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March 20, 2024 After a six-months-plus delay due to his peptic ulcer disease treatment and recovery, Bruce Springsteen resumed his 2023-2024 tour with the E Street Band last night at a sold-out gig in Phoenix, Arizona's Footprint Center. Letters To You was there, and the (relatively) short take is this... How very fortunate we are to get more chances to see Bruce and this band once again in fine form, picking up exactly where they left off, with a life-affirming live show that continues to connect the essential elements of Springsteen's most recent records with some of his greatest all-time material, which also just happens to be some of the greatest popular music ever written and performed. "Performed" is an especially important word here, too. It's not just about what songs were chosen to be played last night and why (though if you're that curious about the specific songs themselves, they're listed right below for you.) It's at least as important that once more we're getting to witness in person this legendary live performer and his most famous, equally legendary backing band deliver such a meaningful, important, rockin' and (often, though not solely) downright fun show like this with all of the skills, knowledge, and passion that they can muster... and without a single costume-change or domed video screen in sight, either. To put it even more succinctly... Setlist schmetlist! Last night was a triumphant, hopeful return. Full report and more photos to come ASAP - from both last night's Springsteen/ESB concert, as well as the "Stevie's After-Party" Wicked Cool Records Revue event that followed it in downtown Phoenix. Stay tuned... Setlist from Phoenix, AZ 3-19-2024 Lonesome Day Night No Surrender Two Hearts Darlington County Ghosts Prove It All Night Darkness on the Edge of Town Letter to You The Promised Land Spirit In The Night Don't Play That Song Nightshift Mary's Place Last Man Standing Backstreets Because The Night She's The One Wrecking Ball The Rising Badlands Thunder Road Born To Run Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Glory Days Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Twist and Shout I'll See You In My Dreams Photo above by Shawn Poole

March 18, 2024 And now for the latest meteorological and musicological forecasts... Tomorrow evening, both Spring and Springsteen (with his legendary E Street Band in tow, of course) will officially return - the former to the Northern Hemisphere and the latter to the concert stage. They'll be arriving at right around the same time, too. Spring 2024 is set to begin officially at 8:06 p.m. in Phoenix, Arizona, which is where Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band are officially scheduled to perform their first 2024 concert, performing at the Footprint Center with a listed-on-the-ticket starting-time of 7:30 p.m. (probably a bit later than that, as per past practice, but we'll see...) Letters To You will have a full, on-the-scene report from the show ready for our readers as soon as possible. Stay tuned, all you fellow freaks, fans, and friends! Oh, and ICYMI, Rob DeMartin's official photos of Bruce and the E Streeters rehearsing together for their long-awaited return to live performance in 2024 can be seen here and here. Welcome back, Spring! Welcome back, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band! UPDATE (morning of March 19, 2024:) Yesterday, Pam Springsteen's great rehearsal photos also got added to Bruce Springsteen's official Instagram page:

March 17, 2024 Appropriately, as Women's History Month draws to its conclusion, The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music will host an online conversation with Lorraine Mangione and Donna Luff, the co-authors of Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen's Women Fans. Conversations with our Curator, Melissa Ziobro – Lorraine Mangione and Donna Luff will take place on Wednesday, March 27, beginning at 7pm ET. Registration to attend this event online is free and open to the general public. Click below for details and to register: And for more from Luff and Mangione on their important work, check out our own Letters To You podcast with the authors from last September, hosted by London-based journalist and Letters To You contributor Herpreet Grewal. Click here to read about it, and to listen in on our Soundcloud and/or YouTube platforms.

March 15, 2024 NOW AVAILABLE - Click here to purchase your copy of "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)" recorded by Bruce Springsteen and all other members of Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes, in support of Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. And click here for more details about Springsteen's latest charity-focused collaboration, as part of our March 14 overview entitled Bruce "Involvement" Springsteen's recent teamups, focused (sometimes satirically) on philanthropy.

