As someone who grew up within spitting distance from New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen’s long loomed large in my musical psyche. I’m not as gaga over the guy as many others are, but he’s a masterful songwriter and an unbelievable live performer. What impresses me more than anything is that even forty years into his career, at 61 years of age, the man performs like he has something to prove. When you’ve been doing the same thing for so long-even if it’s something you love-it’s very easy to get jaded. Check out the clip of Bruce performing “Because the Night” (a song he wrote that first became a hit for the Patti Smith Group, then became a smash for 10,000 Maniacs a decade and a half later) on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” last night (video courtesy of The Audio Perv . Pure passion. The guy looks and sounds great.

Of course, he’s joined by The Roots, who have thrown themselves behind just about every musical performance that has occurred on this show so far. Not just another house band, not just a hip-hop band, The Roots are one of the 5 or so best bands in the world right now (they’d have to be to make me watch Fallon. Because, seriously? He’s kind of insufferable).

I have to reiterate…this is AMAZING stuff. Watch it (before it gets taken down).