Glory Days

I had the chance to see Bruce Springsteen in concert in Washington, D.C. tonight with friends. I jumped at it.

You may have heard that the Boss has been opening his concerts on the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour with a call to action for Americans to save their democracy. “We live in dangerous times,“ he says, before singing a cover of the song “War.” “War. What is it good for? Nothing.”

In a time when far too many people are afraid to speak up, Springsteen’s candor is profoundly moving and reassuring—even when he performs songs that reflect on dark moments, like “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota.

The old songs take on new meaning. “Well, we made a promise we swore we'd always remember. No retreat, baby, no surrender,” becomes a promise to guard the Republic.

But it was the joy on his face that reminded me we can face what we’re up against. The sheer pleasure of the music and the power of the emotion it carried. Here’s to Springsteen’s courage being contagious. We need more of it.

We’re in this together,

Joyce