Southside Johnny came up through the same Asbury Park, New Jersey-area bars and clubs as Bruce Springsteen, with whom he has often shared stages. He also attended school with the E Street Band’s Garry Tallent and Vini Lopez; garnered his “Southside” nickname from Springsteen; formed his group with Steve Van Zandt, who went on to fame with Bruce; and frequently performs songs written or co-written by Springsteen or Van Zandt. But the similarities to the Boss don’t end there. While more rooted in R&B than Springsteen, Southside shares his ability to enthrall audiences with a strong stage presence and electrifying performances.
For abundant evidence of that, pick up Live at Rockpalast 1979 & 1992, which offers two concerts by the singer (aka John Lyon) and his band, the Asbury Jukes. The shows, which aired on Germany’s long-running Rockpalast (Rock Palace) TV program, were issued on DVD in 2004. A new version, however, released on Nov. 8, 2024, delivers the concerts on both DVD and CD. It’s part of an extensive series from the television show that has included audio/video releases devoted to such artists as Graham Parker, Paul Young, Canned Heat, Johnny Winter and Stray Cats.
The three CDs and two DVDs in the Southside set contain nearly identical programs. (The only difference involves a nine-minute ostensible “interview” that ends one of the video discs. It consists mostly of a superficial conversation between the singer and a sometimes German-speaking questioner.) The 1979 concert, which runs just over an hour, took place at the Grugahalle arena in Essen, Germany. It features 13 numbers, including Springsteen’s “Talk to Me” and “The Fever,” as well as “Trapped Again,” which Southside wrote with the Boss and Van Zandt. Also here are Van Zandt’s “Got to Be a Better Way Home” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home” and such Southside favorites as “All I Want Is Everything,” which the singer co-wrote with band member Billy Rush.
It’s a memorable gig, but the 1992 concert, from the Music Hall in Cologne, Germany, is even better. Clocking in at two-and-a-half hours and repeating only a few songs from the older show among its 24 selections, it features an entirely different backup band that includes a terrific horn section (sax, trumpet and trombone). And just when you think things can’t get any hotter, Van Zandt shows up to sing and play guitar on the show’s five final numbers.
The concert is especially riveting in the video version, where Southside—who looks like a man possessed and whose movements may sometimes remind you of Joe Cocker—runs through a set dominated by songs written or co-written by Springsteen and/or Van Zandt. Among them are a 12-minute reading of “The Fever” and an arena-shaking “Talk to Me,” as well as “Better Days,” “Hearts of Stone” and “This Time It’s for Real,” which precedes a brassy finish with an arresting a cappella section. There are also back-to-back performances of Sam Cooke’s “Havin’ a Party” and “Wonderful World”; a version of Cream’s “I Feel Free”; and an affecting, vocals-dominated rendition of “Let It Be Me,” the Everly Brothers hit ballad, which Southside dedicates to his wife.
The best cover, though, is arguably “Walk Away Renee,” the Left Banke’s 1966 baroque rock masterpiece, which Southside often features in his shows. After opening with a soulful, nearly instrument-free reading of the first verse, he remakes the number into a blistering sax-spiced rocker.
The only knock against this release, which Rockpalast founder Peter Ruchel produced, is that its DVDs are not widescreen, and their audio isn’t hi-res. The picture and sound are more than acceptable, however, and the approximately $25 price for this package renders it a bargain. It’s available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
A top editor at leading consumer and trade magazines for more than 40 years, Jeff has interviewed dozens of musical luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Wolfman Jack, Tommy James, Tom Waits, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan.
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