Bruce Springsteen, the iconic American musician, was captured in a now-viral video during his concert in New York City on Thursday evening, seemingly ignoring a high-five attempt from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The incident occurred as Springsteen walked through the crowd during the performance of “10th Avenue Freeze-Out” at the Barclays Center.
Christie, who has attended over 150 Springsteen concerts and kept every ticket stub, was seated in the front row on the right side of the stage. His position made him an ideal candidate for a high-five with the rock legend. However, as Springsteen approached Christie’s area, he made a sharp left toward the stage, avoiding the gesture. This moment was recorded by journalist Mike Ryan, who shared the video online.
Despite the missed high-five, Christie did not seem to let the moment affect his enjoyment of the concert. He continued to clap and cheer for Springsteen, showing his deep admiration for the musician. It remains unclear whether Springsteen intentionally avoided the interaction. According to the video, Springsteen’s head appeared to be down as he moved toward the stage, and he also missed some high-fives from other fans in the general admission area.
This is not the first time Springsteen has had a public disagreement with Christie. As a long-time supporter of the Democratic Party, Springsteen has consistently criticized Christie and his Republican policies. In 2011, Springsteen wrote a letter to the editor of the Asbury Park Press, condemning Christie’s state budget for favoring the wealthy while neglecting the working class and poor.
In 2014, Springsteen joined late-night host Jimmy Fallon in a parody of “Born to Run,” which mocked Christie for the Bridgegate scandal. This political controversy involved Christie’s office allegedly closing lanes to the George Washington Bridge as a form of political retaliation.
More recently, Springsteen has taken a strong stance against President Donald Trump, delivering anti-authoritarian monologues during his shows and describing the administration as “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless,” among other criticisms. While Christie initially supported Trump in the 2016 election and was considered for a top role in the administration, he later opposed the president after the 2020 election.
Despite their political differences, Christie has never stopped appreciating Springsteen’s music. During his time as governor of New Jersey, Christie attended multiple Springsteen concerts. On his first night as a regular citizen after leaving office in 2018, he attended Springsteen’s Broadway show.
“Just because we disagree doesn’t mean I don’t get him,” Christie told The Atlantic in 2012 when asked about their differing views. Over the years, the two New Jerseyans have seemingly reconciled their differences. As recently as March, Christie described his relationship with Springsteen as “really good” and recalled how Springsteen once called him after spotting him in the pit during a concert at the Barclay Center.
“He goes, ‘You know, I just want you to know, I really respect you,’” Christie recounted to the podcast “The Fifth Column.” “And he said, ‘I want us to be friends, let’s just put the politics stuff aside and let’s just be friends,’” Christie added, noting that he and Springsteen now “text” and “talk” regularly.
Even during Thursday evening’s concert, when Springsteen played more politically-charged songs, Christie remained in attendance—though he was seen checking his phone, according to Ryan’s post on his Substack, “The Hard Pass.”
The Independent has reached out to Christie and representatives for Springsteen for comment.
