The 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s pivotal Born to Run will be feted in robust style in Long Branch, the town where he wrote much of the album, and at Monmouth University in neighboring West Long Branch.
An exhibit at the Long Branch Cultural Center. A separate photo exhibit. A celebration concert featuring Jersey Shore musicians. A walking tour of the West End cottage where Springsteen lived from 1974-1975. A day-long symposium featuring interviews with members of the E Street Band and other musical heavyweights. A separate academic conference.
As Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music (BSACMA) Director of Curatorial Affairs Melissa Ziobro lists the schedule during our Zoom call, I silently wish her and the other Monmouth University and archives staff responsible for pulling off these events a steady supply of Rook Coffee for the next few weeks.
But of course, there’s no more fitting way to honor New Jersey’s favorite son and the anniversary of the album that launched him into superstardom than a multi-week celebration at the Jersey Shore during the last gasp summer.
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The BSACMA partnered with the City of Long Branch to launch the “Springsteen in Long Branch” exhibit, which explores his time in the city during the Born to Run era.
“When people think of Bruce, they might think of Asbury Park right away, but Long Branch is incredibly important to him in his teen years,” Ziobro said. “Between the Inkwell Coffeehouse and the Italian American Club where Bruce would play, there’s a very active, social, hippie scene happening there in Long Branch that really helped make Bruce who he was. And then, of course, he rents the famous cottage at 7 1/2 West End Court, which is where he writes much of Born to Run.”
The city served as an incubator for Springsteen during a critical point in his career, Ziobro noted. His first two albums Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle had been critically successful but didn’t achieve the commercial success the record company wanted.
“When it comes time for his third album, he meets a make or break moment. He needs to have a hit that resonates nationally and Born to Run is that hit. He is inspired by and writes about themes that resonates for everyone whether or not they are familiar with our beautiful Jersey Shore,” Ziobro said.
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“Springsteen in Long Branch” depicts that inflection point and showcases the city during that moment in time.
The exhibit features Springsteen’s surfboard alongside a quote about him and Vini Lopez sleeping under the pilings of the North End Beach during their heavy surfing days.
A green drum set from Springsteen’s early band, Earth, is on display, as is a replica of the guitar on the Born to Run album cover.
‘Springsteen in Long Branch’ includes an interactive element. Visitors can take a vintage-style Long Branch postcard and write down their own Springsteen memories.
These postcards will be pinned up on the wall at the exhibit and later collected to keep in the BSACMA archive.
“Everybody’s got a Bruce story locally,” Ziobro said. “It’s a way for us to grow the historical record with these memories that folks have.”
The exhibit, located at the Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center at 577 Broadway, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 4:30PM through Nov. 14.
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The BSACMA has held symposia and exhibitions for Springsteen milestones before, but the Born to Run slate of events represents a growth in scale. Its fitting preparation for the year ahead. In 2026, a new 30,000-square-foot-building housing the center will open at Monmouth University.
The $45 million construction remains on track for a late spring or early summer opening. The center will feature a 230-seat theater, exhibitions, film series, and concerts.
While it will focus on Springsteen’s legacy, the “Center for American Music” will be just as central to the experience, according to Ziobro.
“Our mission is two-fold. When we open that new building, we are Bruce’s official repository, and that’s an incredibly special thing, but we are also the Center for American Music,” she said. “We will look at all different genres of music. Between our exhibits and this robust schedule of programming we are concocting, we will have something for everybody, regardless of the type of music they like or their age demographic.”
During the construction period, the BSACMA will continue to host events like the Born to Run 50th anniversary exhibit and programming, as well as free virtual events for Boss fans beyond the Jersey Shore.
The BSACMA will present the following events to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Born to Run:
