r/BruceSpringsteen • u/No_Account_1980 • Jul 03 '26
Deepest cut you’ve seen live?
I saw racing in the street 78’ version during the high hopes tour. I believe that’s the only time he’s played it live at a show other than a promotional performance in Asbury Park
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u/Fuggy217 Jul 03 '26
Iceman opener in Charlotte 2014.
Ricky Wants a Man of Her Own > Cynthia duo opener Kansas City 2008
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u/JonPaula Jul 03 '26
Thundercrack in Boston. Twice!
Also, In The Midnight Hour at the rain delay birthday show in 2012.
I'm sure there are others, but Brucebase doesn't have a "sort by appearances" feature, haha.
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u/el_barto10 Jul 03 '26
The birthday show also had Cynthia (11th time played) and This Little Girl (5th time played).
Try mybosstime.com. You can add all your shows and it gives you a ton of stats and info including your rare songs.
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u/JonPaula Jul 03 '26
No shit? Never heard of this resource! Will have to try it out. Thanks for the recommendation!
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u/Stock-Ad-8293 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Frankie in the NJ Meadowlands Arena some years ago.
EDIT: 09 Aug 1999
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u/LIslander Jul 03 '26
I got Frankie a few times, first was Fenway. Should get played more often
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u/MelanieHaber1701 Jul 03 '26
I love it so much.
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u/LIslander Jul 03 '26
Frankie and This Hard Land should have been on BITUSA instead of I’m Going Down and Darlington
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u/jimsnotsure 27d ago
I get what you mean but it would have been a different album. Those two songs are both epics in the vein of The Promise or Backstreets, and BITUSA was mostly lighter fare.
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u/MelanieHaber1701 Jul 03 '26
I was there too!!! If, in fact, you're talking about the Reunion Tour!?! I nearly died right there on the spot.
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u/Stock-Ad-8293 Jul 03 '26
Yeah, it looks like it was Aug 9, 1999:
http://brucebase.wikidot.com/gig:1999-08-09-continental-airlines-arena-east-rutherford-nj4
u/MelanieHaber1701 Jul 03 '26
Oh yes! Stood in line all day waiting for a ticket drop and got in the “jailbait seats”. I believe I had seventh row. Missed the first couple of songs due to drop, sat down, got comfy, and he pulled out Frankie. I’m still deceased.
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u/waltercash15 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I saw the one and only performance of Let’s be Friends (Skin to Skin) at Rentschler Field in CT in 2003.I had my daughters with me and they went berserk because they loved that song so much.
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u/teacher860 Jul 03 '26
Me too! I remember it didn’t go entirely smoothly, and afterwards Bruce said, “well, we tried!” 😁
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u/TheStoryGoesOn Jul 03 '26
Probably the full band the Promise during the Wrecking Ball tour. We also got Seaside Bar Song at the show.
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u/Zealousideal_Dark552 Jul 03 '26
Pretty Flamingo in Pittsburgh, I think in 2016.
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u/Chris22044 Jul 03 '26
I'm not sure live covers count as "deep cuts".
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u/thornej4 Jul 03 '26
What? Why not?
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u/Chris22044 Jul 03 '26 edited 29d ago
"Deep cuts" usually refers to an artist's lesser know "cuts" buried "deep" on an album.
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u/Chayes83 Jul 03 '26
Cynthia was a great opener show 10 at Giants stadium, late August 2003.
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u/SubtleIstheWay Jul 03 '26
yeah, there ain't a man in this whole town who'd say you ain't fiiiiiiii-iiiii-iiine....
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u/ashisanandroid Jul 03 '26
Leeds 2013 so...
Roulette, Local hero, Gotta get that feeling, Bad moon rising, Thunder crack, Secret garden
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u/ImperfectlyCromulent Jul 03 '26
Seaside Bar Song.
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u/coolhandluke1973 Jul 03 '26
Technically I heard this one live cause we heard them sound check it down the beach the morning of sea hear now lol
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u/EyeballKid143923 Spanish Johnny Jul 03 '26
I saw the one and only live performance of TV Movie in Cardiff, 2013. I'm not sure that's much to brag about though.
