to be a fly on the wall - concert for the ages- April 28 1973 College Park Cole Field House

(taken from here with profuse thanks!)

28/04/73 - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, MD

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND ST / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / THUNDERCRACK…….then, as Chuck Berry's backing band…MAYBELLENE / ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC / SCHOOL DAY / ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN / NADINE / NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO / SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN / MY DING-A-LING / REELIN' AND ROCKIN' / JOHNNY B GOODE

ONE show, triple bill, with CHUCK BERRY headlining, JERRY LEE LEWIS 2nd billed and SPRINGSTEEN opening - a show now steeped in legend and mystique. Berry's contract stipulated that it was the promoter's responsibility to supply him with a backing band for this concert. Apparently Bruce learned about a week before the show that the promoter was seeking a group to support Berry and immediately volunteered his band's services for free - which the promoter gladly accepted. There was no rehearsal or soundcheck with Berry, so Bruce and the boys improvised as best they could.

Bruce and the boys opened their part of the show with a 50-minute set, followed by a 60-minute set by Jerry Lee and his band. Chuck Berry (with the entire E Street Band backing him, including Bruce and SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY) closed the evening's festivities with a 70-minute performance. Springsteen recounts some hilarious details in the Berry bio-film "Hail, Hail Rock & Roll" but does not mention Southside Johnny’s appearance. Fearing the Berry might not want a harp player Bruce positioned Southside in the shadows at the extreme end of the stage. However Berry enjoyed the harp playing and near the end of the show he actually acknowledged Southside to the crowd saying “that white boy can blow, can’t he”?

The above-mentioned setlist represents most, if not all, of the performances from both Bruce's opening slot and from the Chuck Berry & The E Street Band's performance. Sadly THERE IS NO KNOWN AUDIO. This sold out gig in the 5,500-seat Cole Field House was not without some controversy. Such was the demand to see the show that the school newspaper reported that 20 people were arrested when police spotted individuals sneaking into the concert via an open female lavatory window at the back of the building. Apparently 200-300 people made it in before the police caught wind of what was going on. (Wolffs Note: now THAT is a show to be proud of sneaking into!)