In addition to last night’s show, we’re constantly adding to our streaming service iconic concerts throughout time. In this week’s 2022 Year In Review we take a look back at these archives, highlighting our top streamed shows from year’s past, that were added to the nugs.net app in 2022. The professionally-mixed audio from all these concerts are available to stream with a 7-day free trial to nugs.net.
Top Streamed Archives – Added in 2022 (in alphabetical order):
With the first Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts in six years now fewer than 50 days away, a return to where their rebirth began feels fitting. East Rutherford, NJ 7/18/99 was only the band’s second US date on the Reunion tour. It followed a 36-show European leg that saw them playing beloved outtakes (finally released on Tracks), exploring the depths of their own catalog, and rounding into form ahead of an audacious 15-night stand at Continental Airlines Arena to kick off the American run.
The 7/18/99 recording, newly mixed from multitrack masters by Jon Altschiller, bears a strong sense of purpose and urgency for reconnection. How thrilling it must have been to not only hear “I Wanna Be With You” for the first time, but to take Bruce’s title statement literally as he calls in the band members one by one in the song’s intro. We want to be with you.
As commonplace as “Prove It All Night” might feel in hindsight, longtime fans hadn’t heard it played with the E Street Band in 14 years, and surely many others in attendance never had. These early Reunion shows were marked by bang-bang pacing at the top as the first two songs roll right into “Two Hearts.” Nils Lofgren may take the solo in “Prove It,” but Stevie Van Zandt’s return to the band is undeniable in his call-and-response backing vocals, which extend into “Two Hearts.”
“Trapped” was a standout when the band christened this building back in 1981; in 1999, Patti Scialfa’s vocals lift the chorus higher while modern keyboard textures from Roy Bittan and Danny Federici give “Trapped” a subtle recharge. “Darlington County” teases the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” for several bars before the rowdy road trip begins, giving Clarence Clemons his fifth fine showcase of the night already.
Following that crowd-pleaser, three radical rearrangements show the Reunion tour isn’t here just to play the past by rote. The country arrangement of “Factory” shifts the tone of the song entirely, removing the drudgery-implying repetitive thump of percussion to yield something more contemplative about the meaning of “the working life.” Lofgren’s work in particular shines.
Bittan and Federici similarly recast the tone of “The River” with a long introduction behind Bruce’s mournful harmonica. The spare reading, accented by Danny’s accordion and Lofgren’s pedal steel, bears some influence from Bruce’s recordings for and around The Ghost of Tom Joad. Not every fan liked the rearrangement, but there’s no denying its disquieting impact and the bold choice to reinterpret a classic.
The full-band “Youngstown” might be the most successful of the three. With a trio of players on stage, the Reunion tour had a fatter, richer, and more forward guitar sound than the 1984-85 or 1988 tours. “Youngstown” makes the case that the E Street Band can be a full-throttled rock band whenever they like, and “Murder Incorporated” reinforces the point, riding Max Weinberg’s big beat in a sharp, stunning performance.
One has to admire Bruce’s sequencing as “Badlands” arrives to take us over the top and end a nearly flawless first half of the show. The de facto second set begins with the joyous invitation of a zippy “Out in the Street” in another appealing reading that the audience eats up.
After barely addressing the crowd to this point, Bruce takes to the E Street pulpit during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,” which features forays into “Red Headed Woman” and Patti’s own “Rumble Doll,” plus a nod to the great Curtis Mayfield with snippets of “It’s All Right” and “Move On Up.” A reverent “Loose End” follows, and again one has to readjust one’s mindset to remember the years when it was unimaginable “Loose End” would ever be released let alone played in concert.
The summer setting brings “Sherry Darling,” led by the Clemons’ horn, and Brendan Byrne ‘81 vibes abound. “Working on the Highway” makes a light-hearted companion before Bruce shifts gears down again with a solemn reading of “The Ghost of Tom Joad” that starts acoustic before the band adds gentle accent colors.
The full sense of return simmering all night is sealed by the first few notes of “Jungleland.” As great as the show has been to this point, the magisterial appearance of the Born to Run epic seals the deal between Bruce, the band, and the fans. Clarence Clemons meets the moment and plays his saxophone solo with complete confidence. They. Are. Back.
