Bruce Springsteen's glory days on Long Island, from My Father's Place to Nassau Coliseum
Bruce Springsteen performs at the Nassau Coliseum in 2008. Max Weinberg backs him on drums. Credit: Newsday / Ari Mintz
Bruce Springsteen was born and bred in New Jersey. However, The Boss has always had strong ties to Long Island. On April 9 and 11, the 73-year-old rock icon will return when he makes his UBS Arena debut, his first Long Island shows since 2009.
Here are some of Springsteen’s most memorable performances on the Island over the past 50 years.
MY FATHER’S PLACE
The first Springsteen show on Long Island took place when My Father’s Place owner Michael “Eppy” Epstein got a call from his partner, Jay Linehan, who asked him to give his wife’s nephew Mike Appel a shot with a new folk singer he was managing at the Roslyn club in 1973.
“I didn’t know anything about him,” says Epstein. “His old manager Mike Appel told me, ‘He sounds like Bob Dylan.’ ”
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
WHEN/WHERE 7:30 p.m., April 9 and 11, UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont
INFO 516-460-8950, ubsarena.com
ADMISSION Sold out (tickets are available via Ticketmaster’s verified resale)
Booked as an opening act for New Age jazz band Paul Winter Consort Jan. 18-21, 1973, Springsteen pulled up to the club in a bus filled with a pack of kids from Asbury Park, plus his full band.
“During soundcheck, Paul comes up to me and says, ‘We are not going to headline for these guys. I’ll open the show.’ He was angry because Bruce was not a folk singer — he had an entire ensemble,” says Epstein. “The people that were there liked Bruce and I liked him. In fact, we were quick to book him back because it was clear that something was happening on stage.”
Springsteen returned to My Father’s Place July 31-Aug, 2, 1973. The July 31 show was broadcast live on WLIR (92.7 FM). However, the Jersey rocker was nervous about the radio event.
“Backstage, Bruce said to me, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just focus on one fan in the audience and it will be fine,’ ” says Epstein. “I gently pushed him on stage because he was terrified. But, there was no doubt about it, this kid was going to be a star.”
The performance scored big with the crowd, who ate up his 60-minute set.
“I was in the front row absolutely hysterical,” says Heather Schoen, former WLIR news and public affairs director. “I instantly became a total super fan.”
Wayne Belfer, 65, who grew up in Manhasset Hills, adds, “He was a young, skinny, insecure guy. There was a shyness about him. The ‘Bruuuuuuce!’ chant hadn’t started yet. Back then people would just politely clap after each song.”
STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Springsteen headlined the Pritchard Gymnasium at Stony Brook University on Sept. 30, 1973. It was a free show for the students, but the venue wasn’t filled since his popularity hadn’t soared yet. However, this gig was notable because Springsteen had his acoustic guitar stolen. His buddy Albee “Albany Al” Tellone, who was in Springsteen’s early bands (the Friendly Enemies, Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom) and played baritone saxophone on “The E Street Shuffle,” lent him a guitar until Appel bought him a new one for Christmas later that year.
WESTBURY MUSIC FAIR
A ticket stub from the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert at Westbury Music Fair on February 23, 1975. Credit: Gail Flug
By winter of 1975, Springsteen graduated from the clubs and into theaters as he and the E Street Band played in the round on Feb. 23, 1975.
“Bruce previewed a bunch of songs [“She’s the One,” “Jungleland” and the title track] before the ‘Born to Run’ album came out,” says Gail Flug, 60, of Deer Park, who went to the show with her older brother at age 12. “This was just as he was budding into popularity right before he broke big.”
The show ran long, clocking in at over 2½ hours; tickets cost $6.75.
“He just kept playing and playing,” says Flug, who was a radio personality on WBAB’s Fingers Metal Shop. “I remember my parents anxiously waiting for us to come out.”
C.W. POST COLLEGE
A poster for the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band show at Long Island University’s C.W. Post Campus on Dec. 12, 1975. Credit: Joseph Kivak
Springsteen played C.W. Post College (now LIU Post) in Brookville on Dec. 12, 1975 at a campus venue called the Concert Hall, which was nicknamed “The Dome” because of the circular-shaped ceiling. The gig is significant because it’s where his famous live cover of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” was recorded.
“That night there was a real joy of the crowd blending with Bruce who was clearly having a good time. There was a magic and an innocence to that show,” recalls legendary New York DJ Dennis Elsas, formerly of WNEW-FM and currently spinning on SiriusXM and WFUV-FM. “It blew me away that he chose to do ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.’ This song has become so synonymous with Bruce that some people think he wrote it. Plus, you can tell that the performance wasn’t rehearsed. His banter with the band was all off the cuff.”
Faith Rothblatt, 63, of Great Neck remembers the show, where seats were all on a first-come, first-served basis.
