Bruce Springsteen tackles Trump, weaves joy and resistance at Atlanta show
The hope of Bruce Springsteen is highly coveted. At 76, the iconic rock and roller remains firmly rooted in the mission that’s made him one of the most intentional and impactful artists of all time: Music can drive the party and the protest.
Because his hope is gargantuan enough to believe in both, even when the world around him feels anything but hopeful.
That’s a Boss, indeed.
At Springsteen’s State Farm Arena show Saturday night (a stop along his ultrapolitical “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour”), he mixed messages of bliss and rage with a soundtrack that has defined the rock music genre for five decades. Backed by his E Street Band and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Springsteen made hope feel attainable, communal and eternal.
The New Jersey rock giant opened Saturday’s show not with song but with warning.
“Our democracy, our Constitution, our rule of law are being challenged right now, like never before, by a reckless, incompetent, racist and radical administration,” he said, asking the audience to choose “hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism.”
Springsteen, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump, is no stranger to politics. He’s endorsed every Democratic presidential candidate since 2004. In 2024, he headlined a Clarkston voting rally for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
The North American leg of the “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour” was launched in March in Minneapolis, a few months after Springsteen released “Streets of Minneapolis,” a protest anthem honoring the lives of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were killed by ICE agents in the song’s namesake.
Further, the tour’s slogan is No Kings, another affront against Trump. In response, Trump has called Springsteen a “dried-up prune” and a “total loser.”
But during Saturday night’s concert, Springsteen’s goal seemed bigger than any feud. Instead, he was more focused on humanity.
In song, Springsteen began the show with a cover of Edwin Starr’s “War” and his own massive hit, “Born in the USA” — tracks aligning with the artist’s antiwar sentiment.
For 1984’s “No Surrender,” a song about never relenting youthful energy, Springsteen gave his guitar pick to a child in the crowd. Later in the show, he traded his guitar for a harmonica, illuminating themes of resilience amid destruction pervasive on “The Promised Land.”
Throughout the performance, Springsteen seemingly wanted the audience to know that they, too, can reach their own promised land, as he circled around the stage and pointed the mic at fans to sing along — even giving an audience member his harmonica at the end.
With the crowd-pleasing “Hungry Heart,” a song from his 1980 album “The River,” Springsteen still made the track’s lines about greed sound blissful, with fans waving their hands in the air.
For nearly 30 songs, Springsteen frequently gave band members their time to shine, performing in guitar-offs with Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren. Saxophonist Jake Clemons was assiduous in wooing the crowd with his soulful grooves.
As the show progressed, though, the band solos began to feel monotonous. A shining moment arrived with Morello’s performance at the end of “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
The 1995 track (its titular character named after the protagonist in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”) is a staple of Springsteen’s working-class soundscapes — conveying the despairs of capitalism. Morello’s eerie, multilayered guitar riffs transformed the folk song into something that sounds more sinister, forcing deeper reflection on the crumbled state of the world.
With “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” Springsteen walked into the crowd, constantly holding his fist in the air, as if he was tackling societal ills head-on. Around 10:30 p.m., the night ended with “Chimes of Freedom,” an appropriate closer to a show filled with hopeful notes.
For roughly three hours, Springsteen gave Atlanta fans masterful showmanship. He wasted no time in holding this country accountable just as robustly as he embraced his love for it.
And, he rarely took a break while doing both.
He critiqued the current war in Iran, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to limit the Voting Rights Act and ICE, describing the country as “reckless, unpredictable, predatory” thanks to “this president’s legacy.” But he also reminded the crowd to lead with love and community.
“Honesty, honor, humility, character, truth, compassion, humanity, thoughtfulness, morality, true strength and decency — don’t let anyone tell you that these things don’t matter anymore. They do.”
Before he left the stage, he gave some of that honor to Atlanta. The city holds special meaning for Springsteen, who recorded his 2002 album, “The Rising,” at the former Southern Tracks Studio off Clairmont Road, marking his reunion with the E Street Band after nearly two decades.
Springsteen, who last toured in Atlanta in 2023, said he played his first show in the city with the E Street Band at the now-defunct Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom.
“I was in my 20s, so thanks for a lifetime,” he told the crowd.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
