Springsteen playing Revel a longshot

Despite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's request, I wouldn't be making plans to see Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at the Revel mega-resort just yet if I were you.

As my pal Matt Katz of the Inquirer reported earlier today, in response to a question Matt asked Christie about Bruce's new "Wrecking Ball" CD, the guv responded with a public plea that his favorite rocker play Revel--which opens April 2--during Labor Day weekend. Not that it wouldn't be amazing to see the Bard of Asbury Park and his merry minstrels ripping it up at the state-of-the-art, 5,050-seat Ovation Hall which debuts May 18 with a performance by Maroon 5.  But it says here that has as much chance of happening as Newt Gingrich has of moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. next January.

First of all, the economics of such a gig gets in the way. There's a reason The Boss generally confines his appearances to basketball arenas and football stadiums: With only 5,000 tickets (minus players' comps) to sell, tickets would have to be priced way more than what populist hero Springsteen would no doubt be comfortable charging if he wanted to get his standard fee, which is believed to be seven figures per show.

Then there's Springsteen's well-documented distaste for Atlantic City's gambling dens. Springsteen has only played one official engagement in AyCee, in March, 2003 at Boardwalk Hall--a gig that was not sponsored by a casino. The only other time he has performed there during the legal gaming era was in the late-1980s, when he drove down the Garden State Parkway and--unnanounced--joined Jackson Browne on stage at the Grandstand Under the Stars, an outdoor venue operated by what was then known as Bally's Grand casino (now Atlantic Club).

I really hope I'm wrong, but despite Christie's request, Bruce at Revel seems to be llittle more than a super-fan's fantasy.