Long hailed as one of the greatest Americans songwriters since Bob Dylan (he is arguably the only artist pegged as the "next Dylan" who came close to living up to the hype), Bruce Springsteen has entered the pantheon of rock great thanks to his poetic lyrics, heartland anthems and legendary marathon concerts. A favorite son of New Jersey, Springsteen and his longtime backing group the E Street Band built up a loyal following on the East Coast with their feverish performances during the early '70s, but it wasn't until his 1976 album Born To Run that they broke through to mainstream success.

Springsteen had more critical triumphs with Darkness at the Edge of Town, his ambitious double album The River and the influential lo-fi acoustic album Nebraska, but it wasn't until his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. that cemented his status as one of the biggest rock artists of the era. While he would break off from the E Street Band to record later efforts like Tunnel of Love with studio musicians (he later admitted to losing his way without the group's support during the late '80s and early '90s), Springsteen would eventually reconvene the band with great critical and commercial success.

After the celebrated reunion tour of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that stretched from 2002 well into 2003, the iconic songwriter took his career in a decidedly different direction. Focusing on a stripped-down, solo acoustic approach for his 'Devils & Dust' album and subsequent tour before paying tribute to folk singer Pete Seeger with We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and a celebrated jaunt backed by the 17-member Seeger Sessions Band.

Springsteen followed that departure with another acclaimed collaboration the E Street Band that found the Boss in a politically charged frame of mind. The 2007 release Magic was widely hailed as both a return to form for Springsteen and his angriest, most socially conscious album in ages. Now set to take the road to promote his latest celebrated effort Wrecking Ball, Springsteen continues his current tour with a return to the Bay Area for this show at Oracle Arena featuring his strongest recent material as well as a full range of songs from his classic albums from the 1970s.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Friday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. $39.50-$98
Oracle Arena