March 14, 2024 Bruce Springsteen's two most recent television appearances, both still available on-demand, explore the "celebrity do-gooder" description often applied to himself and others, as well as the complexities and potential pitfalls of such roles. Both of them find him working in collaboration with others, though in one case on a far more serious note than the other. In Netflix's documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, about the formation of the 1985 superstar supergroup USA For Africa and the creation and recording of its best-selling anti-hunger charity single "We Are The World," Springsteen's modern-day interview segments stand out. As one of the key artists involved in the project, and as an artist who developed and maintained a strong involvement in supporting anti-hunger efforts both before and after USA For Africa, his perspective on the project's significance and legacy is among the least hyperbolic and most realistic. In fact, pretty much the entire remainder of the documentary is focused strictly on the songwriting and recording processes behind creating "We Are The World," including some of the music-industry and recording-session politics still in play even on a night when everyone was famously instructed to "check your ego at the door." Very interesting "fly-on-the-wall" kind of stuff, for sure, but overall little time gets spent on adequately placing "We Are The World" within the historical contexts of what preceded it, as well as what would follow it. For example, there's no mention of the late Harry Chapin's groundbreaking mergers of music and anti-hunger activism, including a visit to Ethiopia during its 1970s hunger crisis, despite Chapin's strong connections to and influence on key USA For Africa figures Ken Kragen, Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, and, yes, Bruce Springsteen. (Fortunately, we recently learned from the Chapin camp that a bit later this year the 2021 documentary Harry Chapin: When In Doubt, Do Something, in which Springsteen also appears, will be reissued along with the release of a new Chapin documentary. Stay tuned...) We also get Kenny Loggins' inside-baseball story of Paul Simon allegedly looking around at the assembled group of USA For Africa superstars in the recording studio and saying, "Whoa, if a bomb lands on this place, John Denver's back on top." Cute quip in an oh-so-hip kinda way, perhaps, except you'll never learn from this doc that just a few years later Simon would go on to flagrantly violate the U.N.'s cultural boycott of South Africa that Artists United Against Apartheid supported, while John Denver would become a vocal ally in the fight against music censorship. Such contradictions and complexities of celebrity-philanthropy culture also got explored by Bruce Springsteen with another set of collaborators - though this time with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks - in a recent episode of HBO/Max's Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the second episode of the series' twelfth and final season, entitled "The Lawn Jockey," Larry David's alter ego gets misperceived as a hero in the struggle for voting rights in Georgia. Springsteen appears briefly as himself, seen on MSNBC lauding David's perceived heroism. "Involvement," enthuses The Boss, "That's Larry David's middle name... Larry 'Involvement' David." It's a smart, funny, self-deprecating little satire of celebrity-do-goodism politics, while simultaneously never becoming cynical enough to understate the important civil-rights struggle that continues in Georgia and in many other parts of the U.S. In real life, Springsteen also doesn't let the limitations and complexities of celebrity philanthropy keep him from still supporting worthy causes when and where he can. Case in point: Bruce is part of the group of famous "ambassadors" participating in the Buddy Holly Words of Love book project, initiated by The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, and benefiting Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. The project was conceived by The Who's Roger Daltrey as a way to share and sustain Holly's legacy while benefiting two key organizations that support teenagers with cancer. Words of Love focuses on Buddy Holly's history and enduring importance. Each ambassador is photographed with their specially designed guitar - a replica of Holly's 1943 Gibson J45, named and stylized after one of Holly's songs, and presented to the ambassador as a gift from The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation. The ambassador also shares some handwritten thoughts on why Holly's work remains important and influential. Here's Springsteen's two-page spread: Other ambassadors include original Crickets band-members Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis, Paul Anka, James Burton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Steve Cropper, Roger Daltrey, Dion, Donovan, Bob Dylan, Duane Eddy, Don Everly, Phil Everly, John Fogerty, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris, Mick Jagger, Joan Jett, Mark Knopfler, Brian May, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson, Willie Nile, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Nile Rodgers, Linda Ronstadt, Ed Sheeran, Sting, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Ronnie Wood, and The Zombies. Greil Marcus wrote Words of Love's introduction. The book is currently available only in a "Deluxe" edition limited to just 500 copies, quarter-bound in apple leather and cloth, with black and sonic blue foiling, and gold page edging. The front cover is screen-printed with artwork created exclusively for this project by Ronnie Wood. Each numbered copy is signed by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Additionally, Deluxe copies include a photographic print of a previously unpublished portrait of Buddy Holly. Hand-numbered and blind-stamped with Buddy's signature, the 8" x 10" print is suitable for framing. Completing the boxed set, an exclusive 7-inch vinyl pressing features two rare home recordings made by Buddy Holly. It costs over £943 - more than $1200 - to pre-order a copy of this edition before its September 2024 publication. This approach towards limited-edition, high-end pricing of books may help to raise some badly needed funds for worthy organizations and causes, but the downside is that very few readers get access to important books and cultural information. Here's hoping that a book like Words of Love eventually gets re-published in a less expensive edition accessible to many more readers. Another relatively recent book project that is similarly pricey not only involved Springsteen, but also is centered around a very important period of his musical career. Published late last fall, photographer Lynn Goldsmith's Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (full book-cover/spine title Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Darkness On The Edge Of Town) is 364 pages' worth of Goldsmith's images and recollections of her time spent in the late 1970s with Bruce and his band, as she captured on film hundreds of photographs taken mainly during the recording of Darkness on the Edge of Town and the tour that followed its release. As Springsteen himself (who also had a romantic relationship with Goldsmith during this period) writes in the book, “These photos remain a record of a time when I truly played for my life, night after night.” In this case, the high price-tag of $750/copy (with the now-sold-out first 200 editions, each accompanied by a numbered/signed Goldsmith print, having been priced $1000 higher per copy) doesn't directly benefit any particular charity or cause. Goldsmith, however, spent a substantial amount of her own money to win her precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court case last May. So depending on how you feel about the ramifications of Goldsmith's victory, and whether you can afford such a steep price for her book, you might be a bit more willing to fork over the bucks to help support the offsetting of her legal expenses. And finally, the latest all-star "celebrity do-gooder" collaboration to feature Springsteen drops officially tomorrow, when Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes' recording of "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)" gets its official release. This new recording of Knopfler's instrumental - part of his beautiful score to the great 1983 film Local Hero, and later used as the run-out music for Newcastle United, Knopfler's hometown soccer club - also benefits Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America, as the Words of Love book does. Springsteen performs with more than fifty other guitar heroes, including the late, great Jeff Beck, who made his final recording for this project. (The Guitar Heroes version of "Going Home" begins with Beck's guitar track.) But not everybody involved wields an axe. Roger Daltrey, Teenage Cancer Trust’s Honorary Patron and co-founder of Teen Cancer America (with Pete Townshend), added harmonica, and Ringo Starr is on drums along with his son Zak Starkey, their two drum tracks switching from one to the other. Sting completes the rhythm section on bass. The complete lineup of Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes consists of Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, Steve Cropper, Sheryl Crow, Danny Cummings, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Keiji Haino, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, John Jorgenson, Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Greg Leisz, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Phil Manzanera, Dave Mason, Hank Marvin, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Tom Morello, Rick Nielsen, Orianthi, Brad Paisley, Nile Rodgers, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Connor Selby, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey, Sting, Andy Taylor, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Louis Walker, Joe Walsh, Ronnie Wood, Glenn Worf, and Zucchero. Click here to purchase Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes' recording of "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)" in support of Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

