The story behind that photo of Tim Walz and Josh Shapiro at a Bruce Springsteen show

In his first speech as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz knew how to win over Philadelphia audiences: name-dropping the Boss. In praising Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as a “treasure,” Walz said, “I know this from experience. There is no one you would rather go to a Springsteen concert in Jersey with than him!”

The line prompted cheers of “Bruce” from the crowd at Temple University’s Liacouras Center (though Philadelphia son Jake Tapper seemingly mistook the reaction for “boos”).

“Holy hell can this guy bring the fire,” Walz said about Shapiro. “This is a visionary leader. Also I have to tell ya, everybody in America knows, when you need a bridge fixed, call that guy.” Shapiro, who also had been in consideration for the VP pick, also spoke at the rally on his home turf as a campaign surrogate.

Right before Walz’s speech in Philadelphia, Inquirer politics reporter Julia Terruso shared the fun fact on X: “Little background on Shapiro saying Walz is a good friend — sources familiar tell me they once attended a Springsteen concert in Jersey together.”

Not two hours later, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy entered the chat, responding “Can confirm” with a photo of himself, Walz, Shapiro, and former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke at MetLife Stadium on Labor Day weekend in 2023.

“We knew Tim was a big Bruce fan,” Murphy told The Inquirer on Wednesday. “Tammy, my wife, reached out to him and invited him to come to see the Boss in Jersey. Tim brought Beto O’Rourke as his guest.” It was the first time Murphy had met O’Rourke. The show came right after Springsteen had postponed his Philadelphia shows due to illness, so Murphy extended an invite to Shapiro and his wife, Lori, as well.

“As one does at a Bruce Springsteen concert, we had a grand evening and a great time together. Great guys, great fun,” said Murphy. He added that in retrospect it was even more notable because Springsteen postponed the rest of his tour dates shortly afterward. “Nobody knew how sick [Springsteen] was ... When you put it into context, what the guy was going through, never mind the company we were keeping with Tim and Josh and Beto and others, it was a pretty special night.”

Some users on X commented that the governors’ seats were less than ideal, but Murphy disagrees. “We had good seats as we always do. We weren’t in the elite [seats], you know, on the floor, but we were well-situated,” he said. “It’s hard to complain at a Bruce Springsteen concert. You really have to go out of your way to not have a good time, and that night was no exception. We had a ball.”

Walz is an admitted Springsteen fan. When the Boss played St Paul, Minn.’s Xcel Energy Center last year, the governor declared March 5 Bruce Springsteen Day. The declaration called the concert a “once-in-a-lifetime event” and “an opportunity to witness a living legend in action.” Walz was also wearing a Springsteen shirt in a now-viral video with his daughter, Hope, at the Minnesota State Fair.

Springsteen has long been a fan of major politicians, whether the love is mutual or not (ahem, Chris Christie). He previously joined Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on their presidential campaigns. The Boss has a packed tour schedule this fall — including shows at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 21 and Aug. 23 — but maybe he’ll find time for a Harris/Walz rally.