Bruce Springsteen Artifacts Headed To The Grammy Museum

Bruce Springsteen’s handwritten set lists and his favorite guitar, the modified Fender featured most famously on the album cover of Born to Run, are among the artifacts making their way from Jersey to LA this fall for a special exhibit at the Grammy Museum.

The Bruce Springsteen Live! installation, which will be housed at the museum October 15 through April 2, explores the evolution of Springsteen through nearly five decades of rock’n’roll with the soul-shaking, love-making, earth-quaking, legendary E Street Band.

The traveling exhibit is in partnership with The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University. Aside from the prized guitar, featured items include live performance footage, instruments and stage costumes, exclusive interviews, concert posters and photography, as well as unique interactive displays to immerse fans into the minds of Springsteen and the E Street Band’s prolific process and how they prepare for concerts and tours. Among highlights:

• Clarence Clemons’ saxophone: Nicknamed “The Big Man,” the legendary saxophonist played alongside Springsteen for 40 years. Upon Clarence’s death in 2011, the iconic instrument was passed on to his nephew Jake Clemons who, since 2012, continues to use it in performance as the newest member of the E Street Band.
• Tunnel of Love Ticket Booth Stage Prop from the 1988 Tunnel of Love Tour
• Drummer Max Weinberg’s Tunnel of Love drum kit, plus a drum interactive with tips from Weinberg
• An accordion played by Danny Federici, an original member of the E Street Band who passed away in 2008

Fans will have an opportunity to contribute to the exhibit by submitting a video featuring their live concert experiences from Springsteen shows over the years. Excerpts will be part of a new exhibit film and will be featured throughout the gallery. On September 23, Springsteen’s 73rd birthday, the museum is also inviting fans to stop by and share their stories in person and on camera and wish The Boss a happy birthday.

“We are honored to work with the Grammy Museum on this unique Bruce Springsteen exhibit,” says co-curator Eileen Chapman, director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. “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.”

“Few performers embody the soul and excitement of live rock and roll like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” says co-curator Robert Santelli. “This exhibit will give fresh insight into how they’ve been able to remain one of the greatest live acts for five decades.”

Springsteen and The E Street Band will kick off their 2023 international tour with 31 performances across the US beginning February 1 in Tampa through April 14 in Newark, NJ. The shows will mark their first tour dates since February 2017 and first in North America since September 2016.