The event, which will take place on Saturday, March 28, will also feature Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers
Credit: Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Bruce Springsteen confirmed he’ll be performing “Streets of Minneapolis” at the No Kings Rally in St. Paul, Minn.
- “When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment,” the rock icon told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Monday, March 23
- The No Kings Rally will take place on Saturday, March 28
Bruce Springsteen plans to perform his recent single "Streets of Minneapolis" at the No Kings Rally in St. Paul, Minn.
The song, which is about the Minnesota city's ongoing protests against ICE, was released in January and came amid President Donald Trump's sweeping deportation efforts in the city, which has resulted in weeks of civil unrest and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
In an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune in Monday, March 23, Springsteen spoke about his decision to perform "Streets of Minneapolis" at the Saturday, March 28 event.
Credit: Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
“You want to try to meet the moment,” he told the publication. “The No Kings movement is of great import right now."
Springsteen added, "When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment, it elevates your job to another level. And I’m always in search of that.”
The event will also feature Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers and more.
Springsteen also commented on Baez, 85, appearing at the event.
"Having Joan there, what can you say about her?” he told the outlet. “She’s lived a life.”
Per Minnesota Public Radio, over 80,000 people are expected at attend the No Kings Rally, the latest protest against the Trump administration.
In January, Springsteen announced "Streets of Minneapolis" in an Instagram Reel, alongside the track's cover: a black and white photo of a sea of protest signs, all reading "ICE OUT."
"I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good," he captioned the Reel at the time, adding, "Stay free."
"Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice / Singing through the bloody mist / We’ll take our stand for this land / And the stranger in our midst," Springsteen sings. "Here in our home they killed and roamed / In the winter of ’26 / We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis."
The track has parallels to Springsteen's 1993 hit "Streets of Philadelphia," a melancholy classic about a man on the outskirts of society, seeking some act of kindness but refusing to ask for it. The track was created for the film Philadelphia, which starred Tom Hanks and addressed the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The Boss will launch is Land of Hope and Dreams tour on Tuesday, March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
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