Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on "The River Tour" in 2016, a concert series that would become a significant event in the music industry. This tour, which extended into 2017, was launched to promote Springsteen's 2015 box set, "The Ties That Bind: The River Collection," and also commemorated the 35th anniversary of his 1980 album, "The River." The tour achieved remarkable financial success, becoming the top-grossing worldwide tour of 2016 and setting
new benchmarks for live music performances. Its extensive reach across Europe, North America, and Oceania solidified its status as a global phenomenon.
Unprecedented Financial Success and Global Reach
The River Tour (2016) was a monumental financial success, earning a total of $306.5 million globally. This figure made it the top-grossing worldwide tour of 2016, and at the time, it was the highest-grossing tour by any artist since 2014. The tour's ability to generate such substantial revenue underscores the enduring popularity and drawing power of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The tour's global itinerary included stops in major cities across three continents, demonstrating its widespread appeal and the band's international fanbase.
One of the most striking examples of the tour's financial prowess was the two-night stand at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on May 27 and 29, 2016. These two sold-out shows attracted an attendance of 160,188 people and generated an impressive $19,228,100 in revenue. This particular box score was the highest for a single location in 2016, highlighting the immense demand for tickets and the tour's capacity to fill large venues. The tour's success was not limited to specific regions, as it consistently drew large crowds and high revenues throughout its run.
Marathon Performances and Setlist Structure
Bruce Springsteen is renowned for his lengthy and energetic live performances, and The River Tour (2016) continued this tradition. Many of the concerts during the tour lasted over three and a half hours and typically featured around 33 songs. A standout performance occurred on September 7, 2016, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which clocked in at an impressive 4 hours and 4 minutes. This particular show marked Springsteen's longest performance in the United States and his second-longest overall, surpassed only by a 2012 concert in Helsinki by a mere two minutes.
A significant characteristic of the concerts during the first North American leg, and some subsequent shows, was the complete and sequential performance of "The River" album. While not all concerts featured the album played in its original order, a substantial portion of the album was consistently included in the setlist. This approach allowed fans to experience the album in a unique and immersive way, celebrating its 35th anniversary. The tour's commitment to delivering extensive and memorable performances contributed significantly to its critical and commercial acclaim.
Tour Origins and Unexpected Announcement
The River Tour (2016) was the first tour for Springsteen and the E Street Band in two years, making its announcement on December 4, 2015, somewhat unexpected. Springsteen had initially been working on a new solo album and had plans to tour in support of that project. However, recognizing the two-year gap since their last tour, he decided against further delaying a band tour. The idea for the tour originated in November 2015 when Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, suggested performing "The River" at a few smaller shows in New York City and Los Angeles. Springsteen, however, felt that rehearsing for such limited engagements would be too time-consuming and instead proposed a series of twenty concerts.
Drummer Max Weinberg confirmed receiving a call from Springsteen on Thanksgiving, just a week before the public announcement of the tour. Weinberg famously has a "Springsteen Clause" in his contracts, which he describes as inviolate, his personal version of force majeure, equating it to an act of God or Bruce Springsteen. This clause always works, allowing him to adjust his schedule for Springsteen's tours. Other band members, such as Nils Lofgren and Garry Tallent, also had to reschedule their solo tour dates to accommodate The River Tour, underscoring the spontaneous yet impactful nature of its inception.
