Bruce Springsteen brought some NSFW jokes to his four-song set at the annual Stand Up for Heroes veterans benefit in New York Monday night.
According to the Asbury Park Press, one joke was “about a songwriter who writes songs with X-rated names,” while the other was about “something called a ‘voodoo penis.’” (See fan-shot video of one of them below.)
“Thanks, I’m not a comedian but when I come here I tell the jokes,” Springsteen said. “My jokes are not comedian jokes, so you got to cut them a little slack.”
His set also saw him duetting with his wife/E Street Band member Patti Scialfa on “If I Should Fall Behind” and country singer Eric Church on “Working on the Highway”; he also performed “This Hard Land” and “Dancing in the Dark” solo. The event also featured a three-song set from Church as well as comedians Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jim Gaffigan, and Jimmy Carr.
The event, which is part of the New York Comedy Festival, is a benefit for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which according to its website “partners with community and national programs, organizations and the military community, and advocates to create healthy, positive futures for our service members, veterans and their families.” Woodruff is a television journalist who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006 while covering the war in Iraq, and subsequently recovered.
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While a regular at the event, Springsteen missed last year’s amid the launch of his “Springsteen on Broadway” one-man show. Foundation cofounder Lee Woodruff, Bob’s wife, told the APP that the date of this year’s benefit was moved to accommodate Springsteen’s Broadway schedule. “We actually moved the original date tonight because he said I would really like to do this because I missed last year,” she said. “This is his night off and he’s giving it to the service men and women.”
Even though it was the night before the midterm elections, there was little talk of politics from everyone except the British-born Carr. “I know it’s divisive to talk about your president because Donald Trump’s presidency has really divided public opinion,” he said. “Some people think he’s a breath of fresh air and some people think he’s a f—ing idiot. But one thing’s for sure, he’s a f—ing idiot.”