The Boss is the gift that keeps on giving — even on his own birthday.
As Bruce Springsteen turns 75 on Monday, he is not slowing down when it comes to rocking for marathon shows — or releasing music to his fans.
The New Jersey legend — who was “Born to Run” when he came into this world on Sept. 23, 1949, in Long Branch, NJ, and hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since — has always been generous with his time on the stage. But he’s also been free-handed with releasing music to the Bruce stans, who have followed him throughout his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame career.
Springsteen loyalists were rewarded with not one but two live albums as the rocker hit the three-quarter century mark.
There was the quick turnaround of his set at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival on Sept 15 in his Asbury Park, NJ, stomping grounds — now available for streaming or on CD at nugs.net.
The three-hour-plus show — the final US concert for Springsteen and the E Street Band in their first North American tour together since 2016 — became an instant classic with deep-cut fan faves and hometown hero stories.
It was the first time in the tour that Springsteen and crew performed “Blinded By the Light” and “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” They also welcomed back “Jungleland” and “Jersey Girl.”
But perhaps the most poignant moment was when Springsteen’s wife — and longtime E Street Band member — Patti Scialfa joined her husband for “Tougher Than the Rest” after it was revealed that she had been battling blood cancer in the documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
The Sea.Hear.Now set also included live renditions of such Springsteen classics as “Hungry Heart, “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Dancing in the Dark.”
Springsteen’s other new live album, “The Live Series: Songs of Conscience,” is a collection of his politically conscious songs ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, featuring performances recorded from 1981 to 2023.
Among the songs featured are “This Land Is Your Land,” “The Promised Land,” “Sun City,” “The Rising” and “Born in the USA,” which was originally released 40 years ago.
And Springsteen — forever feisty at 75 — has already let it be known that he has no plans to retire from the road.
“We’ve been around 50 f—king years, and we ain’t quitting!” he said, denying rumors of a farewell tour at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park last month.
“Hell no … Farewell to what? Thousands of people screaming your name? Yeah, I wanna quit that … I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”
