BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ROCKS OUT AT ORIOLE PARK, A YEAR AFTER RESCHEDULING SHOW DUE TO ILLNESS
It took a year longer than originally planned — but judging by the crowd’s response, Bruce Springsteen’s return to Baltimore was worth the wait.
Springsteen & The E Street Band packed Oriole Park at Camden Yards Friday night for an energetic, three-hour set, opening with the Baltimore favorite “Hungry Heart.” He kept fans on their feet for most of the show, blazing through hits like “Thunder Road, “Born to Run” and “Dancing in the Dark” as well as deeper cuts.
The rock legend had been scheduled to play the ballpark a year ago on Sept. 9, just a few months after a show christening CFG Bank Arena last April, but had to reschedule due to illness. Several tour dates were postponed at that time as Springsteen recovered from peptic ulcer disease.
Friday, he was back in full force with a setlist of mostly upbeat numbers, dancing along and belting out lyrics to an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom were wearing T-shirts from previous Springsteen tours.
Beth Webb drove from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to watch the show with a group of high school pals. Another friend, Lisa Coyle, caught a flight from Melbourne, Florida, to attend the concert. Springsteen, they said, was the soundtrack to their teenage years.
“It’s worth whatever time it takes to be here,” Webb said. Friday was her fifth time seeing the rock star.
Tim McDonough last saw Springsteen perform during his “Born to Run” tour. Decades later, the Perry Hall resident was looking forward to another “long, exciting” set.
Though the Orioles previously brought artists to the ballpark through a post-game Birdland Summer Music Series, Springsteen is one of only a handful of performers so far to play a standalone show at Camden Yards. Billy Joel was the first to do so in 2019, and Paul McCartney’s “Get Back” tour made a stop at the ballpark in 2022.
McDonough said Friday’s Springsteen concert was his first musical experience at Camden Yards: “I’ve been here for golf and baseball, but it’s the first time for a show.”
Though no official attendance number for the concert has been released, both the field and the stadium seats were full of lively fans. Springsteen, who took the stage in a black pinstripe vest, white button-down shirt, jeans and Doc Marten boots, matched their energy. So did his E Street Band, who took over for solos at various points in the night.
At 74, the rocker showed no signs of losing stamina through the full three hours.
Springsteen rarely interrupted his set with chitchat, stopping for just one extended story, about his early years in a band as a teenager. The tale was a brief meditation on a career that has spanned more than five decades.
As a teen, playing in his first band for three years felt like an accomplishment, Springsteen told the crowd. He’s since learned the true meaning of longevity. “Us old men, we last 50 [expletive] years,” he said.
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