On March 27, 2024, Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at Zach Bryan’s show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Few recognized the song they sang, because it had never been played in full. Bryan had only teased it on social media and in live snippets, and he even messed up his own words during this shock debut.
But as it turns out, there was a reason Zach invited Bruce to join him on this particular song: he was going to be on the studio track too, although it would still be a week or two before they recorded it (immediately after their joint interview below).
The official track is stunning, a gorgeous and haunting ode to young and desperate love, with Bruce’s vocals adding a world-weary counterweight.
It’s all set against a backing track that bears more than a little resemblance to Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” (There’s even a direct vocal salute at the 2:33 mark.)
“Sandpaper” catapulted the 74-year-old Springsteen on to the Hot Country Songs for the very first time (even if only in the shotgun seat), reaching #26 in the summer of ’24.
Bruce and Zach reprised their on-stage pairing once more in Philadelphia, just after the song peaked.
This time, everyone sang along.
Sandpaper
Released: The Great American Bar Scene (2024)
First performed: March 27, 2024 (Brooklyn, NY)
Last performed: August 7, 2024 (Philadelphia, PA)
© February 8, 2026