March 10, 2024 "My good friend Bruce Springsteen joined us for 'Pink Houses' at the NJPAC 3/10/24." -text accompanying posted video at John Mellencamp's official Facebook page, embedded below

March 8, 2024 Arriving one week after the first Friday of this month, presumably due to last Friday's official announcement of Best of Bruce Springsteen, is the latest release from Live.BruceSpringsteen.net: Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, September 21,1978. And it's another great one, well worth the slightly longer wait. The arrival of this release also makes all three shows from Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's historic back-to-back-to-back 1978 stand at the Capitol Theatre - also their final performances ever at the long-gone venue - now available in Springsteen's official archival live recordings series. Each of these shows was recorded professionally on multi-track reel-to-reel tapes, and now - thanks yet again to Plangent Processes and the Jon Altschiller-led team that also oversaw the mixing/mastering of the 9/19/78 show (with the legendary Bob Clearmountain himself mixing the 9/20/78 show) - all three nights sound better than ever. Highlights of Passaic, NJ, September 21,1978 include covers of two first-generation rockers' classics: Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "High School Confidential." This release marks the first time that Springsteen's official live-archive series has issued recordings of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band performing their versions of each of these classics. "High School Confidential" and "Sweet Little Sixteen" are embedded in a typically intense 24-songs Darkness on the Edge of Town-Tour set bolstered by the heightened excitement of a Jersey-based audience that also was very eager to help Springsteen celebrate his 29th birthday two days early, at his final show before he no longer would be the ripe old age of 28. Click here to read more about Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, September 21,1978 in the essay "Before The Jukebox Blow The Fuse" by Nugs/Columbia's Erik Flannigan. Click here to purchase Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, September 21,1978 from Live.BruceSpringsteen.net.

