Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Public Enemy, Little Steven Van Zandt, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, David Sancious, and more performed across two nights of the Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us concerts at Monmouth University this week, with the second night on Friday (June 5) featuring a particularly notable return — Bon Jovi’s first public performance in New Jersey since 2018.
The two-night concert series serves as the cornerstone event for 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 June 13.
Springsteen opened Friday’s show with a roaring rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” followed by Presley’s “Burning Love,” backed by the Disciples of Soul under music director Marc Ribler. Bon Jovi then took the stage for Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” — his first public vocal performance in his home state since 2018, when he stepped back from touring due to vocal cord issues.
The performance came as Bon Jovi’s full band prepares for a nine-show residency at Madison Square Garden next month. Bob Santelli framed the Berry selection with a pointed historical note from the stage, observing that while Berry is considered the true King of Rock ‘n’ Roll by many, “he could never get to the same point where Elvis was for the simple reason he was Black.”
The night continued through eras of American music: Jackson Browne represented the 1970s singer-songwriter era with his own “For America,” while 86-year-old Dion delivered “The Wanderer” alongside a stirring “Abraham, Martin and John.” Mavis Staples performed The Band’s “The Weight” to represent the activist sounds of the 1960s while Public Enemy closed out with “Fight the Power.”
The night closed with group performances of “Further On Down the Road,” “Raise Your Hand” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” before Springsteen ended with a solo rendition of “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
Thursday’s opening night, which traced American music up to World War II, featured Springsteen alongside 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 more.
The 30,000-square-foot Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University opens June 13, featuring multiple exhibit spaces, state-of-the-art archives, a 250-seat Dolby soundstage and over a dozen interactive experiences spotlighting both Springsteen’s career and the broader history of American music. More information is available at springsteencenter.com.
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