In the face of darkness at the edge of town, the perfect call is to the “Ghostbusters!” On Halloween night, Bruce Springsteen wowed fans at Centre Bell in Montreal by kicking off his show with a rendition of Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic Ghostbusters theme song. This marked the first occasion that the 75-year-old rock legend performed the hit live.
A fan video from the event captures The E Street Band starting the song with its recognizable keyboard and horn intro, while Springsteen’s backup singers dance energetically. When he steps up to the mic to sing, “If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?”, the crowd eagerly joins in, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Springsteen’s Ghostbusters cover electrifies Montreal fans in Halloween concert
Following the Ghostbusters cover, Springsteen guided the E Street Band back to their signature hits. The remainder of the setlist featured beloved tracks like “Hungry Heart,” “No Surrender,” “Racing in the Streets,” “The Rising,” and “Atlantic City.” He also included newer songs such as “Letter to You” and “Nightshift,” a cover of the Commodores’ track from his 2022 album, Only the Strong Survive.
Recently, setlist surprises have become less frequent for Springsteen, and the members of The E Street Band have embraced this change. In the new Hulu and Disney+ documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the musicians expressed their appreciation for Springsteen’s decision to maintain a consistent setlist rather than frequently altering it.
“It’s not a jam session, it’s not stump the band. It’s an experience. It’s a show,” said Garry Tallent, who has played bass with Springsteen since his debut album in 1973. He emphasized that Springsteen crafts the setlist with care, revealing different emotions each time a song is performed.
In the documentary, Springsteen elaborated, “[The] setlist is going to communicate the story you are trying to tell your audience this time around.” He chose 25 songs to convey the narrative he wanted to express, allowing the audience to connect with him at this stage of his career.
The Canadian leg of Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour will run until November 22, culminating in a concert at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Plans are also in place for a European tour in May, June, and July of next year.
