LAST DANCE AT GIANTS STADIUM - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 10/09/09

"Mick Jagger is gonna be there!" "Eric Clapton!" "Southside Johnny!" "Billy Joel!" "Jon Bon Jovi!"

Rumors were rampant about what incredible guest stars would be joining Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band on stage at the final concert ever at Giants Stadium Friday night. In the end, it was just trumpet player Curt Ramm (who joined the band at every night of the Giants Stadium stand), sometime fill-in drummer Jay Weinberg. And, happily, Patti Scialfa was back with the band (she was with them Thursday night also). My opinion: Bruce is the guy who you want to see showing up at other people's shows: he doens't need any "special guests" at his concerts. There were also rumors that Billy Joel and Jon Bon Jovi pitched in to pay the "curfew breaking" fee, and so Bruce and the band would try and do a four hour show like they did twenty-some-odd years ago. That didn't happen either.

So what we got was "only" a three-hour plus show that was one long high note (albeit one very similar to the one he did the prior Saturday night - both nights featured Born In The U.S.A. performed start to finish, and other songs that Bruce probably felt fit in with the theme of that album, including "Last To Die" and "Long Walk Home"). Still, there were a few differences from last week's show: "Spirit In The Night," a cover of The Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," "Seven Nights To Rock" and "Tougher Than The Rest."

There were more fireworks than previous nights, and I felt that Born In The U.S.A. was a bit tighter, but nothing other than that making it more "special" than the four other Giants Stadium shows. After the show, people were complaining that there weren't guests and he didn't play longer. I was a bit shocked by how churlish and shrill some people were. Taken on its own, it was an incredible show. In fact, by any standard it was an incredible show. There were just rumors that turned out not to be true. I had a blast, and can't wait to see Bruce and the band next month at Madison Square Garden.