I knew as I entered the lobby of the Soldiers and Sailors Hall the night of the concert, that this was going to be a Springsteen show like none I'd seen before. Springsteen 'opened' for Grushecky with three quiet acoustic numbers, then introduced Joe and the Rocking of the House began! While the concert was a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the release of Grushecky's American Babylon album, Bruce was given ample time in the spotlight. The two old friends shared the stage well, with Springsteen deferring to Grushecky and Joe standing back to let Bruce give his fans what they came for.
The emotion of the crowd as they sang with Springsteen on Atlantic City and Darkness on the Edge of Town was amazing. By the encore, the seats were all empty as the place rocked through Wipe Out's pounding drums and surf guitar right into Twist and Shout. Fans were sent out into the cold November night with a lovely rendition of Thunder Road by Bruce on acoustic guitar.
The pure joy and enthusiasm Springsteen brings to his shows was amplified by the intimate setting of the performance. This was one fans will never forget.