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Earlier today, Bruce Springsteen announced the release of the latest title in his live series, with all proceeds from the sale of the show going to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

The date was July 9, 1981. Springsteen and The E Street Band had just returned from Europe and headed home to New Jersey to christen the brand-new Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. Today, the venue is a filming facility rather than a concert venue, but in summer ’81, it was a major new addition to the Garden State’s musical and sports landscape. July 9 marked the sixth and final show at the arena, and Springsteen more than delivered with a typically epic show that nonetheless made the 20,000+-capacity venue feel as intimate as the Stone Pony.

The 28-song show – kicking off with “Thunder Road” and culminating in the famous “Detroit Medley” – featured then-current favorites from The River (“The Ties That Bind,” “Sherry Darling,” “Two Hearts,” “Independence Day,” “Out in the Street,” “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch),” “The River,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “Ramrod,” “Hungry Heart’) as well as covers of “This Land Is Your Land,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and “Jersey Girl,” the latter of which Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa touchingly reprised on a telethon to benefit the Pandemic Relief Fund. Longtime pal Gary U.S. Bonds dropped by, too, to join the band for “Jole Blon” and his Springsteen-penned hit “This Little Girl.”

The original 24-track, 30 IPS reel-to-reel tapes have been transferred by Jamie Howarth using the Plangent Process. Jon Altschiller has mixed and mastered for this release. Brendan Byrne Arena 1981 is available now in various formats including MP3, Lossless, 192/24 HD-Audio, DSD, CD-R, and CD-R+MP3. You’ll find the track listing and order information below. All proceeds from the sale of this concert will go to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Brendan Byrne Arena 1981 (Columbia/Nugs.net, 2020)

Set One

1. Thunder Road
2. Prove It All Night
3. The Ties That Bind
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town
5. Follow That Dream
6. Independence Day
7. Who’ll Stop the Rain?
8. Two Hearts
9. The Promised Land
10. This Land Is Your Land
11. The River
12. Trapped
13. Out in the Street
14. Badlands

Set Two

1. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
2. Cadillac Ranch
3. Sherry Darling
4. Hungry Heart
5. Jole Blon
6. This Little Girl
7. Johnny Bye-Bye
8. Racing in the Street
9. Ramrod
10. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Encore

1. Jersey Girl
2. Jungleland
3. Born to Run
4. Detroit Medley