Springsteen’s wholehearted support for Kamala Harris‘s U.S. presidential campaign was as enthusiastic as ever for a candidate. He even filmed a three-minute video last month expressing his support and attended her rallies.
On Wednesday night, at his first post-election concert, the second one at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, Bruce’s response to Trump’s win was subtle.
After apologizing to the audience for the delayed start (due to a long flight delay), he quickly shifted gears, saying, “This is a fighting prayer for my country,” and sang “Long Walk Home,” a song he rarely uses as an opener.
The song, from his 2007 Magic album, touches on themes central to Springsteen’s music—home, family, freedom, and summer—but on this particular night, it resonated strongly with the third verse, where his father tells him: “Son, we’re lucky in this town… nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.”
According to Variety, his next song was “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
The evening took an unusual turn when former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a devoted fan who has attended over 150 Springsteen shows, was reportedly seen watching from the side of the stage on the first night, though this wasn’t immediately confirmed.
Christie’s complicated relationship with Springsteen includes an incident in 2013 when a political scandal erupted over a lane closure on the George Washington Bridge linked to Christie’s administration. Springsteen and Jimmy Fallon famously parodied “Born to Run” to address the controversy surrounding the former governor.
