A New Jersey concert promoter is hoping to draft Bruce Springsteen to perform a concert this September 1 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey- that being at the exact same time as President Bush’s acceptance speech, right across the river at Madison Square Garden, at the Republican convention. He’s even set up a website- DraftBruce.com- advertising a “Concert for Change” on that date.
But there’s just one problem: Bruce wants no part of it.
Even though he’s been a lot more vocally Democratic as of late, a rocker as popular as Bruce was long ambiguous enough his politics that he was able to attract fans from both parties. Indeed, when lefty pundit Eric Alterman wrote a fawning biography of Springsteen four years ago, he could only speculate on the singer’s politics, and when I saw Bruce in the Meadowlands last July he gave a speech about how he’s glad his message has long appealed to people of all political persuasions. (And politicians too, apparently).
By tour’s end Bruce was of course calling for Bush’s impeachment, and now his official website is adorned with the text of an Al Gore speech. But I can’t say I blame The Boss for turning down the overtures of overzealous promoter Andrew Rasiej, who was presumptuous enough to adorn his website with Bruce’s likeness even before he had agreed to appear.
I suppose it was inevitable that Springsteen would decide not to do the concert, just as last year he rejected overtures from both Democrats and independents to run for the Senate from the Garden State.
Posted by Stephen Silver at June 25, 2004 08:21 AM