A performance doesn’t always have to pay great to be meaningful, as proven by the Bruce Springsteen concert he’s “proudest of,” despite having the bottom billing on the lineup and no pay. On that fateful night in Maryland in the early 1970s, Springsteen and his band weren’t chasing money or fame.
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They just wanted to be on the stage with their heroes.
Bruce Springsteen Is Proudest Of This Free Show In 1973
Few venues, if any at all, were rocking harder than the Cole Field House on the University of Maryland campus in College Park on April 28, 1973. That night, rock ‘n’ roll giants Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis took the stage with support from a hungry up-and-comer from New Jersey: Bruce Springsteen. According to a Washington Post review by Tom Zito, roughly 7,500 people attended the rock show. Per Zito’s account, Springsteen performed an “excellent half-hour” while Lewis’ band “seemed a bore.” Even Berry wasn’t immune to Zito’s criticisms, who said the “Johnny B. Goode” singer was a bit sloppy.
Nevertheless, the concert would prove to be a career-defining moment for Springsteen and his band. In a 2024 interview with Howard Stern, the E Street Band leader said that the bill was one he was “proudest of,” despite receiving the bottom billing and no compensation for his performance (which, according to Zito, was the best of the bunch). “It was something to remember, you know,” Springsteen said. “I mean, those were the fathers and geniuses who we forever will owe a debt to, you know? Any kind of contact with him was always eventful and a lot of fun.”
Eventful certainly seems to be the right word for the experience. Not only did Springsteen get a chance to open for his musical idols at the start of his career at only 23 years old. But he and his band also backed up Berry, making for yet another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the same night.
Backing Chuck Berry Was A Lesson In Patience And Improv
Part of Chuck Berry’s contract with the University of Maryland promoters was that the concert organizers would supply Berry with a backing band. After hearing about the headliner’s need for musicians, Springsteen quickly volunteered his and his band’s services for free. But even if Springsteen didn’t receive any money for the performance, he gained invaluable wisdom about the importance of patience, improvisation, and going with the flow.
Ten minutes before Berry was supposed to go on stage, the “Back in the U.S.A.” singer was nowhere to be found. The concert organizer tried to get Springsteen to go back on stage, but he refused, saying that the crowd was expecting Berry and wouldn’t be happy to see the concert opener coming back for an encore. Lo and behold, Springsteen was right to wait. Five minutes later, Berry waltzes into the venue, guitar in hand, and heads straight to the management office to receive his payment: $11,000, with $1,000 back to the venue if the band was good and the equipment worked. (No pressure for Springsteen, right?)
The band hadn’t rehearsed with Berry prior to the show, so in the few minutes between Berry’s arrival and his show time, Springsteen asked the headliner what he was going to play. “He says, ‘Oh, we’re going to play some Chuck Berry songs,’ and walks out. That was it. You’d hear the stomp, and then you were left to find out the key. “We started playing, and Chuck ran back to me and said, ‘Play for that money, boy! Play for that money!’ And I said, ‘Chuck, we’re not making any money! We’re backing you up for free because we love you.’”
Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock
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