Bruce Springsteen Honors Joe Ely “We’ve Lost an American Classic”

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Bruce Springsteen has long spoken openly about his admiration for Joe Ely, the forward thinking Texas country figure who blended roots music with rock across records like Honky Tonk Masquerade, helped shape the cult favorite group the Flatlanders, and even spent time touring with the Clash. Ely passed away on Monday at the age of 78 following a lengthy illness.

“Over here, we’re deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Ely, a singular American singer, great musician and great artist,” Springsteen wrote on social media Tuesday as he reflected on Ely’s passing. “I was lucky enough to count Joe as a true friend and I will miss that voice and his companionship. Our hearts go out to his wonderful wife Sharon and the family. We’ve lost an American classic.”

A representative for Ely confirmed that the songwriter died “from complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s and pneumonia. His beloved wife Sharon and daughter Marie were at his side at their home in Taos, New Mexico.”

Earlier this year, Springsteen took time to celebrate Ely’s influence and career during a ceremony at the Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, where he presented Ely with a special American Music Honors award. “It’s got that slight Southern country twang, it’s got a hint of rockabilly,” Springsteen said at the event. “It’s got the depth and emotion of Johnny Cash and it’s as deeply authentic as his Texas roots.”

The two artists also collaborated directly, teaming up on the song “Odds of the Blues” from Ely’s 2024 album Driven to Drive, and they shared the stage together on multiple occasions. One notable moment came in 2014, when Springsteen and the E Street Band brought Ely out during a Houston show to perform “Great Balls of Fire” and “Lucille.”

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Guns N’ Roses Debut Nothin’ And Atlas At Tour Opening Show

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Guns N’ Roses have officially begun their 2026 tour and treated fans to the first ever live performances of Nothin’ and Atlas. You can find videos and the full setlist from the night below.

The concert took place at Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, Mexico on Saturday March 28 and marked the opening night of the band’s 2026 tour schedule. It follows a busy stretch of concerts last year, which concluded in October.

This tour also marks their first since drummer Frank Ferrer exited the group in 2025 after close to two decades. Just a day before the show, keyboard player Melissa Reese also shared that she would not be joining the upcoming dates due to personal matters.

Like many of their concerts, the band began the night with major fan favourites including Welcome To The Jungle and Mr Brownstone, later adding classics such as Paradise City, Don’t Cry, Civil War, November Rain, and their take on Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door as the show continued.

Along with their well known version of the Bob Dylan song, Axl Rose and the rest of the band also performed several other covers during the night. These included Black Sabbath’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Wings’ Live And Let Die, Velvet Revolver’s Slither, The Damned’s New Rose, and UK Subs’ Down On The Farm.

The Monterrey performance also included the first live performances of their newer songs Nothin’ and Atlas, which were originally released in December. See the full setlist and clips from the show below.

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Guns N’ Roses’ setlist was:

‘Welcome to the Jungle’
‘Mr. Brownstone’
‘Bad Obsession’
‘Live and Let Die’ (Wings cover)
‘Slither’ (Velvet Revolver cover)
‘Chinese Democracy’
‘Pretty Tied Up’
‘It’s So Easy’
‘Yesterdays’
‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ (Black Sabbath cover)
‘Nothin’’ (live debut)
‘Dead Horse’
‘Perhaps’
‘Civil War’
‘Atlas’ (live debut)
‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ (Bob Dylan cover)
‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’
‘November Rain’
‘Patience’’
‘New Rose ‘(The Damned cover) (Duff on vocals)
‘Down on the Farm’ (UK Subs cover)
‘Don’t Cry’
‘Nightrain’
‘Paradise City’

These two tracks also represent the group’s first new releases in two years, following Perhaps and The General which arrived in 2023.

After the Mexico show, Slash and the rest of the band will continue the tour in April with nine major concerts scheduled across Brazil. In May, they will head to Florida for two performances before moving on to a European run across June and July. That leg begins with two dates in Poland, followed by a performance in Dublin and an already confirmed appearance at the UK’s Download Festival.

Additional stops include concerts in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium, before they return to North America for another round of shows. Those dates begin in North Carolina on July 23 and conclude in Georgia on September 19. Buy US tickets here, European tickets here, and see the full list of dates below.

In other news, guitarist Slash recently suggested that the band may not perform at the Las Vegas Sphere and also hinted that new Guns N’ Roses material could be on the way, saying that “everybody [in the band] is thinking about it”.

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