The lights were dim, the air warm, and the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Then he came out of the shadowy darkness with his inspirational lyrics and music, and shone a radiant light on all there.

Bruce, the Boss, was back in town to perform two solo-acoustic shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City. With seating for only 2,849, tickets were scarce and almost impossible to come by.

Although the air was cold outside, Springsteen's presence warmed his fans when he arrived at eight. He began singing the title track of his new album, "The Ghost of Tom Joad," inspired by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. The faithful fans chanted "Bruuuuce" as they normally would at stadium shows. Springsteen, however, made it very apparent that in order to give his best, everyone would have to be quiet as a mouse. As difficult as it was, the fans sat back, refrained from shouting, and probably singing every word in their heads. With only an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, his messages were brought out loudly and clearly.

As the night continued, Springsteen performed every song from his new album, in addition to classics such as "Darkness on the Edge of Town," "Born in the USA," and the award-winning, "Streets of Philadelphia." He told intriguing stories of his past, taught the crowd some history, and cracked a few jokes along the way. As for the music, Springsteen's voice and powerful guitar chords shot through the fans' hearts like lightning.

When Springsteen left the stage for the final time, two and a half hours later, just for a few moments, the lights were still dim, the air was still warm, and room was still full of silence