The Stone Ponies: Jersey’s Greatest Duo
“Nobody wins, unless everybody wins.” – Bruce Springsteen
December 31st, 2019…..
Before the year 2020, I can’t remember a better way to spend New Year’s Eve then at a Southside Johnny concert. The amount of energy was certainly high and it was a great way to kick off the new year. Southside could truly keep a crowd entertained and he played til 1 a.m. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes represent the music pride of New Jersey and the music they play is just plain legendary.
March, 2012….
My parents took my brother and I to a popular shopping destination in Monmouth County.
As we were walking towards Starbucks, my dad spotted someone. Who’s that someone you ask? Legendary rock ‘n roll singer and New Jersey native, Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen. My dad, a huge fan, decided to introduce himself and my family. We had about a 15-minute conversation with the Boss. He asked if we had a pen and he told us to write down our number.
Weeks later, my family was three rows from the stage at a Springsteen concert. Since I was pretty young at the time, I unfortunately was not at the concert, but the video evidence was surreal.
During Dancing in the Dark, he was over by my family and he pointed at my brother and waved to my whole family. All it took was a wave on video for me to fall in love with Springsteen’s music.
Batman and Robin, Cliff and Norm, Oscar and Felix. What do they all have in common? They are simply the most iconic duos of all time. Springsteen and Southside just have that vibe of a true duo.
Freehold Teen to Rock Legend
He was just a kid with a dream….
Rocking since 1972, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band have truly made a difference in not only New Jersey but throughout the world. A N.J. native out of Freehold, he embraces his roots.
With hits like Born to Run and Badlands under his belt, Springsteen has become arguably one of the most beloved American icons of all time. The E-Street band is nothing to sleep on either, the band consists of Steve Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Patti Scalfa, Roy Bittan, Gary Tallent, Charles Giordano, Jake Clemmons and Max Weinberg. The late Clarence Clemmons and the late Danny Federici were also in the band until they passed away years ago. They may have broken up in 1989, but they got back together in 1999 and have been rocking ever since.
Local bars like the Stone Pony, the Fastlane and the Tradewinds have all welcomed Springsteen to their stage. Occasionally, Springsteen even shows up to a friend’s show, jumping on stage with Southside Johnny and the Jukes, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, U2 and many more. It’s safe to say that he has the power of the Jersey Shore behind him.
The B-Street Shuffle
In 1980, a small town band by the name of Backstreets was born. Later known as the B-Street Band, Backstreets toured the Shore and beyond, playing all types of bars.
I was able to speak with Mr. Willy Forte, founder and keyboardist of the band. They are one of the longest running cover bands in the world, with 41 years of greatness for the B-Street band. Coming from Pennsylvania in the late 70’s, the band started off playing very little Springsteen, but over the years the music shifted more and more towards Springsteen.
After performing a hit concert at Park Place in Asbury Park, they started to explode into a tribute band to be reckoned with. Springsteen watched the infamous band at the Tradewinds in Sea Bright.
Springsteen’s poetic music just had a profound effect on many besides myself, but I wasn’t seeing the whole picture, at least, not yet.
The Dance of the Asbury Jukes
Just a Teenager who Stole His Brother’s Harmonica…
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have been partying and playing bars down the Jersey Shore since 1976. Also a local native from Neptune, he’s mostly spent his time in Asbury Park, playing most of his gigs there. He’s had a residency at the Count Basie Theater on New Year’s Eve for years, making him an act to look forward to every year.
With the mighty Asbury Jukes’ horns behind him, he has had a tremendous impact on the Jersey Shore music scene. He was one of the first pioneers of Jersey Shore rock and roll.
The Jukes seem to have the right amount of rock, mixed with blues, which makes a great combination. After seeing them in concert three times, Southside and the Jukes just get better and better each time. They really do know how to entertain a crowd to the max, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are part of the pride of Shore music.
The Power of the Sax
The Asbury Jukes are known for the horns, but a huge part of their horn section is the powerful saxophone. Nobody is as powerful as the great John Isely, iconic sax player for the great Asbury Jukes.
Certain solos in the Asbury Jukes’ songs really highlight the power of the horns, specifically the one in Without Love when Southside has the horns perform a solo that really brings the house down.
Being in the band for a while now, Isely has seen Springsteen and Southside play together. Although he is not from New Jersey, he had great stories to tell during our interview.
“They play like they are old friends, like pals that screw around with each other,” Isley joked.
Born to Party: Legends Together
If you think about it, the kid that sat next to you in English class could be the next Springsteen. It seemed like a feat of destiny when Springsteen and Southside met during their high school years.
Friends since high school, you can really tell they are “pals” on stage like Isely said.
Playing many venues together, they are not just a duo. Steve Van Zandt makes their stage performances a trio. Springsteen and Van Zandt have been E-streeters together, but they also like to show up at bars together like old buddies.
Whether you’re at a Springsteen or Southside concert, there’s always a chance that you might see someone from the opposite band there.
There’s always that one person that asks the question at a Southside concert, “what are the odds Springsteen shows?”
When on stage together, you can really see the rock and roll chemistry they possess. It is remarkable to think that high school friends impacted a whole generation with such power.
The Jersey Shore Historian
When you think of the pioneers of Jersey rock, there are a few different people that come to mind. One of the greatest pioneers is a man by the name of Bobby Bandiera.
A word to describe Bandiera? Cool.
In just a few minutes on the phone, you can tell he has made an enormous impact on the Jersey Shore music scene.
Bandiera has been playing down the Shore since the age of Springsteen. Playing with the awesome band, Cats on the Smooth Surface, he was rocking up and down the shore for years.
One night, destiny struck. It was 1981 and a new hit star by the name of Bruce Springsteen was backstage for the show. After asking to come on, Springsteen played with the band for a few songs, but he continued to show up at shows for years.
Bandiera met another rocker, Southside Johnny. They played a Christmas show and started a friendship.
“That was back when we could work five or six days a week at all different bars,” Bandiera said.
After years on the Shore, he eventually moved on. Retired? The exact opposite.
A new kid came to the Shore: Jon Bon Jovi. Bandiera became the lead guitarist of Bon Jovi for 10 years.
And for teens who are fans of older music, Bandiera had some advice.
“If you find the current music not good, dig into your dad’s record collection and you’ll find great music,” he said.
The Return of the Legends
2020 did not give us much in-person music.
Hopes for a Springsteen and E-street Band tour are still alive after seeing their gracious return to Saturday Night Live. They played two songs from their new album, Ghosts and I’ll See You in My Dreams.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes also made their return at “Drive In Live” back in July.
Unfortunately, the greatest Jersey Shore rockers have yet to return to the stage together. When will we see the Stone Ponies rock the Shore again? Will we ever see Springsteen and Southside singing together on stage like the old days? One can only hope.
Two bands, two singers, one state.
Jersey has the best music. And Springsteen and Southside are major reasons why.
The power of friendship can do wonders.
(Cover photo by Rolling Stone)
