Bruce Springsteen 
& the E-Street Band kicked off their Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Minneapolis, MN and that should be no surprise. The Boss has NEVER been one to shy away from his own liberal ethics and ideals, and with unjust murder of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands by the very people that are supposed to be protecting us, The Boss couldn’t have sent a stronger message out to the world.
Bruce had signaled in advance that the tour would be “political and very topical,” and he underlined that message in Minneapolis by calling the period “very dark times” and telling the audience to “fight for the America that we love.” Urging the fans to stay engaged, Bruce took the stage and delivered a powerful speech criticizing the Trump administration to the people of Minneapolis that shook me to the core.
The Minneapolis speech also fits a long pattern of Springsteen using his platform to weigh in on national issues, including moments that have previously sparked debate among fans, such as his defense of controversial comments about ICE in earlier years. Here it is as transcribed by AlternativeNation.net.
“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock & roll in dangerous times. We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals, democracy, our Constitution, and our sacred American promise. The America that I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous administration.”
Springsteen told the crowd, “Our museums are being told to whitewash American history of any unpleasant or inconvenient facts like the full history of the brutality of slavery,” before adding, “We have a president who can’t handle the truth,” and repeating the phrase “This is happening now.”
“You want to talk about snowflakes? We have a president who can’t handle the truth. This is happening now. While working Americans struggle, our president and his family enrich themselves by billions of dollars trading on the people’s office in corruption unmatched in American history. This is happening now. This White House is destroying the American idea and our reputation around the world. To many, we are no longer looked upon as an often imperfect but strong defender of democracy standing for the global good. We are no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are now, to many, America the reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue nation. That is this administration’s and this president’s legacy. This is happening now.”
Springsteen’s marathon 27-song set kicked off with a one-two punch of the politically charged cover of Edwin Star’s “War” followed by the very appropriate “Born in the U.S.A.” The tour picks up tonight in Inglewood, CA at the Kia Forum and runs until May 27th in Washington, DC.
You can help it, DON’T FUCKING MISS THIS TOUR. If you know, you know.
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