During a surprise performance at a New Jersey benefit concert Saturday night, Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song to the late Renee Good and said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should “get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

In his lengthy introduction to “The Promised Land” — which he called “probably one of my greatest songs” and “an ode to American possibility” — Springsteen said we are living through incredibly critical times and that the country’s ideals and values of the past 250 years are being tested like never before.

He asked the crowd if they believe democracy, liberty and truth are worth speaking out and fighting for and that “if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president. And as the mayor of that city has said, ICE should get the f— out of Minneapolis. So this one is for you, and the memory of the mother of three and American citizen Renee Good.”

The 37-year-old Good was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Later that day, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called out Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s description of the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism,” saying it was “garbage” and “bull—-” before telling ICE to “get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

As was first reported by NJArts.net, a nonprofit media outlet in the Garden State, Springsteen performed an unannounced but not entirely unexpected 75-minute set at the Light of Day festival, which benefits research for Parkinson’s disease. He was backed by his friend Joe Grushecky’s Houserockers during an evening that also included guest turns from Gary U.S. Bonds, Willie Nile, Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik and Low Cut Connie’s Adam Weiner.

Springsteen had previously appeared at 13 Light of Day festivals in the organization’s 26-year history.

While his lyrics have often touched on political themes, Springsteen took a more public stance when he performed during the Vote for Change tour in 2004. Presented by moveon.org, the tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote. Springsteen performed at the former Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as well as at tour stops in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Fla., East Rutherford, N.J., and Washington, D.C.

In 2008, Springsteen endorsed Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and appeared at several rallies. He’s also been a vocal critic of Donald Trump. In 2016, he told Rolling Stone that “the republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it’s a tragedy for our democracy. … The ideas he’s moving to the mainstream are all very dangerous ideas — white nationalism and the alt-right movement.”

During a May 2025 concert in England, Springsteen called Trump’s administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.” That prompted the president to respond, via social media, that “this dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back in the Country.”

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With federal immigration agents swarming Minnesota, ICE raids, protests, counterprotests, shootings and other horrors in recent weeks, a moment of calm took place at the Cathedral of St. Paul, during a Saturday concert featuring Sir John Rutter with VocalEssence.

The English choral music legend joined the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, along with a chamber orchestra and soloists Audrey Lane-Getaz and G. Phillip Shoultz III, for an afternoon of reverberating voices inside the cathedral’s stone walls. The sold-out performance followed a sing-along event the previous day with the British composer/conductor at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.

Rutter declared “new light” as the theme for the concert. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” he said, quoting the Gospel of John, before adding, “The darkness cannot overcome it.” While not specifically referencing the recent crisis in the Twin Cities and beyond, his words certainly offered a hopeful message amid recent strife.

SMALL FILE — MAX. WIDTH FOR PRINT: 6.8 INCHES — Composer John Rutter will conduct the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers and chamber orchestra during a performance on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. (Courtesy of VocalEssence)

The composer also offered an anecdote about meeting Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, after they heard the music, noting the former royal’s noncommittal but perhaps positive response and the latter’s less enthusiastic one.

“Philip was not known for his attention span,” Rutter said.

Rutter is especially known for his original Christmas music as well as his choral arrangements of Christmas carols, and the program included some of that repertoire. He noted that, technically, the Christmas season doesn’t officially end until Candlemas on Feb. 2.

Rutter’s arrangement of “Here We Come A-Wassailing” featured a jaunty snare drum performed by percussionist Will Kemperman. Rebecca Arons handled a lovely cello solo at the beginning of Rutter’s original Christmas tune, “Carol of the Magi.” And Rutter’s “New Year,” with its resonant vowel sounds that lingered in the nave, and a warm horn part played by Allison Akins, emerged as a highlight.

Besides the seasonal music, the program spotlighted the wonder of creation, awe in nature and gratitude for music itself.

“When Music Sounds,” which VocalEssence commissioned in 2018, began with female voices of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers as well as artistic director Philip Brunelle at the piano. As harmonies later incorporated male vocal parts, the music made for a lovely tribute to the beauty of voices singing together. Rutter’s 1988 tune, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” based on Cecil Frances Alexander’s poem, had an enticing pulse.

Rounding out the concert was the U.S. premiere of Rutter’s “I’ll Make a World,” set to a poem by James Weldon Johnson, known for writing the lyrics for “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” In his remarks, Rutter said his music was the first time Johnson’s “I’ll Make a World” had been set to music.

Lane-Getaz, an alto in the Ensemble Singers, and associate artistic director Shoutz performed the two solo parts, with Lane-Getaz acting as narrator and Shoutz standing in as the voice of God. With elements of jazz, gospel and spirituals incorporated into the music, the song was a British homage to Black American music traditions.

