A. M. Saddler Concert Photo of the Day - Bruce Springsteen - Soozie Tyrell

Welcome to The Concert Photo Of The Day for 07/31/12 .

Each day, when I awake and after I've made myself a cup of coffee I start the morning with a series of tasks related to The Concert Photo of the Day. There are days where I already have an idea who I would like to feature for that day and there are also days that I wait for the muse to sing her song. On occasion, like today, I get two different ideas about who should be featured and then spend a period of time figuring out which artist will be my choice. Today, I was presented with two choices. The first being Bruce Springsteen because today is the final stop of the 2012 European leg of the Wrecking Ball tour. The second, it's the birthday of Dropkick Murphys' multi-instrumentalist, Jeff DeRosa. I could have gone down either path and been happy with my choice.

But, I didn't have to choose one because I could choose both...and in the same photo!

The date was April 22, 2009. The place was TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. The occasion was Bruce Springsteen asking members of the Dropkick Murphys onstage to help kick things up a notch on the second night of a two night stand. When this photo was taken, the song being performed was American Land. As one might imagine, over the past few years, I've heard my share of performances of American Land. Maybe over-heard. Suffice to say, and I don't make this statement lightly, the E Street Band/Dropkick Murphys version that night is, and will probably remain, the best live version of that song ever. Musically and lyrically, it could have been a song recorded by either group and been stellar. With the combined musical voices of both bands, it kicked into the stratosphere. Of course, fans of either group already know that on any given evening, magic can happen and you get a performance of a lifetime. That's just the way it goes when a band gives it their all without trying to hold back anything. Both groups have a history of inviting people on stage who they enjoy playing music with and since that night in Boston, there has been a certain intertwining of the bands...some of which I've been lucky enough to witness and take a few photos. This is one of them and if you pay attention to my Twitter feed in the coming days, there just might be another intertwining happening soon.

So, best of luck to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on today's gig in Helsinki. May it be a fitting climax to an amazing tour leg and safe travels home to the United States. I know there are a lot of people ready to do their best that they can equal the energy level of the audiences in Europe and I'm sure you will do your best to give them a chance.

And, happy birthday Jeff DeRosa. May this day be filled with joy and may many more follow. There's just one thing I've always wanted to know...What part of Ireland does the DeRosa clan hail from???

Oh, what the hell...Soozie Tyrell...you are pretty swell, too!

Today's photo was taken with a Canon 7D camera body coupled with a Canon EF 200 mm f/2.0 IS L lens. The camera settings were ISO 1600, f/2.0 and a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second.