It’s been 21 years since Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last performed in Calgary, but that all changes this weekend with a sold-out concert at the Saddledome.

And on Friday, band members celebrated a new local partnership with a prestigious event at the National Music Centre.

Just 24 hours before what is sure to be a massive concert, E Street guitarist Stevie Van Zandt and bassist Garry Tallent were on hand to detail a new collaboration that will bring a bit of music history here to our city.

A partnership between the National Music Center and the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music will include traveling music exhibitions and programs.

They’ll be here before hitting the road, eventually ending up in New Jersey, at a historic new Springsteen facility.

One of the major partners in this collaboration will be Van Zandt’s “Teach Rock” project, which aims to educate new generations about the vital art occurring in both countries.

The longtime E Street Band guitarist told CTV he was very impressed with the National Music Centre.

“This place really puts you on the map. We go to a lot of cities and they don’t have music museums. It’s a wonderful thing for the city as far as its identity. For those of us who come and go quickly, it’s going to stand out,” Van Zandt said.

Saturday’s concert will take place at the Saddledome at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket holders were already hanging around Friday morning to reserve their seats on the floor closest to The Boss.

The Saddledome no longer has critical parking spaces now that construction on the arena has begun, and it’s going to be very busy Saturday night, so anyone coming should plan to get there early.