This week, two evenings of concerts Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Public Enemy, Little Steven Van Zandt, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, David Sancious, and many others performed at Monmouth University. The second night, Friday (June 5), marked a particularly notable return—Bon Jovi's first public performance in New Jersey since 2018.
The two-day concert series will culminate in the opening of the new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, which officially opens to the public on June 13.
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Springsteen opened Friday's show with a powerful rendition of Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," followed by Presley's "Burning Love," accompanied by the Disciples of Soul, led by musical director Mark Ribler. Bon Jovi then took the stage with Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"—his first public vocal performance in his home state since 2018, when he suspended his tour due to vocal problems.
The performance took place ahead of Bon Jovi's nine-concert run at Madison Square Garden next month. Santelli made a historical point from the stage, emphasizing that while many consider Berry the true king of rock 'n' roll, "he could never have reached Elvis's level for the simple reason that he was black.".
The evening continued with songs from various eras of American music: Jackson Browne represented the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s with his composition "For America," and 86-year-old Dion performed "The Wanderer" alongside the touching "Abraham, Martin, and John." Mavis Staples performed "The Weight" by The Band, representing the activist sound of the 1960s, and Public Enemy closed the concert with "Fight the Power.".
The evening concluded with a group performance of "Further On Down the Road," "Raise Your Hand," and "I Don't Want to Go Home," after which Springsteen concluded with a solo performance of "Land of Hope and Dreams.".
Springsteen performed at the opening of the exhibition Thursday, which explores American music up to World War II, along with Kenny Chesney, Rosanne Cash, Dropkick Murphys, Keb' Mo', Brian Fallon, Tony Trischka, Sister Sadie, Shemekia Copeland, Trombone Shorty and the New Breed Brass Band, Valerie June and others.
On June 13, the 30,000-square-foot Springsteen Center for American Music will open at Monmouth University. It will feature multiple exhibition spaces, a state-of-the-art archive, a 250-seat Dolby recording studio, and more than a dozen interactive exhibits exploring Springsteen's career and the history of American music in general. More information is available at springsteencenter.com.
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