So Bruce was on Jimmy Fallon's Late Night talkshow last night. He was interviewed, performed a couple of songs, yada yada.... Just the usual drill in connection with a new release. Wrong! This time he did something he's never done before. Heck, I don't know if any star of his stature has ever done anything like it. It was weird. It was surreal. It was so unlikely that probably not everybody (myself included) realized what had happened until much later. To cut a long story short, in the middle of Jimmy Fallon doing a parody of Neil Young singing "Whip Your Hair", in walks a person dressed like Bruce circa 1975 complete with leather jacket, big sun glasses, beard, big cap, and starts to sing backup. It sounds a lot like Bruce, but no more than Jimmy Fallon sounds like Neil Young (which was actually quite a lot). In other words, a pretty good parody. Or what? This wasn't just any parody. This was Bruce Springsteen doing a parody of... Bruce Springsteen.

But enough of the talk. If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself. And if you look closely, where have you seen those lips and that nose before? Just asking.

Oh, if you're interested in what else happened last night, check out the details of the show. The whole thing was actually quite amazing.

The Promise was kept. At least in Europe, the Darkness boxset and the separate The Promise double album are now available. Americans will have to wait till Tuesday, but after a three-month wait, one more day seems like it might just be possible to overcome for even the most impatient fan. What really sucks are the several cases we've heard of where stores haven't had enough of the blu-ray version in stock - if any at all - or when buyers have found the wrong discs in their boxes. But those cases are still the exception, and most fans have gotten exactly what they were promised: the most extensive Springsteen release ever, and the closest thing to a Holy Grail since Bruce released his first live album in 1986. Initial reception has been as unanimously ecstatic as probably any new release by Bruce ever, and that goes for fans and press alike. The general feeling seems to be that this time they got it right.

Here at Greasy Lake we are of course in a celebratory mood, and we want to invite you to share your feelings, opinions and experiences with this new amazing thing. There are several ways for you to do that:

Write a comment about, or a review of, the box and/or the double album.

Vote in the first of several polls that will cover the new release.

Participate in the photo contest and win a t-shirt.

Of course, also don't forget to tune in to E Street Radio on Sirius (if you have access to it) tonight at 8 p.m. EST and listen to Bruce himself in conversation with Dave Marsh and some lucky fans.  And tomorrow night, a little after midnight, Bruce will be on the Jimmy Fallon show to talk about the new release and to perform a few songs from it.

We hope you will enjoy the next several days of listening, watching, reading, and drooling. November is here and the time is right for getting lost in the darkness on the edge of town.

It was billed as an anniversary show for the Springsteen-produced American Babylon album, but that was probably just an excuse for the two old friends, Bruce and Joe Grushecky, to get together and rock the house again. Whatever the case, only four songs from the 15-year old album were played, and focus was on songs that that are always highlights when Joe and Bruce are in charge of the entertainment, such as "Murder Incorporated", "Pumping Iron", "Code of Silence" and "Talking to the King". The event took place last night at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, and apropos of the location, Bruce opened the show by entering the stage alone and playing an acoustic version of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find (Pittsburgh)" (its only second live appearance ever). He followed up with "For You" and "This Hard Land" before leaving the stage to Grushecky & the Houserockers for a few songs of their own. However, it wasn't long before everyone was together on stage for what the packed house was there for: a blistering night of rock 'n' roll, with Bruce in the leading role, but closely followed by Joe, the local hero.

One of the biggest surprises of the night came about halfway through the set when Bruce chose to world premiere the soon to be released Darkness outtake "Save My Love". It was obviously well-rehearsed and featured a sweet guitar solo, and while The Houserockers did an excellent job as the backing band, one can only imagine how it would sound live with the E Street Band. Bruce at least looked more than fit and ready to tour again, but so far tonight's repeat performance with Grushecky in Pittsburgh is the only thing listed in his time manager. At least that the public knows about.

Check out the complete setlist, watch a video, and - if you were there - add your review.

