Austin Bogues

@AustinBogues

I wasn't a Bruce Springsteen fan.

As a young black millennial from coastal Virginia, I grew up liking genres as varied as hip-hop and Broadway showtunes, but never really got into the particular blend of classic rock Springsteen offers.

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Granted, I might never become a "super-fan" like the legions who see him rock stadiums across the globe each year.

But I understood the moment that thousands witnessed during the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival.

I'm an avid Jay Z fan. I take it to heart at the end of each concert when he thanks the audience and says "You could have been anywhere in the world, but you're here with me. I appreciate that."

And I love a great superhero story.

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What happened on stage at the Paramount Theatre was nothing less than the culmination of one.

Before I moved to the Shore last summer to take the job as the Press's Asbury Park beat writer, nearly everyone from my hometown in Virginia asked me about the city's connection to Springsteen.

The A-list rock superstar is firmly ingrained in Asbury Park's soul.

It's not uncommon for pictures of Springsteen or his memorabilia to be in shops and diners around the Shore, some with notations on the time he may have visited.

At the Press office in nearby Neptune there are portraits of him throughout the office spaces and meeting rooms. Some of his lyrics are etched into glass.

Saturday afternoon when I talked with Asbury Park City Councilwoman Eileen Chapman, one of the city's biggest arts patrons, her voice was almost reverential when talking about Springsteen's surprise appearance the previous night on stage along with Southside Johnny. "It was very special," Chapman said, putting her hand over her heart. "It was an amazing night."

Spirituality can come differently for different people. I remember once years ago while covering a Bishop T.D. Jakes sermon at a ministers' conference, one of my coworkers unfamiliar with the pageantry and shouting of the black megachurch scene turned to me and remarked, "This is louder than an AC/DC concert."

That memory lingered when I saw people chant for "The Boss" Saturday night as he walked onstage at the Paramount with Little Steven.

He wasn't there either night at the festival to take the lead, but to support the other acts. To lend a helping hand to their moment to shine.

But the second Little Steven said at the end of his set "Where's my brother?", everyone in the audience knew who he was referring to.

People waved their hands to the sky. They sang lyrics word for word. Some left with tears in their eyes. Others pumped their fists with excitement.

From the "Greetings, from Asbury Park" album to songs like "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", Springsteen has indeed made the hymns of the Shore. His voice and demeanor are rugged, like some of the hard times seen through the years by some of the towns, especially Asbury Park. But it hasn't lost its strength.

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For this crowd at the Paramount, the hometown hero had delivered. It was like LeBron James suiting up again for Cleveland to win the title.

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"Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!" they yelled, like the closing fight of a "Rocky" movie.

It's hard not to root for a storyline like that.

Afterward, Press writer Chris Jordan, who is much more versed in Springsteen, pulled me aside.

"You're lucky," he said. "You got to see Bruce Springsteen play, and you're lucky you got to see him play Asbury Park."

Austin Bogues abogues@gannettnj.com; 732-643-4009