Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
Tour by Bruce Springsteen
Associated albumThe Ghost of Tom Joad
Start dateNovember 21, 1995
End dateMay 26, 1997
Legs7
No. of shows128
Bruce Springsteen concert chronology

The Ghost of Tom Joad Tour was a worldwide concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage in small halls and theatres, that ran off and on from late 1995 through the middle of 1997.[1] It followed the release of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad.[2]

The tour represented Springsteen's first full-length, solo tour;[3] he traveled with only an instrument technician and a sound engineer.[4] As such it was a marked departure from the high-energy shows with the E Street Band that Springsteen had become famous for.[5] The album itself was quiet, dark, and angry, and Springsteen presented it as such in the shows on the tour.[3] Older songs from Springsteen's catalog, such as "Born in the U.S.A.," were presented in very different, often harsh re-arrangements.[2][6]

The result, especially in the tour's first leg of shows, was an uncompromising portrayal of pessimism;[7] Jon Pareles of The New York Times said that with the tour's performances, Springsteen "has taken his music to an extreme, a depressive's view of tedious, unending woe."[6] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote that "In contrast to past tours, which have been celebratory events tinged by introspection, Springsteen brought a sobering sense of solitude" to the shows of this tour.[2] By some of the later shows of the tour, however, Springsteen relaxed the mood a bit by interweaving a few new songs with an almost comedic bent.[7]

Itinerary

The tour began on November 21, 1995, at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey.[8] The first group of shows ran through the end of the year in major media centers such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco area, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.[9]

After a winter holiday break, the show visited other North American cities in January 1996, including a stop in Youngstown, Ohio, due to "Youngstown" being the album track most (relatively) played on radio.[10]

February and March saw shows in Western Europe,[11] followed by a three-week break during which Springsteen attended the Academy Awards show in Los Angeles. The tour resumed in Europe through early May.[12]

A family man with three small children at the time,[13] Springsteen took off the summer of 1996 and then started again in the U.S. in mid-September, playing smaller markets and colleges, as well as local stops in Asbury Park and his old St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold, and finishing in mid-December.[14]

Another winter holiday break was taken, then in late January 1997 Springsteen took the show to Japan and Australia for three weeks.[15] In May the final leg started up; first Springsteen went to Stockholm to accept the Polar Music Prize,[16] then he toured Central Europe, seeing Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic, before concluding with additional shows back in Western Europe. The 128th and final show of the tour was on May 26, 1997, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris and was attended by hundreds of fans from around the world.[17]

Show

While the Ghost of Tom Joad album was in the more acoustic, somber vein of his earlier Nebraska, it did contain some limited additional instrumentation and arrangements. Given that Springsteen was famous for his full-band, high-energy, crowd-rousing concerts, this tour was sure to be a surprising departure. Advertisements tried to make this clear, and all show tickets were printed with Solo Acoustic Tour on them[18] to give audiences a firm understanding of what to expect.

Critical and commercial reaction

Due to the small venues played on the tour, often in the 2,000–3,000 capacity range, tickets were often hard to get, creating a "ticket scalpers' heaven."[19] Dave Marsh's Two Hearts biography assessed the tour as not expanding Springsteen's audience any, but helping to solidify it, especially in Europe.

The Asbury Park Press characterized a November 1995 Count Basie Theatre show as Springsteen "spinning his acoustic tales of desperation and hope ... he played with power and poise ... The lyrics are bleaker than usual for Springsteen and the music reflects the solemn mood." The New York Times said a December 1995 Beacon Theatre show "easily qualifies as the most earnest concert of the year," that "Where [Springsteen] once saw open highways, he now sees roads to nowhere," and that "Springsteen turned in a painstaking and convincing performance. But with that material, he has turned himself into nearly a one-note performer."[6] The Washington Post, on the other hand, found a December 1995 DAR Constitution Hall performance showing strains of the "sense of triumph" that Springsteen's previous work had evoked, although his physical appearance made him "look more like the custodian at Constitution Hall than the star attraction."[20]

The collection Hard Travelin': The Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie, edited by Robert Santelli and Emily Davidson, found praise for the tour, saying the album's songs gained onstage and that the shows, "although hushed and void of the anthemic rockers that made him the greatest performer that rock has ever known, managed to bring Woody Guthrie back to life again."[5] Jimmy Gutterman's Runaway American Dream: Listening to Bruce Springsteen criticized the first leg of the tour for producing "the most dour performances of his career".[3] However Guterman praised later legs that incorporated new material that was "sly, low-key, and funny."[7]

Broadcasts and recordings

Portions of the December 8 and December 9, 1995, shows from Philadelphia's Tower Theater were later broadcast on the syndicated Columbia Records Radio Hour on U.S. album-oriented rock stations.

