Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Release Passaic 1978 Concert Live Album

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band finally put out an official live album featuring the group’s legendary September 19, 1978 performance at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey. The concert was The Boss’ first in his home state since 1976 and was broadcast live on 10 Northeast radio stations, which led to bootleg recordings of varying quality over the past 41 years. Jon Altschiler newly remixed the multi-track, Plangent Processed master tapes to provide, “a fresh take on the familiar broadcast version, cracking with energy and putting Bruce and the band so close you might reach out and try to touch the Big Man’s sax” as per Erik Flannigan’s essay on the new release.

Springsteen and his band were touring in support of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, so it’s no surprise the setlist is loaded with seven songs from the new at the time LP. There’s also four tracks that were unreleased at that point: “Independence Day,” “Point Blank,” “Fire” and “Because The Night.” A listing for the concert on BruceBase notes the show “includes what many consider to be the finest examples of ‘Racing In The Street’ and ‘Thunder Road’ ever. Essential.”

September 19, 1978 was the first of three consecutive concerts at the venue that were each a tough ticket. Just one month earlier, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band made their Madison Square Garden debut across the river in New York City. The new release is available in a variety of formats via Live.BruceSpringsteen.Net.

Listen to “Meeting Across The River” from September 19, 1978 below:

September 19, 1978 Tracklist

1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. Spirit In The Night
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Independence Day
6. The Promised Land
7. Prove It All Night
8. Racing In The Street
9. Thunder Road
10. Meeting Across The River
11. Jungleland
12. Kitty’s Back
13. Fire
14. Candy’s Room
15. Because The Night
16. Point Blank
17. Not Fade Away – She’s The One
18. Backstreets
19. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
20. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
21. Born To Run
22. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
23. Detroit Medley
24. Raise Your Hand