Bruce Springsteen performs surprise duet with Zach Bryan in Brooklyn

Posted On March 28, 2024March 28, 2024

On March 27th, Bruce Springsteen delighted the crowd at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn as he made a surprise performance with Americana star Zach Bryan.

Bryan rose to fame unexpectedly. While he was serving in the US Navy, he posted a video of him performing an impassioned version of his track ‘Heading South’ outside of his barracks which went viral on social media, and placed him into the limelight.

When it became impossible to balance his music career with his military service, he was honourably discharged from the US Navy in 2021. At this stage, Bryan had already released two albums and due to his rising popularity, his artistry needed to become his primary focus.

Since then, his rise has been insurmountable. Bryan’s self-titled 2023 album, which arrived with little promotion, topped the Billboard 200, and also spawned the number-one single, ‘I Remember Everything’, with Kacey Musgraves.

Now, Bryan has another feather to add to his cap by receiving the backing of Springsteen. The duo, with the help of Rogers who had joined Bryan earlier in the evening to perform their collaboration ‘Dawns’, tore through a rendition of the unreleased track ‘Sandpaper’ before closing the show with the hit ‘Revival’.

Bryan hinted at the surprise appearance by wearing a Springsteen t-shirt for the concert and also using ‘Johnny 99’ as his walk-on song for the show in Brooklyn. The singer-songwriter has been open about his love of ‘The Boss’, previously sharing a cover on social media of ‘I’m on Fire’ from his Navy barracks.

The current leg of Bryan’s tour is set to continue on March 28th with another performance at the Barclays Centre before it moves along to Belmont Park in New Jersey for two shows at the UBS Arena. He will continue to play huge shows across the United States throughout 2024, before returning to the Barclays Centre to close the extensive run of dates with two last headline shows in the iconic Brooklyn venue.

As of yet, no dates have been announced outside North America. Despite being a huge star in the US, Bryan has only completed one UK tour, it took place in 2023 and the set of shows saw him play two intimate shows at the 890-capacity Islington Assembly Hall in London. If he returns to the UK again, it’s likely arenas beckon.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed Springsteen is set to make history by becoming the first international artist to be recognised as an Academy Fellow by The Ivor Novello Awards.

Springsteen said of the honour: “In addition to recognising my songwriting, the award stands as a tribute to the fans and friends who have supported me and my work for the last fifty years. This entire country has made me feel welcome every step of the way, and for this, I will always remain deeply appreciative.”

Watch Springsteen perform with Bryan and Rogers below.

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