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Bruce Springsteen played secret White House concert for Barack Obama just days before Donald Trump takeover

A Springsteen tribute act pulled out of Trump's inauguration

Jack Shepherd
Thursday 19 January 2017 13:50 GMT
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Bruce Springsteen has played to millions of people, selling out stadiums around the world and releasing numerous hugely popular albums.

Wednesday evening, two days before Donald Trump’s controversial inauguration, The Boss decided to perform a more low-key concert, secretly playing for outgoing President Obama and his staff at the White House.

According to Backstreets, who document every Springsteen gig, 250 staffers attended the concert in the White House's East Room - the same location the singer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November.

Springsteen reportedly played a 15 song acoustic set, leaning heavily on politically focussed songs from his long spanning career.

For “Tougher Than the Rest” and “If I Should Fall Behind,” Springsteen was joined by wife Patti Scialfa, while Barack and Michelle Obama concluded proceedings by joining the duo on stage.

"He's been with us for some time now, performing his craft to show his support," the president told his staff after thanking the singer for the performance.

The full setlist for the secret concert

"Working on the Highway"

"Growin' Up"

"My Hometown"

"My Father's House"

"The Wish"

"Thunder Road"

"The Promised Land"

"Born in the U.S.A."

"Devils & Dust"

"Tougher Than the Rest" (with Patti Scialfa)

"If I Should Fall Behind" (with Patti Scialfa)

"The Ghost of Tom Joad"

"Long Walk Home"

"Dancing in the Dark"

"Land of Hope and Dreams"

Springsteen’s performance comes just one day before the Make America Great Again! concert dedicated to Donald Trump. The President-elect has failed to persuade many A-List names to attend, with a Springsteen tribute band pulling out last minute.

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