Bragg made a stop at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre on Sunday night as part of the first gigs on his U.S. tour. The UK folk rocker's political views are well known and it was so refreshing to see an artist unabashedly putting politics into a set. In a time when artists like Bruce Springsteen get criticized for taking 5-10 minutes out of a 4-hour concert to reveal a political message that is personal to them, Bragg throws politics out there from the first song until the end. He's one of the few people in the world that grabs the Liberal title and runs with it, unafraid that Americans have been told to fear and hate the word. He wants to show people the power and positive message of liberalism.
And, for the most part, he was preaching to the choir.
Through the course of two hours and four cups of tea, Bragg performed roughly twenty tracks. I'll be honest when I say I don't really know all of the names, but I'm pretty sure I heard the following, "Shirley","A New England", "Levi Stubbs Tears","Waiting for the Great Leap Forward", "I Keep Faith", "Ain't Got No Home In The World", "Farm Boy", "O Freedom", "Ingrid Bergman", "Save The Country", "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key", "Old Clash Fan Fight Song", "NPWA", "To Have and Have Not", and "Help Save The Youth of America".
Favorites of mine included "Waiting for the Great Leap Forward", "I Keep Faith", his cover of Laura Nyro's "Save The Country" and songs from the Mermaid Avenue collection of tunes written by Woody Guthrie but never recorded (which Bragg recorded with the band Wilco) including "Ingrid Bergman" and "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key".
Regarding politics, Bragg reminded the audience that the entire world not only was watching the American presidential election, but should be considered in the process as well. Even though the United States is the undisputed leader of the world, all nations will have to deal with the United States on many issues. As Bragg put it, Britain was exactly worried about the Canadian elections since Canada won't be dragging them into a war anytime soon. Of course, the entire world is hoping that Obama wins and Bragg is as well. He said that Obama basically opens the doors of possibilities for change to happen, but it's up to the people to keep on him (should he be elected) and make sure he holds his end of the bargain. Bragg himself apologized for helping to elect Tony Blair as Britain's Prime Minister after decades of Conservative rule. He was a big believer in Blair, but watched as power change him and lead to policies unforeseen by Blair's early supporters. He warned that the same thing could happen to Obama ? especially with the major problems that exist right now with the financial crisis.
Change would take place, said Bragg, if Obama shuts down Guantanamo Bay within his first 100 days in office. That would be a signal to the world that America was truly changing.
He advised us to keep faith in the political process, to not be sucked into cynicism. "Faith is the antidote of cynicism," Bragg said.
Bragg also couldn't help but take a few shots at John McCain and Sarah Palin. He joked about the way McCain's facial expressions looked during the final debate by giving McCain the nickname, "Jack O' Lantern" and admitted he and his crew could no longer go to Cracker Barrel restaurants because he was afraid of waitresses that winked at them!
Billy played half the set with an electric guitar and half acoustically, moving through a set list of long-time fan favorite tunes, songs off his latest album, a couple from songwriters he admires like Laura Nyro, and several by Woody Guthrie from the Mermaid Avenue project.
It seemed as though the majority of people in the audience probably had political views along the same lines as Bragg; it certainly was not the type of show you'd want to go see if you were a Conservative as Bragg really loves to talk and mostly he talks about politics. One rather touching story was told during the encore when Bragg recalled his love of bands like the Four Tops and artists like Sam Cooke. He then spoke about Levi Stubbs (leader of the Four Tops) and followed with the song "Levi Stubbs Tears" as well as one by Levi himself.
Once again, the sound in the Pollak Theatre was terrific. This really is a hidden gem of a venue in Monmouth County. While the university likes to think that the venue is well known, I constantly find music fans who have never heard of it. If you fall into that category, do yourself a favor and check out the venue sometime. I've seen only a handful of shows there through the years, but the sound has always been very good. This year?s season doesn't have many shows for the mainstream music fan, but the calendar does include:
Richard Shindell & Glen Phillips
with Antje Duvekot
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway
A Tribute to the Spirit of Woody Guthrie
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Roger McGuinn & John Sebastian
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Opening for Bragg was The Watson Twins, a popular folk rock group who are probably best known for the hit, "How Am I To Be?" While I enjoy their album, I found their live show a bit too mellow. They seem like the type best enjoyed in short doses ? such as through their appearances on David Letterman or Tonight Show. They have some good songs, but not enough variety in their set to really keep interest of those seeing them for the first time.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
