Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | ‘Land of Hopes and Dreams’ Tour | May 14, 2026 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The word had been out, even though the mainstream news and media outlets tried to ignore it. After a successful run in Europe, the Boss had picked up the gauntlet and, through the genius of his own musical legacy, weaved a cultural red line speaking to the crisis this country is facing -- his song “The Streets of Minneapolis” was clearly an undeniable standout.
Can a major-name music concert also be a determined social-justice experience?
Taking off from Bruce’s refrain throughout his concert:
This is happening now! Clearly, this concert happened and was for the good.
Immediately after opening remarks, which I failed to capture, Bruce set the thematic tableau and jumped into Edwin Starr’s explosive 1970 “War”. (This song was originally by the Temptations in 1969, which was written by Motown songwriting duo Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.) And Bruce has not only revived it, but made it one of his signature covers.
And the E Street Band (with its backup vocalists and brass section) was
tight -- with able assistance from Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. As a musician and professional, the writer Bob Spitz said of Springsteen’s work ethic, “I watched him work and put a band together like never before. Bruce is a master when it comes to rehearsals and making demands on the other musicians. It has to be everything that’s in his head. He knows exactly what he wants, and he knows how to get it out of people.”
The curated setlist was also very consciously crafted to commune the evening. Following the opening number, we find the memorable and usually misunderstood anthem, “Born in the U.S.A” -- again with Tom Morello. While the evening remained a rollickin’ Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band revue, Morello appeared many times in and out, on and off stage, adding extra flavor and energy with his stinging guitar. He came out to assist with “Death of My Hometown,” a cover of the Clash’s classic “Clampdown; then “American Skin (41 Shots),” the song written in response to the 1999 NYPD murder of Amadou Diallo, and helped with vocals with “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
Being situated behind the stage and in the high bleachers did not impede the enjoyment and relishing of a socio-justice musical experience. Fundamentally, the
Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour is a musical clarion call. If one has been paying attention, Bruce has made a conscious decision to speak out with artistic gravity.
Bruce’s feverish, nonstop concerts are legendary, especially for a 76-year-old. Yet, what is enduring about this “senior citizen,” Springsteen is much more consequential beyond his own relentless rock-and-roll energy. He chose NOT to remain silent. In today’s popular musical and cultural landscape, there is a clear void of cultural
relevance compared to the cultural impact of the recent past, most especially with the music that came out of the late Sixties and early Seventies, like In the folk commentary tradition of Woody Guthrie. Then came the folk-protest of Bob Dylan, and the protest songs from the counterculture, and other musical genres and styles, think Marvin Gaye, and even John Lennon. As we traveled through the Eighties and Nineties, there were the likes of Green Day, John Mellencamp, and Public Enemy who delivered serious cultural impact.
But in this hungry, cultural void, Springsteen stands out. And stands strong.
One thing is for sure: the mainstream news platforms and outlets essentially bypassed the cultural juggernaut. Let’s face it: Within an intensive 30-day period in the New York metropolitan area, “The Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour” took place in large sports venues in Manhattan (Madison Square Garden twice), Brooklyn (Barclays Center), Long Island (UBS Center), and Newark, NJ (Prudential Center). Aside from some media announcements that Springsteen was in town, it was plainly ignored. But that did not discourage the energetic impact and enthusiasm that greeted this tour.
As Jambands.com, a national live-music review platform, reported on the Barclays Center concert, “While Springsteen mostly let the music speak for itself, he did address the dire state of affairs, including the Trump administration’s attacks on the Voter Registration Act, the administration’s willingness to hand out favors to their friends and business associates, and the murder of Alex Petti during ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis.” When Bruce sang his monumental tribute “The Streets of Minneapolis,” he did not forget Renee Good, the first person killed by ICE. It was received with resounding, enthusiastic applause. This was also the case when he sang “American Skin.”
About 9 PM, after condemning the moves to abolish civil rights laws,
“...for which people fought and gave their lives..." He continued to decry,
“... immigrants being held in for-profit detention centers around the country being deported without due process... abandoned the world's children to death and disease through the dismantling of USAID -- this is no longer on the front page where children die every day, and this is happening... Our museums are being told to whitewash American history of any unpleasant or inconvenient facts like the full history of the brutality of slavery... and this is happening now... Honesty, honor, humility, character, truth, compassion, humanity, thoughtfulness... don't let anybody tell you that these things don't matter anymore... Our elective leaders have failed us in that this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people...”
After sittin’ and standin’ three hours of whistlin’ and hootin’, the powerful evening ended with an impactful and inspiring rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” ‘
Nuff said!
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