Bruce Springsteen brought his E Street Band to Chicago for a sold-out show on Wednesday night, marking the latest stop on the “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour. It was the most politically motivated pop concert hosted at the United Center since Nov. 2, 2024, when Stevie Wonder appeared during his tour named “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart.”
Wonder’s concert brimmed with hope and optimism days before the 2024 presidential election. Springsteen’s tone Wednesday was starkly different. Fifteen months into the Trump administration, the Boss arrived with songs of defiance and resistance.
Rock classics like “Born to Run” would come in due time. To begin, however, Springsteen had a message to convey.
“Our democracy, our Constitution, [and] our rule of law are being challenged right now as never before by a reckless, incompetent, radical and racist administration,” said Springsteen. “We ask all of you to join with us in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division, and peace over war.”
The E Street Band then erupted into a strident cover of Edwyn Starr’s 1970 anthem “War,” featuring former Libertyville resident Tom Morello. As a founding member of Rage Against the Machine, the guitarist is no stranger to protest rock.
The band followed with Springsteen’s 1984 hit “Born in the U.S.A.,” about a Vietnam War veteran who encounters a lack of opportunity upon his return home. The song has often been mischaracterized as a patriotic anthem. Morello and Springsteen met at center stage to trade guitar solos as the song reached its fervent peak.
Springsteen’s prior local appearance in 2023 had packed Wrigley Field to the uppermost seats. That ballpark performance featured celebratory fare like “Rosalita” and “Mary’s Place.” Those were swapped on Wednesday for the turbulent power of songs like “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and the dramatic “American Skin (41 Shots).”
Nonetheless, the United Center set list offered fan favorites. In addition to the fire and brimstone of “Murder Incorporated,” crowd-pleasers included the sing-along stroll of “Hungry Heart.” The eventual encore was elevated by “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” with tributes to dearly departed band members, including saxophonist Clarence “The Big Man” Clemons and organist Danny Federici.
The heart of the show reflected Springsteen’s caustic opening remarks, though. The E Street Band covered the Clash’s anti-authoritarian “Clampdown” with brash punk spirit. “Anger can be power, know that you can use it,” sang Morello. Springsteen echoed the sentiment with his rebellious “Wrecking Ball.” “Hold tight to your anger,” he sang. “Don’t fall to your fears.”
“Streets of Minneapolis” addressed the fatal shootings of two people by federal immigration agents in January during the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in Minnesota. Seething lyrics mentioned “King Trump,” Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, and Kristi Noem, secretary of homeland security at the time, holding them accountable for the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The audience joined Springsteen mid-song to shout, “ICE out now!” The crowd seemed to anticipate a connection between local resistance to Midway Blitz in Chicago last year to the events in Minneapolis, but Springsteen did not mention it.
Springsteen’s concerns extended to America’s standing abroad when introducing “My City of Ruins.” “This White House is destroying the American idea and our reputation around the world,” he said. The song was offered as a prayer for strength and courage to make things better. The soulful lamentation echoed Motown-styled R&B and gospel, featuring Charlie Giordano’s shimmering Hammond organ.
The main set closed with the unifying message of tour namesake “Land of Hope and Dreams.” While Jake Clemons echoed the bristling power of his late uncle Clarence’s saxophone, the E Street Choir quoted gospel standard “People Get Ready.”
The musicians put their guts into an encore featuring the irrepressible “Born to Run” with its cinematic imagery of a “runaway American dream.” Irish reel “American Land” depicted America as a utopia of endless riches for any hardworking immigrant. “Dancing in the Dark” was slyly performed under full house lights.
As the evening came to a close, Springsteen mourned the painful division between neighbors. “We’ve got a president who says he wishes nothing but ill upon those [with whom] he disagrees,” he said, adding that America was built through disagreements while recognizing others’ humanity and dignity. The show concluded with a stirring cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”
As critical as the theme was throughout the concert, the string of protest songs brimmed with love of justice, unity and country. “Someway, somehow, America renews itself,” Springsteen said. “We’ll make it through.”
Trump has publicly dismissed Springsteen’s relevance, calling him “a boring singer” and a “total loser.” Fans left United Center on Wednesday energized and ready to call that assessment fake news.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band set list for April 29, 2026, show at United Center
War
Born in the U.S.A.
Death to My Hometown
Clampdown (The Clash cover)
No Surrender
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Streets of Minneapolis
The Promised Land
Two Hearts
Hungry Heart
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
American Skin (41 Shots)
Long Walk Home
House of a Thousand Guitars
My City of Ruins
Because the Night
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Badlands
Land of Hope and Dreams
Encore
American Land
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Chimes of Freedom
This Land Is Your Land (walk-off recording)