Responding to Rutter’s return to the Twin Cities, the packed cathedral gave Rutter enthusiastic applause both on first appearance and at the end of the concert. With its robust choral music community, the Twin Cities relished in the afternoon of healing music.

VocalEssence next performs for its “Witness” program during Black History Month.

VocalEssence

What: The group’s next concert is “Witness: Symphony of Spirituals.”

When: 4 p.m. Feb. 22

Where: Northrop Auditorium, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis

Tickets and accessibility: Go to vocalessence.org and northrop.umn.edu/accessibility for accessibility.

Capsule: VocalEssence’s talented singers paid tribute to guest composer Sir John Rutter of Britain. For their next concert, the VocalEssence choirs will recall the civil rights movement through anthems, spirituals and more.

A downtown St. Paul hotel will close temporarily citing safety concerns in St. Paul.

The DoubleTree Downtown St. Paul Hotel sent letters to its guests saying they had to find a new place to stay beginning Sunday.

“Please know that your safety and well being will always be our top priority. Due to heightened public safety concerns in St. Paul, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our hotel, and your reservation will be canceled (effective Sunday, Jan. 18).”

The letter went on to say, “We are taking this step out of care for you, our team members, and the surrounding community.”

An employee who answered the phone at the hotel confirmed the hotel was closing Sunday and said it was undetermined when it would reopen.

The hotel is owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Media reports, including a post on X from a Fox News correspondent, stated that another downtown St. Paul hotel owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Intercontinental Hotel, was also temporarily closing, although a person who answered the phone at the Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday said they were not closing but were fully booked for the week.

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Is there anything opposing defenses can truly do with Anthony Edwards? At some point, teams have to be asking themselves that question after another scintillating show put on display in the second half Saturday in San Antonio.

The Spurs sport the NBA’s third-best defense. It’s nearly impossible to score on them when Victor Wembanyama occupies floor space.

Yet the Timberwolves superstar guard shredded San Antonio over the final two quarters. The Spurs, who led by 25 at the break, held on for a three-point victory, but only after surrendering 39 second-half points to Edwards, easily the most in a single half in the association this season.

The guard — who scored a career-high 55 points in the game — drilled eight triples over the final two frames, including five in a 26-point final frame that nearly sparked yet another remarkable come-from-behind victory.

“Made big shot after big shot,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters. “He was inspirational.”

The performance came just a week after Edwards scored nine points in the final 5 minutes, 18 seconds in Minneapolis – including the game winner with 16 seconds to play – to down the Spurs at Target Center.

Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after hitting a three but not getting a foul called on the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Center on January 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Saturday was far more spectacular, as Edwards dissected one of the league’s best defenses with near surgical precision. When Wembanyama was on the floor, Edwards repeatedly fired off largely open step-in triples against the Frenchman’s drop pick-and-roll coverage.

When Wembanyama sat or when San Antonio pressed Edwards off the arc – a consistent defensive approach he faced in last year’s playoffs – Edwards looked for opportunities to attack the rim. When the lane was clogged, he found space for his mid-range jumper.

Each of those makes left Spurs defenders to either laugh in disbelief or star defeatedly into space.

When the Spurs finally started outright double-teaming Edwards, he got off the ball quickly, which resulted in multiple open 3-point attempts for Donte DiVincenzo.

Every question San Antonio asked of Edwards, he answered correctly and with clarity. Combine that with his supreme skill and shot making, and the Spurs’ only solution was to hit enough shots of their old to hold on.

Edwards has long been a supreme scorer, but the specific shot skills he’s added over the last two offseasons – combined with a renewed commitment to his finishing around the rim – has rendered the guard relatively unguardable.

When Edwards is highly motivated to score, he does so at will.

It’s why he touts the best true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentages in the NBA in clutch time this season – when games are within five points in margin with fewer than five minutes to play in regulation. He’s shooting 71% from the field and 61% from distance in that setting.

When Minnesota desperately needs points to win a game – particularly a game Edwards himself desperately wants to win – the 24 year old delivers.

There are 65 cases this year of NBA players scoring 25-plus points in the second half of a game – Edwards is responsible for five of them, which ties him with Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell for the league lead.

For reference, Gilgeous-Alexander has just one such second half (though, to be fair, the Thunder didn’t play many competitive games over their first 30 contests), the same number as Lakers wing Luka Doncic.

Edwards has played 19.5-plus second half minutes on 10 occasions this season, and has 23-plus points in six of those halves.

Winning time is his time. Edwards told reporters after Saturday’s game that he gets up to face Wembanyama, the supposed next face of the league. Any added motivation typically pushes Edwards’ cup of competitive juices over the edge, and sets off a combustion of dominant basketball.

Those chemical reactions are getting far more dangerous for opponents with each passing season, which bodes well for Minnesota’s chances at making another deep playoff run this spring, and strikes fear into the heart of every possible Western Conference opponent in Edwards’ potential path of destruction.

San Antonio included.

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