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Rock

Bruce Springsteen Covers 'Ghostbusters' in Montreal on Halloween: Watch

The Boss brings out some spooky energy to open his arena show at Montreal's Bell Centre.

Bruce Springsteen performs at Footprint Center on March 19, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bruce Springsteen performs at Footprint Center on March 19, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
John Medina/Getty Images

Bruce Springsteen brought out a ghostly cover in Montreal last night (Oct. 31).

Playing the city's Bell Centre on Halloween, the Boss opened with a cover of Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters," from the movie of the same name — a song that Billboard has named the second biggest Halloween song of all time on the Hot 100.


The band honoured the spooky holiday with a classic cover and some eerie walk-on music, entering the stage as a haunted organ riffed over the sound system. Springsteen came out last, in a white shirt and black vest, and told the crowd "bonsoir!" before drummer Max Weinberg launched into the opening fill from the '80s hit.

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Springsteen's E Street Band was more than up to the task of matching Parker Jr.'s original track, blasting out the iconic horn parts. Back-up singers brought some Michael Jackson "Thriller" moves to the stage while Springsteen spoke-sung the legendary question: "when there's something strange in your neighbourhood / who you gonna call?"

If the Ghostbusters themselves aren't available, Springsteen seems like a good alternative.

After the high-energy opener Springsteen launched into his own material, performing nearly thirty songs. Alongside the major hits like "Dancing in the Dark" and "Born to Run," Springsteen also brought out 2007's "Long Walk Home," originally written about living through the presidency of George W. Bush, which he described as "a prayer for my country." Springsteen recently endorsed Kamala Harris for President, ahead of the U.S. election on November 5, calling Donald Trump the "most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime."

The Montreal concert was part of a world tour that's been a long time in the making. Springsteen appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival in September for the premiere of his documentary Road Diary, chronicling his preparation for the tour after six years away from performing. The documentary pays tribute to two members of the E Street Band who have passed, Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, who Springsteen also highlighted with a dedication in Montreal, displaying their pictures during encore "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out."

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Springsteen's world tour continues across Canada in November. 

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Avril Lavigne at Festival d'été de Québec in Quebec City on July 4, 2025.
Stephane Bourgeois

Avril Lavigne at Festival d'été de Québec in Quebec City on July 4, 2025.

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