Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | photo by Joe Del Tufo for WXPN | deltufophotography.com

Legendary Jersey bred rocker Bruce Springsteen helped with the christening of the reopened Asbury Lanes on June 18th. Asbury Lanes closed down in 2015 to make renovations, and has been a staple Jersey venue for over 50 years. According to an article from Asbury Press, he even gave a shout out to the Asbury Park of his youth.

“Good evening, welcome to Asbury Park. Welcome to the Asbury Lanes. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I’m speaking as an old home boy tonight, we didn’t know if we’d ever see Asbury come back in our lifetimes, so it’s been a joy watching what’s been happening in town in the past 10, 15, 20 years. And a shout out to all the people who were here when nobody else was. All the people on Cookman (Avenue), the gay LGBTQ community … Jay and his gang.
I walk down the boardwalk and I feel like the ghost of Christmas past. But that’s OK because it’s fun to watch Asbury and its future unfold in front of me.”

Springsteen performed a handful of songs with the Tangiers Blues Band including “Down the Road Apiece” and “Twist and Shout”. The night also featured a set from Portugal. the Man, and DJ set from Questlove at the Asbury Hotel next door.

Check out this clip from Springsteen’s performance down below.