Bruce Springsteen played two fun sets at the OceanFirst Bank Center at Monmouth University in New Jersey Thursday (6/4) and Friday (6/5) during the two-day concert event Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us.

Like other concerts you may have heard about celebrating America’s 250th birthday, this one went off without a hiccup, bringing together a long list of stars who all gave nods to many of the forms of music that was born in the USA.

It also happened to take place during the grand opening week of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, which is also at the university.

Over the two days Jon Bon Jovi, Public Enemy, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr., Jackson Browne, Kenny Chesney, Rosanne Cash, Mavis Staples, Dion, Darlene Love, Dropkick Murphys, Keb’ Mo’, Trombone Shorty and Little Steven took to the stage to sing "the songs that shaped us."

But naturally it was The Boss who many were there to see, who shined the spotlight on other songwriters than himself. Each night the New Jersey native only played one of his own songs, leaving the rest of the sets for covers.

For the opening night Bruce was joined by Rosanne Cash, Kenny Chesney, the Dropkick Murphys and Trombone Shorty while Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul played behind them all.

It seems improbable, but our database shows that when Bruce and Rosanne sang the timely Woody Guthrie cover "Deportee," it was the first time they'd ever dueted live.

Next to share the spotlight with Springsteen was another country star Kenny Chesney who got on stage to sing another Guthrie classic, "This Land is Your Land."

Bruce is no stranger to the song, he's done it 114 times live, just 30 behind Woody's son Arlo.

On the second night, Bruce did something he hasn't in a while, he covered a Bob Dylan song for the first time.

In the '70s when he started, Springsteen was often compared to The Bard. Over the years he's covered Dylan many times including on his current tour where he has played "Chimes of Freedom" each night.

Through his career Springsteen has done the tune from 1964's Another Side of Bob Dylan 72 times.

He's covered "I Want You" 13 times, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (5), "Highway 61 Revisited" (4), "Forever Young" (2), "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (2), "Mr. Tambourine Man" (2), "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (2), "All Along the Watchtower" (1), "Blowin' in the Wind" (1), "I Shall Be Released" (1), "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (1), and "Like a Rolling Stone" (1).

Now we can add "I Shall Be Released" to the tunes by Dylan covered by Springsteen.

Another Springsteen live debut was the Bobby "Blue" Bland blues classic "Farther Up the Road."

Joining him was the guitar slinger Gary Clark Jr. who sang the first verse and later soloed beautifully.

Also getting their turn to show their stuff was Jimmy Vaughan, Marc Ribler, and long-time E. Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren.

Nils often gets overlooked while on tour with Bruce because Springsteen likes to remind the crowd he can shred, then Little Steven gets to do a few solos during the night, which doesn't leave a lot for Lofgren. But any time he gets his chance it's a good thing.

Right before Springsteen covered Bland, Public Enemy added their voice to the American celebration with "Fight The Power."

It was so good that after they were done and Springsteen got on the stage he said, "man, you can't come on after Public Enemy... Jesus is coming back, he ain't coming back after Public Enemy."

Later they all came on stage to perform the Eddie Floyd classic, "Raise Your Hand."

Springsteen has covered the song over 240 times now making it his 5th most played tune written by another musician. It appears on the Boss's first live boxset Live 1975–85.

The Boss will next be at the Power to the People festival alongside Tom Morello, Dave Matthews, Foo Fighters, Dropkick Murphys, Joan Baez, Brittany Howard, Jack Black (alongside Tom's son Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss), Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, Taylor Momsen, Matt Cameron, The Linda Lindas, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, and others.

It's sold out, but you can learn more about it here.