we're sure there's more to come -- that promised album "set in the West" comes to mind -- so stay tuned.