Saxophonist Jake Clemons, the nephew of Springsteen’s longtime sax player and friend, Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011, had his arm around Springsteen’s shoulder as they sang a seemingly countless string of la-la-la’s at the end of the song. He had 17 supporting members of the E Street Band that has been rocking for 50 years in an evolving cast of talented musicians, that included some of the longest-serving members: guitarists Little Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, drummer Max Weinberg, bassist Garry Tallent and keyboardist Roy Bittan. He followed with “Ghosts,” a soaring tribute to bandmates he had lost that concludes with “I’m alive and I’m out here on my own/I’m alive and I’m comin’ home.”īut Springsteen was not alone. “Young faces grow sad and old,” he sang in a stanza that gives way to “I’m ready to grow young again” before the eventual chorus vow of “no retreat. His short-cropped silvery hair slicked back, Springsteen wore a black button-snap shirt with short sleeves rolled up to show his still-taut pipes, dark jeans cuffed at the ankle and oxblood Doc Martens boots.Īfter the requisite “Hello London,” he promptly counted out “one, two, three, four” for the chest-thumping drum intro to “No Surrender” that set fans roaring and band charging forward like a hard-rocking freight train.Įven that opener about friendship and the power of music with its memorable line about learning “more from a three-minute record … than we ever learned in school” captured the theme of the evening. to a roar of “Bruuuuuce” that can sound like boos to the uninitiated. Springsteen followed the members of the E Street Band onto stage just after 7 p.m. The tour, Springsteen’s first in seven years, kicked off in Tampa in February and has included almost the same set list every night, which is unusual for a performer who has often played requests fans post on handwritten signs.

This extraordinary measure is due to the potential presence of the fungus which causes White-Nose Syndrome in New Mexico. Notice: All visitors are required to walk on bio-cleaning mats after exiting. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Tour participants must also purchase an entrance fee ticket.Īge Limit: Children under 6 years old are not permitted on the King's Palace Tour. Where: Tour meets at the Underground Rest Area.Ĭost: $8 for adults and $4 for children, Senior and Access Pass holders. When: See tour schedule for tour times throughout the year. Reservations are required for the King's Palace Tour. Consider if this is within your comfort level or tolerance. Random light changes like these (Flickering, etc.) can also occur during the tour. They will settle down once they have a few minutes to warm up. Rangers frequently conduct black-outs during this tour, briefly turning off all artificial lights to reveal the natural darkness of the cave.Īlso note, some of the lights may flicker and/or be slow to turn on when coming out of the black-out. Look forward to viewing a variety of cave formations including helictites, draperies, columns and soda straws. Although not as difficult as the Natural Entrance Trail, this one mile (1.6 km) tour does require additional descending, and at the end, walking up a very steep hill. The King's Palace tour, a 1.5-hour ranger-guided tour through four highly decorated chambers will take you into the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public, 830 feet (253 m) beneath the desert surface. Visitors in the Queen's Chamber along the King's Palace Tour.

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