Overview
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launched the Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour Tuesday in Minneapolis, streaming the first two songs and bringing Tom Morello on guitar.
- Mid-show, Springsteen delivered a hard-edged address that repeated “This is happening now” as he accused the Trump administration of waging an illegal war, politicizing the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi, and whitewashing U.S. history.
- He debuted a full-band version of “Streets of Minneapolis,” honoring Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal agents, as nearly 18,000 fans lit their phones and chanted “ICE out now.”
- The 27-song set ran nearly three hours and mixed staples with protest material, closing with covers of Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom,” with full-show audio promised on the nugs.net app.
- The tour is routed through cities hit by ICE operations, with Portland on April 3 and Los Angeles on April 7 and 9, and it is set to end May 27 at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park, a spotlight organizers hope will drive support for local relief efforts.