ANTICIPATION has been building for Bruce Springsteen's return to Ireland ever since this weekend's Croke Park gigs were announced earlier this year.
The Boss's current tour is based around his seminal 1980 album, The River - the record that predated by four years Born in the USA, which catapulted Springsteen to global fame.
And finally, after a tour which has taken in cities from New York to Barcelona, the Boss has arrived in sunny Dublin.
The streets around Croke Park are festooned with American flags; the stadium is brimming with eager fans; rounds of chants sweep through the crowd; the air crackles with suspense.
As Springsteen steps on stage, excitement reaches fever pitch. "Hello Dublin", he smiles, "My God there's a lot of you", before he launches into the opening bars of the soaring Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Springsteen is famous for his exuberant - and lengthy - performances, and, tonight, he doesn't disappoint.
Even after a career which has spanned several decades, it seems that the Boss approaches each new gig with the same degree of relish, throwing himself into the moment with a remarkable vigour.
He bounds across the stage, sporting an unfaltering grin; cups a hand to his ear to better hear the applause.
He's as energised by the crowd as we are by him - indeed, in one of his frequent forays into the pit, he even collects a selection of banners home-made by fans and brings them back on to the stage with him.
The setlist includes all the hits from Springsteen's fifth album, as well as a smattering of others. The audience is enchanted by renditions of My Love Will Not Let You Down, Two Hearts, Sherry Darling, and Roulette (which the singer introduces as "the first song the band cut for The River").
The musicians this evening are as tight as any you'll hear; the show runs like a well-oiled machine, but at no point does it feel formulaic.
"We don't play this one that often", Springsteen says by way of introduction to Back in Your Arms, momentarily parting with his trusty Telecaster guitar, and delivering some stunning vocals.
"This is a teaching moment", he jokes, before providing a bit of impromptu relationship advice halfway through the song. After this, he picks up the pace, holding out his microphone to coax the crowd into belting out the lyrics of Hungry Heart - all the while strolling around the arena.
Further highlights include the anthemic Crush on You and the title track from The River - which features an impressive harmonica solo - but there isn't a bum note in a concert that serves as a reminder of Bruce Springsteen's consummate professionalism, talent and warmth.
All those lucky enough to have tickets for the Boss's second Dublin gig on Sunday are in for a treat.