It seemed hopelessly far off in the future when the Darkness box was announced back at the end of August. With only two weeks left before the big day, it looks like we may actually make it. We may actually get to hold this perhaps most eagerly awaited Springsteen release ever, in our trembling, sweaty hands.

With every new glimpse of what the box contains, expectations have gone up notch after notch. So far the only complaint has concerned how the outtakes album may not be actual outtakes, but more like reworkings of songs that were left over from the Darkness sessions. Bruce's modern voice is often heard, and lyrics and instruments that were probably missing from the original outtakes have been added. However, listening to the result, you have to be a pretty big purist to not appreciate the rich sound and fully realized production of these songs, and how this is so much more than an outtakes album. The Promise will rank as a full-fledged album alongside Springsteen's most important work, and several new classics will be added to the song canon. Would you really have preferred recordings with missing verses, technical flaws, and sloppy performances over that? Because the fact probably is that very few of the Darkness outtakes were finished, and those that were finished were probably, to a big extent, already included on Tracks.

While several of the songs on The Promise double album have been heard through various sources (including a leak this last weekend that some called deliberate and others a major blunder that will cost someone their job), and lots of fans have also had the chance to watch the documentary on TV or in the movie theater, very little is still known about the 2009 live performance of the Darkness album and the full Houston show. Time will tell if we will get a few appetizers from those items, but if not, maybe that's OK. There is still nothing like pulling the plastic wrapping off a brand new Springsteen release and not knowing exactly what you're getting, but knowing it will have the potential to rock your world, literally and metaphorically.

May the next two weeks feel like a day and a half. Bring it on.

Two weeks ago we launched a new trivia quiz in order to celebrate our new design, and today, almost 200 entries later, we are happy to announce the winner. And the name is...

Brad Elliott

We deliberately didn't say "the lucky winner", because the fact is, Brad was the only one to get all the answers right. So he is in truth the "very competent winner" and really deserves the prize. He will soon be the owner of a copy of the book The Light in Darkness, kindly donated by the author, Lawrence Kirsch.

To the rest of you, thank you for playing along. Hope to do it again some other time. And now you are probably dying to know what the correct answers were. Lots of you only missed only one or two answers, and admittedly, there were some really hard ones included. Here goes:

1. Which of these top 10 hits was never promoted with an official video?
Answer: Cover Me
Most of you had no trouble with this one. Even though the "Dancing in the Dark" video had been a great success, no video was made for the second single off the Born in the USA album.

2. Why did Bruce not use his old Fender Esquire on the 2009 tour?
Answer: It was used in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame exhibition
That's right, and as far as I know, the legendary guitar can still be seen there.

3. When was the first show billed as “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band”?
Answer: 1974
Bruce started playing with the group of musicians who would become the E Street Band as early as 1972, but it wasn't until 1974 that they would actually be billed as such.

4. Which of these songs from Tracks has yet to be performed live by Bruce?
Answer: "Rockaway the Days"
Yes, unfortunately this gem has yet to have its live premiere. Am I the only one thinks it would work really well?

5. When was Bruce’s first performance on live television?
Answer: 1988
This was a tough one for most of you, and understandably so. It is often believed that Bruce's first performance on live television was his appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1992 with his new band. However, four years earlier, during the Tunnel of Love Tour, he and Clarence got on stage at an anti-racism benefit concert in Paris, France, billed as SOS Racism, which was shown live on French TV.

6. Which of these bands was Bruce a member of for a week in 1995?
Answer: Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers
After producing Grushecky's album American Babylon, Bruce continued to help promote his Pittsburgh friend by joining his band for several shows during what became known as the "October Assault".

7. What did Steel Mill call themselves before they changed their name to Steel Mill?
Answer: Child
Legend has it that there was already a band in the neighborhood named Child, so Bruce and his pals changed their name to Steel  Mill.

8. Which of these countries has Bruce never played in?
Answer: Russia
Unlike many other big stars, Bruce has yet to perform in Russia. There was talk of a show in Moscow during the Human Rights Now! Tour in 1988, but it didn't materialize. In return, he did perform in Athens, Greece, during that tour, and that remains his only gig there. If you're wondering about the Poland option, Bruce did two shows there in 1997 as part of the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, the only time Bruce has included any part of Eastern Europe in one of his own tours.

