Bruce Springsteen made a surprise performance at his bandmate Steve Van Zandt’s benefit concert last night (October 26).
The duo performed a host of tracks including ‘Born To Run’ song ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’, live staple ‘Raise Your Hand’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Go Home’, the Van Zandt-penned title track to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes’ first album. You can view footage below.
The unannounced appearance was part of Van Zandt’s Party At The Pony benefit concert in support of his non-profit music education organisation TeachRock, in New Jersey.
It was also billed as a birthday celebration for Van Zandt and his wife Maureen.
It comes just weeks after The Boss gave a surprise performance at the ‘Born To Run’ 50th Anniversary Symposium at Monmouth University in New Jersey.
That event was sponsored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, and brought together former and current bandmates, roadies, photographers, Columbia Records alumni and more, all of whom worked alongside the heartland rocker in the period he wrote ‘Born To Run’.
The evening drew to a close with performances of ‘Thunder Road’ and ‘Born To Run’ that saw Springsteen team up with E Street Band members past and present including Van Zandt, Roy Bittan, Garry Tallent and Max Weinberg, David Sancious and Ernest “Boom” Carte.
His latest performance comes after biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which stars Jeremy Allen White, was released in cinemas on Friday (October 24).
The film dramatises the recording of The Boss’ 1982 album ‘Nebraska’ as he battles depression and haunting memories from his traumatic childhood.
It received a four star review from NME which said: “What Deliver Me From Nowhere shows well is just how commercial success was a distant second to Springsteen – a man who had no choice but to rip those ‘Nebraska’ songs from his wounded heart.”
Director Scott Cooper recently said that Springsteen was keen on more potential films following the release of the biopic.
“There’s so many chapters in Bruce’s life, in all seriousness, that are quite right for cinematic treatment,” Cooper added. “That’s something quite honestly that Bruce and I have discussed. I think he really loves this film. He’s loved the experience.”
