Bruce Springsteen returns to stage looking unrecognizable — and a little bit like Tilda Swinton
“Bruceeeeee!” — or Ellen DeGeneres?
Bruce Springsteen showed up to his first show in months looking unrecognizable — and a little bit like Tilda Swinton.
Dressed in a half-buttoned red flannel and dark jeans, the “Born to Run” musician, 74, returned to touring in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday, after postponing shows due to his peptic ulcer disease.
Springsteen’s once-toned and tanned upper body appeared paler than usual, and he rocked stark white hair and a rather pallid complexion.
Several X (formerly Twitter) users were left aghast at the singer’s appearance.
“That’s Tilda Swinton,” one person commented.
“I’m not even trying to be funny when I say I thought this was Megan Rapinoe,” a second person said, referring to the former winger of the USWNT who retired in Nov. 2023 after an injury.
“Is that Ellen DeGeneres,” cackled a third person, while a fourth stated the singer “looks freaking terrible.”
The Post reached out to Springsteen for comment.
Tuesday’s show at the Footprint Center marked the first time that the “Born in the USA” crooner performed alongside the E Street Band since September 2023. At the time, Springsteen announced that he was postponing shows after being diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease.
Per the Associated Press, Springsteen briefly touched upon his illness toward the end of his nearly three-hour set, which featured all of his greatest hits.
“Phoenix, first I want to apologize if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time,” Springsteen said to the riled-up crowd. “I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much.”
Springsteen’s worldwide tour has been fraught with various medical complications since it was announced in May 2022.
In March, while touring in Albany, the New Jersey native was forced to postpone two of his shows after releasing a statement that said that the cancellation had been caused “due to illness.”
The following month, both Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa — who was noticeably absent from Tuesday’s show — contracted COVID-19 and were forced to put a pause on performances.
Springsteen once again postponed two shows in Philadelphia — this time mere hours before the show began — after he had allegedly been “taken ill.”
The 20-time Grammy winner ultimately revealed in September that he was “being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease.”
“Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows,” read a statement on his Instagram on Sept. 27. “We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more great times. We’ll be back soon. Love and God bless all, Bruce.”
Eventually, Springsteen canceled his remaining 2023 dates.
“Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor’s advice,” read an Instagram post. “With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be postponed until 2024.”
Springsteen would later call his brush with the disease a “monster” and stated that it was “rocking my internal world.”
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The singer — who also just lost his mother to Alzheimer’s — thanked his fans for their well-wishes and stated that he couldn’t “wait to see you all next year.”
In November, Steven Van Zandt — one of Springsteen’s guitarists — stated Springsteen was in “great shape.”
“We’re gonna come back stronger than ever in March,” Van Zandt, 73, told People during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“It was a very, very intense first six months of the tour — maybe our most intense ever,” he continued. “And so we’re gonna come back with that same intensity, and it’s gonna be great.”
The nine-month tour is currently set to hit 17 countries across 52 dates before ending on Nov. 22 in Vancouver.