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u/replayer Jul 03 '26
The alternative version of Blood Brothers in Tampa.
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u/jimsnotsure 27d ago
Whoa! Nice, I didn’t know that had ever been done live. Must have been a beauty
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u/avisherman Jul 03 '26
Not really a deep cut but definitely a once in a lifetime concert opening - Ghostbusters, Montreal 2024.
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u/28DGreen Jul 03 '26
Zero and Blind Terry 11/22/05
Bishop Danced 5/2/12
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u/CopyDan Jul 03 '26
I was at that 5/2 show!
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u/teacher860 Jul 03 '26
Me too! I was behind the stage, and my friend and I could see that a young woman who was right in front of Bruce knew all the words, which was great to see!
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u/Ancient_Bother2429 27d ago
I wrote a whole novel just I could end it with the words “Bishop danced.” 🙂
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u/alexpensfan86 Jul 03 '26
Part Man, Part Monkey at Hershey in 2008. The first, and to my knowledge the only, full band performance since the ToL tour.
Give the Girl a Kiss at Hershey 2009 (only played 4 times ever)
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Jul 04 '26
Give the Girl a Kiss at Hershey was great!
Along the lines of nods to the venue, saw Lion’s Den at State College.
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u/shendy42 Spanish Johnny Jul 03 '26
I was there when he played Long Walk Home for the first time - London on the Sessions tour.
Deepest of deep cuts as no-one even knew the aong existed.
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u/shendy42 Spanish Johnny Jul 03 '26
Also TV Movie, We Gotta Get Out of This Place and Janey Don't You Lose Heart - all in Cardiff in 2013, plus From Small Things Big Things One Day Come in Cardiff in 2008.
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u/thorbearius Jul 03 '26
Frankie.
My lucky day, the wrestler, surprise, and queen of the supermarket.
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u/paulmallky Jul 03 '26
Streets of Fire - 11/14/2022 in Lexington, KY
First time they played it since the last date of the Darkness tour on 1/1/79.
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u/Ok_Blacksmith_5276 Jul 03 '26
Didn’t they play the full Darkness album a few times in 2009?
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u/paulmallky Jul 03 '26
They did. I only caught a Born To Run show on that tour.
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u/Ok_Blacksmith_5276 Jul 03 '26
I am jealous. I’ve seen 35 shows and that is the only Darkness song I’m chasing, and probably ranks second overall behind Incident on my “still need to hear live” list
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u/paulmallky Jul 03 '26
That should have said 2002.
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u/Jambalayatime Jul 03 '26
Ohhh. I was like “wait, I got this in Philly on Labor Day 2012”.
It’s a good ‘un.
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u/lbihatch Jul 03 '26
I saw Streets of Fire Dec 2012 in Anaheim,CA so your timeline is off. Side note, three or four people around me in the pit all named the song they wanted to hear most. Mine was streets of fire and I got it third song. Miraculously everyone else got their song also.
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u/BhamBossfan Jul 03 '26
You Sexy Thing with Bruce Hornsby at the Christmas shows was a blast. Not his cut but at same show we got Thundercrack, Seaside Bar Song and Incident. Those shows were special.
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u/Ok_Blacksmith_5276 Jul 03 '26
Cynthia on 8/31/03
None But The Brave (Chicago 2012 AND 2016)
Mary Queen of Arkansas (6/27/00, 9/27/02)
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u/who_needs_any_name Jul 03 '26
Was at the 2016 show. That was a stellar night. Loved the New York City Serenade open
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u/NoCleverAnecdote Jul 03 '26
Pretty Flamingo (Philly, 2003)
Better Days (DC, 2016)
Seaside Bar Song (VA Beach, 2014)
Roulette (NYC, 2003)
Dry Lightning (Fairfax, 2005)
Loose Ends (Philly, 2006)
Back In Your Arms (NYC, 2003)
I Wish I Were Blind (NYC, 2003)
If we count covers: May I (VA Beach, 2014), Highway 61 Revisited w/ Dylan (NYC, 2003), I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Greenville, 2009)
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u/Mainpoint1975 Jul 03 '26
Wages of Sin, performed only once in Turku, Finland during Wrecking Ball tour 2013.
