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As the frontman of a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, Brad Hobicorn was eager to take the stage at Riv’s Toms River Hub in New Jersey on Friday. Then he received a text from the bar’s owner, informing him that the performance was called off. The reason? The actual Bruce Springsteen had criticized Donald Trump.
“He told me his customer base leans heavily conservative and he wished Springsteen would just keep quiet,” Hobicorn recounted over the phone. “It was evident that he was caught up in that and wanted to avoid losing clientele. The truth is, we would have drawn a large crowd: new patrons who are Springsteen fans eager to see a local band.”
The culture wars have hit New Jersey, the home of Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, comedian Jon Stewart, and the iconic television series The Sopranos. Springsteen – cherished for anthems like Born In The USA, Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark, and Born To Run – has long represented the state’s working-class individuals. Yet last year, many of those same individuals supported the incumbent president.
Now their conflicting loyalties are being tested. Kicking off a recent tour in Manchester, UK, Springsteen addressed his audience: “The America I cherish, the America I’ve celebrated as a beacon of hope and freedom for 250 years is now under the control of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.” He reiterated these criticisms at subsequent performances and even released them on an unexpected EP.
Trump responded by labeling Springsteen as excessively overrated. “Never liked him, never enjoyed his music or his radical leftist politics and, importantly, he’s not talented — just a pushy, obnoxious JERK,” he posted on social media. “This shriveled rocker (his skin is all atrophied) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he returns to the Country.”
Trump, 78, also shared a video that was edited to imply he hit 75-year-old Springsteen with a golf drive. He called for a “major investigation” into Springsteen, Beyoncé, and other celebrities, claiming they had been compensated millions to support his Democratic opponent in the 2024 election, Kamala Harris.
Harris defeated Trump by six percentage points in New Jersey, a stark contrast to Joe Biden’s 16-point victory in 2020. In Toms River, a coastal township, Trump garnered twice the votes that Harris received, shedding light on why Riv’s Toms River Hub hesitated to host a Springsteen tribute band.
The venue canceled the 30 May performance of No Surrender, a nine-member ensemble that has performed Springsteen’s music for over two decades, despite having scheduled it months earlier. When contacted by the Guardian, owner Tony Rivoli opted not to comment.
Hobicorn, 59, hailing from Livingston, New Jersey, mentions that the band proposed a compromise to play classic rock outside of Springsteen’s repertoire, but Rivoli dismissed the suggestion. Hobicorn faced some backlash from Springsteen supporters for even contemplating the compromise.
However, he clarifies: “That’s when I indicated that not every member of the band aligns with Bruce Springsteen’s political stances. Everyone has their own perspective, and that’s perfectly acceptable. One can be in a Springsteen cover band without wholeheartedly agreeing with everything he expresses.”
He emphasizes: “My band is divided. We’re half red, half blue. We engage in civil discussions and then play the music; it’s never been about politics. This situation became politicized.”
Springsteen isn’t new to political engagement. When former president Ronald Reagan mentioned the singer’s “message of hope” during a campaign event, Springsteen questioned whether Reagan had truly listened to his music and its themes related to those left behind in the 1980s economy. Subsequently, he became a familiar figure during Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.
He has also challenged his audience politically beyond merely endorsing presidential candidates. Born in the USA depicted a Vietnam veteran who lost his brother in the conflict and returned home to bleak job prospects and a pessimistic future. My Hometown illustrated the economic decline and dissatisfaction that Trump has capitalized on: “Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores / Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more.”
Springsteen’s 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad candidly chronicled the lives of struggling immigrants, including those from Mexico and Vietnam. His 2001 song American Skin (41 Shots) critiqued the fatal shooting of unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo by New York City police officers, provoking anger among certain segments of his blue-collar following.
However, challenging Trump represents a different level of intensity. His “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement has proven to be uniquely divisive in American culture, necessitating many to declare allegiance to either the blue or red camp. The clothing people wear, the food they consume, and the music they enjoy have all become markers of MAGA. Even among residents in New Jersey, where Springsteen grew up and currently lives in Colts Neck, doubts are surfacing.
Hobicorn observes: “As the nation has become increasingly polarized, there’s certainly a palpable disdain for Springsteen and his views in New Jersey. Most New Jerseyans appreciate who he is, what he’s done for the state, our culture, and music.
“I feel like there’s a lack of neutrality; it’s either love or hate. In New Jersey, it’s predominantly in a favorable manner: people adore and respect Bruce for everything.However, some will portray him as a billionaire who cares only about himself. That’s the narrative they push.”
No Surrender has secured an alternative venue. Following the cancellation of their Toms River performance, Randy Now’s Man Cave, a record shop in Hightstown, New Jersey, has stepped up to host the band on 20 June. The shop plans to produce flyers and T-shirts that proclaim: “Free speech is alive at Randy Now’s Man Cave.”
Owner Randy Ellis, 68, remarks:“The state takes pride in Bruce Springsteen. He ought to be declared the state bird or something.”
Yet he concedes: “In the last election, while Harris won the state, there were far more Trump supporters than I anticipated in New Jersey. It’s become so polarized. We might have individuals outside my store proclaiming Springsteen is terrible and all that. Who knows?”
In an era where many of Trump’s adversaries have chosen silence, Springsteen stands out as one of his most prominent cultural challengers. In 2020, he remarked: “A significant part of our fine country, from my perspective, has been thoroughly hypnotized, brainwashed by a conman from Queens” – aware that the outer-borough reference would sting a man who built a tower in Manhattan.
Dan DeLuca, a popular music critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer and a resident of Ventnor, New Jersey, states:“What people love about Bruce is his role as a truth-teller. You perceive what you see, and you must address it. Many people are murmuring their thoughts or discussing in private about the state of America but are reluctant to speak out for various reasons. Perhaps they don’t believe that politics and art should mix. Maybe they’re concerned about their fanbase or something else.
“As he put it, there’s a lot of unsettling things happening, and it has been since he last toured.It’s beneficial that he’s voicing what many individuals want to hear but are afraid to express, and it might be instilling courage in some.”
However, as seen with No Surrender, there exists a notable minority in New Jersey with a different viewpoint in this hyper-partisan landscape. DeLuca reflects: “I grew up in South Jersey, which is less dense, less urban, and it’s now Trump country.
“Springsteen has remained faithful to his themes and the people he sings about, including their blue-collar issues, but he has become a target because of his wealth or associations with Obama. They may view Bruce as a naive socialist or something. I’m sure many experience divided loyalties.”
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