March 5, 2024 On Sunday, September 15, weather permitting, folks actually will be huddled on the beach in a mist to watch Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band perform. Not just any beach, either, but the beach in Asbury Park, NJ, within walking distance of its now-famous boardwalk, where legend has it that long ago one Madam Marie actually got arrested for telling fortunes better than the local police department. The Sea.Hear.Now Festival's 2024 lineup was announced officially today, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will headline on Sunday September 15, with Noah Kahan headlining on Saturday September 14. Other acts scheduled to perform at the two-day, late-summer weekend festival include 311, The Black Crowes, The Gaslight Anthem, Norah Jones, The Revivalists, Trey Anastasio Band, The Aces, Ziggy Alberts, Action Bronson, Sierra Ferrell, Gogol Bordello, Guster, The Hives, Joe P, Kool & The Gang, Joy Oladukun, Larkin Poe, Peaches, Grace Potter, Robert Randolph Band, Bertha, Rachel Ana Dobken, Eggy, Illiterate Light, Passafire, Sonic Blume, and Sunshine Spazz. Ticket availability begins with a presale that will commence this coming Thursday, March 7, at 10:00am ET. Presale purchasing opportunities will be limited only to those in possession of a presale passcode. (Passcodes do not guarantee ticket availability at the time of purchase.) A general on-sale (with no passcodes required) is scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 7 at 11:00am ET, but only if any tickets remain available at the end of the presale. To sign up to receive a presale passcode via mobile-phone texting, click here. To sign up to receive a presale passcode via email, click here. And for any and all further information about Sea.Hear.Now 2024, click here.

March 2, 2024 Yesterday, the first Friday of March 2024 didn't yield a new archival live release from Live.BruceSpringsteen.net, but we still got a "release" of sorts: a press-release, that is, officially announcing that a new compilation of previously released Springsteen recordings, entitled Best of Bruce Springsteen, will drop on April 19. Well, at least technically you could call this a type of "archival release," and Nugs/Columbia's Erik Flannigan has written its liner-notes/essay, as he's done on the Live.BruceSpringsteen.net archival releases for quite some time now, so there's that... The track-list of Best of Bruce Springsteen will depend upon its configuration. The double-vinyl-LP/single-CD configuration (with a red-colored-vinyl option exclusive to Amazon) will consist of eighteen tracks: the original, officially released studio recordings of "Growin’ Up," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)," "Born To Run," "Thunder Road," "Badlands," "Hungry Heart," "Atlantic City," "Dancing in the Dark," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Brilliant Disguise," "Human Touch," "Streets of Philadelphia," "The Ghost of Tom Joad," "Secret Garden," "The Rising," "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," "Hello Sunshine," and "Letter To You." As seen above, the album's cover-photo is one of Eric Meola's beautiful outtakes from the Born To Run cover-photo sessions. The "Digital Deluxe" configuration includes the same eighteen tracks featured on the double-vinyl-LP/single-CD configuration, along with an additional thirteen tracks: the original, officially released studio recordings of "Spirit In The Night," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "Prove It All Night," "The River," "Glory Days," "Tougher Than The Rest," "If I Should Fall Behind," "Living Proof," "Long Time Comin’," "The Wrestler," "We Take Care Of Our Own," and "Ghosts." The official announcement does not state or indicate that any of these reissued tracks has been remixed or remastered in any way, but it's reasonable to presume that all of the reissued tracks will be presented in their most recently mastered or remastered forms, depending upon the case with each individual track. The tracks are sequenced on Best of... following the basic chronological order of the release of the albums on which they originally appeared, with one exception: "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is sequenced on Best of... before "Secret Garden," even though "Secret Garden" was released before "The Ghost of Tom Joad." While tracks that originally appeared on the same album appear together in Best of...'s sequence, they often are sequenced differently than they were on the original album. For example, "Thunder Road," which was the opening track on the Born To Run album, follows "Born To Run" in the Best of... sequence. (Previous Springsteen greatest-hits/best-of-style retrospective compilations also have featured similarly tweaked sequencing.) Online reactions to this announcement from many longtime fans has ranged very much from neutral and not exactly thrilled to downright negative, disappointed with Best of... not so much for what it is than what it isn't: new/previously-unreleased Springsteen music. But our buddy Jay Lustig at NJArts.net seems to have the right idea here. Jay wrote a good piece on his website focusing on the positive, potential value of Best of..., correctly identifying it as "possibly a useful anthology for future, maybe not-yet-born Springsteen fans." On Facebook, Jay dug even deeper, writing that Best of... is "not intended for me. And it's probably not really intended for you, either. It's intended for people who are just discovering The Boss now, or will do so, in the future. When I think back to being a teenager, in the '70s, greatest hits albums -- by Bob Dylan, The Beatles (the red and blue anthologies), The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel and others -- were ESSENTIAL to me, for exploring what was then rock's recent past. This is for teenagers, now, and future teenagers who hear 'Born to Run' somewhere and want to find out more." To the extent that Jay's correct, and that Best of... will help to connect new/future generations of listeners to the music of Bruce Springsteen, then that's most definitely something worthwhile and worth celebrating. That noted, however, I also feel it necessary to add just my own personal two cents that, whatever the considerations and/or configurations, if one decides to release something called Best of Bruce Springsteen, and yet "Land of Hope and Dreams" is among the tracks left off it (unavailable in any form on any version of this release,) that's just downright sacrilegious, folks. No excuses; period. Click here for options and links to pre-order Best of Bruce Springsteen.

