$24 in advance / $30 day of concertIn a business where success is defined as getting a second single and longevity measured in nano-seconds, just surviving for thirty plus years is a rare accomplishment. But
Southside Johnny and the Jukes have not just survived, they have flourished: thirty albums, EPs and a box set; thousands of live performances around the globe; a legion of dedicated and enthusiastic fans; dozens of classic songs; a record—
Hearts of Stone —that Rolling Stone called one of the "top 100 albums of the 70's and 80's," and the story continues as the band records its newest studio album, full of new material that is already getting rave reviews from fans.
To
Johnny, it's just what he does. "I grew up on music. We listened to Billie Holiday, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters and Big Joe Turner. My parents loved music, the louder the better." Born and raised on the Jersey Shore,
Southside's fascination for the club scene started early. "My father played in bands for years, and my mother actually went into labor with me at some seedy New Jersey club. I guess some things were just meant to be." Singing and playing in a number of blues and R&B bands at the now legendary Upstage Club, often joined by pals Bruce Springsteen, "Miami Steve" Van Zandt, and Garry Tallent,
Johnny worked at making "meant to be" into "is." It wasn't easy. "We played for years on the shore, but it wasn't until Bruce hit with 'Born to Run' that these A&R guys would drive to Asbury Park to see what was happening."
Southside (so nicknamed because of his bent toward the Blues sounds of the Southside of Chicago) and his band, eventually called the
Asbury Jukes, worked on growing their reputation as a dynamic live band through the late 60's and early 70's. "We built a big band, a home for lots of musicians, horns and all: sure we called it
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, but it was really just a bunch of guys getting crazy on stage." Then, in 1975, they signed with CBS/Epic Records, released the critically acclaimed
I Don’t Want to Go Home, and a legend was begun. What followed was over three decades of recording and touring and solidifying a place in rock 'n roll history. It was, and continues to be, a period of ups and downs, dozens of great songs and storied live performances that continue to thrill fans and newcomers alike.
In 1992, following the release of
Better Days, and the record industry turmoil that followed,
Johnny, never a fan of the "big record business," took a hiatus from the studio, though he continued to work the road. "I went through some really bad times and never wanted to record again,"
Johnny recalls. He spent eight years working on the massive record collection he shares with E Street bassist, and childhood buddy, Garry Tallent, ruminating on life and his music, and just plain moping until, in 1999, Johnny returned to recording on his own terms and on his own label, Leroy Records.
The result,
Messin’ With The Blues, was a return to making music for the sheer joy of it; a collection of old and new true-blues songs that
Johnny had long coveted but couldn't record in the pop-single driven, major label environment.
Messin’ With The Blues was the catharsis
Johnny needed to get the band back in the studio and himself back in the groove. "You can be free do what you want, as you want. We weren't trying to be perfect . We just wanted to play. We were professional about it, while having a lot of fun."
Recharged and reenergized,
Johnny and the Jukes have kept up the pace since with
Going To Jukesville, the balls-to-the-wall, honest-to-goodness
Jukes record released in 2002, an introspective, soulful
Into The Harbour in 2005, a live album and a live Internet stream of one of their legendary shows in 2008, and both a new live record and a new studio record in the works.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are brassing their way full steam ahead the same way they always have, with no holds barred, good time rock and roll.
"I'll stack my group against any group out there. We enjoy playing and the audience enjoys having a good time. Music is a shared emotion. We distill it down to that."
When you distill
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, you come down to great music and good times. It has been for thirty-plus years… and counting.
Find more info at:
www.southsidejohnny.com Brooks Young Band opens the show
The Brooks Young Band, fronted by Fender endorsed artist Brooks Young, has a Rock and Roll, guitar driven energy with a heart of blues.
This six-piece band consists of Brooks Young on lead vocals and lead guitar, Rachel G. on bass, Ben L. on rhythm guitar, two keyboardists Jeff L. and Dan V. and Joe T. on drums.
The Brooks Young Band has been featured in several newspapers and magazines such as The Concord Monitor and Music Connection. Their songs have received radio play on many local and national stations such as Boston’s 92.5 The River.
The Brooks Young Band delivers a powerful and memorable performance at each show. They have played in numerous venues from Boston to New York City and even Nashville.
The bands most noteworthy shows have been opening for the Grammy Award Winning, King of the Blues, B.B. King. They have also performed with musical icons J. Geils and James Montgomery.
“Counting Down”, their first full studio album is scheduled to be released in April 2010. The title track features Gibson Signature Artist Johnny A. The album showcases Brooks Young’s remarkable guitar work on each song and shows that this young guitar player has so much talent to offer.