FIRST OFF . . .

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will begin a 22-date United States tour in late February, Columbia Records announced Wednesday. Dates and cities haven’t been firmed up for what is being billed as the “Tunnel of Love Express Tour.” West Coast dates are being planned. And the Boss isn’t the only major act to hit the road this year. The Buckled One, Michael Jackson, will also conduct a tour, though details of it are similarly hazy. One date is certain: a March 3 concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with proceeds benefitting the United Negro College Fund. Jackson has established almost 100 scholarships in his name with the fund.