Charisma Madarang
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Bruce Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis" for the final week of 'The Late Show.' Taylor Hill/WireImage On the eve of Stephen Colbert‘s final Late Show, the host invited Bruce Springsteen to the stage for a fitting performance of his protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis.” Earlier this year, the musician and the E Street Band live-debuted the track during their politically charged Land of Hope and Dreams tour.
In a way that felt bittersweet, Colbert announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen.” As his spotlight faded and focused on the singer, Springsteen made it clear why he was there for the late-night series penultimate episode. “I’m here in support tonight of Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen said. “And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want.”
He added, “Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you.”
The singer then launched into an emotional performance of “Streets of Minneapolis,” which was written in reaction to ICE’s brutal immigration crackdown in the city, and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
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Last year, CBS announced it was cancelling The Late Show, claiming the move was “purely a financial decision.” It’s been speculated that CBS’s parent company Paramount pulled the plug to curry favor with Donald Trump — who Colbert frequently called out during his show — and the FCC to ensure a merger between Paramount and Skydance would go through. As Springsteen highlighted before his performance on Wednesday night, Paramount is helmed by David Ellison, the son of Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle.
