They put The Boss in a museum? It’s a good thing Bruce Springsteen’s last new album – The Rising – and concert tour were winners, or the jokes would be flying.The latest show at the Newark Museum, Springsteen: Troubadour of the Highway, is a must for fans of the Jersey rocker. It also makes for an enjoyable afternoon for lovers of all things Jersey – and for the merely curious. The exhibition, which runs through August 29, explores Springsteen’s use of cars and highways as themes in his music, and as images on his albums and in his videos.
Last Sunday afternoon, Bill Deltz, 51, of West Orange, took in the show with his family, including his teenage daughter and son. Deltz, who wore his long, graying hair pulled back, said the outing was a Father’s Day gift from his children. He also said Springsteen is his muse – and that he’s been to three of his concerts over the years.
For anyone who’s browsed in a record store or watched MTV in the last generation, many of the images here will be familiar – including Annie Liebovitz’s shot of The Boss’s jeans-clad butt, which appeared on the cover of Born in the U.S.A. Maybe it’s just the Jersey girl in me (though I’ve only lived here for a few years), but there’s something compelling about seeing all this Springsteen stuff together, carefully curated.
The multimedia exhibition includes about 70 large-scale photographs, videos, music, lyrics, vinyl records, and memorabilia – including vintage concert T-shirts. There’s a whole section devoted to “Springsteen’s New Jersey Landscape,” including photos of The Boss on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. Another shot shows Springsteen jamming with Stevie Van Zandt at Asbury Park’s legendary Stone Pony. A display case holds postcards from Asbury Park and a poster from an early concert there in 1971.
As if to reinforce the idea of a Springsteen cult of personality, there’s a Warholesque photo of The Boss by Frank Stefanko. It’s a black-and-white print airbrushed with color and highlighted with colored pencil.
Among the photos, many by Springsteen’s sister, Pamela, there’s also a set of handwritten lyrics for several different versions of “Prove It All Night.” These are reproductions, but if you ever wanted to see Springsteen’s handwriting – or how his songwriting process works – here’s your chance.
The exhibition also includes listening stations where visitors can hear Springsteen songs from several albums while looking at road maps of the areas that inspired them – Jersey, of course; the 1982 album Nebraska; and the California desert and the 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad.
Near the end of the show, you can take a seat in the Highway 9 Theater, which shows several Springsteen videos – including “I’m On Fire,” directed by Hoboken resident John Sayles. (As I watched, I couldn’t help noticing a forty-something woman singing along. There are definitely some true believers at this show.)
As you exit, you’ll encounter the E Street Emporium, where you can buy Boss-related books, CDs, a copy of Backstreets: The Boss Magazine, or a bowl made from a genuine Springsteen LP.
And while you’re there, cruise through the rest of the museum – you’ll be impressed.
@ The Newark Museum
Springsteen: Troubadour of the Highway
Where: The Newark Museum is at 49 Washington St. in downtown Newark.
When: Through August 29. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m.
Tickets: Admission to the Springsteen show is $3 per person. This is in addition to the museum’s regular suggested admission fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children, seniors, and students.
For more info: See www.newarkmuseum.org or call (973) 596-6550.
Road Trip Newark Museum mounts Springsteen exhibition
