Down The Shore Everything's All RIght
Born To Run At 50 (Part 14)
Monday, September 8, 2025 Entry #196
I had never been to Asbury Park until I took a day trip there from New York City in 2023 to go on a Bruce Springsteen Jersey Shore sightseeing tour (See Entries #61-#67). Now, my third visit in three years was drawing to a close and it was really striking how well I have grown to know and love this place. I took one last look at the awesome view from my room of the Convention Hall building that sits on the boardwalk, brought my bag to the front desk for storage, checked out of the hotel, and did a little walkabout.
My first stop was to the the Transparent Gallery, which showcases the rock and roll photographs of Danny Clinch, one of Bruce Springsteen’s favorite photographers. Clinch took the picture that ended up as the cover for Springsteen’s 2020 album, Letter To You. Today, I took a particular interest in his photo of Springsteen in front of the familiar Convention Hall that bisects the Asbury Park Beach boardwalk, the stately building that I had just seen from my Berkeley Hotel room.
Next, I ventured to the place itself, which includes a kind of shopping bazar. One of the storefronts inside the Convention Hall sells merc from the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. Pop-up locations like this will be unnecessary once the Springsteen Archives Center at Monmouth University opens, (my next stop), but this is a pretty cool temporary home. In fact, Bruce Springsteen himself stopped by here just a few days ago, as reported in a recent Time magazine cover article.
I had spent almost all of my time this weekend on the Monmouth University campus, the site of most of the Born To Run 50th anniversary programming. However, with all of the events going from morning until evening, I hadn’t had time to see how the Springsteen Center, under construction on campus, was coming along. Today, I drove over to check the site out, and it’s looking good.
As I said, I first came to the Jersey Shore in 2023 while in the area to see Springsteen perform at Madison Square Garden (See Entries #61-#67). Then, almost exactly one year ago I returned to to catch Springsteen’s triumphant hometown headlining set at Asbury Park’s See. Hear. Now festival on the beach (See Entries #104-#115). This year’s “excuse” to travel to these parts was the 50th anniversary of Born To Run. Sure looks like I will be back in 2026, this time to visit the newly opened Springsteen Archives Center!
I had one more stop to make, around the corner from Monmouth University, in downtown Long Branch. Way back on Friday, I visited the “Springsteen in Long Branch” exhibition being held at the town’s cultural center (See Entry #184). While I was there, I picked up a postcard under a display which asked people to “Share Your Bruce Springsteen Story.” Eventually, the signage explained, everyone’s notes will be included in the Springsteen Archives Center. I got around to writing my story last night after the academic conference, and now I wanted to pin it up with all the others.
I know my chicken scratch handwriting is hard to decipher, so for those interested, here is what I shared, my own “letter to you.”
“I first saw Bruce Springsteen in concert in 1980 when I was 16. It’s been said before by many others, but it was life-changing. I followed him closely, seeing shows and buying every release, listening to his authentic American voice. But, the COVID era upped the ante for me. Hearing Bruce on his “From My Home” broadcasts, the release of the “Letter To You” album, and his performance at President Biden’s inauguration in the shadow of 1/6—oh yeah, the Obama podcast and book were also life-saving! I pledged to see him as often as I could once the world re-opened. And I did—14 concerts in 2023-2024, including epic road trips to FL, L.A. and Canada (I took a sabbatical from my rabbi job), Barcelona with my wife, and Sea. Hear. Now on the Asbury beach. I am truly blessed by Bruce Springsteen . Now I am here at the BTR50 symposium. Thank you Boss from the bottom of my heart.”
I noticed a picture of Springsteen in the exhibition that was taken on a nearby Long Branch street, so before I left for the airport I attempted a little photo recreation on pretty much the same spot.
The weekend was perfect. Obviously, it was incredibly exciting to get to see Bruce Springsteen make a surprise appearance at the Born To Run 50th anniversary symposium, full stop! I was there in person when Springsteen contributed his priceless stories and perspectives to the afternoon panels, and when he performed “Thunder Road” and “Born To Run” with a historic configuration of the E Street Band in an intimate auditorium (one thing that was striking, with Springsteen making virulent anti-Trump statements in public immediately before and directly after this weekend, the symposium was a completely apolitical affair). But, even beyond that highlight, experiencing and participating in every single aspect of the celebration was extremely gratifying and affirming for me.
I have followed Bruce Springsteen, his music and persona, pretty avidly since not long after the year that Born To Run was released. However, I never would have even attended, let alone full appreciated, an event like this if not for the the last five years of my very deep dive into all things The Boss. The fourteen concerts, my visits to Asbury Park, tons of Springsteen related reading, and writing these blog entries have given me such a rich context and background. This allowed me to take in everything at the Born To Run anniversary programs on a very high level and integrate it with everything else I had previously learned and experienced. I made countless exciting connections from my Springsteen journey of these past few years to things that were shared during this weekend by Born To Run participants and experts. Moreover, I had several revelations that came from one special moment or another at the anniversary events that I was able to connect to something that I saw or heard later in the proceedings (like spending time at the Long Branch rental house where Springsteen wrote Born To Run two days before hearing Springsteen tell first-hand stories about the same home).
I would not say that this weekend was exactly a culmination of my recent Springsteen experiences, because I truly hope there is much more to come for the Boss and for me. However, the Born To Run anniversary events brought me to a very high place from which I could see so incredibly clearly every step that had brought me here.
Happy 50th birthday, Born To Run! I still am trying to “get to that place, where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun!” Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.
Day 5