Toronto welcomed The Boss on Sunday evening.
But there was a more contemplative Bruce Springsteen at Roy Thomson Auditorium for the world premiere of “Road Diaries: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” a look at the rock legend and his tight-knit band of collaborators that also served as a meditation on death. Yet throughout the film and in the Q&A after the screening, the 74-year-old rocker insisted he has no plans to hang up his guitar anytime soon. He wants to keep rocking until “the wheels come off.”
“If you go tomorrow, that's fine,” Springsteen told the crowd to loud applause. “What a great trip!”
Also in the documentary, Springsteen's wife and E Street Bandmate Patti Scalfa revealed that she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2018. Her illness made it difficult for her to perform and as a result, she took a step back from touring.
“It affects my immune system, so I have to be careful about what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she said in the film. “Every once in a while, I go to a show or two and I get to sing a few songs on stage, and that’s fun. That’s the new normal for me now, and I’m okay with that.”
“Road Diary” features footage from Springsteen’s latest world tour and an intimate look at the backstage planning. “This is how we make sausages,” Springsteen said as he took the stage. He’s not the only music icon at this year’s festival. Earlier this week, Elton John debuted “Elton John: It’s Never Too Late,” a documentary charting his musical triumphs and personal struggles, while singer-producer Pharrell Williams hit Toronto with “Piece by Piece,” a whimsical look at his life story told with the help of Lego.
As for the E Street Band and Springsteen, their partnership has resulted in Grammy Awards, chart-topping hits, and decades of unforgettable concerts.
“You risk everything you've got,” Springsteen said, “but you're not alone. That only happens to a few bands. Bands break up. That's the natural order of things. All bands break up. They can't even get two guys to stay together. Simon hates Garfunkel.”
Springsteen said part of the reason the group has stuck together—despite periods of separation and hiatus—is that they function as a “benevolent dictatorship,” with the “boss” supposedly living up to his title. “Small democracies don’t work. We have this huge group where everyone has a role and an opportunity to contribute and own their place in the band.”
Directed by Tom Zimny, who has previously covered Springsteen’s life and work in films such as The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town and Stars of the West, both of which have screened at previous editions of the Toronto International Film Festival, Zimny’s latest production explores Springsteen’s early years, his entry into music in the 1970s, and the formation of the E Street Band.
“We’ve known each other since we were very young,” Springsteen said. “And we had a good relationship for a long time. All those nights on stage, where you put yourself out there, because that’s what you do. You go out. You talk to people about the things that matter to you most. You leave yourself wide open.”
The E Street Band still packs theaters, but time has taken its toll. “Road Diaries” pays tribute to two former members who have passed but whose influence remains: Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist who died in 2011, and Danny Federici, the organist who died in 2008.
“I hope you all have a wonderful, fulfilling experience with your good friends,” Springsteen said. “It reminds me of the scene in Blade Runner… ‘I saw [things you people wouldn’t believe]”We've seen some of this crap.”
