Bruce Springsteen Fans Are Furious Over $5,000 Tickets—And The Boss Should Know Better
So, Bruce Springsteen is heading back out on the road with the E Street Band, and you'd think after all these years, The Boss would know how to treat his people. But if you've been eyeing tickets for his reunion tour, brace yourselves—because the prices are enough to make you cry into your double-double.
Word started trickling in this week that some tickets for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour are hitting astronomical numbers. We're talking $3,000 USD a pop—that's around $5,000 CAD for us up here. For a single night. In all honesty, for that kind of money, you'd expect Bruce to swing by your place afterwards for a back bacon sandwich and a kitchen party.
From 'Dancing in the Dark' to Crying in the Dark
Fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration, and let's just say, it's not pretty. The general sentiment seems to be that the man who once sang about being "Dancing in the Dark" has left his faithful followers fumbling for the light switch—and their wallets. Here's a taste of what's making the rounds:
- "$5,000 for Bruce Springsteen tickets? For that, he better come over and shovel my driveway all winter."
- "The Boss has become the Bay Street banker. Shameful."
- "I remember when you could see Bruce and the E Street Band for twenty bucks and a case of Molson. Now that's a tall tale."
It's a far cry from the days documented in the brilliant When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain, a film that showed the raw, hungry artist winning over crowds with nothing but heart and a Telecaster. Back then, it was about the music. Now, it feels like it's about the bottom line. And Canadian fans who lined up for hours in the rain at Maple Leaf Gardens or made the trek down to the CNE grandstand know that feeling all too well.
Bowing to Inflation? Even the Cartoonists Are Having a Field Day
The backlash has even caught the eye of political cartoonists. Down in New Jersey, the great Drew Sheneman summed it up perfectly with a cartoon titled "Bruce bows to inflation," showing The Boss at a ticket booth with prices through the roof. It's a brutal but fair point: in an era where everything from your morning Tim Hortons to your monthly rent has gone up, Springsteen tickets have decided to launch themselves into orbit.
And wouldn't you know it, the whole fiasco has even dragged in the name of a certain former US president. With The Boss having been vocal about his political views over the years—famously clashing with Donald Trump over the use of his music—there's a certain irony in fans now feeling like they're getting gouged just to see him. Honestly, you couldn't write this stuff.
What About Canadian Fans?
For Springsteen's massive Canadian following, the news is a tough pill to swallow. We've always kind of claimed him as an honourary Canadian, haven't we? From his love of our wide-open spaces to the way he captures the spirit of the working stiff. But at these prices, the working stiff is being left out in the cold. There's been no official word on Toronto or Vancouver dates yet, but if and when they come, it's hard to see how they'll escape the pricing model that's causing chaos south of the border. The memory of his From My Home To Yours lockdown broadcasts, where he brought comfort from his own living room, feels like a lifetime ago—and certainly a more affordable one.
Maybe the solution is to dig out the old vinyl, crank up Bruce Springsteen: Dancing in the Dark on the stereo, and remember when the biggest investment was the cost of the album. Or, as one wag put it: "For the price of one ticket, I could fly to Newark, stand outside his house, and yell at him for free. And then grab a coffee at Tim's on the way back." Now that's a truly Canadian compromise.