The set ends with a lively, guitar-drenched “Light of Day” and more snippets including “I Need a Train,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” and a delicious snatch of Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn Theme” (Brucebase, how did you miss that one?). While “Light of Day” only served two tours of duty (1988 and 1999-2000) as an E Street set-closer, it did so with distinction, wrapping the set with momentum.
The encore opens with Springsteen in the confession booth, revealing secrets great, small, and embarrassing with admirable candor in “Freehold.” The song first appeared at Bruce’s solo acoustic show at his old high school in 1996 and its inclusion the first six nights of the 1999 NJ stand seems to suggest that as much as Bruce is back home as a local hero, he’s equal parts humble local man.
“Stand On It” is the final Tracks song in the set and features some dazzling displays from Bittan and Clemons in one of only 21 performances ever. From there, “Hungry Heart,” “Bobby Jean,” “Born to Run,” and “Thunder Road” give the people what they want, each sounding fresh after a long layoff.
On an evening firmly focused on the recommitment of Bruce and the band, “If I Should Fall Behind” delivers the sentiment with spotlight-sharing vocal turns from Nils, Patti, Clarence, and Steve on a song recorded and released while the band was on hiatus.
The night closes with a dedication to the Kennedy family–following the passing of John F. Kennedy Jr. two days prior–as the intro to “Land of Hope and Dreams.” Bruce’s modern day “People Get Ready” (so much so that he shares the writing credit with Curtis Mayfield) captures the American spirit as much as any song in the canon.
The 7/18/99 recording is the earliest Reunion show yet to appear in the Live Archive series, and it shows just how ready they were to begin what we now see as their modern era, one that will enjoy a new chapter come February when Bruce and the band will roar back to life.
Having a special guest sit-in at a show can make for a unique and one-of-a-kind experience, and some of the most memorable concert moments. In this week’s 2022 Year In Review we take a look back at some of our favorite guest appearances of the year, and shows that are destined to be legendary concerts. The list of honorable mentions is exhaustive, and it’s challenging to pick just one from each band to highlight, but hopefully you find a show here to stream again or discover for the first time. Dig in and chime in, we’d love to hear your favorite guest sit-ins of the year.
Our Favorite Guest Appearances Of 2022 (in order of show date):
MY MORNING JACKET: 3/2/2022 – Riviera Cancun, MX
Featuring Phish’s Trey Anastasio for the three-song encore at their annual One Big Holiday festival. The following nights featured Brittany Howard and more.
Listen back to one of the sweetest moments of the year as Jack’s then girlfriend Olivia Jean joins him on stage for a proper marriage proposal, then wedding!
This show was nothing but guests, a night of funky Grateful Dead tunes featuring Steve Kimock, John Medeski, Al Schnier, John Kimock, George Porter Jr., Reed Mathis, plus very special guest Duane Betts.
The Ryman run featured guests each night, and the closing night saw legends Les Claypool, Bobby Weir, Ronnie McCoury, and Marty Stuart join the stage for one of the year’s best concerts.
PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG: 5/21/2022 – Thornville, OH
Billed as ‘The Domefest All-Stars’, the show featured PPPP with guests Peter Anspach of Goose, Jake Brownstein of Eggy, plus members of Funk You and more. Peter also joined the Pigeon’s earlier set at the fest.
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS: 5/6/2022 – Morrison, CO
Red Rocks always brings out the best in a band, and the best guests. In this show we see Paul Hoffman from Greensky Bluegrass, members of California Honeydrops, and Karina Rykman.
In the band’s debut at Radio City Music Hall, the show started with an all acoustic set followed by a second set and encore with surprise guest appearances by Father John Misty and Phish’s Trey Anastasio. Later in the year, we’d get ‘TABoose’ tour and tons of top-notch Trey sit-ins, but this is where it started.
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT: 7/17/2022 – Morrison, CO
Few shows were bigger this year then SCI’s Red Rocks performance, featuring an all Grateful Dead second set and guests Billy Strings and The Infamous Stringdusters Andy Hall.
At the Northwest String Summit we heard a number of acoustic tunes and also saw guests Paul Hoffman of Greensky, Yonder Mountain’s Allie Kral, and Jennifer Hartswick.
