Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at the City Winery in Chicago, IL

It was a night of good old-fashioned rock n roll as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes performed the first of a two-night engagement.

You know you’re in for an amazing night when a band can fill a venue for not just one show, but for two packed-out shows. Mind you, when you hear that it’s Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes performing, that’s all you need to know before you whip out your credit card and purchase those tickets. They are never ones to disappoint and this show was no different. 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – when you see a band on stage thoroughly enjoying themselves, it is contagious. All night long, they all had beaming smiles on their faces and genuinely looked like a group of friends just having a fun time, jamming with each other. You can’t help but feel the fun and enjoyment radiate throughout the room with every word sung and every note played as the music wafted across the ample-sized audience. 

Very early on in the set, an audience member shouted a request for them to perform “Sherry Darling,” to which they whole-heartedly obliged. This is a song that is always guaranteed to get the party started, even though it was pretty much up and running from the very first song.

While it might be fun to interact with an artist while they are performing, you have to be careful as they might just jump down off the stage and thrust the microphone in your face and insist that you take over the vocals. This is exactly what happened during this show, and while the volunteered singer did an impressive job, it certainly made them pipe down for the rest of the show, lesson learned. 

It wouldn’t be a Southside Johnny show without hearing the likes of “Talk To Me,” “I Don’t Want To Go Home,” “Walk Away Renée,” and “The Fever.” Of course, as a staple of their shows and something we would miss if it didn’t happen, they closed the show out with Sam Cooke’s “Having A Party.” This is a song that always will kick things up a notch and reignite the party atmosphere (not that it ever needs reigniting), rather than winding things down for the end of the night. 

Every inch of the compact stage was packed with the nine-piece band and their numerous instruments. Neal Pawley (trombone), John Isley (saxophone), and Chris Anderson (trumpet) might have been tucked away in the corner, but certainly made their presence known. They were also given their time in the spotlight as they came front and center for their solos, which were greeted by huge cheers and applause. 

Throughout the show, the camaraderie between the band members was clear for all to see. In particular, the chemistry between John Lyon and Jeff Kazee was evident as they read each other’s body language for queues and often harmonized together to add a whole new depth to a song.  

Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes still have some dates scheduled so be sure to check them out for a good old dose of rock n roll. You will not regret it.