Bruce Springsteen makes surprise appearance at 25th anniversary Light of Day concert

Bruce Springsteen hit the stage for the first time in 2025 Saturday night, making a surprise appearance at the 25th anniversary Light of Day concert at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, the Asbury Park Press reports.

Springsteen made his first appearance of the night joining New York City punk fixture Jesse Malin onstage, performing Malin's tracks "Broken Radio" and "Glitter in the Gutter."

Malin, who had a spinal stroke in 2023 that left him paralyzed from the waist down, later shared photos from the evening on Instagram, noting the concert was "one for the books."

Springsteen returned to the stage to join Willie Nile for a performance of "One Guitar" and then came back again for longtime friend Joe Grushecky's set, with Grushecky introducing The Boss as "the real governor of New Jersey."

During that set, Bruce performed "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The Promised Land," as well as "Pink Cadillac" and "Savin' Up," a Springsteen-penned song originally recorded by the late E Street Band member Clarence Clemons, adding a joke about the "fake news" reported by Forbes that he is now a billionaire.

The Boss closed the show with an acoustic rendition of “Thunder Road.”

Springsteen has now performed at 12 Light of Day concerts, which raise money for Parkinson’s disease research. The last time he turned up at the annual benefit show was at the 20th anniversary show in 2020.