9. How did Bruce celebrate his 40th birthday in 1989?
Answer: He got on stage at a local bar
The show took place at McLoone's Rumrunner in Sea Bright. Along with several E Street Band members he took matters in his own hands and proved that 40 wasn't too old to rock.

10. Which of these stars has Bruce never shared a live stage with?
Answer: Michael Jackson
Bruce and Michael Jackson did perform together if you count the recording of the "We Are the World" single, but the question referred to a live stage. Many of you thought it had to be Prince, but Bruce actually guested with Prince in Inglewood, California, in 1985. They did "Little Red Corvette" together.

11. Who did Bruce pay tribute to when he sang “Remember When the Music” in 1987?
Answer: Harry Chapin
No problems with this question for just about any of you. The event was released as a live album that also includes Bruce's performance.

12. What is the only town in Montana that Bruce has ever played in?
Answer: Whitefish
Bruce has never performed publicly in Montana, but he did get on stage at a birthday party for his friend and producer Chuck Plotkin in his house in Whitefish in 1996.

Our friend Lawrence Kirsch has donated a brand new copy of his first much sought-after book For You to a raffle benefitting the Canadian Cancer Society. All you have to do to get a chance to win the book is to make a $10 donation. A $15 donation will give you three chances. That's much less than it would cost you on eBay (you can forget about finding it in stock in regular stores) and you get to support a very worthy cause. Check out Lawrence's own site for more information on how this new classic in Springsteen literature can be yours.

You also still have a chance to get your hands on Lawrence's second book, The Light in Darkness, right here on Greasy Lake in our offiical 2010 Redesign Trivia Quiz. Surprisingly, despite a few hundred entries so far, only one person got all the questions right so far, so with a little research this book could really be yours!

In a mini-reprise of 1995's "October Assault" when Bruce played with his friend Joe Grushecky's band for a week, the two old friends will join forces again in November for two shows. The shows will take place on November 4 and 5 at something called Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh. They will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Grushecky's American Babylon album which was produced by Bruce, just as Bruce wrote and co-wrote a few songs, played guitar and sang backup, and which also led to Bruce joining Grushecky's Houserockers on the road. If you haven't heard the album, it's well worth tracking down. Bruce's fingerprints are all over it, but Joe Grushecky's own sound and writing are first class too. Same thing will no doubt be the case in November. Tickets will be hard though. They go on sale on October 20 through Ticketmaster.

A listener of E Street Radio called in the other day with the following story about going to a Bruce show in 2008 with her silent daughter. The story deserves to be heard by even more people so we're happy to share it with you, in Joanne Obara's own writing, here on Greasy Lake, just as another example of how Bruce's music can literally make a difference in people's lives.

In August 2008 I took my family of four which consists of my husband Frank, daughter Francesca (she doesn't speak) who was 8 at the time and my son Connor who was 6 to the show in Foxboro, Massachusetts. I originally had tickets for the show in July 2008 at Giant Stadium but got the dates mixed up (first time ever) and didn't get to see the show. After overcoming being hysterical, which my husband commented that I probably wouldn't be that upset if something happened to him, I happened to be searching for other shows I could possibly see since he wasn't playing at Giant Stadium for awhile and that's how we wound up in Foxboro.

As I was searching for tickets, the pit section opened up at Gillette Stadium so I asked my husband what he thought and since he never had pit tickets either, he said go for it. The concert was on a Saturday so I got a hotel and we left on our family road trip to see Bruce. We started out early Saturday for our drive, in downpour rain, to attend an outdoor concert. We were hopeful the rain would stop by the time the concert started.

By the time we made it to the hotel, the rain stopped. Sure enough as soon as we got into the stadium there was another down pour and there we all were in the pit section, looking as if someone poured buckets of water on us. Well after that, and a delayed start because apparently Bruce had trouble getting to Foxboro because of the rain, we had the greatest time.

