This week in the Curatorial Corner, we’re featuring several guest bloggers with unique perspectives on our Born to Run 50th anniversary events. First up is Mark Krajnak, who photographed many of the events for the Archives, writing specifically about our symposium on Saturday, 9/6/25.
That was amazing!
That was incredible!
That was once-in-a-lifetime.
Or simply…. That was a GREAT day.
These were some of the superlatives I overheard on Saturday as I was making my way to the side of Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre to gather my camera gear.
When the capacity crowd – over 700 strong – started to queue up at 8 a.m., in warm sunshine, they knew they were in for a special day. Then, as they were leaving the Pollak around 6 p.m., unaware of the deluge of rain waiting for them outside, the excitement was still palpable. They probably didn’t expect what they saw. And they didn’t want the day to end.
That feeling was understandable. They had just seen Bruce Springsteen and a ‘70s era version of the E Street Band perform “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road” on full blast.
As I was going through the photos I shot of that performance – part of the Born to Run 50th Anniversary Symposium – what struck me was that you can’t tell if Bruce is singing to the 700 attendees…or standing on stage at MetLife Stadium singing for 80,000 fans.
The passion, the intensity, the cords straining in his neck as he sings about hope and redemption…it was all on display at the Pollack Theater.
And behind him, his band. His running mates. His guys.
Earlier, I defined it as “a ‘70s era E Street Band.” Specifically, that’s because the line-up on Saturday featured all the living members, past and present, that were involved in the making of Born to Run.
This included Roy Bittan, Ernest “Boom” Carter, David Sancious, Garry Tallent, Stevie Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg. Long-time Asbury Juke (and often-times E Street band member) Eddie “Kingfisher” Manion was on sax (filling in for Clarence), and the line-up also included…THE GUITAR.
Yes, The Boss, in an open collared shirt and vest, his left wrist encircled in bracelets and a big oval ring on his right ring finger, wielded his now very famous, but now rarely played, Fender Esquire-Telecaster.
Even before the day reached this fever pitch, it was already one to remember. At 9 a.m. sharp, Bob Santelli, Founding Executive Director of the BSACAM, kicked off the Saturday Symposium with opening remarks, and then turned it over to the first panel. “1974: The E Street Band” featured Tom Cunningham, host of the Springsteen on Sunday radio show, chatting with David Sancious, Boom Carter, and Garry Tallent talking about the time period in Asbury Park when Born to Run was being developed.
The rest of the day was filled with eight more panels, and included stories, insights, and observations from a host of panelists, including early Springsteen manager Mike Appel; current Springsteen manager and collaborator Jon Landau; industry insider Jimmy Iovine; photographers Eric Meola and Barbara Pyle; rock promoter Paul Rappaport; Bruce’s younger sister, the talented photographer Pam Springsteen; and others…
And Bruce himself was part of four panels, giving insights and even leading some discussions.
As an official photographer for the BSACAM, I was tasked with capturing it all, from the opening remarks, to the last strum of THE GUITAR, for the Archives. In doing so, I followed my usual “entire-to-detail” style of documentary photography.
I want to document what’s going on in front me – The BIG STORY, in all caps – but also the quiet moments that add some extra flavor to what’s in front of me…
Bruce’s grin as he answers a question from Santelli while discussing the writing of the Born to Run album; Roy Bittan giving Little Steven a little microphone help during a roundtable answer; Barbara Pyle holding up her book to illustrate a comment during the “Behind The Scenes: The Born to Run Tour” panel; the fist bump between Boom Carter and Max Weinberg; Boom standing with Max and Little Steven while Bruce hugs David…
I titled this piece A Great Day in West Long Branch, which is a play on a famous 1958 photograph by Art Kane, A Great Day in Harlem. In it, Kane gathered 57 jazz musicians at 17 East 126th Street in New York, and the photograph has stood as a historical record of that timeframe. Currently, only one of those musicians photographed, Sonny Rollins, is still here.
The Born to Run 50th Anniversary Symposium held on September 6, 2025 also will, I expect, hold historical significance in the coming years. The events of the day – the people there, the panel discussions, the photos, the videos – have all been archived and will be available to the public when the new home of the BSACAM opens next spring.
For years to come, visitors to the museum will be able to relive the energy and excitement of the day.
That, to me, is a great day indeed.
Mark Krajnak retired from a career in corporate and digital communications with Johnson & Johnson and now works as a freelance photographer based out of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Find his work at JerseyStyle Photography.com and follow him on Instagram @jerseystyle_photography.
