6 history-making moments featuring Bruce Springsteen in Philly

Bruce Springsteen and Philadelphia go together like a cheesesteak and onions.

“Philly!” said Springsteen in March of 2023 as he took the stage of the city's Wells Fargo Center. “My people!”

Springsteen and the E Street Band play two shows, Wednesday, Aug. 21 and Friday, Aug 23, at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. The shows are makeup dates for the Aug. 16 and Aug. 18, 2023 shows that were postponed due to a Springsteen illness. The Boss missed a string of shows last fall due to a bout with peptic ulcer disease.

Tickets for the upcoming shows begin at $99.50 on www.mlb.com/phillies.

Philly shows throughout Springsteen's career have historically had an extra charge of energy.  Philadelphia is not far from the Boss' Freehold hometown, and the Philly fans seem to share the same DNA as Springsteen's Jersey fans.

Many who will be at Citizen Bank Park this week will be Jerseyans, of the South Jersey variety and otherwise.

“I love being in Philadelphia,” said Springsteen at the Well Fargo Center in March, 2023.  “Philadelphia has meant so much to us for such a long time. Thank you for a beautiful reception.”

To mark the upcoming Philly stand, here are six memorable Philadelphia moments for Springsteen and the E Street Band -- on stage and off.

1. Opening for Cheech and Chong

Springsteen had an inauspicious start in Philadelphia. His first show there was opening for comedians Cheech and Chong on Oct. 28, 1972 at West Chester State College, just outside of Philly.

“People forget that Cheech and Chong were huge, huge at the time,” said Springsteen on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2019. “'Up in Smoke' -- huge! The first gig I ever did when I had my first record out was opening for Cheech and Chong in a small college in Pennsylvania. We came out and played about five songs. I thought it was going really good. I was sitting at the piano and somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said that's enough. That was it.”

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2. 'Born to Run' makes debut in Philly

The first spin of the song that would transform Springsteen and the E Street Band's career, “Born to Run,” happened in Philadelphia. DJ Ed Sciaky played it before its official release from Columbia Records on WMMR during an in-studio interview with Springsteen on Nov. 3, 1974.

“His support for my work brought me to an audience in Philadelphia that has remained one of my strongest to this day,” said Springsteen of Sciaky when he passed in 2004 at 55. “Ed was a DJ who was a true rock and roll fan, the very spirit of the music he loved.”

3. A legend lost

John Lennon was murdered Dec. 8, 1980 in New York City when Springsteen and the E Street Band were on stage at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

The news broke around 11:30 p.m. The Spectrum crowd was not told of it, nor was Springsteen informed, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Springsteen took the stage the next night.

“It's a hard night to come out and play tonight when so much has been lost,” said Springsteen from the Spectrum's stage. “The first record that I ever learned was a record called 'Twist and Shout' and if it wasn't for John Lennon, we'd all be in some place very different tonight. It's an unreasonable world and you have to live with a lot of things that are just unlivable, and it's a hard thing to come out and play but there's just nothing else you can do.”

4. 'Streets of Philadelphia'

Bruce Springsteen rocked the music world when he released “Streets of Philadelphia” 30 years ago -- and he didn't use his guitar.

“Streets of Philadelphia,” from the movie “Philadelphia,” featured a synthesizer and hip-hop drum loop. The song broke ground for rock 'n' roll allyship of the LGBTQ community, and for those battling HIV and AIDS.

The movie “Philadelphia,” starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, premiered on Dec. 14, 1993. “Streets of Philadelphia” would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1994.

“When you think about how much progress has been made over the last 30 years in combating discrimination and the stigmatization of people living with HIV, it is powerful to think about Bruce's humanity and lyrics that capture the emotional journey of those facing these challenges in the earlier days of the AIDS epidemic,” Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Asbury Park-based Garden State Equality, said previously to the Asbury Park Press.

5. Three songs at Independence Hall

The setting had a ring of patriotism.

A solo Springsteen played “Thunder Road,” “Long Walk Home,” and “Dancing in the Dark” for a crowd of 40,000 on the mall in front of Independence Hall the night before election day in a rally for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Nov. 7, 2016.

Fellow Jerseyan Jon Bon Jovi also performed.

Springsteen called for an “America that participates in the welfare of our planet -- both in world affairs and in global science -- and where the unfinished business of protecting the rights of women is not an afterthought, but a priority” from the stage on the mall.

Clinton lost to Republican nominee Donald Trump.

6. Four hours to history

Springsteen and the E Street band have a reputation for playing a long time.

In 2016, they took it to the next level. They played for four hours during an August show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. About a week later, they played for 4:03 at Citizens Bank Park in Philly, setting a new U.S. record for the band which stands to this day.

The band's longest show is a 4:06 doozy in Helsinki in 2012.

The temperature for the band's second show after the 4:03 concert in the 2016 Philly stand was 90 degrees. They played for “only” 3:46 that night.

“Are you sweating real good out there? That’s good for you!” said Springsteen from the stage.  “I’m going to get a cheesesteak!”

Go: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21 and Friday, Aug 23, Citizen's Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia. Tickets start at $99.50. www.mlb.com/phillies/tickets/concerts/bruce-springsteen

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Springsteen back in Philadelphia: A look at memorable moments