Went to New Jersey on Sunday. Not sure what was more exciting – seeing Brice Springsteen play at Giants Stadium or paying $3.85 for gas at an Exxon station in Hasbrouck.

Amazing. Seeing a 3 at the beginning of a gas price literally warms our hearts these days. Think about how that same 3 felt when the price of gas was on its way up. The feeling was more of a pit in the stomach. Queasiness. The sense of one’s wallet being drained. “These are better days,” as Mr. Springsteen once sang. But seeing gas prices that start with a 2 would be better still.

Springsteen was great. Always is. And, happily and unexpectedly, he’s back to playing more than three hours a night for the first time since the E Street Band’s 1999-2000 tour. He was clocking about 2:45 on the 2002-03 tour, 2:15 to 2:20 at the solo gigs in 2005, 2:30 on the “Seeger Sessions” tour in 2006 and 2:20 to 2:30 on the first U.S. leg on the current tour (this past fall and winter). Last night, he tallied a whopping 30 songs in three hours and 15 minutes – worth the price of admission, to be sure.

And even though I’ve now seen this guy 12 times (which still makes me a mere novice compared to the crazies who have been to 200 or 300 shows), he still manages to perform songs I’ve never heard live before. (Last night, it was “Spirit in the Night,” “Growin’ Up,” “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart” and “Tunnel of Love.”) That’s a testament to how deep Springsteen’s catalog is and to how deep he’s willing to dig to keep his shows fresh for fans who see him night after night after night.

Which reminds me – did I mention I’m seeing him again tonight? Freeman sports reporter Mike Stribl and I are hitting the road in a couple of hours for show No. 2 of the Boss’ three-night stand in East Rutherford. But lest you think that makes me a groupie, consider this: I’m skipping the Jersey finale on Thursday. Which is more than I can say for Mike.