Bruce Springsteen N.J. concert review: The Boss does overtime

nypost.com:

East Rutherford, NJ’s MetLife Stadium, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen alluded to one of the few unfortunate breaks in his illustrious career.The music quieted and The Boss told the humorous story of how he was kicked out of his first band, The Rogues, way back in 1965.He laughed it off with “Sopranos” cast member and longtime E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt but clearly this chip on his shoulder had a lasting impact.58 years later, no one in music works harder to put on a truly great show and this unparalleled effort does not go unnoticed.Starting at 7:55 p.m.

as fans straggled into the massive New Jersey stadium with their $50 “Born In The U.S.A.” souvenir t-shirts, Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked the evening off with the rockin’, larger-than-life “Lonesome Day” and entertained the packed venue.Then, for nearly 2.5 hours, there was nary a break for the long-running ensemble.

Each song bled into the next with Bruce’s signature “1, 2, 3, 4!” cry giving the crowd a full-on musical thrill ride that never ran out of gas.Of course, the singalong hits were just as impassioned, fresh and joyously infectious as when they debuted nearly a half century ago — “Born To Run,” “Thunder Road” and “Dancing In The Dark” all made this reviewer’s hair stand on end — but they weren’t even close to the chill-inducing pair of highlights from the jam-packed evening.Early in the night, the band surprised super fans with the inclusion of their bluesy 1973 classic “Spirit In The Night” which The Boss hasn’t busted out since 2017 according to Set List FM.

While the song didn’t have the seamless flow it does on the record, hearing the slowed-down, twinkling piano section live under Bruce’s powerful, gruff vocals was.