Last night, I went to the angriest rock concert I’ve ever attended and it was goddamn glorious. Bruce Springsteen doesn’t like Donald Trump, he doesn’t like what’s happening to America, and he’s fine to talk about it. And blow out your eardrums in the process.
After a quick, intense introductory rant/verbal essay, he launched immediately into Edwin Starr’s classic “War,” the cover to which on the legendary 1975-85 box set is what turned yours truly into a certified Boss-fanatic back in the day. From then on, it was two hours of Bruce’s angriest songs, an unrelenting and unstinting critique of our current American moment. Like I said: goddamn glorious. You can’t hear “Youngstown,” followed by “Murder Incorporated,” followed by “American Skin (41 Shots)” without feeling that peculiar blend of rage and patriotism.
“Whose crimes go still unpunished now”
After a quick, intense introductory rant/verbal essay, he launched immediately into Edwin Starr’s classic “War,” the cover to which on the legendary 1975-85 box set is what turned yours truly into a certified Boss-fanatic back in the day. From then on, it was two hours of Bruce’s angriest songs, an unrelenting and unstinting critique of our current American moment. Goddamn glorious. You can’t hear “Youngstown,” followed by “Murder Incorporated,” followed by “American Skin (41 Shots)” without feeling that peculiar blend of rage and patriotism.
“I pray the devil comes and takes me to stand in the fiery furnaces of hell”
“You can get killed just for living in your American skin”
And then when he sings “Long Walk Home” (slowing down to make sure everyone hears the lyric “Your flag flying over the courthouse/Means certain things are set in stone/Who we are, what we’ll do and what we won’t”), you just want to set things on fire. In the most constructive possible way, of course.
“It’s gonna be a long walk home”
Before his hour-long encore, Bruce wrapped up the theme of the evening with “Land of Hope and Dreams,” reminding us all that there is something worth fighting for even in our present benighted landscape. Then he rocked the hell out of the joint with crowd-pleasers “Born to Run,” “Dancing in the Dark,” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” before finishing out the evening with Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”
“The criminal clown has stolen the throne”
Bruce told the audience that this tour hadn’t been planned. It became a necessity because he needed to feel the hope and faith of his audience in these trying times. It’s a two-way street, Boss. We needed you, too.
And special thanks to my wife for surprising me with the tickets!