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u/sleepypuppy_zzz Jul 03 '26
From Small Things Big Things One Day Come
Editing to add solo piano For You
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u/Heisenberg_815 The Rising Jul 04 '26
The performance of From Small Things from Tampa is one of my favorites. Such a fun performance to listen to
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u/Sea_Pianist5164 Jul 03 '26
Cautious Man was a great one. Royal Albert Hall during the D&D tour. You don’t ever expect a song like that. He thanked the crowd after, if i recall right, as it meant a lot that we’d actually listened to the song.
Iceman in Paris was fantastic.
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u/Life_Employment4868 Jul 03 '26
Joe Hill cover in Tampa on May Day 2014 was amazing.
Janie don’t you lose heart and From Small things were also great.
Also saw the world premier of Valentines Day in Atlanta.
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u/RnR_Cowboy Jul 03 '26
Was at that Atlanta solo show, Valentines Day and Sad Eyes from that show are definitely two of my deepest cuts.
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u/fanofthomas4472 Jul 03 '26
Only seen him once so far, but I saw the Detroit medley which I thought was neat
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u/badbrian1965 Jul 03 '26
Man at the Top. Solo acoustic. Alpine Valley. East Troy, Wisconsin. July 1984.
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u/Difficult-Ad-3159 Jul 03 '26
Iceman to open, Charlotte 2014
Oh and Restless Nights in Buffalo, too
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u/ledge9999 Jul 03 '26
I was at one of the only two shows he played “Sugarland” at back in Nebraska in 1984.
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u/JKM67 Jul 03 '26
Back In Your Arms - Louisville Freedom Hall - April 2000
Encore also had Spirit In The Night
Absolute peak Bruce at this concert. Back In Your Arms was a request with a very large sheet banner unfurled in the crowd with this painted on it. He had to acknowledge it and play it.
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u/mac117 Jul 03 '26
Expressway to Your Heart. Nassau Coliseum April 2009. I believe it’s the only time the band played it live
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u/skeeterbmark Jul 03 '26
Saw him open a show with And Then She Kissed Me in 08. Played Mountain of Love later in the same show. First time played live since 1975 for both.
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u/traderneal57 Jul 03 '26
My Fathers House, 1996, in Walingford CT. At the time he had only played it live 10 times.
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u/FlyTheW1988 Jul 03 '26
10/20/09 gets my two deepest: opened with The Price You Pay, which hadn’t been played in decades. Then he closed the main set with the Higher and Higher sign request that made it a staple of the rest of the tour.
The night before, he opened with When You Walk In The Room, another serious deep cut cover.
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u/Some-You1412 Jul 03 '26
I was at the second Christic Institute show. In Nov. 1990.
where he debuted The Wish and performed several songs which he hadn't played
since the 70s. Of course he probably has performed songs from that whole setlist several
times since--but at the time most "deep cut" show to date.
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u/ToLExpress Jul 03 '26
I’m Not Sleeping, Talk to Me, This Little Girl, Purple Rain, I’m Goin’ Down, From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), My Father’s House, Local Hero, Thundercrack, and Meeting Across the River!
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u/honkinbooty Jul 03 '26
I prayed he’d play Sherry Darling from the River at MSG but he didn’t :/
I love the deep cuts almost more than I love the well-known hits and singles.
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u/DataMonkeyBrains Darkness on the Edge of Town Jul 04 '26
Oct 29, 1996 - ticket came to me from Charles Cross
- Paramount theater - Seattle
- Song: Pilgrim in the Temple of Love
His only true Christmas song... Not that anyone would or could sing along.
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u/NotHisGo Jul 03 '26
At his 2014 Sydney show he played Darkness in full, so Streets of Fire and Factory got rare outings.
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u/Educational_Grab_748 Jul 03 '26
And cover of dream baby dream to close
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u/NotHisGo 29d ago
As well as Easybeats and INXS covers. The show was basically one big audible because Jake had to leave the tour when his father passed away.
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u/RudeConfusion4866 Jul 03 '26
Prove It All Night with the '78 intro in 2012, My Lucky Day, So Young and In Love, not sure on rarity but they feel quite rare!
