Springsteen + the E Street Band = A Wrecking Ball (Updated April 3, 2013)

When is the last time you attended a concert that ran three hours (plus) and felt more exhausted than the guy on stage? If you answered "recently," you've probably just taken in a show by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Springsteen has, by all accounts, carved a path on his latest jaunt – aptly named the Australian Wrecking Ball tour. When all was said and done, the numbers were impressive. Ten shows, 78 different songs and more than 30 hours of 'The Boss' on stage. Through it all he crowd surfed, strummed the guitar, pumped his fists and rocked the house the only way he knows how.

As the Wrecking Ball swings on, there are dates scheduled all the way into September 2013. There are stops planned in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Wales and Brazil. That final date will take Springsteen and the E Street Band to the Rock in Rio festival on September 15 and will mark Springsteen's first appearance in that country in 25 years.

The continued success comes just months after Springsteen was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year on February 8, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The award came in recognition of Springsteen's creative accomplishments, as well as his charitable work and philanthropic efforts.

Five months before, an emotional Springsteen dedicated his performance at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. He also took part in a one-hour telethon called "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together," in which all money raised was donated to the American Red Cross.

About Bruce Springsteen

What can be said about the incomparable Bruce Springsteen that hasn't already been put into words? A singer, songwriter and instrumentalist known and adored for his blue collar, working-class brand of Heartland rock, Springsteen is in a class by himself as a lyricist and expressionist of American sentiment.

Springsteen's true breakthrough came with the release of 'Born to Run' on August 25, 1975. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with five singles finding heavy rotation on many rock stations around the country. The moderate success allowed Springsteen to embark on his first national tour, bringing with it a wave of publicity and establishing him as a dynamic rock and roll personality.

All things considered, Springsteen is probably best known for his album 'Born in the U.S.A.' (1984). The record sold 15 million copies in the United States, saw seven singles soar into the Top 10 and allowed Springsteen and his E Street Band to ascend to an unrivaled height of popularity. The title track, a commentary on the treatment of Vietnam veterans, caused debate among everyone from politicians to the average person as to its meaning. Though many would interpret it as a patriotic anthem, the song highlighted the troubles of American GI's with lyrics like, 'Came back home to the refinery / Hiring man said, 'Son if it was up to me' / Went down to see my V.A. man / He said 'Son you don't understand.'

Controversy reared its head again when Springsteen chose to address the 9/11 attacks on "The Rising" (2002). As his first album of new material in seven years, it was hailed by critics and fans alike as a return to prominence, moving 520,000 copies in its first week. But behind a mix of songs about loss and confusion, hope and faith, fear and longing was an artist who would eventually endorse a presidential candidate, then use a Grammy appearance as a platform to reference the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Never outspoken and always passionate, Springsteen's 17th album, "Wrecking Ball" was released March 5 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In support of the project he just wrapped an 11-week trip through Europe, performing some of his longest sets ever. Bruce and the band will also play an additional 16 dates in the U.S. and Canada for the 'Wrecking Ball' World Tour, beginning October 19 in Ottawa, Ontario and continuing through December 6 in Glendale, Arizona.