THE LIGHT IN DARKNESS
Limited Edition Book on Bruce Springsteen's
Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour and Album

Bruce Springsteen's Badlands 1978


Finding The Light in Darkness: A conversation with Springsteen publisher
Lawrence Kirsch

"My anticipation for the release of this box set doubled with the release of The Light in Darkness, Lawrence Kirsch's excellent chronicle of the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. Told from the fan's perspective, by the fans themselves, Kirsch took the numerous fan story submissions, combined them with over 200+ classic photographs from the tour, and delivered an amazing gift to Bruce fans. With time travel via DeLorean still unlikely, The Light in Darkness is the closest that you'll ever come to attending a show on the Darkness tour."

Read more here: A conversation with Springsteen publisher Lawrence Kirsch










Live, [Darkness] is a completely different. As we hear it, for instance, on the Live 1975-85 box set, it opens with a couple of loud, fuzzed-out guitar chords, ringing all the way to the back of the Roxy. We can feel the space on the stage, the posts of the musicians. Bruce's voice is ragged and loose, skipping whole words in the chorus. Here, the song is being played to batter the hungry crowd with sound. Stepping out into the open, the singer vents his fury at the heavens.

- Chris Wilberg

Preview

Springsteen shows are always raucous, unforgettable affairs; but there was something special about those 1978 shows - something rawer, an incredible kind of energy being unleashed on the stage.

It was as though the raging fire 'n' brimstone of Darkness mixed with Born to Run's offering of salvation to create the energy of a tent revival meeting, a rock 'n' roll redemption for all present.

Now, 30 years later, fans get a chance to relive the Darkness tour, or experience it for the first time through the words pictures of those who were there.

Some of the highlights of this tour captured by fans include:

  • The cataclysmic, nothing-to-lose version of "Growin' Up" from the Agora where Bruce tells a tale of going to see The Big Man, God himself, and gets a divine message. True as any Bible verse, God delivers three words still able to raise goose bumps 30 years later. Never mind what your parents say, boy. You got one purpose in life. God bellows at Bruce: LET IT ROCK!

  • The acrobatic, burlesque antics of a trim Springsteen leaping from the scaffolding, risers, piano, and really any foothold he can find, at shows like the Inglewood Forum in California or the Paladium in New York.

  • A childish pyromaniac, eager to ring in the new year at the Richfield Coliseum, tosses a firecracker at Bruce, eliciting a scolding in return and forever dubbing this end-of-year Cleveland gig "The Firecracker Show."

  • Los Angeles. The Roxy: 1978. Possibly Springsteen's most famous gig, making up much of the material for the '70s cuts on Live/1975-85. Lacking tickets for the show, one true fan drops $190 on two five-dollar tickets, a price unthinkable for a concert in those days. But getting to see Bruce's roaring show in the historic 500-seat theatre is a price no fan could regret paying.

The Light in Darkness also features stories and photos from:

  • The Palladium, New York
  • Cobo Hall, Detroit
  • Capitol Theatre, Passaic
  • Winterland, San Francisco
  • The Forum, Montreal
  • Boston Music Hall, Boston
  • The Roxy, Los Angeles
  • The Spectrum, Philadelphia
  • Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland
  • Princeton University, Princeton
  • Fox Theater, Atlanta
  • Cornell University, New York
  • Sports Arena, Toledo
  • Paramount Theater, Seattle
  • Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto
  • Community Auditorium, Berkeley
  • Veteran Memorial Coliseum, New Haven
  • Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh
  • St.Paul Arena, St. Paul
  • Plus many, many more.
Click on thumbnails below for larger image
AddThis Social Bookmark Button how to add like button directly Schoenheit schenken

Home  |  Preview  |  Gallery  |  News  |  Order  |  Reviews  |  Darkness Album  |  Resources  |  Contact