Nils Lofgren Says New Songs Will “Evolve” On Bruce Springsteen Tour

Touring behind an album that mostly featured other musicians could be a challenge for most bands. In a recent interview, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren discussed how Bruce Springsteen's side men and women are handling the songs from 'Wrecking Ball' on their current tour.

"Already the songs have evolved into more of an E Street Band presentation, but they're still authentic and true to the spirit of the record," Lofgren told Billboard. "And they will evolve as the tour goes and becomes more and more our own."

It's not just the songs from 'Wrecking Ball' that Lofgren is looking forward to performing. "There's 23 songs from the 'Darkness' package (2010's 'The Promise' box set) that are basically unreleased," he continued. "When you throw that in with the 11 songs on 'Wrecking Ball' you're talking about three and a half hours of new music that we've never put into the show."

Indeed, last night's (March 23) show in Tampa saw the first song from 'The Promise' make its debut. 'Talk To Me,' the R&B-flavored potburner that Springsteen gave to friend Southside Johnny for his 1978 album 'Hearts of Stone, was audibled by the Boss instead of the chestnut 'Spirit in the Night,' which appeared on the setlist.

But it was another rarity that had everybody talking. Springsteen performed 'American Skin (41 Shots),' his song about the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean immigrant, by four New York City police officers. The performance was undoubtedly a show of solidarity with those protesting last month's killing of Trayvor Martin in Sanford, Fla., which is approximately 100 miles from Tampa.

Watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Perform 'American Skin (41 Shots)' at Madison Square Garden in 2000