Watch Bruce Springsteen’s Surprise Set at the 25th Annual Light of Day Benefit
Midway through the 25th annual Light of Day benefit at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, on Saturday night, Jesse Malin confirmed rumors that had been swirling around town since the late afternoon: Bruce Springsteen was in the house. It was one of the first times that Malin has performed in public since suffering a devastating spinal stroke in 2023, and he used the mic stand, along with the tremendous force of his will, to pull himself to his feet and welcome his old friend onto the stage as screams of “Broooooce” echoed through the theater.
“We actually met at Light of Day, my first time playing these things,” Malin told the crowd. “We met in the green room. Wherever he is, let’s bring him out. Bruce, where are you? This is a song we recorded in 2007 on a record called Glitter in the Gutter.” He was talking about “Broken Radio,” and they performed a delicate, tender rendition of the tunes that brought tears to the eyes of Malin fans who feared they’d never witness such a moment again after learning of his ailment.
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It was the emotional highlight of the long evening which also included Springsteen guest spots with his old buddies Willie Nile and Joe Grushecky along with performances by John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem, Brian Baker of Bad Religion, Remember Jones, Dramarama, and the Weeklings. Few events would bring together such an eclectic group of musicians besides Light of Day, which has been raising money to fight Parkinson’s and its related diseases since its humble beginnings in 2000 as a birthday show at a bar to honor music industry vet Bob Benjamin, who has been battling Parkinson’s since the mid-Nineties.
The show kickstarted with a high-energy set by Remember Jones, who turned Sheryl Crow’s “Everyday Is a Winding Road” into a Broadway-ready anthem. The Weeklings followed up with a joyous set of Beatles-inspired tunes, and an instrumental cover of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by the Who. Light of Day President Joe D’Urso brought everyone to their feet for his anthem “Noisy Guitars,” Dramarama took the audience back to the Eighties with their overlooked classic “Last Cigarette,” and Brian Baker and Brian Fallon joined forces for a stellar cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” At the end of Willie Nile’s brief set, Springsteen came out for a wild rendition of “One Guitar.”
Most artists were given just three or four songs, but longtime Light of Day champion Jesse Malin was allowed to play 13 as part of his brave return to the stage. He sat in a chair for much of the set, which included originals like “Room 13” and “Oh Sheena” along with covers of “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” by the Pogues, “Sway” by the Rolling Stones, and “Rudie Can’t Fail” by the Clash. He came to his feet several times, and walked off the stage using only a walker. If his recovery continues at this pace, it’s easy to imagine him playing without the chair next year.
The penultimate act of the evening was John Rzeznik, who played an acoustic set of Goo Goo Dolls classics like “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” “Name,” and “Iris.” “This is my adopted home,” he told the crowd. “My friendly neighbors are here. I lived in Los Angeles for 16 years, and I didn’t meet anyone. I met my wife and we came back here when we decided to have a baby. Now it’s my home.”
Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers began the final set of the night with their new song “This Is Who We Are” before inviting out “the real governor of New Jersey, Mr. Bruce Springsteen.” When he last joined them at Light of Day in 2020, it was an oddly somber set where it felt like Springsteen was onstage almost against his will. This time around, it was the complete opposite. Springsteen was clearly in a gleeful mood as he kicked things off with “Never Be Enough Time” from Grushecky’s 1995 LP American Babylon.
They followed it up with a 1978 two-shot of “Darkness on the Edge of Town” and “The Promised Land.” These are songs Springsteen has done countless times with the E Street Band at stadiums and arenas around the globe, but watching him deliver them with the Houserockers in a cramped theater is a unique thrill. When they were over, he took a shot of tequila along with the band. “I can have one of those,” he said, referencing his ridiculous 2021 DUI arrest when his blood alcohol level was .02 percent, a quarter of the legal limit. “If I have two, they send me to jail!”
Only the true faithful in the crowd recognized the beginning of “Savin’ Up,” which Springsteen wrote for Clarence Clemons & The Red Bank Rockers in 1983. “Now, according to Forbes magazine, I’m a billionaire,” Springsteen told the crowd as the band kicked into the tune. “I wish I was. But that ladies and gentlemen, is fake news. Since if I was a billionaire, first thing I’d do is buy another guitar. Second thing I’d do is buy another guitar. But when the lord comes back, he’s not going to ask you how much you’ve got in your bank account. He’s going to ask how much you’ve got in your love account. What have you saved in your love account? That’s what’s going to get you to heaven. And so, please listen and heed the words to this song.”
It was the first time that Springsteen had played with the band since his last Light of Day set in 2020, and it was fantastically ramshackle at times. “I didn’t know that happened there because we haven’t practiced,” he said midway through. “We only slightly practiced. That keeps you loose, feeling good!”
Grushecky took over lead vocals for a loose, sweaty take on “Pumpin’ Iron” before Springsteen told the crowd he was going to dig out the 1984 B-side “Pink Cadillac.” “I wrote this song kind of as a joke,” he said. “That’s why I don’t play it. But we’ll play it tonight. I’m going to sing a verse. And on the chorus, the band comes in. Do not disappoint me!” The band not only rose to the challenge, but photographer Danny Clinch came out for an extended harmonica/guitar duel with Springsteen. “Now that’s pretty good, for a photographer,” Springsteen said. “And concert promoter.”
As always, the set ended with everyone from the night coming back out for “Light of Day.” Bob Benjamin was brought to the center of the stage in a wheelchair, along with a large birthday cake that Springsteen dipped his nose into. He sang half the song with white frosting on the tip of his nose, almost as if he were paying tribute to Neil Young’s infamous nose candy in The Last Waltz.
“This has been an incredible thing these past 25 years,” Springsteen said he strapped on a harmonica rack to wrap up the night with “Thunder Road.” “It’s hard to believe it was 25 years ago, Bobby. The first gig was at the Pony. Damn. How the hell are we all still here? For a little while longer anyway…”
With only European shows on the books, it’s quite possible this will be Springsteen’s sole U.S. performance of the year. And even if the E Street Band does return to the States before 2025 ends, the show won’t be anything like this. To see Springsteen this loose and under-rehearsed, you have to head to Light of Day.
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