Bruce Springsteen Opens Tour With Plea for Unity and Peace

Bruce Springsteen walked onto a darkened stage at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday night and spoke before a single note was played, framing what he called a prayer for what would become the most politically charged opening night of his career.

"I want to begin the night with a prayer for our men and women overseas," Springsteen told the capacity crowd. "We pray for their safe return. 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. We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals, democracy, our Constitution, and our sacred American promise."

Then the lights went up and the band launched into Edwin Starr's 1970 anti-war anthem "War," a song Springsteen and the E Street Band had not played since 2003. Special guest Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine handled guitar duties on the opener, freeing Springsteen to roam the full width of the stage. It transitioned directly into "Born in the U.S.A."

The show kicked off the 20-date Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, which runs through May 27 when it closes at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the only outdoor stadium stop on the run. Springsteen had declared the tour's mission clearly in a pre-show video released last week: "We are bringing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, unity over division, and peace over war."

The Minneapolis opener was a deliberate choice. In January, ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, in separate incidents in the city. Springsteen released the protest song "Streets of Minneapolis" shortly after Pretti's death, and the Trump administration moved quickly to dismiss it. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to the tour's announcement in February by mocking Springsteen using his own song titles, including "City of Ruins," "Glory Days," and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out."

The 27-song setlist reached deep into Springsteen's catalog and included a few surprises. He covered Prince's "Purple Rain" as a tribute to the Minneapolis icon, a performance he had not given since May 14, 2016. "Streets of Minneapolis" received its live debut with the full E Street Band. "Thunder Road," typically a set staple, was left off the night's program entirely.

The tour follows a 2025 European leg that drew more than 700,000 fans across the continent. Prior to the current run, Springsteen held rehearsals March 19 through 24 at the Ocean Grove Youth Temple in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, working through material not played in decades. The 20-date American leg continues April 3 in Portland before moving through California, Texas, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia before the final Washington show.