Bruce Springsteen has spent most of 2023 on the road, playing stadiums and arenas with his E Street Band. The ticket prices for those shows have caused a lot of controversy, but the shows themselves have been the kind of life-affirming three-hour spectacles that have always been Springsteen’s trademark. But we’ll have to wait a little longer for Springsteen to play the rest of his planned tour dates. He’s suffering from peptic ulcer disease, and on doctor’s orders, he’s postponing his remaining 2023 shows.

Earlier this month, Bruce Springsteen postponed his September dates, citing “medical reasons.” The tour was scheduled to pick back up again in November, with dates all across Canada, before wrapping up in Arizona and California. Today, a statement from Springsteen’s publicists says that the man “has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year.” Fans who bought tickets and can’t make it to the rescheduled shows can apply for refunds. Springsteen himself says, “Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support. I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.”

You cannot blame a 74-year-old man with a stomach ulcer for deciding that he can’t play athletically demanding marathon stadium spectacles for the next few months. Bruce Springsteen clearly loves playing live, and he’ll do it when he can. Also, I really wasn’t trying to be funny with that photo selection — or I mostly wasn’t, anyway. In just about every live shot, Bruce Springsteen looks like he’s dealing with serious gut issues.