March 1, 2024 above: Chris Jordan and Doug Hood's Asbury Park Press video-report We've reported previously and extensively on the exciting partnership developed between TeachRock and The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. (Click here for a complete listing of our archived TeachRock reports.) The latest result of that collaboration occurred this past Tuesday, when TeachRock's founder and chief ambassador, Stevie Van Zandt himself, visited Asbury Park, NJ's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. Stevie met with groups of students and teachers, with discussions and dialogue centered around music's role in fighting racism, as well as fostering students' emotional and mental well-being with TeachRock's Harmony Student Wellness Program. As TeachRock's Executive Director Bill Carbone later wrote about this visit, in a statement to TeachRock's supporters, "What I love about Stevie Van Zandt and the whole TeachRock staff is our shared deep-rooted feeling that every single kid is worthy of our love, deserves a chance to be heard, to thrive, and to grow up and into a meaningful, fulfilling life. We can only play a small part in that project, but I'm sure glad we get to do what we can. I could talk for a day about the intricacies of our work, how we design curricula, how it aligns with standards and goals, etc. But really, it all comes down to love. When it's working, it's so obvious and wonderful. If you’re reading this and you’re a teacher, thank you for getting out there day after day to guide these kids as they grow. If you’re reading this and you’ve supported TeachRock, thank you for putting love front and center in so many U.S. classrooms." If you'd like to start off your weekend feeling at least a bit better about the human race and our future prospects, click here to read our friend Chris Jordan's full Asbury Park Press report on this week's TeachRock visit to Asbury Park's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, accompanied by Doug Hood's beautiful photos and video. You'll be very glad that you did. [Click here to donate to TeachRock.]

February 27, 2024 Jake Clemons at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on February 17, 2024, preparing to perform the U.S. national anthem at the NHL Stadium Series game - photo courtesy of Jake Clemons' official Facebook page - used with permission Happy 44th Birthday to Jake Clemons, seen above in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium about a week ago, getting ready to perform the U.S. national anthem at the February 17 NHL Stadium Series game (which the Jersey Devils won; guess it's time for another victory dance like this one.) Jake was lookin'... and soundin'... "game-ready;" not just for professional hockey, but also for the launch of the 2024 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band tour - now just three weeks away! - as well as whatever will follow it. Happy birthday, Jakey, and many, many more! We look forward to seeing you back onstage soon.

