Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band at Prudential Center (January 31, 2016)

It’s hard to believe that I had never seen Bruce Springsteen live before his most recent stop at the Prudential Center on January 31. I had plenty of chances over the years, but it just never happened. It was only fitting that my first time just happened to be a hometown show in New Jersey, truly the only proper way to catch a show from The Boss.

I know that Bruce is like a god to many, especially in New Jersey. But seeing the incredible reaction that the very much sold out Prudential Center crowd gave him upon his entrance gave me legitimate goosebumps. Hearing the cult-like chants of Bruce was totally overwhelming, the sort of thing that makes you remember that you’re catching the rare artist that is truly one of a kind.

There was no opening act, just three hours of straight Bruce Springsteen. Being a special tour revisiting his 1980 album The River, he started his set off with album-era outtake “Meet Me in the City” before launching into the album in full, front to back. Sure it helped to be a huge fan of The River, but I assume that came easy to everyone that packed into the arena that night. Springsteen, still limber at 66 years old, still found his way into the crowd for a crowd-surf during The River favorite “Hungry Heart,” a truly impressive feat considering his age and how often he probably does it while on tour. This energy wasn’t just saved for that song, it was applied to the entire marathon set that featured almost no haults aside from quick breaks in between their performance of The River, and their second set full of New Jersey-minded favorites like “Working On The Highway” and “Atlantic City,” both of which made their tour debuts that night. Even cuts like “Wrecking Ball” took on an even more powerful and special meaning being heard in Jersey, with the whole crowd shouting when the line about Giants stadium came up. It was those shared personal moments that made the night one of a kind.

After that set they took a quick pause on stage to grab some water and as well as their breath, but soon resumed the action and delighted with a 5-song set of E Street Band classics like such as “Badlands,” “Born To Run,” and “Dancing In The Dark.” All of the house lights came on, offering a sobering look at the performance and all the fellow fans, creating somewhat of a more personal conclusion that worked well into the final notes of “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” and their cover of The Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”

This performance may have come during the first 31 days of 2016, but it’s hard to imagine many shows, if any, topping it. Springsteen and the famed E Street Band are not only every bit as good as advertised, but somehow even better. I hope to see them again in the immediate future, and urge you to do the same.

Find a gallery of photos from the show posted below, along with the massive setlist.

Bruce Springsteen Setlist:

1. Meet Me in the City

[The River]

2. The Ties That Bind
3. Sherry Darling
4. Jackson Cage
5. Two Hearts
6. Independence Day
7. Hungry Heart
8. Out in the Street
9. Crush on You
10. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
11. I Wanna Marry You
12. The River
13. Point Blank
14. Cadillac Ranch
15. I’m a Rocker
16. Fade Away
17. Stolen Car
18. Ramrod
19. The Price You Pay
20. Drive All Night
21. Wreck on the Highway