Bruce Springsteen performs with E Street Band at Monmouth University for Born to Run’s 50th Anniversary
Springsteen’s Born to Run symposium 2025: overview
In September 2025, I attended two historic Bruce Springsteen events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the album, Born to Run, held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Hosted and produced by the Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, the weekend provided rare film footage, an entire day of insightful panel discussions, and an exciting surprise live performance by Bruce Springsteen that reunited members of the E Street Band for two incredible songs.
I was fortunate to have attended the Friday night event “An Evening with Thom Zimney” as well as the Born to Run symposium, which officially kicked off at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, September 6.
As a Springsteen fan and writer, I was thrilled to experience every moment and grateful for the privilege of being in the audience, as it was understandably a “hot ticket” among Springsteen fans. It was surreal to sit in the Pollak Theatre listening to Bruce, along with numerous musicians and industry professionals who helped create one of rock’s most enduring albums, speak candidly about the making of Born to Run, while sharing fun stories and anecdotes.
Here’s my overview of this once-in-a-lifetime event, including Friday night’s “Evening with Thom Zimney” that featured a 45-minute never-before-seen film made from black and white footage that captured the Born to Run recording sessions from 1975.
As someone who has personally attended a multitude of events over the years, I was impressed with the entire production, and it was clear that a lot of time and work went into the preparation and planning. There were numerous panelists and logistics to manage, and this event was definitely punctual and organized. Kudos to the Archives team – they were truly instrumental in hosting one of the most remarkable celebrations in rock history, honoring the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run.
And just to clarify, this article is not a detailed description or comprehensive review of everything that happened at the Friday night and Saturday events. I wanted to write this as an “overview” of the symposium, especially since so many friends and colleagues have asked me about it.
during the panel, “The album cover”
My View From the Audience
For both Friday night’s event and Saturday’s full-day symposium at Monmouth University, my seat was in the first level toward the rear. The Pollak Theatre accommodates 700 attendees, so every seat has great sight lines and a clear view of the stage. I highly recommend this venue, as I could see everything that was happening on the stage — the moderators, the panelists, the screens (and of course Bruce when he joined in the afternoon).
Throughout the day, a number of musicians, producers, historians, and insiders discussed the making and legacy of Born to Run. After lunch, phones were locked away — meaning the afternoon’s panels and Bruce’s appearances were experienced live, with no audience photography. All photos you see here were taken by me or they are official photos by the Springsteen Archives.
Overall, the event had a communal feel as the entire audience on Friday and Saturday was filled with diehard Springsteen fans. I chatted with Stan Goldstein (who recently gave me a memorable Rock and Roll Tour of the Jersey Shore) and ran into several of my other friends. On Saturday, the schedule was packed and the many panels flowed one after another with no breaks except for lunch, which kept the day moving at an exciting pace.
Highlight: A Historic Performance by Bruce Springsteen on September 6, 2025
On Saturday, September 6, 2025, the absolute highlight of the day was late afternoon when Bruce Springsteen surprised fans by reuniting the E Street Band for a performance inside Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre, a 700-seat venue resurrected for one unforgettable night.
Introduced by Bob Santelli, executive director of the Springsteen Archives, who declared: “I always wanted to say this — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!” Springsteen and the band launched into high-energy renditions of the beloved songs “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run.”
The lineup was legendary: Steven Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, David Sancious, Ernest “Boom” Carter, and Ed Manion on saxophone. The performance was especially poignant: Boom Carter had not performed with the E Street Band in over 50 years, making this reunion truly historic.
Bruce Springsteen’s Panels (three memorable conversations!)
For the attendees, Bruce Springsteen’s participation in several panels was a true highlight and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bruce brought his own distinct energy, which added a level of fun and frivolity to the panels. At one point when asked about the lyrics to Backstreets, he requested the teleprompter to show him “all” the lyrics so he could read them. (He joked that he is almost 76 years old and couldn’t remember everything).
Writing “Born to Run,” the Song
This compelling panel focused on how Bruce created the song, Born to Run and the participants included Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel and Jon Landau discussing the song with moderator Bob Santelli.
