New Jersey legend Southside Johnny and his Asbury Jukes played a killer show in the same venue where we saw his erstwhile bandmate Little Steven in 2017. La Cigale is a beautiful 19th century theater located in the red light district... now how's that for Love In The Wrong Side Of Town?
Attendance was disappointingly low for such an event, and the whole upper section of the venue was cordoned off. Surprisingly, this was an all-seated event, possibly due to the older demographic of the audience. However, it only took one song to get everyone on their feet, dancing and singing throughout the night.
But despite these less than ideal circumstances, the concert was absolutely fantastic. The band took the audience on a musical journey through American music with nods to Rock n' Roll, Blues, Soul and Country & Western. with tunes written or made famous by Bruce Springsteen, Sam and Dave, Buck Owens, The Left Banke, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Steve Van Zandt and of course Southside Johnny himself.
Led by keyboardist and musical director Jeff Kazee, The Asbury Dukes is a formidable 7-piece band in the mold of 60's-style Rn'B revues where each band brings an irreplaceable element to the Soul stew. As the frontman, vocalist and star of the show, "Southside" Johnny Lyon brought the house down with his emotive vocals and effortless charisma.
One thing's for sure, Johnny knows how to throw a party.
