No musical artist at Bruce Springsteen’s level of commercial success, artistic endurance and renown has been as outspoken as he has when it comes to President Donald Trump’s ICE surge in Minnesota. During separate incidents in January, ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens (Renée Good and Alex Pretti) in Minneapolis. Springsteen’s searing folk-rock protest anthem “Streets of Minneapolis” came out just days after Pretti’s killing at the hands of ICE agents. The Trump administration rushed to portray Good and Pretti as a domestic terrorists without providing evidence; eyewitness accounts and video footage from both killings seemed to tell a different story than the one spun by the federal government. “Their claim was self-defense, sir, just don’t believe your eyes,” sang Springsteen on the song. “It’s our blood and bones and these whistles and phones against [Stephen] Miller and [Kristi] Noem’s dirty lies.”
The 20-time Grammy winner gave “Streets of Minneapolis” its live debut at legendary local venue First Avenue during Tom Morello’s fundraiser for the families of Pretti and Good (a mother of three) on Jan. 30 and returned to it on March 28 at the flagship No Kings Rally in St. Paul, Minnesota, in front of the Minnesota State Capitol.
On Tuesday (March 31) night, Springsteen continued his advocacy for the Minnesota resistance by kicking off his Land of Hopes and Dreams American Tour at Minneapolis’ Target Center. An artist of his stature has more than his fair share of Billboard Hot 100 hits, radio standbys and iconic deep cuts to choose from for a setlist, but in the face of everything Minnesotans have faced in 2026, it seemed likely that the Boss’ opening night setlist would skew more political than usual—which it did, but it was also loaded with crowd-pleasing smashes and a few surprises.
Below, check out Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s opening night setlist for the Land of Hopes and Dreams American Tour. And to see how locals feel about Springsteen’s protest anthem and advocacy, head here.
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“War” (Edwin Starr cover)
Album: Live/1975-85 (1986)
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“Born in the U.S.A.”
Album: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
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“Death to My Hometown”
Album: Wrecking Ball (2012)
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“No Surrender”
Album: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
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“Darkness on the Edge of Town”
Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
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“Streets of Minneapolis”
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“The Promised Land”
Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
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“Out in the Street”
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“Hungry Heart”
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“Youngstown”
Album: The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
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“Murder Incorporated”
Album: Greatest Hits (1995)
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“American Skin (41 Shots)”
Albums: Live in New York City (2001) and High Hopes (2014)
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“Long Walk Home”
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“House of a Thousand Guitars”
Album: Letter to You (2020)
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“My City of Ruins”
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“Because the Night” (Patti Smith cover)
Album: Live/1975-85 (1986)
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“Wrecking Ball”
Album: Wrecking Ball (2012)
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“The Rising”
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“The Ghost of Tom Joad”
Album: The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
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“Badlands”
Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
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“Land of Hopes and Dreams” with “People Get Ready” (The Impressions cover)
Albums: Live in New York City (2001) and Wrecking Ball (2012)
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“Born to Run”
Album: Born to Run (1975)
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“Bobby Jean”
Album: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
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“Dancing in the Dark”
Album: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
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“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
Album: Born to Run (1975)
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“Purple Rain” (Prince and the Revolution cover)
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“Chimes of Freedom” (Bob Dylan cover)
Album: Chimes of Freedom EP (1988)
This story originally appeared on Billboard