Since my daughter doesn't speak, and happened to be standing by someone who had lots of keys attached to his belt, she started playing with them. He said something to her but I explained to him that she doesn't speak and he said that he worked backstage and when he went back there again, he'd get a copy of the set list for her (I was definitely more excited about it than she was). Never thinking that he would do this, but he did, he brought her back a copy of the set list. I didn't realize that Bruce still handwrites his set list which was even more exciting, again for me, but Francesca was excited too. Needless to say people started gathering around to see this list so I told the person who got it for her, I was going to put it away for now because it was still a little damp out from all the rain, and would have if framed for her. I never realized how close the pit gets you to the stage so we were able to take some really great pictures which I had framed together with the set list.

Since that concert, I've taken them to see Bruce at Penn State (another road trip) in May 2009 and at Giant Stadium in 2009 and to this day whenever my daughter hears Bruce, she can actually say part of his name. She loves the pictures and set list which is hanging so she sees it all the time, it's actually a big collection of photos, the concert tickets and set list. It cost a small fortune to have all this framed, but the end result was well worth it.

I guess the point to all this is how Bruce touches many lives, even those who can't speak, because she never forgets about the concerts and when she hears him on the radio, how great it is to hear her say his name and the connection she makes with him and his music. Hopefully when Bruce is touring again, I will make it a point of taking my family and we might even do another road trip!

Thank you, Joanne, for sharing your stories with the readers of Greasy Lake. It's worth remembering when we complain about setlists and whether things were better in the old days.

As you have probably noticed, change has come to Greasy Lake. Today we present a brand new version of the site, with brand new features and a brand new look. The highlights include:

• New reference section with all the trivia you need about Bruce: discography, setlists, chords and lyrics
• A new Google map showing all the historic places that any Bruce fan should know
• A new Leisure section where you can test your Bruce knowledge and vote in the poll
• The possibility to share Greasy Lake news stories with your Facebook friends
• The possibility to rate songs and albums
• A cool new look for the message board
• An updated timeline complete with embedded YouTube videos showing the highlights of Bruce's career

Apart from that, we hope the site has become easier to use with the things you need only a few clicks away.

As if all that wasn't enough, we hope to add even more features in the coming months, including a bibliography of Springsteen books (left behind on the old version of Greasy Lake), a Greasy Lake museum, and much more.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention our new official Facebook page where we'll keep you up to date with what's happening in the Bruce world and on Greasy Lake in particular. If you're more into Twitter (or both), also don't forget our official Twitter page with more than 2000 followers.

To celebrate this new version, today also sees the launch of a new trivia quiz where one lucky winner can get his or her hands on a copy of Lawrence Kirsch's incredible book about the Darkness Tour and album, The Light in Darkness.

Go try it out!

Well, we hope you enjoy the changes! Feel free to contact us if you find any errors or there's something you can't figure out. Or if you just want to send us a comment.

Bruce is seemingly relaxing after his recent trip to Toronto, but others are busy keeping him in the spotlight and using their creativity to honor their hero. Several fan projects have seen or will be seeing the light of day during this fall. A new all-Bruce internet radio show, "Groove It All Night", has emerged on something called HomeGrownRadioNJ. Every other week the host Julian Garcia will play Bruce music for two hours from 9-11 PM EST. Next time will be Wednesday, October 13. Read more here. And if you're interested in the whole Bruce fan phenomenon, a new documentary is in the works that will focus on the connection between Bruce and his fans. The documentary is directed by Steve Matoren and is called "Is There Anybody Alive Out There?" More info can be found on the project's official Facebook page.

Also of great interest to Bruce fans, and visitors of this site in particular, is a new novel by long-time Greasy Lake member April Lindner simply called Jane. The book is not about Bruce per se, but is inspired by him and the classic novel Jane Eyre. You can find out more by watching this YouTube trailer, or you can go straight to Amazon and buy it.

As if that wasn't enough, another Greasy Lake member, Linda K. Randall has worked hard on a book about Springsteen fans. It's due on October 22 and is titled "Finding Grace in the Concert Hall". It is based on long research among people like us, including several Greasy Lake members. Not much official info, but you can look at the cover here.