Kingdom of Days: October 1

New for 2023: Audio for 1978; new entry for 2022

1966: The Castiles play a gig at the Hullabaloo in Middletown, New Jersey.

1971: The Bruce Springsteen Band is in residence at the Student Prince in Asbury Park.

1978: At Night Two at Atlanta’s Fox Theater on the Darkness Tour, Bruce opens with his live debut of “The Last Time” by The Rolling Stones, plays “Kitty’s Back” for the last time for 22 years, and performs “It’s My Life” for the last time to date. This show is available as part of Bruce’s official archive series–get it here.

1984: The San Mateo Times publishes the only interview Bruce’s dad is known to have ever given. (Bruce’s parents are local residents.)

1985: The television series Growing Pains (starring Alan Thicke, an ardent Springsteen fan) airs an episode centered around the Born in the U.S.A. Tour.

1991: Southside Johnny releases his Better Days album, featuring a Springsteen original (“All the Way Home“) and Bruce’s vocals (along with Southside and Steve Van Zandt) on “It’s Been a Long Time.”

1996: Bruce takes his solo acoustic tour to the Braden Auditorium in Normal, Illinois.

2003: The Rising Tour’s last stand kicks off with the first of three shows at Shea Stadium in New York City, where “Johnny 99” and “Man’s Job” make their tour premieres. The sound check also featured some unplayed gems, including “Another Thin Line,” “Roulette,” Rendezvous” and “New York City Serenade.” Check out the soundcheck footage below.

2004: The Vote for Change Tour kicks off at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, with Bright Eyes and R.E.M. opening for Bruce and the E Street Band, aiming to generate voter enthusiasm and registration for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Bruce appears with R.E.M. during their set to play “Man on the Moon,” and the band returns the favor during his set (Michael Stipe joins on “Because the Night” (with Patti Smith’s lyrics), and both Michael and Peter join for “Born to Run”). John Fogerty plays a mini-set within Bruce’s set, a nightly highlight of the brief tour. Bruce opens his set with a gorgeous acoustic “Star-Spangled Banner,” and all artists join for a star-studded encore.

2006: Bruce and the Sessions Band kick off the final leg of the Seeger Sessions Tour with an autumn tour of Italy, starting in Bologna with a show at PalaMalaguti, where “The River” makes its tour debut in a beautiful new arrangement, and Bruce plays “This Little Light of Mine” for the very first time. “American Land” returns as the show closer, where it will remain for the rest of the tour.

2011: Bruce joins Sting, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, will.i.am, Branford Marsalis, Rufus Wainwright, Mary J. Blige, and Bryn Terfel at Sting and Trudie Styler’s Rainforest Fund benefit concert and 60th birthday party for Sting. Bruce plays a short set of Sting and The Police covers, including “I Hung My Head,” “Fields of Gold,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” and “Every Breath You Take.”

2016: Bruce brings his promotional book tour to the west coast, starting with an appearance at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, where he meets the author of this blog at 2 minutes and 35 seconds before the end of this video!

2022: Bruce and Jake join The Killers for “Badlands,” “Dustland,” and “Born to Run” at Madison Square Garden.