Any show put on by Bruce Springsteen can usually be described using words like “awesome”, “stunning”, and “incredible”. But the little over 1,500 people, who paid hundreds of dollars for admittance to a benefit concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey last night were treated to something particularly special.

Backed by his E Street Band, he played his classic 1978 “Darkness On the Edge of Town” album — every song, in their original order.

Then he took a 13-minute intermission, returned and played his even more classic 1975 “Born To Run” album — every song, in their original order — before high-spirited encores of “Rosalita,” “Kitty’s Back,” “Raise Your Hand” and “So Young and In Love.”

[NJ.com]

The performance, which was the first time the Boss had delivered Darkness track-by-track live and the way he “originally intended it to be heard,” is already being hailed as one of Springsteen’s most memorable shows, which certainly says something…

It was a particular bygone era brought back to life, a celebration of the band’s history and just one of its heydays, and a tip of the hat to a couple of 30th anniversaries… yet as ever with Springsteen, it was most notably moving forward and trying something new at the same time. And playing for a take-’em-all-in-with-one-glance crowd from the orchestra to the balcony, a packed theater practically on top of Bruce and the band (at least compared to where they have been and will be playing in this new millenium), it was the perfect crucible for revisiting the passion and the power of these classic records. An experiment, no doubt — and an electrifying success.

[Backstreets]

Categories: News, Watch
Tags: Bruce Springsteen