This throwdown at Fiddler’s Green featured guests Jerry Douglas, SCI’s Kyle Hollingsworth, Ronnie McCoury, as well as Jay Collins, Steven Bernstein, and Erik Lawrence .
Their Levon Helm Studios debut saw Ben Atkind of Goose and Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki join in, amongst a slew of debut covers by The Band & Rusted Root.
Part of John Mayer’s Rise For The River benefit concerts, this full show featured his Dead & Company bandmate Bobby Weir for a very special acoustic duo performance.
Hard to pass shows with Mike Campbell and John Popper as our favorite, but this concert with guests Oteil Burbridge and Tom Guarna on ABB’s “Dreams” and Oteil with Eric Krasno on the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree” really shines.
A must listen, featuring an all acoustic set, before a horns-driven second set with Morphine’s Dana Colley and Trey Anastasio Band’s Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman.
In this special 9/11 performance in NYC, fans were treated to a guest appearance by the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Chad Smith on Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
It was just a one set performance for Mempho Music Festival, but it was a big one with The Allman Brothers Band’s Chuck Leavell joining in for 4 songs including “Jessica.”
With surprise guests ranging from Billy Strings to members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, & P-Funk, this show’s diversity in guests puts it as a standout moment.
This Thanksgiving day show saw their introduction into the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame, LoS then welcomed Sam Bush for the entire show, Billy Failing from Billy Strings, Lindsay Lou, and more!
At The Helping Hands Benefit Concert, the show featured an acoustic set with Avi Vinocur, three live debuts, and St. Vincent on “Nothing Else Matters.”.
In the week’s ahead we’ll be taking retrospective trip through the year of live music, including best cover songs, favorite guest sit-ins, and more. This week, we take a look back at our new-to-streaming artist in 2022, from icons of classic rock to new bands exploding upon the scene, we’ve added nearly 30 artists this year and we’re not done yet! Explore the catalogs below, then delve in to their official concert audio with a nugs.net free trial.
NEW STREAMING ARTISTS ADDED IN 2022…
Apollo Suns (19 shows): Jazz, funk, and psychedelic grooves.
Bruce Springsteen (200+ shows): Iconic singer-songwriter, streaming exclusively on nugs.net and for the first time ever.
CBDB (4 shows): Prog rock, jamband, and “joy funk”.
Daniel Donato (55 shows): Cosmic Country from Nashville, TN.
Darkside (5 shows): Electronic, psychedelic and progressive rock.
Dogs In A Pile (14 shows): Improvisation jam with deep roots in psychedelia, jazz, fusion, funk, traditional, and rock & roll.
Doom Flamingo (7 shows): A “six-headed synthwave beast” fronted by Kanika Moore, and Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee
Eminence Ensemble (21 shows) Rock to funk, metal, electronic, soul, and hip-hop.
Grateful Dead (161 shows) One of the most influential bands in music history, and the complete streaming catalog is on nugs.net.
Holly Bowling (35 shows) Solo pianist with a specialty in Grateful Dead & Phish covers.
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (7 shows): Progressive High-Energy String Band with roots in old-time, folk and bluegrass.
Iron Maiden (20 shows): British heavy metal leaders, active from the 1970’s to today.
Jimi Hendrix (5 shows): One of the most influential electric guitarists of all time.
Karina Rykman (2 shows): Bassist that “straddles the worlds of jam rock and indie pop drenched in psychedelia“.
Led Zeppelin (27 shows): One of the most successful and influential bands in the history of rock and roll.
Little Feat(5 shows): One of our newest additions with an everlasting legacy, with a sound that’s a fusion of rock, funk, country, and ‘New Orleans swamp boogie‘.
Neighbor (16 shows): Ambitious composition, soulful balladry, and a fearless approach to their lengthy improvisations.
Neil Young (39 shows): One of the most celebrated artists in music history, “touching on everything from noise-rock and synth pop to blues and rockabilly”.
Pixies (33 shows): Pioneers of the alt-rock movement that helped blaze the trail for artists from Nirvana to Radiohead and Pearl Jam.
Sammy Hagar (2 shows): Front man of Van Halen, he’s considered to be one of rock music’s most dynamic and prolific artists.
TAND(21 shows): South Florida improv-rock, the band is known for their expressive songwriting and vast catalog of originals and covers.
