In this perilous, consequential term of Trump 2.0, I’m noting a very stark difference between musicians who speak up about what is actually happening in our country, versus others who stumble their way through struggle performances and word salads of “it’s time to come together” and “I took the gig to help out a cause.” Bruce Springsteen, first son of New Jersey, is of course in the first camp. Even while on tour abroad, Springsteen is calling out the un-American, undemocratic crimes of this president to European audiences. And we know it’s bugging the sh-t out of the mango mobster, based on the unhinged social media posts he incoherently spat out in response. Well, Pearl Jam is also out on tour now, in America, and frontman Eddie Vedder took a moment out of their Sunday show in Pittsburgh to salute Springsteen for standing up for true American values:
“I just want to point out that [Springsteen] brought up the issues,” Vedder said to the crowd. “He brought up that residents are being removed off America’s streets and deported without the due process of law. That’s happening. He brought up that we are abandoning our longtime allies around the globe and signing on with dictators. That is also happening.”
“And here driving through all the colleges, the University of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon and the incredible area you’ve got and thinking that they are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideologies as Bruce said,” he continued. “Now look, I appreciate you listening and bring it up because the response to all that and him using the microphone, the response had nothing to do with the issues. They didn’t talk about one of those issues. Didn’t have a conversation about one of those issues. Didn’t debate any of those issues. All that we heard were personal attacks and personal attacks that nobody else should even try to use their microphone or use their voice in public or they will be shut down.”
“Now that is not allowed in this country that we call America.”
Vedder’s speech, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter), received a loud applause from the crowd with a few boos.
“It’s so beneath us,” he added. “Bruce has always been as pro-American with his values of freedom and liberty and his justice has always remained intact, and I’m saying this now just to be sure that this freedom to speak will still exist in another year or two when we come back to this microphone.”
Vedder then went on to perform Springsteen’s “My City in Ruins.”
Go Eddie! Not only did he speak plainly and eloquently, but he gets major props for pulling it all off without even dropping Trump’s name (something I clearly failed to do). Vedder actually did the same thing a year ago when he called Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker a “f–king p-ssy” from the concert stage, also without mentioning the misogynistic prick by name. There’s something so classy about it, like Vedder can unambiguously make his point without having to sully his own mouth by uttering their names. Anyway, Springsteen has lit a spark and it’s catching, as Vedder wasn’t the only rock star to sing the Boss’s praises for his patriotism. This week Neil Young wrote a letter of thanks to Springsteen on his website, where he said “Your great songs of America ring true as you sing them to Europe and the world!” Hear, hear! I’ll be making my annual pilgrimage to Asbury Park this summer, and will feel an extra sense of American pride to be where Springsteen was born… in the USA. (Yes I know he was technically born in Long Branch, but I had to go there!)
Wow! Eddie Vedder completely shreds Donald Trump in Pittsburgh and defends Bruce Springsteen’s recent comments. This is a must watch!!! pic.twitter.com/Px8THSMBWU
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) May 20, 2025
Photos credit: Santi Ramales/Backgrid, Getty
Go Eddie!
I simply love Bruce Springsteen! Thank you Eddie and Neil. You are true Americans! Let the world know that all Americans are not raging MAGAs.
Bruce is three years younger than Trump and can rock a three hour concert. Trump can barely manage the 10 second walk across the oval office. Attacking Bruce is on par with a middle schooler saying “she’s not that pretty” about the girl dating her crush.
Neil is Canadian.
He’s a dual citizen now.
I will always love the republicans played the the hell out of Born in the USA at all of their rallies in the 80’s. Not realizing it’s the most anti-American song there is. All about the title and surface for them. Just don’t look deeper into things.
Bruce Springsteen is practically synonymous with American. I love that he takes that responsibility seriously.
as someone who was in the Seattle 90’s music scene and knew Eddie and his then-wife, Beth, I can tell you with absolute certainty that he is the real deal. Always supported women artistically and politically.
Small correction: BITUSA is not anti-American. It is actually quite patriotic if you look at it as a demand for our country to do better for its citizens. For the veterans, for the unemployed, for those working day-in, day-out to provide for their families. Standing up and saying, I love & supported my country of origin, where is it for me?
True patriotism is being in relationship with a nation, contributing as you can and standing up to it when it’s failing to uphold fundamental American values like freedom of speech.
Hail to Springsteen and Vedder.
Have had mad live for Eddie Vedder for 30+ years now. He’s always been on the right side of history, eloquently outspoken, and a feminist. His wife, Jill, is pretty amazing too. Remember when she wore the “I care, why don’t you?” Jacket in response to Melania wearing the “I don’t care” jacket to visit refugees.
So glad you posted this! Hope other artists will speak out like this.
Love PJ and love EV!! They have always been on the right side of issues since their beginning.
So grateful for their courage to say what needs to be said to a big audience.
It has never been more important to NOT be silent.
Eddy is great and if I could have guessed who’d back Bruce he’d be at the top. They are good friends. Eddy even gave Bruce a ukelele! Bruce has taken it up a notch by releasing an EP with 4 songs and his statements about Trump. Last I saw it was #2 on iTunes. It’s streaming too. Check it out! He’s on fire right now and the shows have been great. Oh, and Bruce never mentions Trump by name either. He dedicated Rainmaker to ‘Dear Leader’!
“Poor man wanna be rich / rich man wanna be king / king ain’t satisfied til he rules everything…”…. Badlands
And I will always ❤️ Eddie
I always appreciate that Bruce Springsteen takes seriously the fact that he has many fans who are repub politicians who didn’t understand his songs (they came of age with “born in the USA” and Reagan and thought it was the same thing…or thought supporting Springsteen balanced out their destruction of American towns) and he always calls them out for being anti-American nutjobs. I appreciate that.
So nice to see white men not being a fucking embarrassment and standing up for human values. Way to go Bruce, Eddie, and Neil! Love it. And Eddie Vedder’s ability to do it without saying names is something I need to practice, too. I agree, it’s an elegant takedown.