MatR: Bruce Springsteen and The Philly Elvis, All Shook Up

Normally, when I write a post about Bruce covering another artist, I provide a little backstory about the song. Sometimes I also add some color commentary about the album and the artist, along with an angle on why that song is a natural or surprising choice for Bruce.

But when it comes to Bruce’s one-time-only cover of Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up,” there’s really no point to doing any of the above.

Because this story isn’t about Bruce, and it isn’t about Elvis. Well, not the original Elvis, at least.

This story belongs to Nick Ferraro–or as Bruce dubbed him, “The Philly Elvis.”

And although I was there in the pit that night only a few feet away to witness it, I couldn’t possibly tell his story any better than Nick himself. So watch and listen–it’s a remarkable story that will make any fan’s heart race with excitement and shared joy.

Pretty awesome, isn’t it? Here’s the entire performance uncut and with better sound for a more visceral experience:

And yeah… the original 1957 version is pretty great, too.

All Shook Up
First performed: October 19, 2009 (Philadelphia, PA)
Last performed: October 19, 2009 (Philadelphia, PA)