E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren will be the featured guest on the first episode of “What’s Up on E Street?,” a new online series presented by the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University.
The series goes live on Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m., and can be accessed on the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music website or via the Springsteen Archives’ Facebook page.
The new series highlights the individual members of the band and how they are dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Topics covered include how they are spending their days, and how the pandemic is impacting their creativity.
Music historian Bob Santelli interviewed Nils Lofgren earlier this month. Next up in the series is Roy Bittan, to be followed by interviews with other members of the E Street Band.
“’What’s Up on E Street?’ is an attempt to capture a bit of contemporary history, namely how E Street Band members have been coping with the COVID pandemic,” explained Santelli, who created the series. “All of our lives have been affected by this terrible disease. To document its impact on Springsteen and the E Street Band is just one of the Archives’ many responsibilities.”
“Like all musicians, the COVID crisis has had its impact on me, and my entire family, not just as a member of the E Street Band, but also as an American,” said Lofgren. “It’s important that the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music capture this moment in our nation’s history. Years from now, ‘What’s Up on E Street?’ will help tell the story of these trying times.”
Lofgren is a native of Chicago, who formed his first band, Grin, in 1968. At 18 years old, Lofgren was pulled from reasonable obscurity to join Neil Young’s band, contributing guitar and piano work to “After the Gold Rush.” Lofgren stayed on with Young throughout part of the ’70s, appearing also on the “Tonight’s the Night album” and tour.
In 1984, following the departure of Steven Van Zandt, Lofgren joined the E Street Band just prior to the launch of the globetrotting “Born in the U.S.A.” tour. He was also part of the “Tunnel of Love Express” tour in 1988.
In the early 1990s, during the hiatus of the E Street Band, Lofgren performed with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band and released a number of well-received albums under his own name (including “Silver Lining,” which featured a duet with Springsteen on “Valentine”). And when the E Street Band reconvened in 1999, Springsteen diplomatically answered the question of which guitarist would be brought back into the fold by including both Van Zandt and Lofgren. Lofgren is still releasing solo albums between E Street Band tours, and reunited with Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 2018 for a number of gigs.
About the Springsteen Archives:
The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University serves as the official archival repository for Bruce Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals, and artifacts. The Center preserves and promotes the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and his role in American music, while honoring and celebrating icons of American music like Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, and others. The Archives comprise nearly 35,000 items from 47 countries, ranging from books and concert memorabilia to articles and promotional materials. The collection serves the research and informational needs of music fan, scholars, authors, and others with a serious interest in the life and career of Bruce Springsteen. Access to the collection is available by appointment only. Contact Eileen Chapman at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at 732-571-3512 or echapman@monmouth.edu.