THE STAPLES SINGER; BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND E STREET BAND GIVE FANS A ROCK 'N' ROLL REASON TO LIVE.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Staff Writer

``I can't promise you life everlasting, but I can promise you life right now!'' Bruce Springsteen roared Sunday night during the first of four sold-out shows inaugurating the newly opened Staples Center.

It was a promise he kept - and then some. Playing for the first time this decade with the magnificent E Street Band, Springsteen prowled the stage with an evangelical fervor, repeatedly asking the 20,000 fans in attendance, ``Is there anybody alive out there? Are you ALIVE?''

If you weren't after this show, you never will be.

Springsteen said he was on a search-and-rescue mission, looking to deliver the ``disenfranchised, downsized and Pokemonized'' with ``the power and the glory and the mystery and the ministry of rock 'n' roll.'' He accomplished this with a passion and fury that his fans have come to expect, reaching a level that he never quite realized in his years apart from the E Street Band, his long-standing backing group.

This night revolved around community, both among the musicians and the fans with whom Springsteen has always enjoyed such a special connection. Of the evening's 24 songs, a full third were played with the house lights turned at least partially up, allowing Springsteen to see his audience and, just as importantly, for the audience to see each other. This was a celebration, and Springsteen wanted all the long-timers to glory in each other's presence.

In focusing on community, Springsteen didn't forget the underdog. And that was another reason he wanted the audience to look around and understand that ``you can't get there alone.'' He dedicated ``Mansion on the Hill,'' a stark song about the gap between the rich and poor, to the numerous sky-box holders at the Staples Center, reminding them that ``hunger is even a problem in Los Angeles.''

His set also included a radically reworked version of ``The River'' (complete with a haunting saxophone intro from Clarence Clemons) and a fiery, full-band reading of ``Youngstown,'' the steelworkers' anthem found on Springsteen's acoustic solo album, ``The Ghost of Tom Joad.''

Springsteen played ``Tom Joad,'' too, giving voice to the people who haven't benefited from this decade of prosperity. He encouraged his fans to remember them as well, placing numerous donation bins for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank throughout the arena.

By examining the concept of community from all angles, Springsteen kept this tour from feeling like rote nostalgia. Springsteen turned 50 last month. His most recent release was the archival box set, ``Tracks,'' and he hasn't revealed any plans to record new material. His time at the top of the Billboard charts has long ended; his songs of hard-won optimism have been replaced by the angry rants of suburban faux-insurgents like Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock.

And perhaps that's why it feels like Springsteen has never been more relevant. He still believes not only in the possibilities of music, but also of humanity. His best songs - and he performed so many of them Sunday night (``Born to Run,'' ``Promised Land,'' ``Thunder Road,'' among them) - perpetuate the belief that it's important to aspire and to dream, even if the hard realities of life make such hopes difficult to achieve.

After playfully rolling out rowdy anthems like ``Light of Day'' and ``Ramrod,'' Springsteen closed his show with two quiet numbers that reflected his muted optimism. On ``If I Should Fall Behind,'' he traded verses with E Streeters Steve Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Clemons and wife Patti Scialfa, the song perfectly illustrating the ties that bind these longtime friends together.

Then there was a new song, ``Land of Hope and Dreams,'' a stirring gospel hymn so good that it can stand with any number in the Springsteen canon. Here, Springsteen's characters find their glory, but they have to wait until the afterlife. ``On this train, dreams will not be thwarted,'' Springsteen sang. ``On this train, faith will be rewarded.''

It was the perfect conclusion to an evening where Springsteen rewarded his fans' faith again and again, holding fast to the promises he and his music have made and held over the past 30 years.

The facts

Who: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.

Where: Staples Center, 865 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday.

Tickets: Sold out, try brokers.

Information: [phone].

Our rating: Four stars

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Bruce Springsteen's Staples-opening series of sold-out concerts. continues Thursday and Saturday at the new arena, where he fired up Sunday's crowd with a string of hits.

(2) Springsteen's current tour is his first this decade with the E Street Band. Sunday's crowd at the Staples Center numbered about 20,000.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer