Bruce Springsteen used to tell a story about a particular post-9/11 encounter when he was in alone in a parking lot and someone yelled, “We need you now!” That, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said, was the impetus for his 2002 album The Rising.

In 2023, Springsteen launched a massive tour with the E Street Band that some speculated would be his final full-band outing. For the first time, Springsteen used dynamic pricing for his tickets, which caused a backlash from fans who complained about seats going for thousands of dollars.