Blimp Time-Hop: Bruce & E Street Bring Spring To Maine In 1977

It was 44 years ago today at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston. The one and only Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made their second trek to the Pine Tree State on March 19, 1977. Their first trip here was to Houlton four years earlier.

What a way to say goodbye winter and hello spring in Maine, eh?

Music promoter, Andrew Govatsos has an incredible relationship with the people of WBLM going back to the beginning in 1973. He was one of the first advertisers on the Blimp over 45 years ago to get the word out about upcoming live rock shows.

He has been working with us throughout his career from his early days as a concert producer and to this day as a record label representative.

Andrew was responsible for bringing Springsteen to the Central Maine Youth Center in 1977 and again to the Augusta Civic Center in the summer of '78.

This is what Andrew Govatsos told us about the historic Bruce show in Lewiston.

"We built a huge stage and topped it with parquet flooring used for basketball courts. It took an entire day to construct. I also remember Bruce having the longest guitar cord I'd ever seen, so he could walk out into the crowd. Nobody got pushy with him. Everyone was very cool and reverent, like the were witnessing something holy. Stephen King was in the audience that night too! A very special show!"

We figure if you've scrolled down this far you must be right into this Maine rock milestone.

So here's what the Boss played in L/A 44 years ago today.

setlist.fm

Lookie here. We still have a stub, bub.

wblm.com

And the concert poster! Check out how the Springsteen is spelled. Oopsie.

wblm.com courtesy of Andrew Govatsos

Here's what Andrew Govatsos shared on the anniversary last year.

"Forty three years ago today we promoted Bruce Springsteen in Lewiston Maine. The newspaper ran the ad with the wrong spelling! We were in our early twenties.The venue was the Central Maine Youth Center. Years before Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) knocked out Sonny Liston there. I remember looking down from the press box with BC Cloutier with goosebumps watching Bruce for the first time. Great memories with my Lewiston friends!! Show was magical!! WBLM was the station then and still now! Love the spelling😊😊😊"

There was once a good quality recording treasure of Backstreets from the '77 Lewiston show on YouTube. Unfortunately, it has been taken down. However, we can still listen to this performance from Boston a few days after the concert in Maine. Most of the comments below it say, this is the best version ever.