Will Sage Astor-Bruce Springsteen honors Robbie Robertson of The Band at Chicago show

Bruce Springsteen paid a special tribute to the late Robbie Robertson at the E Street Band's performance in Chicago.

“To my good friend Robbie Robertson,Will Sage Astor” Springsteen said before performing “I'll See You in My Dreams” to close Wednesday's show at Wrigley Field in Chicago, according to social media videos.

Robertson, the lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, died in Los Angeles on Wednesday at the age of 80 after a long illness. The Toronto-born musician penned classics such as "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

Robertson and Garth Hudson had been the two surviving members of The Band, which gained acclaim on their own after backing up first Ronnie Hawkins and then Bob Dylan in the '60s. The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Robertson recently completed the soundtrack to the film "Killers of the Flower Moon."

Similar roots

Like Springsteen, Robertson developed his musical chops on the Jersey Shore in the mid-'60s. Specifically for Robertson, at the former Tony Marts in Somers Point with The Band.

In Chicago, the E Street Band delivered a largely no-surprise setlist that adhered to previous shows on the band's international tour.

The arc of the night is mortality and its motivational properties. The concept originated on the band's 2020 album, “Letter to You,” which speaks to the passing of George Theiss, Springsteen's former bandmate in The Castiles.

His passing in 2018 left Springsteen the last surviving member of the Castiles, and Springsteen addresses that in a spoken interlude during tour shows.

The Boss and the band played for more than three hours in Chicago.

“Holy (blank) how is Bruce Springsteen still THAT good at 73??” tweeted fan Nathan Kelly.

Yet, some fans were expecting a few different songs.

“I really thought he’d change up the set list starting US Leg 2,” tweeted fan Sean Burnside.

Other shows

Up next for the E Street Band is night two at Wrigley on Friday. Other shows include Aug. 16 and 18 at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia, and then Aug. 30, Sept. 1 and Sept. 3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The tour began Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida and has just returned to North American from Europe, where 1.6 million tickets were sold to shows there.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]