Bruce Springsteen Delivers Surprise Performance of a 1982 Classic Alongside Zach Bryan at MetLife Stadium

On Sunday night, thousands packed into the MetLife Stadium to watch Zach Bryan perform. Releasing his latest album, The Great American Bar Scene, just last year, the record included collaborations with John Moreland, Noeline Hofmann, John Mayer, and even Bruce Springsteen. Joining forces with The Boss on the song “Sandpaper”, the album peaked at No. 1 on the US Top Country Albums. And with Bryan performing in New Jersey, it should come as no surprise that Springsteen made an appearance. 

When pumping up the crowd, Bryan revealed the special guests he brought with him for the New Jersey concert. “One of them is Caleb Followill from Kings of Leon, one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met… And one of the greatest men to ever exist… a New Jersey native.” Even without saying his name, the crowd already knew who Bryan was talking about before he yelled, “Bruuuuucccceeeeee!” 

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Although having more than a few hit songs, Bryan wasted no time jumping into “Atlantic City”, which was originally released on the singer’s 1982 album, Nebraska. With Bryan, Springsteen, and Followill all taking turns at the song, the crowd received a performance like no other. Thankfully, one fan decided to pull their phone out and capture the moment. The only problem was the view. 

[RELATED: Zach Bryan Just Teased a New Album, but It’ll Be Awhile]

Zach Bryan Looks To The Past As Bruce Springsteen Looks To The Future

Even before fans started to pack the stadium, Bryan shared a post on Instagram of the venue completely empty. Never forgetting the past, he wrote, “Was reminded by a friend after rolling out of bed in New York this morning that ten years ago while we were playing poker in a beat up shack in Africa I played this song called ‘Back Down South’ My friend Tyler asked, “who is this?” I said “Kings of Leon, the last great American rock band”

As for Springsteen, he remained busy with his own career. Releasing the record Tracks II: The Lost Albums, the singer entertained fans with unreleased recordings from 1983 to 2018. 

Although a celebration of his career, some worried that Bruce, who will turn 76 in September, might be preparing to retire. But when asked, the Boss declared, “No.” He added, “The Stones play better than ever now, just like Paul McCartney. And Bob Dylan stays on the road. These guys blazed the trail ahead of me — they show we’ve got plenty more miles to go.” 

(Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns)