Bruce Springsteen
Because on Sunday night, all the stars aligned so that the second concert of The Boss and his colleagues at the Estadi Olímpic was like what each and every one of the recitals that Springsteen has staged in Barcelona have been: historic and unforgettable.
The concert, as it already happened on Friday, started minutes earlier than planned. The rain, which returned to the Catalan capital on Saturday night and made an appearance yesterday afternoon, greatly disturbing those who had been queuing for hours - and which caused the merchandising sweatshirts to sell out in record time -, disappeared in time so that none of the 58,000 faithful who gathered on the magic mountain would get wet during the concert. Because yesterday had to be a night to remember again, and it was.
There were no major changes in the repertoire or in the speech of Springsteen himself who, yes, knew how to put the public in his pocket with a Hello, Barcelona! Us estimem, Catalunya!, which he shook the foundations, to then start with My Love Will Not Let You Down, a song that he had not played since 2017 and that already seemed like a declaration of intent. As was No Surrender, the second song of the night and which already predicted what was to come: there was no truce in the next three hours. And if not, ask the legs of those present.
Next, The Boss got on his particular time machine and once again starred in a round trip, combining songs from his latest albums such as Ghosts and Letter to You -with Catalan subtitles included-, with other songs that have already been played , for example, in the first concert that Springsteen offered in Barcelona, there on April 21, 1981, at the foot of Montjuic, at the Palau d'Esports: Prove It All Night, The Promised Land and Out in the Street.
With Candy's Room off the setlist, the always celebrated Kitty's Back did sound, which seems to have become essential on this tour, and then it was the turn of Nightshift, Springsteen's only reference to his latest work but which convinced those present, both for the adaptation of the theme of The Commodores as well as the falsettos of Curtis King Jr, one of the four choristers that accompany the E Street Band on this world tour and that also served to verify that in these two nights, the Olympic Stadium has sounded more that correctly.
And it was then that new changes arrived in the repertoire, something that was appreciated by those -many more than you might think- who did a double this Sunday. Human Touch, which had debuted on Friday, disappeared from the setlist to give way to Trapped, a Jimmy Cliff cover that is always very welcome by the Springsteen parish. It was followed by Mary's Place, with The Boss inviting everyone to a "house party", followed by Johnny 99, ousting Pay me my money down and starring in another of the night's surprises. For its part, The E Street Shuffle remained untouchable and was heard again, making it clear once again that the E Street Band is like fine wine.
However, at a rock concert there always has to be an emotional moment. The one in which you hug your companions and are aware of what you are experiencing. And he came with Last Man Standing, with Springsteen solo on guitar and performing a song dedicated to George Theiss, the last surviving member of his first band, The Castiles, who died in 2018. “Be good to yourselves, to others what you want and with the world", Springsteen prayed, aware that he is no longer that rocker who ran and slid from one end of the stage to the other, but who still continues to give a lot of trouble.
The machinery continued unabated, and when the concert hour was well past, The Boss decided to give prominence to the renowned pianist Professor Roy Bittan with two intros that give goosebumps in a matter of seconds: the emotional and celebrated Backstreets, and Because the Night, a song that is always a matter of discussion -Is it a Patti Smith cover or a Springsteen song?- but that never disappoints.
With the halfway point of the concert over, the singer from New Jersey continued his timeless journey with, first, She's the One -20 years before, this song was also forever linked to the Catalan capital with an unbeatable version recorded at Live in Barcelona - and Wrecking Ball, a song he composed for the demolition of the Giants Stadium, a very special venue for The Boss, as could also end up being the Barcelona Olympic, where he has already played up to six times.
The Rising and Badlands served to verify that both the vocal quality of Springsteen and those present remained almost intact, and then Thunder Road arrived. That song in which The Boss becomes a mere spectator while facing thousands of people shouting, in unison, that It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win (it's a city full of losers, I'm leaving here to win). And with Jake Clemons pointing to the sky before playing those notes that his uncle, the long-awaited Clarence Clemons, embroidered on the sax, as his nephew does now. Without a doubt, the best end of party.
But since it was a Bruce Springsteen concert, many already knew that this was not the end, because for The Boss, more than two hours are not enough. After the entire E Street Band stood at the end of the stage and greeted those present, they returned to their positions to sing a final firecracker that began with Born in the USA, which is rarely heard in the US but has become set on European tours, to give way to Born to run. That song that Springsteen himself has recognized changed his life. As I'm sure so many of those present.
Then came Ramrod, a song that was finally played after rehearsing on Thursday, and Glory Days, this time without Michelle Obama or Kate Capshaw on backing vocals but with a Tom Hanks who gave absolutely everything in a black tent next to the stage. Bobby Jean didn't miss the party either, having just stood up those present, in case someone (inexplicably) remained seated. But there was something that, unfortunately, was clear: the lights of the Olympic Stadium were already on, which heralded that the recital was ending.
However, that did not stop those present from continuing to jump with, first, Dancing in the Dark, and then with Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, with a previous presentation by the E Street Band and which served to honor the deceased members of the group: Danny Federici and the aforementioned Clarence Clemons.
Almost three hours into the concert, the 18 musicians once again left their posts to, this time, say goodbye to the Barcelona public. One by one, they descended from the stage while they were warmly congratulated by a Springsteen who then picked up his guitar and harmonica and sang the first notes of the last song of the night: I'll See You in My Dreams. A song that says that The road is long (the road is long) and talks about death again, but makes it clear that it is not the end of anything, that we will always have dreams. Like the faithful who returned to fill the Olímpic: they will always have, for now, the last concert of The Boss in Barcelona. But with the hope that this has not been the end of a journey that has lasted for more than four decades.
