The Boss Snubs Jersey's New Republican Governor

yep he's the boss alright and there is lots of boss stuff at mybrucespringsteen

"Gothamist" seems to be quite concerned with the Garden State.

You should stick to the pressing issues in NYC; bike lane controversies & hipster gatherings.

I'm disappointed in Christie for even asking this overrated, phoney-baloney working class hero to perform.

He should ask a Republican musician like Toby Keith.

"where dockworkers' dreams

mix with panthers' schemes

to someday own the rodeo"

the fact that fatass actually thought he could get springsteen to play at his birthday party is pretty funny

"If you like him, good for you."

I'm certainly not a fan, and wouldn't be at all interested in attending a Springsteen concert. But I do know enough about his career to laugh at the statements that everything he's recorded is about New Jersey and that it all sounds the same.

I tuned him out about 20 years ago so bully for you for knowing his 'collection'. I hope you get a Christmas card from him or his career as a Jeopardy question.

In America you don't have to dance for the King, if you don't want to.

the right wing has had a hard on for springsteen ever since that dipshit george will tried to co-opt him for reagan, completely misreading his music.

springsteen has a right to be as political as he wants. politics and politicians brought it on him, he didn't bring it on himself.

the guy is a fucking living legend, he doesn't need to croon for some fat fuck.

Something that has been completely ignored here is the fact that on Springsteen's website he posted a statement in support of gay marriage in New Jersey which Christie has vowed to veto if it were to come up under his leadership.

It seems pretty clear that Springsteen is snubbing Christie for this reason specifically.

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

um, so what?

it's entirely the artist's choice where he plays or doesn't play.

but i'm HIGHLY amused by the new governor's first executive decision, lol. when he can't get a 'real' artist, he goes for a reasonable facsimile of said artist? why not go for an original musician that WOULD play for his highness? let's see what reasonable facsimile he comes up with for laws. "separate but equal" doesn't work in racial matters, doesn't work for musical artists, and certainly won't work for gay marriage if he does indeed get the chance to veto it as he promised.

He's a Republican. Unless he wants to move the inauguration ceremony to Branson Mo, he'd just as well hire the cover band.

He's a Bruce fan. He wanted Bruce there because he likes Bruce's music. So why would he get an original musician who is not Bruce, when he can get a reasonable fascimile of the musician he does want there? It makes perfect sense.

Could this be the beginning of the inevitable Springsteen backlash?

Nope, he has a strong fan base.

I think his dumbass 41 Shots song started that. Why doesn't he stick to what he knows best; acid wash, the shore and cheating on his wife.

Fuck Springsteen, he is the most talentless musician who ever sang. All his songs are raspy crap about Jerrrrrrrrrsey - hate that hack.

"All his songs are raspy crap about Jerrrrrrrrrsey"

Yeah, like that one whole album, Nebraska, about the Jersey City suburb by that name. And the song "Galveston Bay" which is about a Tex-Mex restaurant called that in Newark. And "The Ghost of Tom Joad," about the ex-Governor Joad of New Jersey whose biography was written by famous Jerseyite John Steinbeck.

He could sing about Jews being liberated from Bergen Belsen and he'd manage to make it sound like every other dumb song he;s ever rasped. If you like him, good for you.

If he had agreed to play for Christie you would be jizzing your pants. Go fuck yourself you hypocrite dick face

Why would I be jizzing exactly? I don't give a shit about him no matter what he does.

If Christie wants live music he should just eat beans and wear corduroy.

More tolerant open-mindedness from Hollywood liberals.

I understand him not wanting to play the inauguration, given his political orientation. But refusing to even play the other concert, when the guy's been to 122 of your shows just seems really, really, unbelievably douchey.

"the guy's been to 122 of your shows"

And you actually believe something that a republican tells you?

Plenty of people have been to a lot of Springsteen shows. Should be feel obligated to perform at charity benefits that any of them "offer him an opportunity" to play -- or is it only the rich fans who should be given that honor?

No one knows why he declined to play at either event, but no doubt as with most famous performers he and his reps are contacted dozens of times each year with such "opportunities." To write that the decision was made was "possibly because Christie is a Republican" as above is just as speculative as it would be to say "possibly because he has dinner plans that night."

possibly because he's fucking his mistress that night.

It was to be a benefit concert, not a private show for Christie. He had previously offered to make a contribution to a charity of Springsteen's choice if he played the inauguration, and presumably, the benefit concert would have assisted some such organization.

He's obviously not obligated to do it. He can do whatever he wants. But I've always thought he was an overrated douche anyway, so this just adds to that, in my eyes.

" He had previously offered to make a contribution to a charity of Springsteen's choice if he played the inauguration, and presumably, the benefit concert would have assisted some such organization."

So what? Christie's just like any other fanboy to any other pop star. And Springsteen is like any other pop star. What we have here is an exchange that's gone on hundreds of thousands of times for decades:

Fanboy: "But I'm his biggest fan!"

PopStar: "Just keep spending your money on my stuff, other than that I want nothing to do with you."

Memo to mainstream musicians: No one gives a crap about your politics, they just want to hear your songs. That's precisely why Christie invited you to perform in the first place. You are free to make money off the inauguration and donate the entire sum to the Democratic Party.

What money? Do you think he's getting the kind of money he always gets performing a concert in a stadium? He has the same costs to pay, insure, secure, transport the band and staff, but he's not getting paid REAL money.

Bruce should play the benefit, without appearing at a Republican event, if that gives him agita. He's coming across as petty.

www.forgotten-ny.com

He made no promises to Christie, so it's not as though he reneged on a deal. He can do whatever the fuck he wants.

Yeah, how dare he...not do whatever the heck he wants to. He should...feel obligated...to help out...that guy. Or something. Wait, what?

and that's why he's the boss.