15 years ago today, March 20th, 2008, co-founding E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici made a surprise final appearance with Bruce Springsteen and the band at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Danny was on leave from the band since the year before to undergo treatment for melanoma. Springsteen asked him what song he wanted to play and he said “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” off his second album, 1973’s The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Bruce did the song with just Federici, who played accordion.
Federici then played on seven others that night, and his organ was turned up in the mix:
- “The Promised Land”
- “Spirit in the Night”
- “Backstreets”
- “Kitty’s Back”
- “Born to Run”
- “Dancing in the Dark”
- “American Land”
That performance was released in October 2021 as part of Springsteen’s monthly concert archival series. Federici died less than a month later on April 17th, the first member of The E Street Band to pass. He was 58.
REUTERS PHOTO