The Revivalists (23 shows): Great instrumental and vocal talents, they bring a new element of New Orleans flare to rock.
Yak Attack(10 shows): Electronic power-trio blends live-looping, house, breakbeat, electro-funk, drum & bass with a touch of trip-hop.
Yam Yam (5 shows): A vibrant blend of jazz, jam, funk, and soul.
YES (19 shows): Pioneers of progressive rock, with a “daunting virtuosity, cosmic lyrics, complex musical textures, and powerful yet delicate lead vocals”.
We’re happy as all get-out to announce that twenty legendary live-concert and live-radio recordings from the country music genre are now available for streaming on nugs.net. We already have a robust bluegrass catalog and a diverse representation of country shows from the likes of Johnny Cash, Tyler Childers, Waylon Jennings, even new-age ‘Cosmic Country‘, and now our subscribers can stream some of the most notable live performances from some of the biggest names in the history of country music.
Recorded live at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, CA on 5/15/1980, the show featured the two bands with Sam Bush performing Leon Russell originals and covers from The Beatles & The Rolling Stones.
Gram Parsons – Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels: Live 1973
Recorded on 3/13/1973 in Hempstead, NY, the country-rock icon’s final recording, features Parsons and Fallen Angels Emmylou Harris (pre-solo career) and Jock Bartley (pre-Firefall) in peak form!
Recorded in a series of California honky-tonks during the middle of 1982, this live-album release features covers of classic tracks from Gram Parsons to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty, and more.
This historic set presents remastered and expanded editions of landmark classic albums released during his Atlantic Records years, as well as a 1974 live concert at the Texas Opry House
Recorded live on 9/14/2015 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, this concert also featured John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, and more.
Recorded on 1/28/2006 at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, GA, this is the only concert recording in existence from the only tour by the brothers
Travis Tritt – Live on Soundstage (Classic Series)
Recorded in August 2003, in this Soundstage concert, he wows the audience performing favorites such as “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Great Day to Be Alive,” and “Anymore.” Soundstage was an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago.
Recorded 9/12/16 at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, California, this show features Brandy in pared down, intimate setting with only a guitarist accompanying her
We’ve already got a robust catalog of live shows from the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning group, adding to this is their 6/2/2004 performance at the famous Stubb’s BBQ in Austin.
Listen now to all these recently added archives and the entire nugs.net streaming catalog with a 7-day free trial.
We are excited to announce new improvements to the nugs.net listening experience while driving for both Android and Apple users.
Android Auto
For the first time Android users are able to utilize Android Auto to enhance their listening experience while driving. With the latest version of the nugs.net Android app you can listen to your favorite shows on-the-go. Android auto support unlocks a number of key features for users including:
An intuitive interface for playing, pausing, skipping tracks, as well as browsing the nugs.net catalog directly through your car’s display
Picking up where you left off in a song after taking a call, or getting back into your car
Experience our latest features like Recommendations and Continue Listening for a seamless experience between your app, desktop player and your vehicle
Apple CarPlay
Major updates are here for Apple CarPlay users. We’ve redesigned the navigation to be more intuitive, and introduced Recommendations and Continue Listening into your driving experience. We’ve also fixed some key bugs including:
Songs will now resume from where they left off after an incoming call
Broken images and empty screens have been fixed
More intuitive navigation to find the music you love
Not a nugs.net subscriber? Sign up today for access to unlimited streaming and a 7-day free trial.
If there’s any period in modern Springsteen history that continues to grow in admiration it is the 2007-2008 Magic era.
There was always something appealing in the idea that Bruce and the E Street Band weren’t reuniting after an extended separation (only a few years since Vote For Change) nor called to service by historic events, but simply touring behind an excellent new album. Better still, the Magic tour created the setlist model we’ve had ever since.
The 1999-2000 Reunion tour marked the long-awaited return of the blood brothers and was tied to the release of the vaults-clearing Tracks, which liberated vital studio outtakes we only dreamed would someday be released. Several Tracks songs featured in the Reunion shows, and the exercise of producing the box and preparing for his first ESB tour in 11 years had Bruce looking at his catalog from a fresh vantage point. The result: setlist surprises on a regular basis—you didn’t know what Tracks song or vintage cut might turn up on a given night, putting long-lost classics like “New York City Serenade,” “Blinded By the Light” and “Lost in the Flood” back in play.
