New Jersey's native sons will be playing at a benefit concert airing commercial-free on NBC Friday night:
The telethon, also to be shown on NBC Universal networks Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA and live streamed on NBC.com, will benefit the American Red Cross, with proceeds going toward victims of Hurricane Sandy.
"Today" show anchor Matt Lauer, who announced the concert on air on Thursday, will host. Donors can also text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.
On Tuesday, Springsteen tweeted a picture of the legendary Stone Pony club in New Jersey, saying "The Stone Pony stands proud despite hurricane Sandy!"
The club, at the ocean's edge in Asbury Park, N.J., one of the shoreline communities lashed by the storm, has been associated with Springsteen since he performed there early in his career, and he continues to make appearances.
I can't think of anyone more strongly identified (in a good way) with the Jersey Shore than Bruce, so I'm happy to see him temporarily leaving the Obama campaign trail to perform at this important disaster relief event.
And, I'm sure it is not lost on any Springsteen fan that one of his very early songs, "4th of July, Asbury Park", was about the Shore... and was parenthetically named "Sandy". Freaky, or what?
And Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight, for I may never see you again
Hey, Sandy girl
My, my, baby