1984-04-21 Expo, Mount Ivy, NY

Greg Soboleski

I was at the show with my buddy Chuck. He was a huge Springsteen fan so I kept teasing him that Bruce would show up and play with Clarence and the band. We were hanging out in the back of the Club near the soundboard and about 1/3 of the way thru the show I turned around. Now this was 1984 and people dressed up a bit to go out, so I was surprised to see some really scruffy guy, with faded jeans and a headband behind us. It was Bruce. I poked Chuck on the shoulder indicating that Bruce was there, but he turned the other way and laughed. I nudged him again and pointed behind me… he turned to look and his eyes popped out of his head seeing Springsteen. So we engaged Bruce in conversation between songs and spent the rest of Clarence's show hanging out and talking when you could. Almost no one else came over. It was like he wasn't being recognized. Even went to the bathroom with Bruce, each of us side by side doing our business. When done Bruce reached up on the shelf above the urinal and goes "which (beer) is mine". I told him leave the bottle and I'll go get us a couple of new beers. Bruce was a real gentlemen and seemed to enjoy just watching the show and talking with us. When it was time for Bruce to join in on the stage, it was like the sea parted and security cleared a path thru the crowd for him. He played a number of oldies with the band and one or two of his song. Great, great time and wonderful memory, especially since my friend passed away a few years later.

Ken McLeester

We were right up front, actually read the entire set list, before the show started. If we had cellphones back then I’d send you the picture. When we entered the club, a bouncer told us “He might be here”, and we said no way. However while inside, my brother the musician, noticed the tuned up guitar which was put backstage, and the amplifier with nothing plugged into it, and said the bouncer might be right. We decided to walk to the front of the stage, something we wouldn’t normally do, to watch a band, and we read the setlist and were positive Bruce would be playing later that night. All of our buddies, 6 in all stayed at the front of the stage, we did not want to miss this. Your set list is correct: Fire was played as an instrumental and at the break - Bruce came out to a hysterical crowd, and sang the rest of the song with the band. We were crushed up front, and I remember my head was even level with his ankle. I looked ahead saw his boots, and looked up to see him. He was thrilled to be playing, otherwise he did a great job of faking. The rest of the set was tremendous. Of course, we did not know any of the songs on the set list (maybe one, A Woman’s Got the Strength, which would have been written as Strength ) until we read Fire, and then we expected Bruce to come out and play those 4 songs. He played for about 45 minutes, with the band dragging those songs as out as long as they could. Hard Day’s Night? No way! There was alcohol consumed by many that evening. Memories do fade, but mine doesn’t, at least not from that night. What a night! I still stay in touch with those 5 guys, and we do remember that night, as memorable one, among the hundreds of times we collectively have seen Bruce.