Bruce Springsteen Live! coming to Prudential Center October 1

OK Bruce fans, get ready to pummel me.

First, please keep in mind I am one of you.

Now maybe I have not gone to 160 shows and follow him around the country. But I have seen Bruce Springsteen more than any other artist and he remains my favorite.

I have called Bruce the poet laureate of a blue-collar generation. That was long ago, and now it turns out he’s the poet laureate of multiple blue-collar generations because the guy just doesn’t quit making music.

The woeful yet hopeful crescendo of “Jungleland” can bring me to painful tears. The desperation of “State Trooper” takes my breath away. “Drive All Night” is one of the most beautiful love songs I ever heard.

So yes, I am a fan.

But what’s with this Brice Springsteen Live! event?

First of all, if someone just handed a casual fan tickets to the Prudential Center that said Bruce Springsteen Live! on it, you might be tricked into thinking you were actually seeing Springsteen live. Because, you know, that’s what it says? So it might be petty but I feel like they could have picked a better name.

This is not a Bruce Springsteen concert. In fact Bruce will not even be there. Its part of the ongoing Grammy Experience at Prudential. What it is is more or less a memorabilia exhibit. Some of it interactive. Such as where you can create your own encore by looking through his past set-lists and then designing your own. Be Bruce for a moment so to speak.

And there are also exhibits such as the “Tunnel of Love” ticket booth stage prop. You’ll see old posters. You’ll see lots of hand-written notes. You’ll see autographed guitars.

All well and good, but I feel like this is really playing to only the most obsessive Bruce Springsteen fan. Most of us won’t be in awe of seeing the reality of his penmanship and how he writes like a human being just like the rest of us. After all, that’s why we’ve always loved him. Because he’s a fallible human being, just like the rest of us.

Look, I haven’t been to this. It doesn’t open until October 1. So maybe I am off base. Maybe even I would be dazzled. But with things like this I just always have it in my mind that they’re showing you the memorabilia and artifacts that the Bruce Springsteen machine wants you to see. I would rather have a sneak peek at Bruce’s linen closet and just see how messy it is. I would rather see if he has a discarded wrapper from the Jersey Freeze in his backseat. You know, the real stuff that they weren’t trying to show you.

If this sounds fun though, heck I’m not going to judge. Tickets are on sale here and will cost you $7 to $10. The exhibit opens October 1. The Grammy Museum Experience itself is open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on non-event days and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on event days.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.