Bruce Springsteen is a man of many concerts. While it’s almost impossible to listen to each and every one of his shows — even if there are many fans out there who try — there are a considerable number of bootlegs every self-respecting fan must own. The New Jersey bard’s June 7th, 1978 performance at Los Angeles’ Roxy is one such bootleg.
Thanks to its initial broadcast on KMET-FM Los Angeles, the gig has been widely circulated amongst fans for years. However, there’s never been an official release. Now, literally a day before its 40th anniversary, Springsteen has blown out the candles by dropping the full four-hour performance, newly mixed and remastered, through his ongoing archival live series.
What makes the gig so special, among many highlights, is that it was recorded to an intimate 500-capacity crowd, only days after he performed at the Forum. The show saw the live debuts of “Point Blank” and “Independence Day” on piano solo, the complete version of “Backstreets” (containing the “Sad Eyes” interlude), and first-time covers of Sonny West, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley.
As Rolling Stone notes, it was the centerpiece of their 1978 cover story, which basically reads like the Ben Stiller parody: “Having decided to play a special show, Springsteen goes out of his way. He dances on the tabletops, and the crowd leaps to grab him. He adds ‘Candy’s Room,’ one of the Darkness songs he never performs, and halfway through the first set, he introduces a ‘new song that I wrote right after I finished Darkness. It’s called ‘Point Blank,’ and it’s about being trapped.”
Consult the full setlist/tracklist below and grab yourself a copy here.
The Roxy West Hollywood, CA Tracklist:
Set I:
Rave On! (Sonny West cover) (Live debut)
Badlands
Spirit in the Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Candy’s Room (Fan request)
For You
Point Blank (Live debut)
The Promised Land
Prove It All Night
Racing in the Street
Thunder Road
Set II:
Paradise by the “C”
Fire
Adam Raised a Cain
Mona
She’s The One
Growin’ Up
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Backstreets (with Sad Eyes interlude)
Heartbreak Hotel (Elvis Presley cover) (Live debut)
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Encore:
Independence Day (Live debut – solo piano)
Born to Run
Because the Night
Raise Your Hand (Eddie Floyd cover) (Tour debut)
Encore 2:
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover) (Tour debut)
