I'm an optimistic person, glass half full most of the time.... I'm delighted and excited about the upcoming tour, probably more than I ever was before... But... I have this uncomfortable gut feeling I just can't shake off, it feels like this is going to be his last tour.
I'm not asking for rational explanations, I know we could find legitimate arguments for both aspects.
I'm simply asking what is your long-time fan intuition telling you?
Last dance, or not?
Like I stated in my previous post here, 2016 was his last stadium tour with me in the audience. That said, I feel pretty confident he will not stop touring in any shape or form - with or without the E Street band - until the end and he's no longer physically of mentally able to do it. I'll figure he has at least 10 more years in him.
I remember standing on the floor at Ullevi 2016 thinking "well this is it." Ullevi 2012 was the best shape I'd seen him in since at least 10 years. Between that and 2016 it felt like he'd been ageing a lot, traveled a station to much on that downbound train and no longer had the energy and power for a venue that size. I decided I would never again see him play in a stadium. And I'm sticking to that.
Realistically, at some point you will have seen your last Bruce show and you most probably won't even realise it at the time.
I don't think we will ever get an announced farewell tour or shows. So treating each one as if it might be the last you see at this point isn't bad policy.
I don't feel that this upcoming tour is intended to be the last, nor do I believe Bruce is necessarily thinking it is. But with every passing year the chance this is the last increases. It's just the inevitable reality of life.
I remember standing on the floor in Anaheim in 2008, watching them perform "Jungleland" thinking it was over then...
We will get a long tour, and then who knows. Bruce himself has no idea, and if he does we don't have any idea.
He will be with us a long time regardless.