Few artists exemplify rock and roll storytelling like Bruce Springsteen — and if you thought you knew him and his work, you might be thrown for a loop. Welcome to Bruce Springsteen Live!, the GRAMMY Museum's traveling exhibit that provides a window into Springsteen and the E Street Band's very essence, detailing their rise to global renown and celebrating their creative fires still burning today.
Launching at the GRAMMY Museum in Downtown Los Angeles on Sat. Oct. 15, and running through April 2, 2023, Bruce Springsteen Live! spans almost 50 years of iconic artifacts, live performance footage, instruments and stage costumes, exclusive interviews, and concert posters and photography taken from the Springsteen vaults throughout the decades. Chronicling Springsteen's earliest days as a local artist on the Jersey Shore to his outsized commercial breakthrough to his impactful life and work today, the exhibit will also include unique, immersive interactive displays, which will give fans a backstage pass into the minds of Springsteen and the E Street Band as well as an inside look into their prolific creative process.
*Photo courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum*
Presented by the GRAMMY Museum, in partnership with The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, Bruce Springsteen Live! includes fan-favorite highlights like the Fender Esquire guitar featured on the cover of some of Springsteen's classic albums, including Born to Run, Live 1975/85, Human Touch, and Wrecking Ball; the late Clarence Clemons' saxophone; stage outfits and accessories; and Max Weinberg's Tunnel of Love drum kit.
The exhibit also features an enticing interactive element: The GRAMMY Museum is asking all Springsteen fans to contribute to Bruce Springsteen Live! by submitting a video sharing their live concert experiences from Springsteen shows over the years; excerpts of these submissions will be shown throughout the gallery and will eventually be featured in a new exhibit film.
*Photo courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum*
And on Friday, Sept. 23 — the Boss' 73rd birthday! — the Museum is inviting fans to stop by and share their stories in-person and on-camera and wish Springsteen a happy birthday.
"The GRAMMY Museum is excited to bring Bruce Springsteen Live! to Los Angeles," Jasen Emmons, Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs at the GRAMMY Museum, said in a statement. "We're also thrilled to offer a special, expanded exhibit with the help of Springsteen fans for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience."
"Few performers embody the soul and excitement of live rock and roll like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band," co-curator Robert Santelli said in a statement. "This exhibit will give fresh insight into how they've been able to remain one of the greatest live acts for five decades."
*Photo courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum*
"We are honored to work with the GRAMMY Museum on this unique Bruce Springsteen exhibit," co-curator Eileen Chapman, director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, added. "Since his first West Coast show as a touring musician at the Troubadour in 1973 to the present day, Bruce has performed over 100 shows in the Los Angeles area and has thrilled millions of fans with his electrifying performances. This extensive exhibit provides a peek behind the curtain and a stirring trip down memory lane."
Watch this space for more information on Bruce Springsteen Live! And if you're in the L.A. area, visit this one-of-a-kind monument to the 20-time GRAMMY-winning music titan — and New Jersey's favorite son.
