Bruce Springsteen celebrated the American semiquincentennial, and the upcoming opening of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, by performing Thursday night at the “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us” concert at the Oceanfirst Bank Center in Monmouth, New Jersey, where he shared the bill with Rosanne Cash, Kenny Chesney, Shemekia Copeland, Dropkick Murphys, Valerie June, Keb’ Mo’, and Trombone Shorty.
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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. 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.”
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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.”
