Bruce Springsteen has tapped the E Street Band‘s December 28th, 1980 Nassau Coliseum show as his latest official vault release.
Nassau Coliseum: December 28, 1980 — which had been bootlegged for decades — features a whopping 33 songs and includes such rarities as “Stolen Car,” “Wreck On The Highway,” “Point Blank,” “Merry Christmas Baby,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “Fire,” and “Because The Night.”
The new set marks the sixth release from the 1980-’81 tour behind The River — with all three of Springsteen’s year-end December 1980 shows from Nassau Coliseum officially released.
In addition to their classic catalogue, Nassau Coliseum: December 28, 1980 showcases the E Street Band’s command of covers — with performances of Woody Guthrie‘s “This Land Is My Land,” Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” and the Crystals‘ “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.”
For E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, playing covers is a way of life and always feels like home: “Yeah, you always had to play cover material — which I always loved, because there was always so much great material to play, you could really put your own personality into it. I always liked playing cover songs, I still do. In the E Street Band we still play a lot of cover material and you just try to just put yourself into it and come off the best you can.”