Springsteen and Bon Jovi Reunite at Monmouth Shows
Bruce Springsteen returned to Monmouth University this week as part of a two-night concert series tied to the launch of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, with a packed lineup spanning decades of American music. The events, titled “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us,” were staged in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and brought together major rock and hip-hop names for collaborative performances.
On the second night, Billboard reported that Jon Bon Jovi made his first public performance in New Jersey since 2018, stepping onstage for a rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” after Springsteen opened with Elvis Presley covers backed by the Disciples of Soul under music director Mr. Marc Ribler.
The Friday show also featured Public Enemy closing out with “Fight the Power,” while other highlights included Mr. Jackson Browne performing “For America,” Dion delivering “The Wanderer” and “Abraham, Martin and John,” and Ms. Mavis Staples singing The Band’s “The Weight.” The night ended with group songs including “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” before Springsteen closed with a solo “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
The concerts serve as a cornerstone event for the new centre’s opening, and follow other recent New Jersey-related Springsteen headlines, including coverage of Springsteen’s Garden State dates drawing attention alongside other major bookings.
Monmouth University’s 30,000-square-foot Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music is set to open to the public on June 13, with exhibit spaces, archives, a 250-seat Dolby soundstage and interactive experiences designed to spotlight both Springsteen’s career and broader American music history.
