In April 2016, the state of North Carolina passed the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which dictated which public bathrooms transgender people were permitted to use and eliminated the ability for LGBTQ citizens to sue for certain human rights violations in the workplace.
Citizens, activists, businesses and artists all over the United States took a stand against the measure. Bruce Springsteen was among the artists who chose to boycott the state in protest, cancelling a planned show in Greensboro, a long and loyal Springsteen stronghold, only two days before the scheduled event.
Bruce wasn’t the only artist to cancel an appearance, but he was the most prominent, and his decision sparked a national debate about the best way to respond to and protest a clearly discriminatory law. In the wake of Bruce’s move, artists across the spectrum questioned themselves (or found themselves questioned) about whether they should follow suit.
One of those artists was Brandi Carlile, who at the time was at a critical career crossroad–already popular with a growing fanbase and in the early days of what would prove to be a remarkable and sustained run of award nominations and wins that continues to this day.
Brandi wrestled with the dilemma, weighing the economic reality of being a small touring artist, the importance of making her own statement and providing an opportunity for her fans to come together in solidarity. And then on the day that Bruce was scheduled to perform in Greensboro, she posted this to her Instagram.
The following month, as promised, Brandi performed in North Carolina. And in her encore set, she addressed the elephant in the room, stating that she was in solidarity with those who chose not to play in the state, even though she chose to be there herself.
“I believe that when guys like Bruce Springsteen… cancel their shows having a largely heterosexual audience and a politically diverse audience, I think they are making a statement to their fans about what they represent… We’re doing something a little different than Bruce did, but I really want to stand behind what he did, and I really want to bring you guys a little bit of Bruce because he didn’t come. North Carolina, The Boss loves you!”
And with that, she ripped into a ferocious cover of Bruce’s 1975 anthem, “Born to Run.” And while I haven’t been able to find a high quality video of that first performance, she continued to play it throughout that leg of her tour.
Here’s a video from a few weeks later in Kansas City–fierce, defiant, and absolutely owning “Born to Run” with a voice that was born to sing it.
Normally I take a pass on covers of his iconic songs but gave this a listen. Wow. She nailed it. Thanks Ken.
I have a deep need to hear Brandi and Patti Scialfa do a duet. I think their voices would be amazing together.
Thanks, Ken! Now I’m going to have to try and catch Brandi on tour.
Fix Brandi’s name in the title
Fixed, thanks Mike!
When I do crawl out from under my rock and finally become aware of a wonderful artist like Brandi Carlile, I feel I’ve made a major discovery. Never heard her music until seeing her on SNL a couple weeks ago. Wow! I became a fan right away. The more music I searched out, the more I learn about her, the more impressed I am. Now, I see your story and the BTR clip and it keeps getting better. Thanks Ken!