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Mark your calendar: 20th of October, 2009. The last Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band concert at the legendary Spectrum, before the wrecking ball comes. And Bruce celebrated it with a special, 3 hour and 20 minute show that will hold in Bruce’s history as the day he brought back two long-lost gems: «The Price You Pay», opening the show, and «Higher and Higher», closing the main set.

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Born in the U.S.A. was the chosen album for the night, and they nailed it, performing it from top to finish. But the show will no doubt be remembered by the first performance in 28 years of «The Price You Pay», the lost masterpiece from The River, that was played just a handful of times on that 1980/81 tour, and never again. More than two hours later, and after «Born to Run», the show went on with another special request: Jackie Wilson’s «Higher and Higher», closing the main set in style, in a terrific performance. The song hadn’t been played in 32 years and only resurfaced for this special night.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qONLqF3OWOg]

The encores followed and kept the level up. Former E Street drummer Vini Lopez guested on «Spirit in the Night», with Bruce going around the pit again. It was followed by a vibrant «Loose Ends«, another semi-lost gem from his catalog, and then a delirious «Kitty’s Back», with numerous solos from Curt, Roy, Bruce and Charlie.

And when it seemed that «American Land» and «Save the Last Dance For Me» would send everyone home, Bruce went on and on, with «Waitin’ on a Sunny Day», «Thunder Road» and the final «Rosalita», leaving the audience in ecstasy and exhausted, just like in St. Louis last year. And St. Louis is precisely the next stop of the tour.

See complete set list.

The original genius, Jackie Wilson, plays two of his greatest hits: «Higher and Higher» and «Lonely Teardrops»:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-R9z__WzI4]

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The last leg of the Working on a Dream tour is now anything but a tour of the album where its name comes from. Yesterday, even «Outlaw Pete» was dropped, leaving to just one the count of songs performed from Springsteen’s most recent studio release.

Half of yesterday’s songs were songs Bruce used to perform in 1975, when he had just released the Born to Run album, which was the featured album at the 3rd Spectrum show. The show started with Jackie De Shannon’s fabulous «When You Walk in The Room«, for the first time since its last live appearance on April 8th 1976, just 33 years ago! (it was soundchecked in St.Louis in August of 2008, but wasn’t included in the show). A great way to begin, inmediately followed by thunderous versions of «My Love Will Not Let You Down», «Two hearts» and «Hungry Heart», setting the tone for the night.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb5TbDivSzo]

After playing the whole Born to Run album and the unavoidable «Waitin’ on a Sunny Day», it was sing-request-time, with «Raise Your Hand», more soulful than ever with great licks from Steven and Curt Ramm on trumpet. The signs brought a great «Saint in the City» and two great surprises: «I Wanna Marry You» (first version since the last show of The River tour in September of 1981), followed by an ‘Elvis medley’ comprised of «All Shook Up» and «Blue Suede Shoes».

The funny thing is that the Elvis request came from an Elvis impersonator, all dressed in white and with cape, who even jumped onstage to sing with Bruce and lead the band. «We have a request from the King!», shouted Bruce before the surreal moment. «Elvis has left the building!… we are truly in Philadelphia!», he exclaimed after the Elvis lookalike left the stage.

The energy level kept going strong with the addition of «Radio Nowhere» and «Lonesome Day». «Land of Hope and Dreams» was back in the encores, as was the music from Rocky before «Rosalita», and a final surprise that used to end some shows on the Born to Run tour: «You Can’t Sit Down».

See complete set list.

«All Shook Up»:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ4lNVcfHeA]