Best Song Springsteen played when you saw him live

Backstreets

 

Ive seen Bruce around 50 times. Lots of incredible songs...
Off the top of my head...

I Wish I Were Blind, at Shea Stadium, Oct 3 2003 closing night of tour.

Bob Dylan, Willie Nile, Gary US Bonds made appearances, over 3 hr show, including Blood Brothers, Quarter to 3 incredible night.

 

His shows make such great memories. I remember how awesome it was to hear Clarence on Meeting Across the River in 2000 in Memphis.

 

This is impossible. I have seen him so many times, I feel like I have seen/heard the entire catalog. I will say though, there was something quite magical about the way he broke into "Something In The Night" early on in the setlist, 8/23/16 Metlife Stadium New Jersey. That piano intro on a warm Jersey summer night, really moved me.

 

"Rosalita" almost always

 

Jungleland MSG 1980

 

I've only seen Springsteen once but that night's reading of "Youngstown" was one of the best single performances I've ever witnessed by anyone.

 

Returning from the break with "Not Fade Away/She's The One". Charlotte, 1978.

 

The first song at my first Bruce show. Thunder Road backed by only piano and glock. I knew then this was going to be special.

 

Hard to argue with this.

But my personal favorite was the first time I saw "Jungleland," in Milwaukee in 2008, and Richard Davis (who teaches bass at UW, apparently?) came and played upright on "Meeting Across The River" to lead into it. It was just perfect.

 

‘Badlands‘, Paris 2012. The French crowd went so absolutely ape-merde at the song’s start that I was glad that Bruce is one of the good guys....

 

Cadillac Ranch, burned into my memory.

 

Bruce played the Sprint Center in KC--I don't recall when (maybe 2016?) They opened with a version of "Kansas City" that blew the doors off the place. It was a major jam session, went on for like 10 minutes. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it, I was exhausted by the end of it and it was the first damn song!

 

Not my favorite song but Brilliant Disguise with Patti on Broadway was pretty special...

 

Jungleland at Old Trafford Manchester 2003

 

"Always a Friend", with Alejandro Escovedo, in Houston... 2007ish.

 

Saw him once (1985). "Seeds" was the song that resonated most with me.

 

2008. I have a recording of this show. This performance is on Youtube too.

 

Alejandro found out about his arena debut on the day of show, and had to rush from Austin to Houston to make the performance. They did pretty good considering. Alejandro had never seen a Bruce show before that night if you can believe that.

 

Full band? Those 1999 reunion versions were arguably the musical highlight of those shows.

 

Incident on 57th Street in Glasgow

 

It made an EP as well from the Magic Tour with GOTJ with Morello, Turn, Turn, Turn with McGuinn and an emotional Sandy with Danny Federici.

 

I have only seen him once at London's Olympic Park in 2013 but it occurred to me then and after watching the 2009 Hyde Park blu ray that Badlands works well as the 2nd song in the set!

 

I remember with surprising enthusiasm a version of Ramrod in Zurich 1981. I mean, Ramrod isn't supposed to be the highlight of a Springsteen show but...it's stuck
in my memory.

 

Saw him for the first time at Glastonbury 2009, at that point wasn’t a huge fan. Badlands was the one that stood that night. Last time I saw him, at Hampden Park in Glasgow, it was Born in the USA. An obvious one, but hearing the excitement in the crowd when that one started was great!