Bruce Springsteen returned to the stage on Saturday night for the reopening of his acclaimed “Springsteen on Broadway”.
During the presentation of songs and stories, Springsteen had a new anecdote to add to the mix, telling the audience about his arrest late last year on charges of driving under the influence, reported USA Today.
“I was handcuffed and thrown in jail — that took some doing,” said Springsteen during the show, his first public statement on his arrest.
“It wasn’t easy. I didn’t wake up one morning, get on my motorcycle and say, ‘I think I’ll drive to jail,'” he quipped.
Springsteen was arrested after a police officer witnessed him downing a shot of Patrón tequila on a New Jersey beach before getting on his Triumph motorcycle and driving off. Charges of drunk and reckless driving were dropped when it was revealed that his blood-alcohol content was 0.02, far below the state of New Jersey’s 0.08 legal limit. Springsteen pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol in a closed area and paid a $500 fine.
“My case was the United States of America vs. Bruce Springsteen. That’s always comforting to hear — the entire nation is aligned against you,” he told fans.
“My hometown, New Jersey,” he added. “They love me there.”
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“Springsteen on Broadway” is scheduled to run through Sept. 4, and is the first full-capacity show on the Great White Way since all performances shut down in March 2020.
