Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars documentary is set for an exclusive two-night theatrical release next month. Showings will take place at 4 and 7PM on Oct. 19 and 23.

The film then will be available nationally on Oct. 25, following the exclusive showings. For information participating theaters and tickets, visit Fathom Events' website.

Springsteen, who makes his directorial debut alongside longtime collaborator Thom Zinny, performs all 13 of the album's songs. He also added personal narratives while fronting a 30-piece orchestra in a converted barn. The film is rounded out with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, previously unseen archival images and unreleased music from Springsteen's vault.

Western Stars arrived in June as Springsteen's first new studio album in five years.

"Really, it was just a collection of new songs that I had that pieced together in a certain way and which had a certain ambiance to them that evoked the western part of the country and a certain style of songwriting — southern California in the ’70s," Springsteen said during a Q&A session this week at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"So, I was interesting in writing in that vein," he added. "And there was an emotional arc that I was trying to communicate, [which is] what the film brings out even more than the record even did. When we added the spoken pieces in between the music, that really brought out what the album was about much more to the fore."

He confirmed early on that he wasn't scheduling support dates. "We knew we weren't going to tour," Springsteen told SiriusXM. "So I was looking for a way to get some of the music live to an audience – and so we figured that was the best way to do it."

The Western Stars documentary premiered this week at the TIFF, earning a standing ovation when Springsteen offered an impromptu cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy," a Glen Campbell tune in a similar musical vein.

 

 

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