Several shows were released as part of the Bruce Springsteen Archives:

  • Kings Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996, released September 1, 2017
  • Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose of Lima School Gym, released May 4, 2018
  • Asbury Park 11/24/96, released November 1, 2019
  • Nice France 1997, released February 5, 2021
  • ‘’Philadelphia 12/9/95’’ released February 4, 2022
  • Asbury Park 11/26/96, released November 4, 2022

Tour dates

Date City Country Venue
North America
November 22, 1995Red BankUnited StatesCount Basie Theatre
November 26, 1995Los AngelesWiltern Theatre
November 27, 1995
November 29, 1995BerkeleyBerkeley Community Theatre
November 30, 1995
December 3, 1995RosemontRosemont Theatre
December 5, 1995Washington, D.C.DAR Constitution Hall
December 6, 1995
December 8, 1995Upper DarbyTower Theatre
December 9, 1995
December 12, 1995New York CityBeacon Theatre
December 13, 1995
December 15, 1995BostonOrpheum Theatre
December 16, 1995
December 17, 1995New York CityBeacon Theatre
January 7, 1996MontrealCanadaSalle Wilfrid-Pelletier
January 8, 1996TorontoMassey Hall
January 10, 1996DetroitUnited StatesFox Theatre
January 11, 1996
January 12, 1996YoungstownStambaugh Auditorium
January 16, 1996ClevelandCleveland Music Hall
January 17, 1996
January 18, 1996St. LouisFox Theatre
January 22, 1996New OrleansSaenger Theatre
January 23, 1996HoustonJesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
January 25, 1996AustinAustin Music Hall
January 26, 1996DallasBronco Bowl
January 28, 1996AtlantaFox Theatre
Europe
February 12, 1996FrankfurtGermanyAlte Oper
February 14, 1996DresdenKulturpalast
February 15, 1996MunichRudi-Sedlmayer-Halle
February 17, 1996HamburgCongress Centrum Hamburg Halle 1
February 18, 1996DüsseldorfPhilipshalle
February 21, 1996ParisFranceLe Zénith
February 22, 1996
February 25, 1996RotterdamThe NetherlandsDe Doelen
February 26, 1996AmsterdamKoninklijk Theater Carré
February 28, 1996ManchesterEnglandManchester Apollo
February 29, 1996BirminghamSymphony Hall
March 2, 1996NewcastleNewcastle City Hall
March 3, 1996EdinburghScotlandEdinburgh Playhouse
March 13, 1996StockholmSwedenCirkus
March 14, 1996OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum
March 16, 1996CopenhagenDenmarkFalkoner Salen
March 19, 1996BelfastNorthern IrelandKing's Hall
March 20, 1996DublinIrelandPoint Theatre
April 10, 1996RomeItalyAuditorium Santa Cecilia
April 11, 1996MilanTeatro Smeraldo
April 13, 1996GenoaTeatro Carlo Felice
April 16, 1996LondonEnglandRoyal Albert Hall
April 17, 1996
April 19, 1996BerlinGermanyICC Berlin Halle 1
April 20, 1996AntwerpBelgiumKoningin Elisabethzaal
April 22, 1996LondonEnglandRoyal Albert Hall
April 24, 1996Brixton Academy
April 25, 1996
April 27, 1996Royal Albert Hall
April 30, 1996StrasbourgFranceSalle Erasme
May 1, 1996BrusselsBelgiumPalais des Beaux-Arts
May 2, 1996ZürichSwitzerlandKongresshaus Zürich
May 6, 1996BarcelonaSpainTeatro Tivoli
May 7, 1996
May 8, 1996MadridPalacio de Congresos Y Exposiciones
North America
September 16, 1996PittsburghUnited StatesBenedum Center
September 18, 1996WallingfordOakdale Theatre
September 19, 1996ProvidenceProvidence Performing Arts Center
September 24, 1996KalamazooJames W. Miller Auditorium
September 25, 1996AkronE.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
September 26, 1996Ann ArborHill Auditorium
October 1, 1996NormalBraden Auditorium
October 2, 1996MilwaukeeRiverside Theater
October 3, 1996MinneapolisNorthrop Auditorium
October 15, 1996Salt Lake CityAbravanel Hall
October 16, 1996DenverParamount Theatre
October 17, 1996
October 19, 1996AlbuquerqueKiva Auditorium
October 21, 1996TempeGrady Gammage Memorial Auditorium
October 22, 1996San DiegoCivic Theatre
October 23, 1996FresnoWilliam Saroyan Theatre
October 25, 1996Santa BarbaraArlington Theatre
October 26, 1996San JoseEvent Center Arena
October 28, 1996PortlandArlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
October 29, 1996SeattleParamount Theatre
November 8, 1996FreeholdSaint Rose of Lima School
November 12, 1996BuffaloShea's Performing Arts Center
November 13, 1996SyracuseLandmark Theatre
November 14, 1996LowellLowell Memorial Auditorium
November 19, 1996MemphisEllis Auditorium
November 20, 1996LouisvilleThe Louisville Palace
November 21, 1996IndianapolisMurat Theatre
November 24, 1996Asbury ParkParamount Theatre
November 25, 1996
November 26, 1996
December 2, 1996SunriseSunrise Musical Theater
December 3, 1996
December 5, 1996ColumbiaTownship Auditorium
December 6, 1996BirminghamBirmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall
December 10, 1996CincinnatiMusic Hall
December 11, 1996ColumbusVeterans Memorial Auditorium
December 12, 1996NashvilleRyman Auditorium
December 14, 1996CharlotteOvens Auditorium
Japan
January 27, 1997TokyoJapanKokusai Forum Hall
January 29, 1997
January 30, 1997
January 31, 1997
Australia
February 4, 1997BrisbaneAustraliaQPAC Concert Hall
February 5, 1997
February 7, 1997SydneyCapitol Theatre
February 8, 1997
February 10, 1997
February 11, 1997
February 12, 1997
February 15, 1997MelbournePalais Theatre
February 16, 1997
February 17, 1997
Europe
May 6, 1997ViennaAustriaAustria Center Vienna
May 7, 1997
May 9, 1997WarsawPolandSala Kongresowa
May 10, 1997
May 12, 1997PragueCzech RepublicCongress Center
May 15, 1997LyonFranceAuditorium Maurice Ravel
May 16, 1997MontpellierBerlioz Opera House
May 18, 1997NiceAcropolis
May 19, 1997ToulonZénith Omega
May 21, 1997FlorenceItalyTeatro Verdi
May 22, 1997NaplesTeatro Augusteo
May 25, 1997ParisFrancePalais des congres de Paris
May 26, 1997

Songs performed

Originals
Cover songs
Soundchecked/on setlist but not performed

Source:[21][22] [23][24][25]

Sources

  • Guterman, Jimmy. Runaway American Dream: Listening to Bruce Springsteen. Cambridge: DeCapo Press, 2005.
  • Marsh, Dave. Bruce Springsteen on Tour: 1968–2005. Bloomsbury USA, 2006. ISBN 1-59691-282-0.
  • Santelli, Robert, "Beyond Folk: Woody Guthrie's Impact on Rock and Roll", in Robert Santelli and Emily Davidson, eds. Hard Travelin': The Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press, 1999.
  • Santelli, Robert. Greetings From E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8118-5348-9
  • Killing Floor's concert database supplies the itinerary and set lists for the shows, but does not support direct linking to individual dates.
  • Brucebase the same, with ticket and promotional images as well.

References

  1. Santelli, Greetings From E Street, pp. 83–84.
  2. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg (December 5, 1995). "Boss' new sound hauntingly familiar". Chicago Tribune. p. 12 (Section 2) via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 Guterman, Runaway American Dream, pp. 86–87.
  4. Santelli, Greetings From E Street, p. 83.
  5. 1 2 Santelli, "Beyond Folk: Woody Guthrie's Impact on Rock and Roll", p. 54.
  6. 1 2 3 Pareles, Jon (December 14, 1995). "Pop Review: Hard Times and No Silver Lining". The New York Times. p. C11.
  7. 1 2 3 Guterman, Runaway American Dream, p. 87.
  8. "Bruce Springsteen Setlist at State Theatre, New Brunswick". setlist.fm. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  9. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  10. "25 years ago, Bruce Springsteen releases 'Youngstown' and stops by the city". WKBN.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  11. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  12. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  13. DeCurtis, Anthony (December 10, 1998). "Bruce Springsteen's Secret History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  14. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  15. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  16. "Bruce Springsteen — Polar Music Prize". www.polarmusicprize.org. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  17. "Tour History". Bruce Springsteen. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  18. "IN BRIEF – Springsteen Concerts Test New Ticket Scalping Law". The New York Times. November 26, 1995. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  19. "Springsteen, An Austere Power". Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  20. "RockinConcerts.com – For all your favorite artists shows on DVDs, CDs and MP3s". Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  21. "2014–2015 Setlists (Apr-Nov)". Backstreets.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  22. "Bruce Springsteen Setlists – Greasy Lake". Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  23. "The Official Bruce Springsteen Website". Brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
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