Bruce spoke about his influences (Roy Orbison, Phil Spector, Dylan, Beach Boys, Chuck Berry and others), finding the “Born to Run” title while in Long Branch (from a slogan he “may” have seen on a car), choosing the name “Wendy” from a Peter Pan poster he had hanging in his rental home, and his experience investing months into writing and re-writing the lyrics. He pointed out that he always writes notes and lyrics in a basic spiral-bound notebook – and continues to use the same type of book today.
Writing “Born to Run,” the Album
For this panel, participants Bruce Springsteen and his long-time manager Jon Landau chatted with moderator author Peter Ames Carlin as Bruce shared his memories of rehearsals, Landau’s variety of edit suggestions (especially on the song, Backstreets), and described the song Meeting Across the River as a perfect intro to Jungleland and stated that “as a prologue, it doesn’t get better than that…” Bruce chatted about several of the songs’ lyrics as well. He and Landau told the audience they both understood they were making “the greatest rock and roll album of all time,” and at that point the crowd burst into frenzied applause.
At one point, Bruce revealed that he knew his career was on the line and stated, “If the record didn’t click, I’m back in Asbury Park, except way in debt and worse off than when I started.”
Additionally, Bruce made it point to menion Carlin’s latest book, “Tonight in Jungleland,” that was recently published (2025). He stated, “The book means a lot to me.”
Roundtable: The Making of Born to Run
The final panel’s roundtable featured Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Mike Appel, Jimmy Iovine, Roy Bittan, Garry Tallent, Steve Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg.
During the discussion, Van Zandt explained how he convinced Bruce to change the famous guitar riff in the song from a minor note to a major note; and Iovine joked about faking his way through mixing (“I had never mixed an album before,” he said); and Bruce declared: “It was all or nothing for me. My life was on it.”
Other panelists reflected on studio tension throughout the album’s recording and several had clear memories of Bruce asking the band to do many takes of the same song, over and over. (Saying, “no!” and “again” many times during the project.) They discussed collaborative breakthroughs, and the relentless pursuit of perfection that was constantly surrounding the making of this legendary record.
Friday, September 5: “An Evening with Thom Zimny” and Archival Film
The weekend began Friday evening, September 5, 2025, with “An Evening with Thom Zimny: The Making of Born to Run.” All of our cell phones were locked away so there are no casual audience photos — but everything was captured by the Archives.
Bob Santelli welcomed attendees and introduced Thom Zimny, who then gave a brief overview of his archival film, “Jungleland 1975.” He noted: “I edited this to take you back to 1975.” The footage opens at 914 Sound Recording Studios in Blauvelt, New York, and includes rare behind-the-scenes moments that occurred during one day of recording the song, Jungleland: Jon Landau speaking, a young Jimmy Iovine in the background, and repeated studio takes showing a twenty-five-year-old Bruce urging perfection throughout the recording.
The film immediately showed Bruce’s intensity while making the album and show’s Bruce calling out to violinist Suki Lahav, “This is going to be the take — we need no mistakes,” and later urging a re-take for missed notes. He also complains about an out-of-tune piano and jests at bandmates missing notes (Tallent gets a mention). Moments of levity appear too, with Bruce and crew chatting about movies, the group on a dinner break in a diner, and joking around during the recording.
Following the film, music writer Erik Flanagan hosted a talk with the E Street Band’s drummer Max Weinberg and Zimny. Max recalled anxious early nights, shared a story of being worried he’d be fired, and recalled that engineer Louis Lahav once predicted Bruce would be the biggest rock star in the world. Zimny closed with a high-energy film mashup of “Born to Run” footage from 1975 to today the audience gave it a standing ovation to cap off a powerful evening.
Saturday, September 6: Symposium Panels and Conversations
Morning Panels
The event’s early panels included 1974 – The E Street Band featuringparticipants Garry Tallent, David Sancious and Boom Carter, along with moderator Tom Cunningham (107.1 The Boss), discussing the pre-Born to Run era. Highlights included Sancious’s role in recommending Boom, who played 83 shows with Bruce. The group talked about Bruce’s evolving lyrics for Born to Run (which were rewritten many times). Gary Tallent pointed out that he liked the song Born to Run “right away” the first time he heard it.
