Bruce Springsteen Brings Music and Dirty Jokes to Stand Up For Heroes Benefit
Bruce Springsteen brought both heart and humor to the stage Monday night at New York’s David Geffen Hall for the annual Stand Up For Heroes fundraiser — a night that blends comedy and music in support of veterans through the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
Sharing the bill with The Lumineers, Jon Stewart, Jeff Ross, Amber Iman, Hasan Minhaj, and Iliza Shlesinger, Springsteen once again proved he’s not just The Boss of rock but also of raunchy one-liners.
“What do you call a herd of cows pleasing themselves?” he cracked to the crowd. “Beef strokin’-off.”
Springsteen has been a staple of Stand Up For Heroes since it began in 2007, missing only once due to his Broadway run. “I’ve been here 16 years,” he told an audience filled with military personnel. “It’s always an honor to be here with our men and women in uniform who have given us so much. Thank you, thank you.”
Rapid-Fire Jokes and Tender Tunes
This year, he skipped the long-winded storytelling and delivered a string of cheeky, quick-hit jokes instead.
“During sex, you burn off as many calories as if you ran eight miles,” he said with a smirk. “But who can run eight miles in 30 seconds? Got that off the Internet.”
Later, he added, “Why does it take 100 million sperm to fertilize one egg? Because, like all men, they won’t stop to ask directions.”
Among the final groan-worthy zingers were:
“What do you call an Italian hooker? A pasta-tute.”
And yes, again: “What do you call a herd of cows pleasing themselves? Beef strokin’-off.”
A Setlist from the Soul
Springsteen opened his musical set with “House of a Thousand Guitars” — his self-described “state of the union” track from the 2020 Letter To You album. Though he performed it for the virtual edition of the event in 2020, this was his first time playing it live for a crowd.
He followed with a heartfelt “I’ll Work For Your Love” (from Magic), a moving “I’ll See You In My Dreams” (Letter To You), and ended on a high note with a spirited singalong of his classic “Dancing In The Dark.”
Looking Ahead
Springsteen is currently off the road, with his next major outing kicking off February 1, 2023, in Tampa, Florida, when he hits the stage with the E Street Band. In the meantime, fans can look forward to Only The Strong Survive — his upcoming album of soul covers, releasing November 11.
He’s been busy promoting the album, including an appearance on The Howard Stern Show and an upcoming visit to The Graham Norton Show in the UK.
As for Stand Up For Heroes, this year’s event raised an impressive $4.5 million for veterans and their families. The 2023 edition is already on the calendar for November 6 — and while the lineup hasn’t been revealed yet, don’t be surprised if The Boss is back again.