As part of his monthly live archival series, Bruce Springsteen has just issued yet another classic show from the E Street Band‘s famed tour behind his watershed fourth album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The new set, which was taped on October 1st, 1978 at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, comes from the night after one of the band’s legendary radio broadcast from the Darkness tour. The new Atlanta release marks the is the tenth concert from the historic ’78 North American trek. The show was originally scheduled as the tour’s finale — until new dates were soon added through the end of the year.
In addition to such concert staples as “Born To Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Spirit In The Night,” “Badlands,” “The Promised Land,” “Growin’ Up,” and “Thunder Road,” the October 1st Atlanta show features one of only three performances on the trek where Springsteen performed “Meeting Across The River/Jungleland” and “Incident On 57th Street/ Rosalita.”
The show included Springsteen’s then-still unreleased versions of “Because The Night,” “Fire,” and “Point Blank.” Also featured are covers of the Rolling Stones‘ “The Last Time,” Elvis Presley‘s “Heartbreak Hotel,” the Animals‘ “It’s My Life,” the now legendary “Detroit Medley,” and Gary “U.S.” Bonds‘ show-closing “Quarter To Three.”
Future MTV vee-jay J.J. Jackson spoke to Bruce Springsteen for KABC-TV during the L.A. run in ’78 following “The Boss’” sold-out July 5th gig at The Forum, and Springsteen shed light on how seriously he took his job: “Y’know, it’s, like, it’s the thing. . . It’s the, I guess, probably the only thing that I live for, y’know? (Laughs) And I just try to keep a hold on. . . I play Buddy Holly every night before I go on. That keeps me honest, y’know? (Laughs).”
Guitarist Steve Van Zandt explained to us that Bruce Springsteen was able to understand exactly how each member of the E Street Band would ultimately be able to serve him and his music: “Bruce handpicked the band himself, one guy at a time, y’know? And it was his band and we existed for him and to realize his vision, as I said. And he picked guys who could handle a wide variety of things and could basically follow orders (laughs), okay? We had, y’know, a really fast ability to learn. Every one of us, y’know, there was a lot of spontaneity going on in the show — a lot.”
The tracklisting to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Atlanta – October 1, 1978’ is: “The Last Time,” “Badlands,” “Spirit In The Night,” “Darkness On The Edge Of Town,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Factory,” “The Promised Land,” “Prove It All Night,” “It’s My Life,” “Thunder Road,” “Meeting Across The River/Jungleland,” “For You,” “Fire,” “Candy’s Room,” “Because The Night,” “Point Blank,” “Kitty’s Back,” “Incident On 57th Street/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” “Born To Run,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Detroit Medley,” “and “Quarter To Three.”