Bruce Springsteen kicked off his new tour in Minneapolis with perhaps the most militantly political show from a major touring artist in years.
According to reviews in Rolling Stone and Billboard, the first stop of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s 2026 Land of Hope and Dreams Tour was nearly equal parts anti-Trump rally and concert.
The 76-year-old made several brief speeches throughout the show during song breaks, taking to task the Trump administration — along with ample doses of positivity and hope.
“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times,” Springsteen announced. “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.”
Later, when introducing his anti-ICE protest anthem, “Streets of Minneapolis” — which mourns Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who died at the hands of federal agents — The Boss declared, “Minnesota, you gave us hope. You gave us courage. And for those who gave their lives, Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths. Their bravery, their sacrifice, and their names will not be forgotten.”
Springsteen then led the crowd to chant “ICE out now!” four times. Rolling Stone noted that the refrain from the crowd grew so loud, “the walls of the venue were practically shaking.”
In another speech, Springsteen criticized the “corrupt” attorney general Pam Bondi, saying, “Our justice department has completely abdicated its independence” and added, “Many of our elected leaders have failed us that this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people. So join us and let’s fight for the America that we love.”
That said, Springsteen somehow concluded on an upbeat note, telling the crowd, “These are the hard times, but we’ll make it through. This is a tour that was not planned. We’re here tonight because we need to feel your hope, and your strength.”
In Billboard‘s review (here is the show’s full set list), the critic summed up that the concert “felt like a salute to the resistance, which has coalesced in the Twin Cities, and a rallying cry to keep the faith in the face of federal aggression and feckless leaders; in other moments, it felt somber, elegiac; and sometimes, it just felt like a damn fine rock concert by one of the art form’s finest practitioners.”
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