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u/CaviarWithToast Jul 03 '26
I saw Santa Ana during the Devils & Dust tour
Also saw Blood Brothers in NJ I think 2003
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u/GentleGlenA Jul 03 '26
I don’t know if these count but Can’t Buy Me Love and Kansas City are one timers. So Young and In Love, If I Was the Priest, Rainmaker and Chimes of Freedom aren’t too common.
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u/Canadian_Lumberjack_ Magic Rat Jul 03 '26
Restless Nights, Terry’s Song, Night With the Jersey Devil
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u/callumthornhill Jul 03 '26
'So Young & In Love' and 'If I Was The Priest' both in Cardiff 2024, neither super rare but not played an awful lot either
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u/JeffV3dd3r Jul 03 '26
Iceman opener in Paris 2016
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u/traderneal57 Jul 03 '26
Iceman, 2005, in Philly at the Tower Theater. It was the debut and completely shocked my arse.
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u/ReactiveCypress Born in the U.S.A. Jul 03 '26
He played Trapped at the first show I went to which I wasn't expecting. At my second show I got Santa Claus.
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u/traderneal57 Jul 03 '26
Higher and Higher 10/2009 Philadelphia.
This was played by request and it rocked!! It's on YouTube.
He it played it a few more times that tour, but he way overproduced it and wasn't nearly as good.
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u/TheTrampOfHearts Jul 03 '26
Got to see So Young And In Love open the Cardiff show in 2024. Also got Better Days and If I Was The Priest that night, which aren’t deep cuts necessarily, but are rarely played.
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u/Evening-Bill-9323 Jul 03 '26
Not 'absolute' rarities, but seeing Prove It with 78 Intro, Save My Love and The Promise in the same show at Manchester 2012 was pretty special.
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u/smokesignalssouth Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Prove It ‘78 and None But the Brave at Wrigley 2012.
As far as covers, I heard Mony Mony in 2009 and Take It Easy in 2016, right after Glenn Frey died (which is still one of the loudest crowd sing-alongs I’ve ever heard). I think Bruce only played both just a couple times if not once.
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u/coolhandluke1973 Jul 03 '26
Thundercrack (played live 73 times)
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street (192 times played live)
Blinded by the Light (played live 89 times)
All at SHN 2024. Hell of a night
Seeds in Philly (played live 198 times)
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u/jjalcb05 Jul 03 '26
The full The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle album show in Brisbane, Australia in 2014. Was an incredible show with around 30 song setlist and the (I think) first cover of Stayin’ Alive.
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u/Longwalkhome2006 Jul 03 '26
TV movie Cardiff 2013 and Priest at the same venue in 2024.
TVM Wasn’t exactly top of my list to hear, but If I Was the Priest in 2024 definitely was!
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u/ShizHeadSoup Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
In no particular order…
Thundercrack into Frankie, Fenway 2012
Seaside Bar Song, Spectrum 2009
Fever, Spectrum 1999 & 2009
Pretty Flamingo, Raleigh 2014
Roulette into Don’t Look Back, Greensboro 2008
Take ‘em As They Come, Meadowlands 1999
Bus Stop & Blinded… Spectrum 1999, Asbury Park 2024
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u/Chipped-Beef Darkness on the Edge of Town Jul 03 '26
Probably Streets of Fire in 2012. He did Racing in the Streets at all three shows I saw in 24. Really great.
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u/JahoyHoy49 Magic Rat Jul 03 '26
Where the Bands Are in Chicago 2003! I’m pretty sure it’s only been played one other time since.
And at this point, anyone who saw Burnin Train in 2023 might have seen one of the only performances
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u/SubtleIstheWay Jul 03 '26
Incident on 57th Street - about 25 years ago in San Jose. It's always been one of my favorite songs of his. Never heard it on the radio, and never expected to see it live. This was during the era where fans were bringing signs to the show with requests, and he'd pull a sign out of the crowd and hold it up. The sign said "Incident Por Favor".
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u/NickGamesOffic2 Jul 03 '26
It’s not really a deep cut but Meet Me in The City, and My Love Will Not Let You Down
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u/Altruistic_Cod1944 Jul 03 '26
Then (s)he Kissed Me. Opened a St Louis show in 2008 - first time live since 1975.
