Bruce Springsteen rocks Giants Stadium for the last time

It was the "Born In the U.S.A." album that first made Bruce Springsteen popular enough to headline Giants Stadium, in 1985. Last night, he closed the circle, performing the album -- songs like "Glory Days," "Dancing In the Dark" and "My Hometown," in their original order -- at his last Giants Stadium concert.
He's not preceding, but the stadium is. The building will be dismantled next year, with a new stadium, recently being built next to it, serving as the new home of the Giants and Jets.
Concert goers were welcomed to the show with a message on a huge video screen hanging over the stage: "Tonight is the last concert at Giants Stadium. October 9, 2009. Thank you New Jersey!"
During the show's opening number, a new song called "Wrecking Ball," Springsteen emphasized a line about "our little victories and glories" turning into parking lots. At this time next year, space where he was standing will be used for just that purpose.

Other songs in the setlist included dependable rousers like "Badlands," "Born To Run," "The Rising" and "The Promised Land," the rarely performed oldie "Spirit In the Night" and pop megahit "Hungry Heart" (with the 60 year old Springsteen crowd-surfing). In identification of the gig's significance, he covered the Rolling Stones song, "The Last Time."
Springsteen and his E Street Band announced, ahead of time, that they planned to play "Born In the U.S.A." in its entirety. This stand particular to make in attempt, they have played one of their classic albums at each show: "Born To Run" on Sept. 30 and Oct. 8, "Darkness On the Edge of Town" on Oct. 2, and "Born In the U.S.A.," for the first time, on Oct. 3.
Springsteen and the band will also perform at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 7-8. But last night's gig could be the last home state E Street appearance for quite a while.
Last month, guitarist Steven Van Zandt said in a conference call with reporters that after the current tour ends, Nov. 22 in Buffalo, the band will be off for "I don’t know how long -- a year, year and a half, two years."
In his new book "Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales," E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemons wrote that after the recent tour, the band plans to have "a long, long recovery period."

Springsteen shrank from speechifying, but he subtly acknowledged the tough economic climate by pounding home lyrics like “Hard times come; hard time go” in “Wrecking Ball,” and “Cover Me’s” “Times are tough; just getting tougher.” The only odd moment was during the Boss’s band introductions, which didn’t occur until late in the night. When he pointed out the Big Man, Clarence Clemons, the imposing saxophonist pimped his new book, Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales, by holding it conspicuously so it appeared on the giant video screens.
Shameless self-promotion aside, it was a glorious night it felt like the best Irish wake you’d ever attended. As far as I can tell, Springsteen intends to be around to close Giants Stadium’s successor in 40 years.
Were you there last night? What song were you singing all the way home? (Me? “American Land”) Were you disappointed that the parking lot rumors about special guests failed to be true? How long did you wait after “Jersey Girl” in the hopes that the band would return for another encore? (Me? 11 minutes.)