Bruce Springsteen concert review: Dedicates 'American Skin' to Trayvon Martin, collapses into

Entertainment Weekly ^ | March 29, 2012 | Ken Tucker

[Free ThinkerNY]

Bruce Springsteen played the first of two nights in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

If the news headline is that he pointedly directed his audience to hear his 2000 song “American Skin (41 Bullets)” now as a parable for Trayvon Martin, the music story of this show is that Springsteen has broken through to a new level of interest in beats, rhythms, and ways to keep his old music fresh, for himself and for his fans.

[servo1969]

Good old Bruce. You keep bein’ relevant now, ya hear?

[EyeGuy]

So you release 3 very good albums, over 30 years ago, and now we have to listen to your utter Communist ignorance for the rest of your clueless, pampered life?

Not even close to a fair trade.

[dfwgator]

Guy sings like he’s trying to pass a bowling ball....in the Dictionary with the word “Overrated”, you see his picture.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I know that a lot of people like him, but listening to his pseudo working class vapid ‘rock’ makes me want to vomit when I hear it out in public. It’s just my opinion, but I think I might rather gargle liquid Drano than listen to that crap.

[4yearlurker]

I wasted 3 bucks to see this commie tool back in the early 1970s. Hey “Boss” take a nice stroll down Federal Street in Camden,NJ some summer night. You will have an attitude adjustment.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Guy sings like he’s trying to pass a bowling ball....”

Now that’s funny...

[Sarah Barracuda]

Ahhhhhhhhh the tolerant liberal left, I thought their motto was “Innocent til proven guilty” but hey, its an election year and they need the votes, so its “Guilty til proven innocent”

[dead]

And how does one interpret the fact that the Philadelphia audience — and, reportedly, other cities’ audiences on this tour — cheer when Springsteen gets to the “Jack of All Trades” line, “If I had me a gun I’d find the bastards and shoot ‘em on sight”? I’ll tell you how: People really like to hear otherwise mannerly rock stars talk tough, especially after many of those people have had a few beers. Now, as to whether a black rock star could utter those words and not get certain elements of the political spectrum calling for such a singer’s arrest to incite murder? That’s a different question, one that you can bet Springsteen thought about in writing that line.

The mind boggles.

This guy wonders aloud if a black singer could ever get away with singing a song about shooting somebody.

If only some black singer would have the guts to do such a thing a find out!

[dfwgator]

Of course that’s when he isn’t trying to sing with a fake southern twang.

[InvisibleChurch]

BS always looks likes he’s taking a poop when he sings.

[Made In The USA]

He should see if he can get a group discount with Michael Bolton on a high colonic. Maybe those boys wont sing so... frustrated.

[fatnotlazy]

I still love his music, but I wish he and his colleagues in entertainment would just entertain.

BTW, rest in peace, Clarence Clemmons. Truly great sax player.

[Smokin' Joe]

I guess everyone has figured out a way to milk this...

Yep, they're going to gin this right into a full scale revolution, complete with marching songs...while they march to the bank.

There's a new generation of fools to part with their money out there...

[skinkinthegrass]

Bruce Springsteen = Yoko Ono
...that's about right. :-D

[Snickering Hound]

Then he started rambling about how those neighbor kids need to stay outa his lawn...

[bigbob]

Never liked his music, never liked him.

Just don’t get the Jersey thing I guess...

Artists might do better if they didn’t go out of their way to piss off half or more of their potential audience.

[FryingPan101]

Uh, Such a partisan, high-drama guy. He and Spike Lee don’t appreciate what God and America have given them the opportunity to become.

[Lx]

Springsteen, I remember when he got popular and I couldn’t understand it. I still don’t, lame lyrics, guitar playing and his voice, WTH? I think I like him less than Phil Collins and that’s saying something.

I’m glad he’s so true to his word that he donates all his money to the UN and the Feds and doesn’t surround himself with armed guards.

His and Johnny Cougar’s fake down home workingman B.S. makes me dislike them even more. At least Phil Collins (as far as I know) isn’t a self hating uber liberal but I could be wrong.

[EQAndyBuzz]

They go out and whore themselves to the record companies until they make it then sing songs condemning those who gave them their shot.

Not unlike a soldier protecting some a$$hole libs first amendment right to call that soldier a baby killer.

Advice to Springsteen. Shut up and sing you irrelevant POS.