Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band staged their first live performance in four years when they appeared on Saturday Night Live last night.

They played the tracks “Ghosts” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” which appear on their latest album, Letter To You, released in October. E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent and violinist Soozie Tyrell weren’t part of the show as a result of coronavirus-related “concerns,” it had been previously confirmed.

You can watch both performances below.

“I love the emotional nature of Letter to You,” Springsteen said ahead of the album launch. “And I love the sound of the E Street Band playing completely live in the studio, in a way we’ve never done before, and with no overdubs. We made the album in only five days, and it turned out to be one of the greatest recording experiences I’ve ever had.”

He’d also confirmed that inspiration for some of the music, including “Ghosts,” had come via the deaths of bandmates Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici. “The loss of Clarence and Danny still echoes every day in my life,” he’d said. “I still don’t believe it. I’m like, ‘I’m not gonna see Clarence again? That doesn’t sound quite possible!’ I live with the dead every day at this point in my life. Whether it’s my father or Clarence or Danny, all those people sort of walk alongside you. Their spirit, their energy, their echo continues to resonate in the physical world. ... A beautiful part of living is what we’re left by the dead.”

Bruce Springsteen - ‘Ghosts’

Bruce Springsteen - ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’

 

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