Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at a daytime benefit concert in Minneapolis on Friday, performing his new song 'Streets of Minneapolis' live for the first time. The event, organised by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, took place at the iconic First Avenue club and also featured performances by Rise Against, Al Di Meola and Ike Reilly.
Springsteen played a solo acoustic version of the track, which takes aim at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Trump administration. The crowd loudly joined in with the chant 'ICE out now!' during the final verse. Proceeds from the concert are to go to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two activists described as having been 'murdered by ICE'.
Introducing the song, Springsteen revealed that he had sent it to Morello, who encouraged him to perform it: 'I said, I think it's kind of soapboxy. He says, Bruce, nuance is wonderful, but sometimes you have to kick them in the teeth.' Morello later posted a fiery statement on social media, calling the situation 'fascism' and urging resistance.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor, praised the performance, writing on social media that it was 'incredible to see Bruce bring our community together'. The White House had previously dismissed Springsteen's song as 'irrelevant' and 'inaccurate'. President Donald Trump himself has not commented on the track, though he called Springsteen 'dumb as a rock' in a social media post last year.
The concert coincided with a nationwide general strike called by activists to protest against ongoing ICE abductions. Springsteen's appearance came days after he released a studio version of 'Streets of Minneapolis', which includes references to 'King Trump's private army' and 'Trump's federal thugs'.
