A rare visit to Montreal for Bruce Springsteen: the “Boss” makes it big in the Bell Center

After making his Montreal fans pine for 16 long years, Bruce Springsteen reminded everyone who was boss at the Bell Centre.

Accompanied by his impressive E Street Band, dressed in a black vest and a white shirt, the 75-year-old rocker did justice to his reputation by performing almost 30 pieces from his immense repertoire. He has reserved his most precious offerings, Thunder Road, Born to Run et Rosalita, for dessert in a concert lasting almost three hours, which ended in a very crazy atmosphere.

Without respite

Of Lonesome Day has I’ll See You In My DreamsBruce Springsteen sang of heartbreak, middle-class problems and odes to freedom with an intensity and authenticity all his own, at times giving himself the appearance of a preacher. And the packed room at the Bell Center, made up mainly of white heads, drank in his words as if they had been drawn from the fountain of Youth.

Furthermore, spectators dressed up for Halloween were rare, but Bruce Springsteen did not miss the opportunity to mark the October 31 holiday. After charming his audience with a “Good evening!” well felt, he launched the hostilities by interpreting… Ghostbusters!

Quickly, the “Boss” got down to business with the song Seedsaccompanied by his first wild solo of the evening. There is Bruce the singer, of course, but we cannot underestimate Bruce the guitar virtuoso. His colleague Steven Van Zandt, however, took care of the most impressive acrobatics of the evening.

Emotional, he left the 21,650 spectators shouting from the first notes of Hungry Heartthe first great moment of the evening. Without letting the audience catch their breath, who chanted his first name at the slightest opportunity, he went through the different eras of his career with panache.

It must be said that it was a Bruce Springsteen with recharged batteries who took the stage at the Bell Center. His last concert was on September 15, in Asbury Park, New Jersey, during the Sea.Hear.Now festival. This 46-day stopover is his longest since the tour resumed in March.

Dedications

Great ally of Kamala Harris in view of the American presidential elections, he qualified the piece Long Walk Hometaken from the album Magicof “prayer for his country” before interpreting it. His harsh remarks made against Donald Trump in recent years leave no room for doubt as to his political allegiance.

He addressed the audience at length for the first time midway through the evening. The audience hung on his lips as he sang the heartbreaking Last Man Standing et Backstreetspieces dedicated to the memory of his friend George Theiss, with whom he formed his first rock group in 1964.

The pride of New Jersey was originally scheduled to visit the home of the Montreal Canadiens on November 20, 2023, but a stomach ulcer forced them to postpone the Canadian leg of their year-long tour. It is clear that this forced leave was beneficial for his voice, which was unshakeable on Thursday.

Bruce Springsteen had already given 53 concerts on Canadian soil and he will continue his love affair with his northern neighbors by crossing the country, from Toronto to Vancouver, to conclude his tour.