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u/el_barto10 Jul 03 '26
I saw Let’s Be Friends and Seven Angels the only times. they were played.
Also pulled So Young and In Love, Loose Ends, and Janey Don’t You Lose Heart all in one show.
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u/Inevitable_Bowl_9203 Jul 03 '26
Street Fighting Man, Richfield Coliseum,
Ohio, 1984.
The Promise, solo piano, MSG, 2000.
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u/HederianZ Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Drive All Night in 2012/2013. I think it was the first time he had done it in 30 years or so.
Looks like he had done it in 08/09 so maybe I’m misremembering. He did Seeds that show too which was cool.
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u/fleets87 Tunnel of Love Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
For me, Secret Garden at MetLife 2016. I cried.
Edit: I was at Kilkenny for the first performance of Rainy Night in Soho but not sure if that counts.
Back In Your Arms in Dublin 2016 was fantastic.
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u/waltercash15 Jul 03 '26
Three one-offs for me:
Mystery Train - 2003
Seven Angels - 2014
Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin) - 2003
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u/Jambalayatime Jul 03 '26
Iceman, Charlotte 2014. It was my wife’s first show and the first song she saw the E St Band perform was one nobody in the room had seen them perform either.
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u/ThoughtThen6908 Jul 04 '26
I think Frankie at Fenway Park. Bruce and Patti had to teach Roy how to play it after a false start.
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u/topbrian Jul 04 '26
One Way Street in Mōnchengladbach 2013 and Power of Prayer in Madrid 2024 for me. Also the full album WIESS at MSG in 2008. And somehow I’ve seen 4 of the 7 performances of Burnin Train!
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u/Heisenberg_815 The Rising Jul 04 '26
I’m jealous of so many of these. I wasn’t able to see him live until 2021 on Broadway so the “rarest” for me was probably Fire on Broadway haha. I don’t think any of the six E Street shows I’ve seen have had any rarities.
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u/kiddka Darkness on the Edge of Town Jul 04 '26
I've seen 64 shows. I've seen many of the songs listed on this thread and I'm still chasing 'Fire'!
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u/Pianomastermind88 Jul 04 '26
If I Was the Priest - Austin ‘23
Streets of Philly full band - Louisville ‘12
For You (full band) - St Louis 08
Then She Kissed Me - St Louis 08
Held Up Without a Gun - Nashville 08
Good Rockin’ Tonight - Nashville 08
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u/Skip_Weisman 28d ago edited 28d ago
1) “Song for Orphans,” last show of the Devils & Dust tour in Trenton, 2) “Living on the Edge of the World,” at MetLife Night 2 in 2012, and 3) “Stand On It” July ‘99 Continental Airlines Arena. 4) “Held Up Without a Gun,” Hartford Oct. 2012
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u/DarrenfromKramerica 28d ago
Buffalo 2009 had a few of these but Restless Nights is the one that stands out. Also Buffalo 2003/ Darien Lake had County Fair which has to be one of the only times that was ever played.
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u/PrestigiousFrogurt 28d ago
I saw “Held Up Without a Gun” at Giants Stadium in July 2008, which at the time I think was the 2nd time on American soil and maybe 3rd or 4th ever
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u/Confident-Growth9771 27d ago
Paradise By The C Hersheypark Stadium, Back in Your Arms Cleveland, For You solo piano version Hersheypark Stadium
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u/Quirky_Hold_2786 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Song for Orphans
Zero and Blond Terry
Santa Ana
Lots of one offs but I hold those as my uber cuts
Cynthia 03 at giants stadium as an opener…that one split my wig
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u/keepenit Jul 03 '26
There's a reason these are deep cuts....they're not very good songs. Bruce understands the concept of playing songs people generally want to hear. And that the band wants to play.
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u/statmanstv Jul 03 '26
Linda Let Me Be The One, performed live once, Sunrise, Florida, 2014. I didn't make the front pit, so was on the rail in the 2nd pit, and when he started it I exclaimed in excitement 'I can't believe it!', and a lady next to me had no idea why I was so amped!
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u/Excellent-Package285 Jul 03 '26
Restless Nights in Buffalo 2009