Bruce Springsteen promised a “12-minute party” for the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLIII and kept true to his word, setting the crowd on fire for 13 minutes, actually. 

“For the next 12 minutes, we're going to bring the righteous power of the E Street Band into your home!” a very energized Springsteen shouted as he took the stage. “Is there anybody alive out there? Is there anybody alive out there?!?”

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band put on the best Super Bowl Halftime Show in a long time, not just by playing the best, but by redefining what that time can be.

In a news conference last week, the 59-year-old icon said the idea of playing the Super Bowl had always seemed like “a novelty.” He and his E Street Band had turned down numerous invitations to play the halftime show, declining the high-profile time slot because it was a bit beneath them. But with a new album coming out, the Boss had a change of heart and took on the challenge.

“We have a new album coming out,” the Boss told reporters last week. “We have our mercenary reasons, of course.” The album, “Working on a Dream” (Columbia), was released last Tuesday. Presales for Springsteen’s coming tour with the E Street Band begin Monday.

Kicking off Sunday's show with a vintage song, “Tenth Avenue Freezeout,” and then ripping through the inevitable, barnstorming “Born to Run,” Springsteen showed off his agility and entertainer skills, even if he couldn't stop himself from sliding straight into a cameraman in between the songs. Clearly struggling not to laugh, the singer’s face seemed to imply the moment wasn't staged.

Next on the playlist was the title song for Springsteen’s latest album, “Working on a Dream,” as a quickie prelude to his 1984 hit “Glory Days,” playfully altered to fit the occasion: Springsteen's old high school buddy was “a big football player” instead of “baseball,” and threw a “Hail Mary” instead of a “speed ball.”

Although he sounded a bit breathless, singing quickly, the songs didn't feel rushed so much as happily frenetic and for the most part, Springsteen was a charmer, dropping to his knees, slamming out chords on his trademark Telecaster and dueting with Little Steven.

Two hours earlier, Oscar-winning singer-actress Jennifer Hudson made her first public performance since the slayings of her mother, brother and nephew in October when she sang the national anthem.

"This was such an important performance, because it's the first time everyone has seen Jennifer. But she's in such a great place, with such great spirits and time can heal her wounds. She's on fire right now and totally grounded," pre-game show producer  Ricky Minor told the Associated Press.

The Super Bowl, which attracts an estimated US television of audience of over 100 million people, was won by the Pittsburgh Steelers.