November 12, 2024
During his four-song solo acoustic set at last night's 18th Annual Stand Up For Heroes event, besides each sometimes mildly "dirty" Dad joke he delivered before each song, the only other words he spoke onstage were "This is a small prayer for our country," said just before he began singing the set-closing "Long Walk Home." In fact, since Springsteen brilliantly and beautifully let his music do virtually all of the talking when it came to the serious stuff, the entire set - not just "Long Walk Home" - could be taken as a beacon of belief, hope, and prayer offered up against despair, national and/or personal. An extremely appropriate one, as well, regardless of one's spiritual and/or political beliefs, because Stand Up For Heroes, which Springsteen has long supported, is all about helping to ensure that U.S. military veterans, service members, and their families never again have to face hopelessness, hunger, and poverty alone.
Last night's sold-out event, held in New York City's David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, raised over $29 million for The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which was founded in 2006 to ensure that U.S. armed-forces veterans, current members, and their families have stable and successful futures. Besides Springsteen, other performers who appeared at the event were Jim Gaffigan, Norah Jones, Mark Normand, DJ Questlove, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jon Stewart. Also billed to appear was Patti Scialfa, who unfortunately was not in attendance.
In the four YouTube links embedded below, you can watch fan-filmed video of Bruce's entire set, complete and in sequential order, Dad jokes and all:
Lee Woodruff hugs Bruce at the end of his performance
- photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Bob Woodruff Foundation - used with permission