Closing out his second night at MetLife Stadium with a bang.
Zach Bryan just wrapped up a two-night run in East Rutherford, NJ, at MetLife Stadium, kicking off the limited series of stadium shows ZB is doing this year.
“Always been a dream to play MetLife Stadium, so we’re doin’ it with Kings of Leon on July 20th, 2025.”
After announcing the show and seeing the high demand for tickets, he added two additional nights, extending his residency from July 18th to July 20th, 2025. Zach Bryan is no stranger to performing in stadiums and knows how to make the ample space feel intimate; he also knows how to put on a phenomenal show.
With Bryan hitting the stage at Met Life right after releasing a new single, “Madeline,” featuring Gabriella Rose, the viral voice behind “Doublewide,” fans knew there was a chance to hear this new single live. Zach wasted no time bringing it into the live show, performing it early in the setlist. During the first night of the residency, ZB performed it solo, but for nights two and three, he surprised the crowd by having Rose join him on stage.
@pkks072486 #zachbryan #madeline #gabriellarose #metlife #newjersey #gobirds🦅 ♬ original sound – Jersey Chick 😇
This was also the first time Zach Bryan had played other newly released singles, such as “River Washed Hair,” in the United States. While hearing new music live for the first time is a thrill that never gets old, it, however, does not live up to the thrill of seeing an unexpected guest appearance.
On the final night of his MetLife shows, Zach Bryan brought out a rock legend, along with the frontman of Kings of Leon for a special song. As Zach Bryan adjusts his harmonica, he addresses the crowd, bringing Caleb Followill back to the stage:
“One of them is Caleb Followill from Kings of Leon, one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met…”
But Followill was not the only man joining ZB on stage. He continues:
“And one of the greatest men to ever exist… a New Jersey native…”
Bryan got the crowd riled up before erupting with:
“Brruuuceeeee!”
The one and only, Mr. Bruce Springsteen. The Boss walked out onto the stage and embraced ZB for a hug before the three men launched into the 1982 hit “Atlantic City,” which appeared on his solo album Nebraska. The famed folk-rock song has since been covered by numerous artists, dropping listeners into the shoes of a young couple trying to escape poverty, dreaming of easy money and bright lights, but then they get wrapped up with the mob.
Springsteen strums one of his old electric guitars before joining the other two men, belting out the second verse.
“Now there’s trouble busing in from out of state
And the D.A. can’t get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out on the promenade
And the gambling commission’s hanging on by the skin of its teeth…”
All of the men support each other during the chorus, and Followill had his moment in the spotlight during the 4th verse, nailing the vocal delivery. It’s easy to see they are having a blast on stage and relishing in the moment before closing out the final night at MetLife Stadium. And for Zach, what an opportunity to share the stage with two of his musical heroes.
What are the odds we can get this group in the studio to cut a version of “Atlantic City?” Their voices mesh flawlessly together, and the combination of The Boss’s classic rock flair, the alt-rock stylings of Kings of Leon, and Bryan’s country roots works very well together, highlighting why this song is universally loved across numerous genres.
Check it out:
The timing of this performance was ideal for revisiting the song from the Nebraska tracklist, as the Springsteen biopic ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ is set to be released in October. Deliver Me From Nowhere focuses on the making of Nebraska and this era of Springsteen’s career.
Before you go, fire up The Boss’ original cut of “Atlantic City.”
