Bruce Springsteen Calls Out Pittsburgh in Cleveland, Nearly Sparks a New Civil War

Rob Slater on February 24, 2016


Oh, God. It happened again. 

Much like celebrity deaths, these rock and roll mishaps must come in threes (WHO WILL BE NEXT?!?!) as Bruce Springsteen followed in Jake Cinninger’s footsteps by name-checking the wrong city from the stage. Only this time, The Boss very well could’ve started a war. 

In Cinninger’s case, the guitarist confused Charlotte and Columbia, two cities with very little relation to one another. When it comes to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, there’s a hatred so deep that it could burst at any minute. You can look no further than the rivalry between the respective cities football teams, as the Steelers and Browns have always had a contentious relationship. 

Thankfully, no one from Pittsburgh was in the house last night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland to fire the first show after Springsteen tried to pump up the Cleveland crowd with a hearty “PARTY NOISES, PITTSBURGH!” shout as the band got ready to kick into The River. Listen to the mass confusion below.