Bruce Springsteen's performance identity
In a 1998 study of Bruce Springsteen fans, Springsteen is described as the "last great white, male hero" (Cavicchi, 1998). While few know the "real" Springsteen, his public image - the figure of Springsteen - is a Western icon. He serves as a symbol of a particular kind of man, communicating a particular identity - a "regular guy," a figure that is politically and socially aware, spiritual, idealistic, authentic and ultimately conventionally masculine, American, White and working class. Since permanently reforming the E Street Band, his most acclaimed group of long‐time touring and recording musicians, in 1999, Springsteen's performance identity - the white, American, working class male he symbolizes - has become part of a trend in modern rock and punk music. Contemporary artists have begun publically displaying an appreciation for Springsteen by commenting on his influence, referencing his work in their own, covering his songs and displaying similar aesthetic and behavioural gestures onstage, a trend that has most concisely been referred to as a Springsteen renaissance (Barclay, 2007). These bands, including The Hold Steady, The Constantines, The National and The Killers are embedded - or in the case of The Killers, have attempted to be embedded - in North American music cultures rooted in punk and rock values, particularly musical integrity, authenticity and the sharing of the life experiences of ordinary, working class American men. Generally, these bands are often more recognized for their echoing of the Springsteen figure than for their original music. The most obvious and recently recognized example of such a band may be The Gaslight Anthem, a New Jersey quartet fronted by Brian Fallon.
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