“When the band launched into ‘Rosalita,’ people were running down the aisles to the stage and dancing all over the place,” she says. “Back then you could put your hands and elbows on the stage. There was no barrier or police barricade; there were only a few ushers in the aisles.”
NASSAU COLISEUM
Bruce Springsteen performs at the Nassau Coliseum on April 1, 1988. Credit: Newsday/Jim Cummins
After “Born to Run” made him a superstar, Springsteen became an arena act with the “Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour” in 1978. This is the year he made his Nassau Coliseum debut when he headlined the Old Barn on June 3, 1978.
“I remember him lying on top of the piano playing guitar,” says Jane Caronti, 62, of Bayport. “Even if you are not a Bruce Springsteen fan, you can’t help but get caught up in the crowd. I literally couldn’t believe how much energy this guy had — and he still does.”
Perhaps Springsteen’s most legendary run at the Coliseum was Dec. 28, 29 and 31, 1980 during “The River Tour.” Fans had to go to the post office, get a money order and mail it in for the number of tickets ($12.50 each) they ordered. Those picked got their tickets or their money order returned.
“I preferred the Dec. 29th concert best because Bruce’s voice was on, he was playing guitar really well and the band was tight,” says Joe Ferrente, who grew up in Woodmere and attended both Dec. 29 and 31 shows. “It was the best Bruce concert I’ve been to out of the 125 I’ve seen. Plus, he performed my favorite song, ‘Incident on 57th Street.’ ”
For his New Year’s Eve performance, Springsteen played a four-hour set.
“When the clock struck midnight, they hadn’t even started the encores,” says David Zollo, 64, formerly of Seaford. “They launched into ‘In the Midnight Hour’ by Wilson Pickett followed by ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ ”
Ferrente adds, “I remember Bruce pulled his then-girlfriend, actress Joyce Hyser [star of 1985’s “Just One of the Guys”] out of the audience to kiss her at midnight.”
When Springsteen put out his 1986 multiple-platinum box set “Live 1975/1985,” he included six recordings from these 1980 shows at the Coliseum.
“I once read that Bruce claimed Nassau Coliseum was his favorite arena to play in because of the acoustics,” says John Kiernan, 60, formerly of Valley Stream.
Bruce Springsteen, center, performs at the Nassau Coliseum on Nov. 9, 1992, flanked by Shane Fontayne and Crystal Taliefero. Credit: Newsday/Ken Spencer
Eight years later, Springsteen returned to the Coliseum with a pair of dates on “The Tunnel of Love Express Tour” on April 1-2, 1988.
“In my opinion, Bruce had too many stage props, like the ticket booth as he entered the 'Tunnel of Love.’ I could have done without that, but the show was good as the set list included some rarities like ‘Roulette’ and 'Light of Day,' " says Kiernan. "At the end of the concert on the way out, there was a big commotion in the parking lot. A helicopter came down and Bruce jumped in then left. I thought, 'Wow, that’s not the Bruce that used to drive around in a van.' "
In the fall of 2005, Springsteen brought his “Devils & Dust Tour” to the Coliseum on Oct. 9. This time he was flying solo on stage entertaining the crowd by himself.
“I enjoyed it almost as much as with the full band,” says Tom LaGrega, 66, of Massapequa Park. “Bruce had many unique oddball instruments and a bullet mic. He introduced extreme distortion into songs like ‘Johnny 99.’ It was amazing. I found it to be a moving, spiritual experience that gave off real positive energy.”
A KISS TO REMEMBER
Nov. 9, 1992 is a day that Jill Gruen, 60, of Merrick will never forget. She went with her girlfriend to see Bruce Springsteen at Nassau Coliseum and paid $300 for a pair of seats in the second row. However, she noticed an opportunity and ran with it.
“Bruce had reserved seats for his roadies' family in the front row, but no one showed so we moved up,” says Gruen. “The entire show he just focused on me.”
During the middle of the show, Springsteen delivered quite a surprise for Gruen.
“During the song ‘Leap of Faith’ he leaned down, took my hand, sang to me then kissed me on the mouth, and the crowd cheered,” says Gruen. “It was like an out-of-body experience.”
By chance a fellow fan caught a snapshot of the moment, which she now proudly displays in her home.
“I have the shot blown up poster size in my den,” says Gruen. “My kids love it and so does my husband. He said, ‘How come you don’t react like this when I kiss you?’ I’m like, ‘Hello! It’s Bruce! Give me a break.’ ”
Five years ago when Gruen and her husband went to see “Springsteen on Broadway,” she brought a copy of the photo to the backstage door.
“When Bruce came out, he saw my picture and came right over to me. He said, ‘What is that?’ I said, ‘That’s me and you 25 years ago.’ He said, ‘You have got to be kidding. That’s so cool!’ then he signed the photo and went on his merry way,” says Gruen. “Lightning struck twice for me!”
— DAVID J. CRIBLEZ
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.