NJ gov says he didn't nod off at Springsteen show

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie insists he was listening — not sleeping — during a recent Bruce Springsteen concert in New York City.

Christie said a fan snapped a photo of him with head back and eyes closed during the Madison Square Garden show one day after he returned from the Middle East, with its six-hour time difference. The governor said The New York Post incorrectly concluded that he'd dozed off.

"What happened was, during 'Rocky Ground,' which is a really spiritual song, people sat. So I sat up on the seat, and I put my head back and closed my eyes and listened to the song," Christie said. "When I was fist-pumping during 'Badlands,' nobody took pictures during that. When I was singing to 'Out in the Street,' thankfully, no one took pictures of that."

The governor is a mega-fan who has attended 127 Springsteen concerts, though he and Springsteen seldom agree politically.

Christie said he buys his tickets from band members Steven Van Zandt or Max Weinberg at face value.

He joked Thursday that he more likely to die at a Springsteen show than doze off at one, even though the concerts can stretch on for three hours.

Christie had more trouble remembering who was with him at the show.

While he remembered his brother, his two older children and Deputy Chief of Staff Deborah Gramiccioni being there, he erroneously told reporters that his wife, Mary Pat, "taken the night off."

"I was there," she corrected from her seat in the first row at Christie's news conference.

It turns out she'd skipped Springsteen's Philadelphia show later in the week.

"Oh, you were there," Christie said, laughing. "Well, she took one night off. It was dark. What did I know? I was a little tired."