In addition to featuring 12 strong new songs from the 2007 album, the Magic tour suggested a similar reflection had taken place, but this time on the performance history of Bruce’s songs, with an eye toward the underplayed. Spurred by fan-sign requests, which took hold in 2007-2008, a trove of unusual cover songs appeared, along with choice rarities, upping the setlist wildcard factor practically every night. This awareness of what came before would continue on the Wrecking Ball tour, as requests persisted and got even more specific (e.g. “Prove It All Night ‘78”) in 2012-2013.
Nashville 8/21/08 exemplifies this “embrace the present and tap the past” approach. The concert immediately prior to the towering St. Louis show on 8/23, a previous Live Archive release, Nashville offers convincing performances of contemporary material, career-spanning classics, and special additions with deep roots in Springsteen’s performance past suggested by the fans. This delightful show also bears the unmistakable feeling of Bruce and the band enjoying being back on the job.
In a rare opening slot, “Out in the Street” sets the stage for a communal night between band and fan. The first half of the Nashville set runs strong with modern material (“Radio Nowhere,” “Lonesome Day,” “Youngstown”) and period heavy-hitters (“No Surrender,” “Murder Incorporated”), but things really open up when Bruce begins collecting request signs after “Spirit in the Night.”
“I’m gonna test the band,” he says with a wry smile. “We played this at the Capitol Theatre in 1978.” Credit him for remembering correctly: “Good Rockin’ Tonight” earned 17 airings in its premiere run on the Darkness tour (including the Capitol in Passaic, 9/20/78) and three more on the River tour before going dormant for 28 years. Did they nail the arrangement? Not exactly (though Roy Bittan’s piano playing is extraordinary). Did they tap Darkness tour spirit? Absolutely.
This ragged-but-right “Good Rockin’ Tonight” is an in-the-moment charmer, no more so than when Bruce shouts, “Go back a verse, Dan,” acknowledging crew member Dan Lee, who runs Bruce’s on-stage Teleprompter and helps make lost songs and other requests a welcome reality.
Preview of “Good Rockin’ Tonight” Live – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Darkness tour spirit also infuses a sweet “Growin’ Up,” complete with the “selling the pool table to buy the Kent guitar” story. A surprisingly rare “I’m Goin’ Down” follows. It’s the only song from Born in the U.S.A. performed fewer than 100 times, trailing even “Pink Cadillac” (125 to date). This one of three appearances on the Magic tour is lively and terrific.
If that isn’t rare enough for you, how about “Hungry Heart” b-side “Held Up Without a Gun,” played for only the fourth time ever? Bruces seamlessly slips back into the vocal cadence and tone of the original, and the band hits it like an every-nighter.
There’s no time to catch our breath before another River rarity, outtake “Loose End” (changed from “Loose Ends” as of the release of the Ties That Bind box set) in a sharp reading that again taps vintage vibes in a manner that suggests something beyond muscle memory is afoot in Nashville.
The most striking example of this uncanny ability to recall the past comes before “She’s the One.” The song was a staple of Magic tour sets, but on this night, seemingly out of nowhere—especially since he began the song as he did every 2007-2008 version—Bruce breaks into the classic “Mona” intro from the Darkness tour (and once in 1981) and damn if it doesn’t sound just right. Stevie Van Zandt catches on and brings his own vintage licks to the segment.
A few songs later divine inspiration strikes again, and Bruce calls out chord changes—“B” then “E”—to intriguingly append Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” to the start of “I’m on Fire,” a song that’s all about crossing lines. A brilliant coupling.
The back half of the show is anchored by a trio of recent rockers: “The Rising,” a potent “Last to Die,” and the underrated “Long Walk Home,” the arrangement of which is an exemplar of the modern E Street sound. “Badlands” finishes the main set before an encore that starts on a rousing “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” (it is August, after all).
“Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” follow before the last tour premiere of the night, a cover of The Bobby Fuller Four’s “I Fought the Law,” played for only the fourth time since 1981 and barely aged a day—as is the theme this evening.
For those of us not old enough to see ’70s and ’80s shows in person, the Magic tour provided a time machine to a taste of what a few of those special song performances were like. May those vibes return in 2023.
