Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes took to the stage at the Stone Pony this past Friday. The Pony was packed, the booze was flowing, and the show was broadcasted on Sirius Radio.
Johnny & Co. played a mix of old favorites, and tunes from his new album, Pills and Ammo.
The classic Jukes tracks got the crowd going in a major way. The standouts for me were The Fever, Without Love, Hearts of Stone, and Sam Cooke song turned rock anthem, Havin’ A Party.
Every time I’ve seen Johnny performs The Fever, it has been haunting, and sticks with me; Friday’s rendition was no exception.
This is the third time I’ve seen them live, but it was the first time I saw him play Havin’ A Party. I honestly never thought I would ever see him do it; it was a special moment.
The new material was very good and I enjoyed it… But I think I may have been in the minority. The audience seemed completely disconnected during the unfamiliar songs. The mob of bored and inebriated baby-boomers made it difficult to stay focused on the music. Damn hooligans.
At the end of the day, Johnny probably should have leaned more heavily on his old material than he did. It was his job to hold the audience, and he could have done it more effectively, if only for the radio.
The show was very good, but it could have been better.
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes are an amazing band, but I prefer seeing them in a smaller, more intimate setting like BB King’s Blues Club; the fans are more dedicated, and everyone dances. The mob at the Pony seemed more intent on getting hammered than listening to the music.
The Geek Whisperer 