Apparently, Bruce Springsteen does like Chris Christie
Jon Landau attempted to quell claims that his client purposefully dodged a high-five from the former New Jersey governor at a concert last week.
Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Last week, the internet got a chuckle when a clip appearing to show New Jersey rockstar Bruce Springsteen denying a high-five from his home state’s former governor Chris Christie went viral. But be not fooled: Springsteen and Christie are great friends—according to Springsteen’s manager, that is.
In the clip, Springsteen, currently on his anti-Trump, democracy-fueled Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour with the E Street Band, is seen working the crowd at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center during a performance of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” Christie, swimming in a pair of comically high-waisted trousers, extends a hopeful palm toward The Boss, who appears to snub the gesture. Christie pulls his hand back to his chest like it’s an injured dove before attempting the “I meant to clap all along” maneuver—a move that no one has ever made look convincing.
Yesterday, Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau went on public record to correct the narrative. “Current stories claiming a break in the friendship between Bruce and Chris Christie are absurd,” he told Rolling Stone. “We’ve all been friends for years, Chris was attending his 180th show, standing at the side of the stage as our guest. And we hope to see him at our next 180 shows, as our guest. Period.” Bruce had apparently addressed the governor earlier in the song, giving him a cheeky, “Come on, gov,” before it began.
But the high-five diss landed online because Springsteen’s current tour is explicitly political, with anti-Trump critiques packed into each night’s setlist, and Christie was one of Trump’s first big supporters in 2016. Christie has since turned his back on Trump but remains indelibly linked to the Republican Party.
Mike Ryan, who first posted the clip, argued on his Substack that “when Bruce was performing more politically charged songs, like ‘American Skin,’ Christie would be checking his phone. Bruce knew Chris Christie was there. During multiple songs, Bruce would be on the far end of the stage, right in front of Christie, never once acknowledging Christie’s presence.” After the show, Christie posted a photo of himself and Springsteen smiling together backstage. Maybe it really was all just a misunderstanding, but I still think Springsteen saw Christie’s hand and kept moving.
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