In the fifty plus years I’ve lived much of my life though the words and music of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, So on May 14th, 2025, the opening night of the Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour will forever represent a defining moment for my journey and easily one of the great concert experiences ever!
Bruce offered his full views in a commanding Tour de Force at Manchester’s Co-op Arena Live on how he views the United States of America of today. The show opened with Springsteen making it clear why he and E Street Band where in Manchester.
“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock n’ roll in dangerous times,” said Springsteen before the night’s first song, “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American spirit to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring. This is ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’.”
“Land of Hopes and Dreams” a song in part about never giving up was followed by “Death to My Hometown” – the theme for the evening was set Bruce’s America was dying. “Lonesome Day” a staple in the first two years of the tour followed. An audible from there, “My Love will Not let you Down“, moving away from the first two songs was next. “Seeds” was in the printed setlist, “Seeds” would have continued the evenings’ theme.
Up next the tour debut of “Rainmaker”, a song included in the “Letter to You” album but never performed live before. Speaking before the song, without mentioning President Trump’s name but offered his views on the Trump administration “”corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous”.”
“Rainmaker” who most believed when it was released on the “Letter to You” album was about Trump again was explosive!
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” was next, the song sounded so much angrier than the thousand plus version performed since the 1978 Darkness Tour, remember Bruce had clearly established his “message” for the night and Darkness took on tones of Darkness across America.
“Promised Land” another song from the 1978 Darkness album sounded hopeful and optimistic. It’s very clearly that Bruce loves and believes in America, he’s just very angry about today’s America. “Promised Land” was slotted perfectly in the set list.
Happiness continued with “Hungry Heart”, as determined as Bruce was to deliver his message the Bruce Springsteen we know, and love was determined to also offer that Bruce magic of unbridled joy. The next six songs returned to the central theme – the America Bruce Springsteen wrote and believed isn’t what his country is today.
Starting with “My Hometown“, this version had a tougher edge in Bruce’s voice. This wasn’t Bruce Springsteen taking his “kids” on a tour of Freehold, this was Bruce seemingly wondering if that version of his Hometown was lost and gone forever.
Up next were two songs back-to-back that were a part of the 1999 Bruce and the E Steet Band’s reunion tour, “Youngstown” and “Murder Incorporated“. Having visited “Youngstown” (on the eve of the Cleveland show at the start of the 2002 Rising Tour, while having nothing whatsoever to do with President Trump is a city destroyed by the American Dream. For many Springsteen fans who attended the reunion tour the two songs done back to back made for great memories
As Bruce had offered as an intro to “Long Walk Home”, the song serves a prayer for the America that Bruce still very much believes in. “House of a Thousand Guitars” was up next. This was an acoustic version and again very much angrier in tone last performed in 2023, is performed solo acoustic..
“My City of Ruin’s” has been a cornerstone for Bruce’s shows since the 2002 Rising tour. The song is Bruce’s reflections on Asbury Park, not Bruce’s hometown but the seaside city most associated with Bruce’s career. A lament to what was (and is well on it’s way back) to a city of falling apart and lost an forgotten.
It was at this point, Bruce shared his most powerful thoughts, calling President Trump an “unfit President”. Bruce was far from finished in his complete attack on Donald Trump, saying “In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now. In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers.”
Gone was the ode of Asbury Park, in its place Bruce’s view of the America that exists today. “My City of Ruins” the 14th song of the 27 song setlist really was the last Bruce’s theme for the night.
The rest of the show returned to the joy of a Springsteen and the E Street Band rock and roll classical concert.
“Letter to You”, “Because the Night”, “Human Touch”, “Wrecking Ball”, “The Rising”. “Badlands” into “Thunder Road”, more or less many of the songs in the order they were performed for the first 140+ shows on Bruce’s current tour which began in February 2023.
The encores the same: “Born in the USA”, “Born to Run”, “Bobby Jean”, “Dancing in the Dark” and “Tenth Avenue Freezeout”. The closing song for all but a few shows during most of the tour was replace by a full band version of the Dylan song “Chimes of Freedom” part of the 1988 Amnesty Tour.
Three of the songs that told the story Bruce wanted to share for most of the current tour, “Last Man Standing”, “Backstreets” and the finale “I’ll See you in my Dreams” (also the closing song on Bruce’s second Springsteen on Broadway show in 2001) where not a part of the Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour debut.
There are 15 shows left on the tour. It would appear this is the message Bruce wants to share. He’s changed the “Springsteen concert experience” completely. I realize and appreciate that a significant percentage of Bruce fans might not appreciate these last of shows, if that is how you feel, these shows might not be for you. Springsteen knows that many of the fans attending these last set of shows have likely attended several shows during the first 140 shows of the tour. Part of his rationale had to be offering a different show.
THE E STREET BAND: Bruce Springsteen – Lead vocal, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica; Roy Bittan – Piano, keyboards; Nils Lofgren – Electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocal; Garry Tallent – Bass, backing vocal; Stevie Van Zandt – Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, backing vocal; Max Weinberg – Drums; Jake Clemons – Tenor saxophone, percussion, backing vocal; Charlie Giordano – Organ, keyboards, accordion; Soozie Tyrell – Violin, acoustic guitar, percussion
THE E STREET CHOIR & ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS: Anthony Almonte – Percussion, backing vocal; Ada Dyer – Backing vocal; Curtis King – Backing vocal; Lisa Lowell – Backing vocal; Michelle Moore – Backing vocal
THE E STREET HORNS: Barry Danielian – Trumpet; Curt Ramm – Trumpet; Ed Manion – Baritone and tenor saxophone; Ozzie Melendez – Trombone
There won’t be any American shows on this tour, how would the central theme of this show be received in America,
The Fat Angel Sings 
There really is a Springsteen song for every occasion. Even the death of the free world. If’ only we could swap him for Dear Leader. Imagine how good it could be.