Bruce Springsteen delivered one of those moments that makes festival lineups legendary. According to Rolling Stone, at Tom Morello's Power to the People Festival in Maryland, Springsteen performed Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" backed by Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews, and Morello himself.
This wasn't a throwaway deep cut. Springsteen hadn't performed the Young anthem live since 2004, when he sang it at a Vote for Change concert in Minnesota alongside Young, R.E.M., and John Fogerty. That's 22 years.
Springsteen leaned into protest anthems throughout his set. Rolling Stone reports that "Streets of Minneapolis" was the only original track he performed all night. Joan Baez joined him for Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom," while Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff teamed up with him for Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son", a track Springsteen hadn't played live since 2009.
This lineup signals something beyond nostalgia. In 2026, with political polarization deepening, festivals centering protest music and cross-generational rock collaboration are deliberate choices. Springsteen's decision to anchor an entire evening around songs of dissent, paired with the star power of Grohl and the activist credibility of Morello, turns a festival set into a statement.
The question now is whether this sparks a wider tour. Springsteen performing "Rockin' in the Free World" for the first time in two decades is unlikely to be one-off. Expect to hear this track again when Springsteen hits the road.
