Drinking That Rock-n-Roll Kool-Aid with Stevie Van Zandt

Drinking That Rock-n-Roll Kool-Aid with Stevie Van Zandt

"Turn the station to Letterman. That guy you like, the one who wears the do-rag, is on the show." That's my mom calling to tell me that Steven Van Zandt is sitting in the guest seat talking to Dave. Good ol' mom...always keeping me abreast of rock star sightings. She may not have remembered the name of that head-wrapped wonder, but she knows I've been infatuated with him for years - as far back as April 12, 1976, when I saw him at my first-ever rock concert. "Who's the sharpie?" I wondered, as I watched this nattily-dressed guy play guitar on stage with his boss Bruce Springsteen at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA. I hadn't seen his picture on any of Bruce's albums. I didn't even know his name. But I knew at that moment that we were going to be soul mates.

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The Fireworks are Hailin’ Over Little Eden Tonight: Bruce’s Boardwalk Lullaby

The Fireworks are Hailin’ Over Little Eden Tonight: Bruce’s Boardwalk Lullaby

When the cops finally busted Madam Marie, the young ne'er-do-well knew it was time to leave the seaside carnival life forever. Riding Tilt-a-Whirls and chasing factory girls underneath the boardwalk…cruising the circuit with switchblade lovers and open-shirt casino boys…it was all kid's stuff. Someday he'd look back on those barefoot slacker days and sex-seeking nights, and rage against the dying of the pier lights that once cast a protective cover, like a soft beach blanket, over his body and hers. But now, as the fireworks hailed over his Little Eden on that 4th of July, he determined it was time to move on. And, taking a page from that ancient tome, "Seduction Tactics 101," he made his plea to sweet "Sandy Girl:" Love me tonight, for I may never see you again. Ah, how I miss the beach life lullabies and city-sidewalk serenades that Bruce abandoned long ago! Songs like "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" are among the most visual and desperately romantic works in his catalog. And this one, in particular, is as beautiful and wistful as they come.

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Bruce: Dancing in Debris

Bruce: Dancing in Debris

According to Bruce Springsteen's security man, Jim McDuffie, here are some of the items thrown onstage at The Boss's Madison Square Garden concert on December 18, 1980. McDuffie reported that a dozen pairs of women's panties were thrown onto the stage at Bruce's Pittsburgh show that month. I was there, but kept my undies on.

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Southside Johnny Lyon: Foot Soldier of the Jersey Music Mafia

Southside Johnny Lyon: Foot Soldier of the Jersey Music Mafia

When tickets went on sale this past spring for the Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks July 28 "Heart and Soul" show at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center, I took pause. I've adored Rod since his earliest days in the music biz, when he sang his heart out with Brit bands like Long John Baldry's Hoochie Coochie Men, The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces. But as much as I love Rod The Former Mod, was I really willing to fork over $150 to sit half a mile from the stage of a 19,000-seat arena to hear him sing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" from his sad disco days, or croon old standards with faded gypsy queen, Stevie Nicks? No, I decided to spend my concert cash to see another vocally endowed white boy who also performed here last night: "Southside" Johnny Lyon. Johnny brought his 7-piece Asbury Jukes band to the Palace Theater in the small town of Greensburg, PA, and delivered his usual rousing show. He's been performing since the mid-1970s and is considered a pioneer of the famous Jersey Shore sound that emerged when Bruce Springsteen put Asbury Park on the musical map 40 years ago.I've long considered Johnny Lyon to be the finest white rock-soul singer in America.

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