We Talked to the Guy Behind Bruce Springsteen’s 250th Concert

Fresh off his nationwide, politically-charged Land of Hope & Dreams tour with the E Street Band, The Boss is onto a new venture: a massive musical celebration in New Jersey, honoring America’s upcoming 250th Birthday. The two-day concert on June 4 and 5, at Monmouth University, precedes the June 13 campus opening of “The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music.” 

The line-up for the sold-out concert, called Music America: The Songs that Shaped Us, includes Springsteen himself, Steven Van Zandt, Rosanne Cash, Kenny Chesney, Shemekia Copeland, Dropkick Murphys, Jackson Browne, Public Enemy, and many more. 

The concert comes just as another 250th musical celebration is falling apart. President Trump’s Freedom 250 organized The Great American State Fair with a nine-act musical lineup, but just a few days after the roster was announced, six of those artists dropped out. Martina McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, The Commodores, Morris Day & The Time, and Bret Michaels all pulled out of the event. Michaels and McBride both said the event wasn’t the nonpartisan celebration they thought it would be. Now, Trumps says he’ll headline the event himself.

Springsteen’s event, however, is meant to celebrate “the power of music to bring people together, the rich and diverse treasury of American music as a mirror of our national culture, and the inspiration to think about our shared history in these divisive times,” according to The Center’s Executive Director, Bob Santelli. Playboy caught up with Santelli to talk about the concert’s creation, the Center’s mission, and why Springsteen is the guy to bring it all together. 

The Songs That Shaped Us concert features a pretty remarkable and diverse line-up. How did it come about?

Bob Santelli: Many, many months ago, The Springsteen Center was going to partner with The Kennedy Center to produce a series of concerts for America’s 250th. And then, everyone I was coordinating with got fired [by Trump]. So, I took it up myself and developed a curated concert that takes a walk through American music history. While it’s not an official ‘America 250’ event, “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us” celebrates our diverse influences from gospel to country to blues to rap and rock. 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the Springsteen Center for American Music is going to be the first music-themed museum to showcase all genres of American music.

BS: First off, we’re not a “museum.” We’re a 32,000 square foot modern building for archives with a rotating exhibition space and a 240-seat theatre for public programming. In addition to being home to Bruce Springsteen artifacts and memorabilia, we’ll be displaying items that showcase the roots of American music. Our mission is bigger than the other Centers like Woody Guthrie’s or Bob Dylan’s that focus on specific artists or genres. 

Why is Springsteen “the guy” to play host to such a place?

BS: Bruce is really the poster boy for American music. He draws from so many wells. In other countries, he’s seen as the embodiment of the American ideal. When I first approached Bruce about the concept of the Center, he told me, “I’m just a chapter in the on-going story of American music” and suggested the focus be on more than just him. Plus, New Jersey is a musical microcosm of America. So many musicians and bands played and developed here.

As someone who has extensively studied and educated others on American music, what is “American music” to you? And what does it mean, especially in today’s rebellious climate?

BS: Our music is the great cultural reflection of our country. It’s loud. It’s brash. It’s poetic. It’s diverse. It’s powerful. It’s a beautiful ambition. It’s our most important cultural asset and best export. One of our first special exhibits is called “Chimes of Freedom: Patriotism, Protests and the Power of Song in Politics.” We start with “Yankee Doodle” and end with Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis.”

One of the first things you did, even before ground was broken, was to create “The American Music Honors.” How are artists selected and why was this important to establish?

BS: We knew we needed an annual landmark event that reflected the spirit and experience of American music. Much like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we have a nominating committee that suggests nominees to an Executive committee, which then makes the final selections.

Going forward, should we expect more special concerts? Any plans to take exhibits on the road, outside of New Jersey?

BS: Yes to both. We’re currently touring “Music America” around the Presidential Libraries that features objects and instruments. And developing a “Baseball & Music” traveling exhibit, along with a 50th anniversary exhibit on the group, “Public Enemy.” Bruce also plans to represent us at the opening of President Obama’s Library and Center.