February 24, 2024 [Read on for your exclusive first look at Bruce Springsteen's "fan-letter" to Mojo Nixon.] Bruce Springsteen's handwritten envelope addressed to Mojo Nixon, "the 'Mojo Man,' King of DJs," containing Springsteen's handwritten "fan-letter" to Nixon about his E Street Radio Guest DJ episode image courtesy of The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon Our friends at SiriusXM's E Street Radio and Outlaw Country - the country-music satellite-radio channel initially launched by Stevie Van Zandt - have joined forces for a super-cool tribute to the late, great Mojo Nixon, Outlaw Country's beloved "Loon in the Afternoon." Nixon died at 66 in his sleep on February 7, aboard the Norwegian Pearl while hosting the annual Outlaw Country Cruise. The late, great Mojo Nixon - Outlaw Country's "Loon in the Afternoon," unintimidated by the channel's stern founder photo courtesy of Jeremy Tepper Mojo Nixon is gone far too soon, but he's left behind a great legacy of wildly hilarious, provocative, and often simultaneously thought-provoking music produced mostly during the first half of his life and career (a period well-covered by the documentary film The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon.) And then during the second half, he also became a satellite-radio personality who could be equally wild, funny, profane, and insightful. Not surprisingly, Nixon was a major fan of Bruce Springsteen, whom he liked to call "The Freehold Fireball." The first Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper album included their cover of the Nebraska outtake and rare-for-years B-side "The Big Payback." Hearing Springsteen's version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" also inspired Nixon to record his own version of the song with Skid Roper. And check out his 1997 solo-demo, Nebraska-meets-psychobilly version of "Badlands," available only via the official Mojo Nixon YouTube channel. You couldn't find any stronger evidence of a true believer's heart beating behind all of that wild hilarity. In 2008, Mojo Nixon took his Springsteen fandom into another realm by recording a Guest DJ session for E Street Radio. Music writer, radio personality, and Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh - now retired from E Street Radio but at the time a key programming-team member and on-air personality in launching, sustaining, and expanding the channel - has called it "the best Guest DJ show E Street Radio ever had." Bruce Springsteen himself also contacted Marsh to request a recorded copy of the show. This, no doubt, happened after Springsteen first heard Nixon's Guest DJ session on his car-radio, as it aired on E Street Radio while he drove to a rehearsal-session with the E Street Band. That first encounter with Mojo Nixon's Guest DJ session led Bruce to write and send to Nixon his own one-page "fan-letter" (no better term for it, really,) delivered in an envelope hand-addressed by Springsteen to "the 'Mojo Man,' King of DJs." (See image above.) We at Letters To You are simultaneously moved, honored, and thrilled that Mojo Nixon's camp has allowed us to share below the complete contents and imagery of Bruce Springsteen's fan-letter with our readers first, before it's soon shared more widely online: Mojo, 8:30 in the A.M. I'm drivin' to Asbury on my way to rehearsal. I pop on Sirius & the Mojo Man is dj'ing an hour of E St. Radio. You had me rippin', laughing out loud in my car. The Red Rocks story, man it really rained. It was great hearing somebody's experience from the other side of the stage... And all the rockabilly stuff in a row...what a wake-up call. We will continue glorifying the "pompatus of love." Best & thanks Bruce image courtesy of The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon If you want to hear for yourself the Red Rocks story, all the rockabilly stuff in a row, and more on "the pompatus of love," even if you've heard it all before, you're in for a really big treat. Next week, E Street Radio (SiriusXM channel 20) will begin presenting a special re-broadcast edition of Mojo Nixon's Guest DJ session. Here's a listing of all of its currently scheduled airdates and times: Monday, February 26 at 11am ET Tuesday, February 27 at 4pm ET Wednesday, February 28 at 9am ET Thursday, February 29 at 6pm ET Friday, March 1 at 10am ET Saturday, March 2 at 5pm ET Sunday, March 3 at 8am ET SiriusXM subscribers also will be able to listen to the special re-broadcast of Mojo Nixon's Guest DJ session on-demand/online via the SiriusXM app. Special thanks to Scott Ambrose Reilly (aka "Bullethead,") Jim Rotolo, Jeremy Tepper, and Vinny Usuriello