Orel Family

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Long Walk Home. Washington, DC, May 27, 2026. Photo: Matthew Orel You know that flag flying over the courthouse It means certain things are set in stone Who we are, what we'll do and what we won't --Bruce Springsteen, Long Walk Home Bruce Springsteen has performed in front of the American flag before. Most famously, the "Born in the U.S.A" tour stadium shows opened with Bruce and the E Street Band in front of a giant flag ; after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001m Bruce played benefit shows in New Jersey in front of a giant flag as well. It's not subtle. This is my country and this is my flag. Bruce Springsteen, Max Weinberg Land of Hope and Dreams. Washington, DC, May 27, 2026. Photo: Matthew Orel On Wednesday, Bruce took his case to the nation's capital city, in the only stadium show of the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour. It'd be easy enough to interpret - or, arguably, misinterpret - that flag as an ass...

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band was originally scheduled to play Camden Yard s in Baltimore on September 9th, 2023. The show was postponed for a year due to Bruce's peptic ulcer disease. Friday night, he and the band made up for it. Springsteen has a big show coming up Sunday evening on the beach in Asbury Park as the headliner of the SeaHearNow Music Festival . For this sweltering Friday evening, though, he gave full attention to Baltimore. The band came on stage almost exactly at the stated show time of 7:30. Given that Bruce's first top ten single "Hungry Heart " mentioned Baltimore in the first line, it was no surprise that Bruce opened with it, followed by another River fan favorite, "Sherry Darling." The audience took the first line of "Hungry Heart," and Bruce was down to the front of the stage and in to the crowd even before beginning his own singing. The two openers also gave opportunities for members of the band to shine, in par...

The bikepath on the way to the vote. Peaceful and free. At 11am yesterday, I decided it was time to vote. The polling place is less than a mile from my home, and I thought it might be a good idea to walk it. The day was warm, as pretty much the entire fall has been warm. My fitbit said I'd been pathetic lately with the steps. Most of the leaves were down, and it was colorful and beautiful outside. I took some snapshots. "This is what my America looks like today." Regardless of who would win this thing -- and I had severe doubts -- this place, at this time, seemed a good place to be and good time to be here. I walked around the corner, and up the next street. It started to rain, just a little rain. I didn't have an umbrella, and I was too far to come back home, so I kept going. I thought of walking songs, and the first one that came to mind was "This Land is Your Land." One of the most openly -- and great -- political songs of the last century, and I ...

I pray for the strength, Lord. Of all the things that Bruce Springsteen has done in the 15 years since 9/11, there was one thing he hadn't done: Perform in public with the E Street Band, on 9/11. Last night's show... would be different. It would have to be different, somehow. Springsteen's recent shows have turned in to early career retrospectives, going album by (rock) album through the first dozen years of his career, and stretching the whole thing out over 4 hours. Sure, the songs feel like old friends now, mostly. But last night felt different. Last night there was a wound to check on, and it was still bleeding. In an arena that seemed to have more people than it could hold, and that was several degrees warmer than comfortable, Bruce led a service. It was raw, emotional, intense, with mourning for the dead and prayers for the living. When it was all over, after a typically goofy suite of party songs, we were collectively drained. I had no particular expectatio...