New Jersey comes to mind when you think of Bruce Springsteen’s early years, from his birthplace in Long Branch to his years in Asbury Park, but there’s a lot of the Philly region in him, too, including Upper Darby, Bryn Mawr, and Villanova.

Springsteen is back in the area with his E Street Band on stage Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center, writes A.D. Amorosi for Metro Philadelphia.

The Boss’ local musical journey begins in 1973 when he played shows at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr.

The locale, which became Springsteen’s unofficial clubhouse, was where the bootlegged WMMR-FM recorded concert hosted by David Dye and Ed Sciaky comes from. 

You’d also find the musician and his E Street Band playing shows on the Villanova University campus and at Upper Darby’s Tower Theatre.

Sciaky, an influential Philly radio disc jockey, introduced Springsteen to David Bowie when he was recording “Young Americans” at North 12 Street’s Sigma Sound Studios in 1974.

Springsteen broke some records here, too. His longest U.S. show, lasting 4 hours and 4 minutes, with 34 songs, took place in Philadelphia in 2016.

Read more about Bruce Springsteen and his local musical roots at Metro Philadelphia.