Despite a stellar lineup featuring The Black Crowes, Norah Jones, and The Revivalists, this year’s edition of the Asbury Park’s Sea.Hear.Now festival belonged to Bruce Springsteen. It felt as if the crowd was united by a uniform of Springsteen shirts, hats, and hoodies. The most popular merch item? Shirts reading “I Heard Bruce Might Show Up.”
The excitement kicked off Saturday night, right after Noah Kahan’s headlining set. Kahan, who has rapidly risen from near obscurity to headliner status in recent years, managed to captivate the audience of Springsteen devotees, with fans singing along to every song.
Noah Kahan
Whispers of The Boss making surprise appearances beyond his scheduled headlining set circulated all weekend, and those rumors turned into reality on Saturday night when he showed up for a secret set at the Stone Pony, just a block from the festival. Joined by other artists playing the weekend fest including Kahan, Grace Potter, Robert Randolph, Jake Clemons, and festival founder Danny Clinch, Springsteen led a three-song jam session of R&B-rock classics, including “Lucille,” “Down the Road Apiece,” and “Boom Boom.” After a day filled with memorable performances—including The Hives’ scorching set, The Black Crowes’ roaring reunion, 311’s surprisingly heavy show, and The Revivalists’ uplifting vibes—those lucky enough to witness Bruce in the legendary venue knew they’d be telling stories about that night for years to come.
The Hives
Sunday brought more excitement, starting with a Grateful Dead drag band followed by Kool & the Gang, who bombarded the crowd with hit after hit, proving why they’ve dominated the funk scene for over 50 years. Norah Jones and Action Bronson played simultaneously on opposite stages, likely drawing very different fanbases.
As the day wore on and anticipation built, Springsteen had yet another surprise: Late in the afternoon, he joined fellow Jersey native and Phish frontman Trey Anastasio onstage. An unlikely pairing, perhaps, but Trey, who grew up in Princeton, shared with the crowd that his first Springsteen concert was in 1978. Together they performed “Kitty’s Back,” leaving the crowd—and Bruce and Trey themselves—grinning ear to ear.
Bruce Springsteen and Trey Anastasio
As if that weren’t enough, Bruce made a quick dash to the Park stage to join The Gaslight Anthem for “History Books,” their recent duet, as well as the band’s 2010 hit “American Slang.” Remarkably, Bruce—at 74—still had a full three-hour headlining set ahead of him. And, as always, he delivered. Opening with a rousing “Greetings from Asbury Park!” Springsteen took the crowd on an emotional journey of hits, deep cuts, and heartfelt tributes to lost band members. One of the night’s most touching moments came mid-set when Bruce’s wife, Patti Scialfa, who was recently diagnosed with bone cancer, joined him for “Tougher Than the Rest.”
A Bruce Springsteen show is always a special experience. A Bruce show in New Jersey? Pure magic. But a Bruce show in Asbury Park? Legendary. 2025 has a high bar to clear.
Check out more highlights from the two-day fest in photos below.
The Revivalists
The Revivalists
The Revivalists
Norah Jones
Norah Jones
The Hives
The Hives
The Hives
The Hives
The Hives
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Bruce Springsteen and Trey Anastasio
Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan
311
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang
Guster
Wilderado
Wilderado
