Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at City Winery

"Southside" Johnny Lyon

"Southside" Johnny Lyon was born in Neptune, New Jersey, and grew up in Ocean Grove, where his father played bass in local bands. In the early 1970s, Lyon sang in numerous short-lived bands along the Jersey Shore, several of which included Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bongiovi (later to be known as Bon Jovi), Steven Van Zandt and most of the musicians who wound up in those artists' bands. Once Springsteen's star started to rise, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes advanced from the house band at the Stone Pony to a national touring band with a debut album that featured contributions from Springsteen, Van Zandt and other members of the E Street Band. More than 100 musicians can claim to have been members of the Asbury Jukes; the present band consists of vocalist/harmonica player Lyon, keyboardist Jeff Kazee, guitarist Glenn Alexander, trumpet player Chris Anderson, saxophonist John Isley, trombonist Neal Pawley, bassist John Conte, and drummer Thomas "Goose" Seguso. Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes' 15th and most recent studio album is 2015's Soultime! The band also has released 12 live albums.

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes' albums have occasionally changed direction, but at City Winery for a two-night stand, the band was back to its classic sound with a set of vintage-sounding rocking rhythm and blues songs. The set included audience favorites from the band's earliest albums, deep cuts and several familiar covers. Lyon interchanged well with his band, allowing the horn section in particular to flesh out the songs. He belted from the soul a husky voice that projected emotive and enthusiastic deliveries equally well. An responsive audience sat inches from his feet, and Lyon was perhaps overly comfortable in these intimate circumstances, such that he took the liberty to draw out many songs with seemingly excessive mid-song chatter and commentary. Nevertheless, he recaptured his audience by articulated their sentiments in songs like "I Don't Want to Go Home" and "Having a Party." Indeed, this time it's for real.

Setlist:

1. Spinning
2. Passion Street
3. Love on the Wrong Side of Town
4. All I Can Do
5. I'm Not That Lonely
6. Strange Strange Feeling
7. Talk to Me (Bruce Springsteen cover)
8. This Time Baby's Gone for Good
9. Rosa
10. Walk Away Renée (The Left Banke cover)
11. Tango Till They're Sore (Tom Waits cover)
12. Forever (Little Steven cover)
13. Save Me (Little Steven cover)
14. Key to the Highway (Charles Segar cover)
15. Woke Up This Morning
16. Without Love
17. The Fever (Bruce Springsteen cover)
18. This Time It's for Real
19. I Don't Want to Go Home

Encore:

1. Sherry Darling (Bruce Springsteen cover)
2. Don't Waste My Time
3. Having a Party (Sam Cooke cover) (with a snippet of You Can’t Party on a Thursday Night)