Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bandimmerses fans in the vibrant world of rock music’s most iconic legend. Combining concert footage with intimate interviews,the documentary showcases Springsteen’s music and the energy of live performance.Describing his vision as a chance to throw “the biggest party” post-COVID, Springsteen invites audiences to experience the joy that live music brings. Directed by Thom Zimny, the film features personal reflections, archival footage, and candid rehearsals, creating a rich tapestry of sound and emotion.
As the band embarks on their first tour in six years, the documentary captures their resilience and evolution. Questions about recapturing their original spark and integrating new members are among thebiggest reveals in the Bruce Springsteen documentary, showing the band at a critical juncture.Each song in theRoad Diarysoundtrack plays a pivotal role,highlighting the track’s enduring legacy. For fans eager to explore this musical journey, every song featured inRoad Diaryunveils the magic that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Offstage band practice
“Kitty’s Back”
Onstage band practice in an empty arena
Transition between live concert and offstage band rehearsal
Old tapes of the band
“Rosalita (Come out tonight)”
“Mary’s Place”
Fragments from live concert
Springsteen acoustic guitar solo live
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-out”
Soundtrack of the end credits
“Ghosts”- The documentary opens with a live performance of “Ghosts,” featuring Springsteen discussing his intention to throw “the biggest party” after lockdown, highlighting the band’s eagerness to return to live shows after a long hiatus. Springsteen mentions how playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who he is and why the first tour after COVID-19 is an increasingly special one for him.
“She’s the One”- This track is played during a band practice session, where the group rehearses for their post-COVID tour. The song is arranged as a slow ballad, which challenges the musicians; they mention that the slow tempo makes it unusually difficult to perform. They performed high-tempo rock songs before the pandemic, and it was difficult for each of the bandmates to synchronize their tones after a long break apart.
“Spirit in the Night”- This song is played in the background as the band members talk about their early days with Springsteen and the formation of the E Street Band. Each member reflects on Springsteen’s impact on their careers and lives.
“Out in the Street”- Featured during another rehearsal session, the band works on structuring this song for the tour after the COVID break, aiming to capture the best way to engage live audiences once again.
“Kitty’s Back”- During the tour rehearsals, Springsteen and the band practiced on stage in an empty arena, capturing the raw essence of their music without an audience. They worked through a few numbers, balancing spontaneity with notes from the tour’s director, fine-tuning the performance’s spirit and intensity for the crowd to experience.
“Thunder Road”- As this track plays in the background, Steven Van Zandt, a core band member, expresses his concerns about the potential audience and critical perception of the band as"old people going through the motions." As music director, he aimed to create a mind-blowing experience, syncing the band tighter than ever. While some felt pressure, Springsteen’s calm and confident approach kept the spirit light, ensuring the performance remained genuine and heartfelt.
“No Surrender”- This is the first song on the setlist in the live tour. Following the performance, the bandmates discuss how both the intensity of the tour and the energy of the audience significantly ramp up as the set progresses.
“Prove It All Night”- Vocalist Michelle Moore recalls a poignant moment during their first concert after COVID-19 in Tampa, Florida. As she caught a fan’s eye in the audience, the warm response made her emotional, feeling the shared relief and excitement between the band and fans after a long period apart.
“Letter to You”- The documentary shifts from a live rendition of this song to scenes of band practice. Band members reflect on the intentional structure of the set list, emphasizing that the song selection reveals Springsteen’s identity and connection to his work. Max Weinburg, the drum artist, speaks about the albumLetter to Youand its meaning to Springsteen.
“Thundercrack”- Archival footage shows old tapes of the band playing in small coffeehouses, interspersed with present-day interviews where former bandmates recall early tours, describing them as a series of gigs in various local venues.
“Fire”- Patti Scialfa reflects on her 40-year journey with the E Street Band and the joy of being back on stage after the band’s inactive period. She opened up about challenges with her immune system, underscoring her resilience and dedication to touring despite health obstacles, making the return to the stage a personally triumphant moment.
“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"- Jon Landau, the band’s producer, reminisces about the wild energy of the 31 US tours, highlighting the intensity and personal experiences Springsteen had each night. Each performance was a journey in itself, filled with unbridled enthusiasm and connection with the crowd.