During the At the Crossroads: Bruce and Columbia Records panel, Mike Appel and Columbia / record label members chatted about behind-the-scenes industry drama, music label pushback, Appel’s unorthodox promotional tactics, and other music-industry intel told by the key players involved with Bruce’s album.
The Album Cover
During this fascinating panel, Pam Springsteen interviewed photographer Eric Meola, who shot the iconic Born to Run album cover. She asked insightful photography-related questions, and Eric shared stories of his early days with Bruce, how he was selected for this legendary photo shoot with stories about the day he spent photographing Bruce and Clarence. Meola described the props Bruce brought to the shoot (sneakers, Elvis button, boom box radio) and how he captured the pair’s constant movement rather than planning static poses.
Note: Fans can see some of Meola’s Born to Run photography on display at Monmouth University until December 2025.
After our lunch break, our phones were locked again, so the only photos from the afternoon session are from the official Archives / Eileen Chapman, the executive director of the Springsteen Archives. The Archives also filmed the entire day, so the footage may become available in the future.
Afternoon panels at the Born to Run symposium
An afternoon panel at the symposium included The Historical Significance of Born to Run, where moderator Melissa Ziobro, the Archives’ director of curatorial affairs, lead the conversation among historians and journalists about the cultural climate in 1975. Panelists discussed how the Born to Run album was created in post-Vietnam war America and explores themes of sadness, escape, and restlessness — yet there’s always a sense of hope and redemption.
The Behind the Scenes of the Tour; and Down the Jersey Shore panels featured band members, touring crew, and insiders who discussed some stories about “real life” on the road. Photographer Barbara Pyle added some unexpected color and character to this portion of the event, as she pointed out that she was the only woman on the tour and it wasn’t always easy for her, as some band members didn’t enjoy being photographed (except Clarence Clemons, she remarked, who was always happy to pose for photos).
Additionally, in the Jersey Shore panel, Steve Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Ed Manion, and Bob Santelli chatted about the shore bars and clubs, the tight-knit music scene in the Asbury Park area, and how those early gigs fueled the energy behind the record.
Themes and Observations
- Moderators: Only two panels had female moderators: the Historical Significance panel (Melissa Ziobro) and the Photography panel (Pam Springsteen). I found this to be a refreshing change of pace and worth noting in an otherwise male-dominated lineup. These women did an excellent job and added some compelling and energetic insights to the event!
- Risk, Ambition and Legacy: The album’s success stemmed from bold choices, detailed collaboration, and exceptional creativity.
- Place and Identity: The Jersey Shore as more than backdrop it was a major part of the Born to Run story with distinctive sound, identity, and community.
- Technical Storytelling: Choices in mixing, arrangement, overdubs, and sequencing were as narratively significant as the album’s famous lyrics.
- Preservation and Access: Thankfully, with the Springsteen Archives filming all panels, these stories will live on for future generations.
When leaving the Pollak Theatre on Saturday after the full day of non-stop events, the audience was truly buzzing. It was a bit surreal to be walking out of the theater while Bruce, the band, and participants were still on the stage being photographed. As we all exited (into a soaking thunderstorm), I (along with hundreds of diehard fans, I’m certain) couldn’t stop humming Born to Run. The day’s panels had peeled back layers and revealed some fascinating insights behind the making of the Born to Run album, while the surprise E Street Band performance added a powerful exclamation point to the event, solidifying those stories with a great sound and presence. It was an unforgettable memory and an incredible moment for me, and I’m sure all the other Springsteen fans in attendance would agree.
This Born to Run 50th Anniversary Symposium was more than a celebration, proving that 50 years later, Bruce Springsteen’s music still carries the weight, risk, and urgency of an incredible musician and lyricist who values his audience and still has many important messages to share with his fans through his legendary music.
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Bonus: Evening event at the Stone Pony with Max Weinberg Jukebox!
We couldn’t stop there! My friends and I attended the fabulous Max Weinberg Jukebox show at the Stone Pony on Saturday, September 6 — at midnight! So much fun and a fantastic way to cap off the day!
