Native American Music Experience at Pollak Theatre

The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music and Hard Rock International are presenting “The Native American Music Experience” on Wednesday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The event is free and is part of the Springsteen Center’s week-long activities tied to the opening of its new building, according to the center and Monmouth University. The concert is billed as a celebration of the history and continuing legacy of Indigenous music in America. Monmouth University’s event listings and the Springsteen Center’s calendar both list registration for the performance. ### Who is putting on the concert, and where is it actually happening? The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music and Hard Rock International announced the event in May and said it will be held at Pollak Theatre on Monmouth University’s campus at 400 Cedar Avenue in West Long Branch. Monmouth’s arts listings and Pollak Theatre page carry the same date, time and venue details. (springsteencenter.org) Hard Rock International’s involvement is notable because the company is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a detail included in coverage and in related event materials. The partnership with the Springsteen Center also includes support beyond this concert, according to published announcements about the center’s opening events. (springsteencenter.org) ### Which artists are confirmed for the June 3 lineup? Gary Farmer & the Dish and Spoon Band, singer-songwriter Pura Fé, The Osceola Brothers and the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band are all named in the event announcement and in Monmouth University listings. NJArts.net also reported that former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will give a poetry reading as part of the program. (themonmouthjournaleastern.com) The programming is described as spanning both traditional and contemporary music by Indigenous artists from the United States and Canada, including performers from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. That framing appears in the Springsteen Center and Hard Rock materials announcing the concert. ### What have organizers said about the purpose of the event? (njarts.net) Robert Santelli, the Springsteen Center’s founding executive director, said in the announcement that “Indigenous music is foundational to the story of American music.” Santelli also said the concert is part of the center’s effort to present public programs that connect music with history, culture and identity. (springsteencenter.org) The event description from the center calls the program “a unique, free concert celebrating the rich history and enduring legacy of Indigenous music in America.” Monmouth University uses the same language in its event posting. ### Is this the same event some listings place in New Brunswick? Pollak Theatre is on Monmouth University’s campus in West Long Branch, not in New Brunswick, according to Monmouth University’s venue page and event calendar. (themonmouthjournaleastern.com) Multiple official listings for “The Native American Music Experience” place the June 3 performance at Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch. New Brunswick is associated with Rutgers University venues, but the official event pages for this concert point to Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre instead. (springsteencenter.org) The venue address and ticketing pages match that location. ### How can people attend, and what happens next? Wednesday’s concert is listed as free, with registration links provided through the Springsteen Center and Monmouth University event pages. (monmouth.edu) A ticketing schedule page also shows the event at 7:30 p.m. EDT on June 3 at Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch. June 13 is the rescheduled date cited by event coverage for the grand opening of the Springsteen Center’s new building, making the June 3 concert one of the public programs leading into that opening week. (monmouth.edu) The named June 3 participants include Gary Farmer & the Dish and Spoon Band, Pura Fé, The Osceola Brothers, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band and Joy Harjo. (njarts.net) (springsteencenter.org)