“They’ll let anybody in here!” - Steve Earle, as The Boss joins him on stage

Well who do you think was lurking in the crowd that fateful New Jersey night? The Boss joined Steve and the Dukes for the last six songs of the evening. That’s gotta be one of the greatest things about being a Springsteen fan in New Jersey. You never know when he’ll materialize.

Well materialize he did this night in 1998. It’s another spirited set by Steve and the Dukes, and when the Boss joins, they rip into a Carl Perkins classic, a couple of Stones tunes, and a few Steve tunes. Bruce pretty much sticks to his rule of not stealing the spotlight, but he does take a verse of “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”, and how cool is it to hear him sing background on “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” and the Stones tunes? Right. Very cool.

Steve Earle & the Dukes
February 6, 1998
Sea Bright, NJ

Part Two

The Other Side Of Town
Somewhere Out There
Billy Austin
The Devil’s Right Hand
Nothin’ But You
All My Tears (w/ Julie Miller)
Goodbye
Johnny Too Bad (Slickers cover)
N.Y.C.
The Unrepentant
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby (Carl Perkins cover w/ Bruce Springsteen)
Sweet Virginia (Rolling Stones cover w/ Bruce Springsteen)
Guitar Town (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
I Ain’t Never Satisfied (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones w/ Bruce Springsteen)
Johnny Come Lately (w/ Bruce Springsteen)

One interesting omission from the night was Bruce’s “State Trooper”, which Steve plays quite a bit in his shows. “New Jersey turnpike, riding on a wet night…” would’ve fit right in.

Roots Rock Steve Earle