Bruce Springsteen Goes Heavy On Rarities At New Jersey Run Finale

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made a number of changes to their usual 2023 setlist on Sunday when they wrapped up a three-show run at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Boss and his longtime band delivered a tour debut and five other songs that have been played rarely over the course of their lengthy 2023 International Tour.

The first surprise of the night came in the three-slot with the first “Two Hearts” Springsteen played with the E Street Band since Feburary 11, 2017. Fans sang along at a high volume to the song The Boss originally recorded for his 1980 studio album The River. A double dose of “Night” tunes followed in “Prove It All Night” and “Something In The Night.” The latter was only played once in 2023 back on May 9 in Dublin.

Later in the set Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered the tour’s fourth version of Nebraska gem “Atlantic City.” The rest of the rarities came within the seven-song encore. Up first was “Jungleland” for just the second time this tour. The Boss kept the focus on Born To Run with its title track and then followed “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” by trotting out the “Detroit Medley.” The mash-up of “Devil With The Blue Dress,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “C.C. Rider” and “Jenny Jenny” was last performed back on May 25 in Amsterdam.

“Detroit Medley” led into “Dancing In The Dark” on Sunday in East Rutherford before The Boss and company dove into “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” Springsteen had one final surprise in store as the tour’s second cover of Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl” ended the concert. Sunday marked the first time in the trek’s 90 shows the New Jersey native didn’t close the show with a solo “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”

Watch fan-shot video footage from Sunday’s concert below:

Setlist (via Brucebase)

Set: Lonesome Day, Night, No Surrender, Two Hearts, Prove It All Night, Something In The Night, Letter To You, The Promised Land, Spirit In The Night, Kitty’s Back, Nightshift, Atlantic City, Mary’s Place, Last Man Standing, Backstreets, Because The Night, She’s The One, Wrecking Ball, The Rising, Badlands, Thunder Road

Encore: Jungleland, Born To Run, Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), Detroit Medley, Dancing In The Dark, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Jersey Girl