Bruce Springsteen Performing With U2 For World AIDS Day

Last night, with Bono out of action, Bruce Springsteen took to the stage with U2 in Times Square for the RED Charity.  You can watch the above video and judge yourself, but I thought the performance was a mixed bag.  Bruce has performed a string of covers this year, but most of them were helped by the E Street Band spinning it to give it a more unique feel.  Here, Bruce is just plopped in along with the rest of U2, so it gives it more of a "karaoke" sound.  Bruce was trying a bit much in "Where The Streets Have No Name", sounding very growl-y and uber-serious.  However, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" felt a bit more relaxed and had more of the classic Springsteen concert feel, getting the rain-soaked crowd more engaged.  It is worth noting that ESPN had to cut to commercial before the end of the song, just showing how tight Bruce had to tailor his act for the Super Bowl performance back in 2009.  While it may not be Bruce's strongest appearance, I have been thoroughly enjoying this small set of live performances of Bruce over the last month - it's been too long!