Springsteen to Offer Holiday Rock

11/21/2003 1:22 PM, Reuters
Barry A. Jeckell

Bruce Springsteen will stage a trio of holiday concerts next month in his adopted hometown of Asbury Park, N.J.

The Dec. 5-7 shows at the Asbury Park Convention Hall will benefit several local charities and organizations. The Max Weinberg 7 -- the house band on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien " led by the E Street Band drummer -- will back the boss, as they have for such past shows.

Billed as Bruce Springsteen & the Max Weinberg 7 & Friends, the shows will likely draw on the talents of such pals as "Southside Johnny" Lyon and Garland Jeffries, as well as various E Street Band members. The 2001 series also saw unannounced appearances by Elvis Costello and Bruce Hornsby .

Tickets, priced at $100, go on sale Nov. 22 via Ticketmaster phone outlets only. Sales will be restricted to two tickets per show, per phone call. Tickets will not be available in advance and will need to be picked up at the venue on the night of the show.

A new three-disc best-of, "The Essential Bruce Springsteen" (Columbia), debuted this week at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 album charts.

Reuters/Billboard