One night at Boston’s Harvard Square Theater changed rock music forever. On May 9, 1974, music writer Jon Landau watched 24-year-old Bruce Springsteen open for Bonnie Raitt. That two-hour set sparked a bond that would shape music history. Now, Deliver Me From Nowhere brings this story to the screen.
“I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen,” wrote Landau in his review for . “On a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time.”
Breaking standard rules, Raitt let the young musician play longer than most opening acts. This twist of fate gave Landau time to soak in what would become a historic performance.
Raw emotion poured through Landau’s words: “Can anyone really be this good; can anyone say this much to me, can rock’n’roll still speak with this kind of power and glory?” he wrote in American Songwriter.
That night birthed a creative force. Landau stepped in as the producer for Born to Run in 1975. He eventually became Springsteen’s manager, putting his mark on most albums until 1992. He only skipped the stripped-down Nebraska in 1982.
Rising stars will bring this tale to life. Jeremy Allen White, fresh from The Bear, plays young Springsteen. Succession powerhouse Jeremy Strong steps into Landau’s shoes.
The Boss shows no signs of slowing at 75. His next run with The E Street Band, The Land of Hope and Dreams tour, starts in Manchester, England, on May 14. Tickets are available through .
Landau told American Songwriter, “I remembered that the magic still exists and as long as I write about rock, my mission is to tell a stranger about it, just as long as I remember that I’m the stranger I’m writing for.”
