Bruce Springsteen sang and guitarist Nils Lofgren played during a Dec. 11, 1984, concert at Rupp Arena. “I’m a cool, rocking daddy in the U.S.A.,” Springsteen screamed during the opening of the show to the sellout crowd of more than 23,000 fans. Springsteen and his E Street Band opened the show with the title track to his album “Born in the U.S.A.” Before he sang another popular song, “My Hometown,” he took a moment to explain his involvement with local food drives and to urge support for the local God’s Pantry food crisis center and Good Foods Co-op. “If you’ve got a lot, then give a little,” he said before starting the song, “because this your hometown.” The Boss, as the New Jersey native is sometimes known, even tried his had at comedy with the crowd, who paid $16 for a ticket. During “Pink Cadillac,” he hushed the E Streeters to tell one of the many extended stories that were among the show’s highlights. This one had him explaining that the Garden of Eden, according the latest theologoical studies, was “10 miles south of Jersey City, off the New Jersey Turnpike. That’s why they call it the Garden State.” Other songs included “Born to Run,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “Glory Days,” and “Dancing in the Dark.” During an encore, the group busted out “My Old Kentucky Home” before closing the four-hour show. “You all must be pretty tired by now, right?” he said before donning a Santa Claus cap and preparing for the finale of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” Click here to see another image from our archives from the concert. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff