NEW YORK -- A surprise collaboration by Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel capped Thursday night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert, at Madison Square Garden.
"Long Island is about to meet New Jersey on the neutral ground of New York City," Springsteen said, at about 1 a.m., as the six-hour show was winding down. Joel, who hadn't been among the confirmed guests for the all-star concert, took his place at a grand piano, with two members of his own band temporarily joining the E Street Band.
Joel sang three of his own songs -- "You May Be Right," "Only the Good Die Young" and "New York State of Mind" -- with Springsteen adding some duet vocals. Then he dueted with Springsteen's on the Boss' "Born To Run." Both men participated in the evening's last song, a joyous run through Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" with John Fogerty, Darlene Love, Tom Morello and Sam Moore (who all also performed during Springsteen's set) helping out, and Jackson Browne and Peter Wolf chipping in on backing vocals.
There were many other surprises in the course of the evening.
Jeff Beck, who is on the bill for the second anniversary concert, Friday, showed up on Thursday, too, helping Stevie Wonder perform "Superstition." Wonder also paid tribute to Michael Jackson by singing the Jackson hit, "The Way You Make Me Feel," with the help of John Legend, and brought out Sting for a medley of his own "Higher Ground" and the Police's "Roxanne."
David Crosby and Graham Nash sang backing vocals on Paul Simon's cover of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," and Crosby, Nash and Stephen Stills performed an unplugged version of the Allman Brothers Band's "Midnight Rider" with Bonnie Raitt.
Springsteen and Fogerty paid tribute to Roy Orbison by singing Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman"; Springsteen wouldn't have had the courage to attempt it on his own, he said. Springsteen, who was on the stage the longest of any co-headliner (about an hour and 45 minutes), also talked about seeing Sam Moore, when he was part of the duo Sam and Dave, at the Satellite Lounge near Fort Dix, and said he learned a lot about leading a band from watching Moore work.
Tom Hanks made a short speech at the start of evening, talking about the power of rock 'n' roll.
After an opening number by Jerry Lee Lewis, the show had four sets, anchored by Springsteen, Wonder, Simon and Crosby, Stills and Nash; all welcomed various guests. Among those who will perform at Friday's show are U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, Ray Davies, Ozzy Osbourne, Buddy Guy and Lenny Kravitz.
The shows will raise funds to establish a permanent endowment for for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, and its museum.
Though these are billed as 25th anniversary concerts, the foundation was actually formed 26 years ago, in 1983, the hall started inducting members in 1986, and it opened its doors to the public in Cleveland in 1995.
Four hours of highlights from both shows will air on HBO on Nov. 29.
Full reviews of the Thursday and Friday shows will appear in The Star-Ledger on Saturday and Monday, respectively.
Here is Thursday's setlist:
Jerry Lee Lewis
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On"
Crosby, Stills and Nash
"Woodstock"
"Marrakesh Express"
"Almost Cut My Hair"
"Love Has No Pride" (with Bonnie Raitt)
"Midnight Rider" (with Raitt)
"The Pretender" (with Jackson Browne)
"Mexico" (with James Taylor)
"Love the One You're With" (with Taylor)
"Rock and Roll Woman"
"Teach Your Children" (with Raitt, Browne and Taylor)
Paul Simon
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
"Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard"
"You Can Call Me Al"
"The Wanderer" (with Dion)
"Here Comes the Sun" (with Crosby and Nash)
"Late In the Evening"
"Two Kinds of People" (Little Anthony and the Imperials a cappella, Simon offstage)
"The Sounds of Silence" (Simon returns with Art Garfunkel)
"Mrs. Robinson"/"Not Fade Away" medley
"The Boxer"
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Simon and Garfunkel encore:
"Cecilia"
Stevie Wonder
"Blowin' In the Wind"
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
"I Was Made to Love Her"
"For Once In My Life"
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"
"Boogie On Reggae Woman"
"The Tracks Of My Tears" (with Smokey Robinson)
"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (with John Legend)
"The Way You Make Me Feel" (with Legend)
"The Thrill Is Gone" (with B.B. King)
"Living For the City"
"Higher Ground"/"Roxanne" medley (with Sting)
"Superstition" (with Jeff Beck)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
"Hold On, I'm Comin' " (with Sam Moore)
"Soul Man" (with Moore)
"The Ghost of Tom Joad" (with Tom Morello)
"Fortunate Son" (with John Fogerty)
"Proud Mary" (with Fogerty)
"Oh, Pretty Woman" (with Fogerty)
"Jungleland"
"A Fine, Fine Boy" (with Darlene Love)
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (with Love)
"London Calling" (with Morello)
"Badlands" (with Morello)
Springsteen encores
"You May Be Right" (with Billy Joel)
"Only the Good Die Young (with Joel)
"New York State of Mind" (with Joel)
"Born To Run" (with Joel)
"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (with Joel, Moore, Fogerty, Love, Morello, Browne and Peter Wolf)