Pre-tour rehearsals for the Greetings From Asbury Park Tour took place at the Beacon Manor Hotel from Oct 23-25, 1972, featuring Bruce’s “new band” lineup of Federici, Tallent, Lopez and Clarence Clemons (who had played his final show with Norman Seldin’s Joyful Noyze at the Club Plaza in Bayville, NJ on Oct 21st. Although information is sketchy it is believed Bruce and the band gave an unadvertised, impromptu performance in the Hotel’s Nightclub (The Shipbottom Lounge) on the final night.
ONE show (part of Homecoming festivities), triple bill, with Springsteen bottom-billed and opening for the 2nd billed acapella group THE PERSUASIONS and headlining comedy duo CHEECH & CHONG. Bruce and the boys were a last minute addition to the show itinerary. According to one of the College’s concert organizers who contacted Brucebase, soon after Springsteen began his performance a dispute erupted backstage with Cheech & Chong’s management, who apparently were upset they had not been informed a third act had been booked. The end result was that Springsteen was forced to end his set prematurely, after only about 6 songs. A very brief review in the school’s newspaper gives the show a positive overall review but does not give any details on Springsteen’s set. Bruce would make a return appearance at West Chester on 22/11/74. Note: this West Chester show is currently the earliest known public performance of the “E Street Band” (Clemons, Federici, Lopez, Tallent).
Partial setlist. One show, with Bruce and his new band headlining the "2ND Annual Halloween Concert" at the Armory (see 31/10/71 for the 1ST Annual show). This was a triple bill that also featured ODIN and TUMBLEWEED. The show was organized and promoted by Bruce's former manager, Tinker West, who also handled the sound systems of all three bands for this show. This is believed to be start of the "Greetings from Asbury Park Tour" (not considering rehearsals and the show of 4 days before). Bruce is introduced as a "Columbia Recording Artist". The performance structure at this show would mirror the one utilized consistently for the next year: i.e., Bruce performed a short solo set and then brought on the band for the rest of the evening. Bruce and the band's performance lasted about 70-minutes and encompassed about 8 or 9 songs. One attendee has a memory of both "Santa Ana" and "Zero and Blind Terry" being played, although that seems unlikely (especially "Zero") given other information about Bruce's creation process for these two compositions.