Madonna and Springsteen both Born to Run

They may both be over 50, but they aren’t too old to rock. After short breaks, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen are returning to the road. Details on the next leg of Madge’s “Sticky & Sweet” tour are scant; her website only confirms that she will be hitting a number of European cities this summer.

Springsteen, who plays the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1, officially starts a new tour April 1 at HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif. The tour is in support of “Working on a Dream,” his new album out today.

Both are touring powerhouses-and for good reason: very few performers offer shows as strong as theirs. Even though their concerts couldn’t be more different, they both share a work ethic and desire to give their fans a truly unique experience. An evening spent with either is never wasted.

Springsteen is all rock and roll muscle. His shows, like his music, are all about the connection with his E Street bandmates and the audience. There are no fireworks or massive light show. It’s music, music, music. it’s all about the music and the performance.

Madonna’s show is a three-ring spectacle with dazzling production number followed by brilliant, often thought-provoking production number. She’s always mesmerizing and what she lacks in a connection with the audience (trust me, I’ve seen her a number of times and I’ve always felt like, as magnificent as she is, she may as well be performing behind glass) is more than made up for by the sheer effort and dedication that goes into the show.
Springsteen and Madonna are also masters at the box office. Springsteen truly was the Boss on the road last year. According to Billboard, his 2008 tour dates grossed $204 million, making him the second-highest grossing tour act of the year behind Bon Jovi. Madonna, with less than half of Springsteen’s 82 dates, came in at No. 3, grossing $185 million.

From Melinda Newman’s “The Beat Goes On” blog at HitFix.com.