Oh Canada!

Win Butler & Regine Chassagne of Montreal's Arcade Fire joined Bruce & the band two nights ago in Ottawa to perform Springsteen's 'State Trooper' and, incredibly, Arcade Fire's 'Keep the Car Running' off Neon Bible, my favorite album of 2007.

The video's quality is awful but who cares -- the guy's enthusiasm for what he's shakily filming is captured perfectly at the song's conclusion with a 2-word summation: "Holy sh*t!"

Arcade Fire are here in at the year's end and early '08 to play Big Day Out shows throughout Australia. I've purchased tix for the Melbourne show on 28 January. If Springsteen's planning an '08 spring and summer tour in the US, he should note that December & January are Australia's peak summer months.

Spotted the Magic-related ad below while driving on Parramatta Road. First time ever I've seen Springsteen's face on a billboard in this plastic-pop-obsessed country.