Bruce Springsteen performed alongside Bon Jovi, Public Enemy and other artists during a two-day concert series in New Jersey. The shows marked the opening of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University.
The concerts took place on June 4 and 5 at the university in West Long Branch. They celebrated 250 years of American music with performances focused on artists including Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Dion and Public Enemy. Darlene Love, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren and Gary Clark Jr. also appeared, with Little Steven’s Disciples of Soul serving as the house band. Springsteen covered songs by Presley and joined Crow and Clark Jr. for other numbers. Bon Jovi performed Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” marking his first time singing in his home state since 2018. The event closed with Springsteen delivering a solo version of “Land Of Hope And Dreams.” Springsteen told the crowd about his early experiences on the campus in 1969 and expressed surprise at the new center, which officially opens on June 13.