“My Love Will Not Let You Down”- During the tour in Europe, Bruce and the band reflect on their immense popularity abroad, with European audiences showing unmatched warmth and enthusiasm. Fans also describe the Springsteen community as uniquely close-knit, feeling more like family than a typical fan base, which adds a special, heartfelt energy to each performance.
“Nightshift”- A live performance of this track is showcased with Springsteen extending the song’s outro as the band adds their unique melodic touches to elongate the piece for the crowd.
“Mary’s Place”- Following “Nightshift,” in the band’s live concert, “Mary’s Place” becomes the continuation of an electrifying live performance, embodying the band’s unwavering energy and keeping the audience fully engaged in the magic of their music and presence.
“Mustang Sally” -This is the only cover song by The Commitments and Andrew Strong that the E-street band sings in one of their live concerts, including a few fragments of the track directly after “Mary’s Place.”
“The Promised Land”- At their Ferrara, Italy, concert on July 05, 2025, the documentary features fragments of the band playing “The Promised Land.” Through this song, Springsteen reflects on his life’s journey and his belief in an eternal “promised land” or heaven, symbolizing a sense of fulfillment and readiness for what lies beyond.
“The Last Man Standing”- Van Zandt discusses the inspiration behind Springsteen writing this song, shortly after their friend George passed away. The documentary transitions between scenes of Springsteen performing it live, recounting the story, and Van Zandt elaborating on the emotional depth of the song.
“Backstreets”- This song is performed with varying high and low tempos. Springsteen connects it to “The Last Man Standing,” offering a reflective monologue about George, ultimately touching his chest and stating that he will “carry it all here,” receiving a wave of applause from the crowd. His voice briefly falters before he regains the rhythm to finish the outro. Band members describe “Backstreets” as the “beginning of the ramp-up of the roller coaster” that defines the remainder of the show.
“Born in the U.S.A."– At the Ferrara, Italy concert, Springsteen and the band performed “Born in the U.S.A.” right after somber tracks like “The Last Man Standing” and “Backstreets,” shifting to a more uplifting tone. This change lightens the atmosphere after the emotionally heavy songs.
“Dancing in the Dark”– Before launching into this song, Springsteen shares a playful exchange with Van Zandt, joking, “If Stevie don’t wanna go home, then nobody’s going.” The band then kicks off this spirited track, echoing Springstten’s struggle for meaning and his search for human connection, a theme woven through many of his songs.
“Born to Run”– Following “Dancing in the Dark,” Springsteen performs “Born to Run,” reminiscing about his youth and early ambitions. This performance adds a nostalgic layer, channeling the restless drive of his younger years and energizing the crowd with a timeless sense of freedom.
“I’ll See You in My Dreams”- Springsteen concludes the concert with this acoustic guitar piece, alone on stage. As the final notes fade, he respectfully acknowledges each band member, shaking hands, hugging, and patting them, ending the concert on a note of camaraderie and appreciation.
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”- This track marks the show’s final, high-energy number where the bandmates say farewell to the crowd; it is also the song being played in the background as the end credits are displayed.
The documentary,Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, now streaming on Hulu and Disney+, has an accompanying soundtrack that offers fans an immersive concert experience. The soundtrack,Road Diary: The Music, is a curated playlist of 25 live tracks from Springsteen’s recent 2023-24 world tour, available on nugs.net, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms. Key performances include “No Surrender” and “Ghosts” from Tampa, “Letter to You” from Atlanta, and “The Promised Land” from Ferrara, capturing the range and energy of Springsteen’s recent shows.
For those craving more classic hits,Road Diaryalso features beloved songs like “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” from Newark, “Glory Days” from Rome, and “Dancing in the Dark” and “Born in the U.S.A.” from Barcelona. Fans can listen to these live renditions and new versions of songs such as “Prove It All Night” and “Backstreets” on Apple Music and Spotify. As Springsteen prepares to kick off his Canadian tour,Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bandprovides the ultimate soundtrack to relive his unmatched energy and legacy in live rock performances.
