Amidst a purple-hued stage, The Boss paid homage to The Purple One earlier this evening, APril 23rd, to open up his show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house during the powerful tribute. Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band rocked out on classic Prince tune “Purple Rain” for a proper tribute to the legend, who passed just two days ago.
In a poignant speech, Springsteen dedicated tonight’s show to Prince, explaining how every time he saw him, he was left humbled. “He was the best performer I ever saw”, he proclaimed. Springsteen happens to also be one of Prince’s favorite frontmen, as he confessed on The View in 2012, even comparing him to James Brown.
Springsteen is currently underway with his “River Tour,” tackling his 1980 album The River in its entirety as well as other staples from throughout his career.
Countless artists around the country have honored Prince’s legacy over the past two days, including LCD Soundsystem at Coachella, Gov’t Mule at Jazz Fest, Ben Harper, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the Disco Biscuits, Kung Fu with Hayley Jane, and Jazz is Phish.
Watch fan-shot footage of the heartfelt performance below, courtesy of Stan Goldstein.