Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Delight Fans in Utrecht
He may not have achieved the same level of popularity as his fellow city native and friend Bruce Springsteen has in 50 years. Still, in New Jersey, it’s not The Boss but John Lyon, aka Southside Johnny, known as “The Godfather of the New Jersey sound,” with a mix of rock ‘n roll, soul, and rhythm & blues. Along with his backing band, The Asbury Jukes, he has built a fan base among enthusiasts in Europe as well, often drawing fans from the same circles as those of Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven Van Zandt (who was a member of Southside Johnny’s band before joining Springsteen’s E Street Band). In the Netherlands, there is also a loyal group of fans attending his concerts. This was evident in the Ronda hall at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands, ahead of his performance at the Bospop Festival in Weert. Although it wasn’t sold out, unlike their sold-out concert last year at Paradiso, perhaps due to the many other festivals and concerts taking place the same weekend, the atmosphere remained electric.
The energy was palpable both among the audience and the band. Southside Johnny engaged with the crowd between songs, often responding with self-deprecating humour to requests from the audience. “I’m an old man, so I already forgot what you told me 5 minutes ago,” he joked in response to song requests. Like Bruce, he still has a lot of energy at 75.
The familiarity of many songs with the New Jersey artists’ fan base was evident from the reception of “Love On The Wrong Side Of Town,” written by Steven Van Zandt, early in the evening. Southside Johnny frequently encouraged the audience to sing along, raising his microphone stand into the air, and they obediently followed. Whether it was original material or covers like The Four Tops’ “Walk Away Renee,” or songs given to them by Bruce Springsteen such as “Talk To Me,” “All The Way Home,” “The Fever,” or “Hearts of Stone,” the response was enthusiastic.
But Southside Johnny wasn’t the sole focus of the evening. He often spotlighted other band members, like the three-piece horn section or keyboardist Jeff Kazee, who sang two songs himself. There was a lot of interaction on stage, with band members running across the stage, reminiscent of the early E Street Band’s energy during “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight).” While Springsteen has toned down the band-audience interaction in recent years, it’s still very much alive with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, including bringing a child on stage during the final encore, a cover of Sam Cooke’s “Having A Party.”
There was only a minor glitch when guitarist Glenn Alexander’s amplifier malfunctioned during the Aretha Franklin cover “Without Love,” but it was quickly resolved. The atmosphere remained unaffected. It’s said that Southside Johnny sometimes doesn’t have the best nights, but despite this small technical issue and a non-sold-out venue, we witnessed a performance where the joy of playing was evident. A more affordable alternative to bands from the same generation as The Boss, but with no less positive energy and interaction between the band and audience.
