Bruce Springsteen Takes the High Road in Austin: Review + Photos

Bruce Springsteen took the high road during his Sunday concert at Austin, Texas’ Moody Center, praying for President Donald Trump in the wake of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and exhorting fans to uphold American ideals such as honesty, compassion and humility after they went home.

Then the Boss rocked the packed arena with such soul-stirring fervor that it would have been nearly impossible not to heed his call.

You can see UCR’s exclusive photos from the concert below.

READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

Bruce Springsteen Is Fighting for the Soul of America on His 2026 Tour

When Springsteen surprise-announced his current Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour in February, he made it clear he considers this trek nothing less than a battle for the soul of America. He threw himself into the charge on Sunday with the gusto that’s made him one of rock’s most gargantuan stars for the past half-century.

The 76-year-old star united the audience early with a vigorous rendition of “Born in the U.S.A.” and later let them turn the first verse and chorus of “Hungry Heart” into a tremendous a cappella singalong. Springsteen’s political overtures were powerful and wide-ranging, from “Streets of Minneapolis,” his elegy for recent ICE and Border Patrol shooting victims Renee Good and Alex Pretti, to “American Skin (41 Shots),” the 2001 single inspired by the NYPD’s killing of Amadou Diallo.

The E Street Band ripped and roared dutifully behind Springsteen all night, with guitarists Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt unleashing furious solos during “Youngstown” and “Murder Incorporated,” respectively. On-and-off E Streeter Tom Morello added metallic and melodic heft to the set, toning down his whammy pedal histrionics in favor of more bluesy, atmospheric lead work (but still letting loose on an incendiary, long-form rendition of “The Ghost of Tom Joad”).

Bruce Springsteen Prays for Trump — Then Calls Him a Snowflake

And despite his earlier prayer of thanks for Trump’s wellbeing, Springsteen later ripped the president and his administration for holding immigrants in “for-profit detention centers,” for “undermining NATO and the world order that kept us safe and at global peace for 80 years,” and for pressuring museums to “whitewash American history of any unpleasant or inconvenient facts, like the full history of the brutality of slavery.”

“You wanna talk about snowflakes?” Springsteen said. “We have a president who can’t handle the truth.”

READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen Live Albums Ranked

Despite his righteous anger and political sloganeering, Springsteen chose to uplift with generation-defining songs rather than tear down with words. By the time he barreled through the encore volley of “Born to Run,” “Dancing in the Dark” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” the only political party that mattered was the “United Free Republic of E Street Nation” that emblazoned shirts at the merch table.

“Honesty, honor, humility, character, truth, compassion, humanity, thoughtfulness, morality, true strength and decency — don’t let anybody tell you that these things don’t matter anymore,” Springsteen told enraptured fans. “So many of our elected leaders have failed us that this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people — by you. So let’s fight for the America we love. Do you hear me?”

Loud and clear.