December is here, and you can just feel it in the crisp, late-autumn air: A Bruce Springsteen tour announcement is coming, my friends! My advice would be not to stray too far from your terminal before week’s end, lest you miss any important details that we will of course announce right here.
In the meantime, there have been plenty of sneak peeks coming along the pike for “The Ties That Bind,” the massive River box set due out Friday. The doc that aired last Friday on HBO (read the Zimny interview about the doc here) wasn’t exactly chock full of new info, but Bruce’s acoustic versions of some River classics made it worth watching.
The early reviews are rolling in — read Jay Lustig’s from NorthJersey.com and Michael Gallucci’s from Ultimate Classic Rock. And there have also been some prime looks at some of the outtakes featured on the set, and also from the Tempe, Ariz. concert that’s included in the mix. ICYMI, take a look below:
Finally, click through these Springsteen news items, features and tidbits to keep you occupied while you stay tuned for breaking tour news.
• Calm before the storm? Patti posts a quiet Saturday night for the Springsteens on Instagram.
• See Rolling Stone’s take on Springsteen’s duet with John Legend at the Shining A Light concert for race relations. (Watch the whole thing at aetv.com.)
• Friend of Blogness Dave Lifton revisits Springsteen’s solo Christic Institute shows for Ultimate Classic Rock.
• ICYMI: Sounds like Stand Up For Heroes was a hoot. (Don’t miss our video post of Bruce’s songs and jokes.)
• Rolling Stone spotlights Barbara Pyle’s book of Born-To-Run-era Springsteen images.
• Anticipating the box set, the New Yorker revisits “Springsteen’s most anxious album.”
• Check out Stevie and Max jamming with Ringo.
• Stevie Van Zandt producing TV pilot featuring “The Boss” — but not THAT “The Boss.”
• Whatculture.com shares their favorite legends of Springsteen.
• APP.com asks, where is Springsteen’s “Born to Run” mystery piano?
• If Springsteen covers and ’80s public access TV are your thing, then this Hot Chip video may be for you, possibly.
• Presented without comment. #Election2016 #FeelTheBern
• Finally, a video in which a toddler reacts to hearing “Thunder Road” exactly the same way that we do. (Related: I think this girl has a Springsteen “Sunny Day” duet in her future.)