Music and the City

�������� The Taste of Enfield Street Sign������������������� The Taste of Enfield Events (click to see schedule)

�� It's funny.� I used to live in Enfield and I don't remember no rock concerts on the Town Green back then.� But it's 2000 and it's better now then never.
��� It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and in the town of Enfield, Connecticut a belated July 4th celebration was taking place.� For many it was simply a time to relax but for me it was an event.� Among the screaming children, crying babies, elderly and bored concession cashiers, two of my favorite bands were going to perform.

Before I begin, let's clear something up.� The bands first album was the soundtrack to "Eddie and the Cruisers", a film about a fictional New Jersey rock band. The movie featured songs that John Cafferty had written that his Rhode Island� based band had played throughout the late 70's/early 80's.� They went on to record their own "Tough All Over" and "Roadhouse" as well as "Eddie and the Cruisers II".� All of these albums were on Scotti Bros. Records.� With the "Cruisers" being the most successful, Scotti Bros. decided to cash in on this and re-release "Tough All Over" and "Roadhouse" under the name "The Voice of Eddie and the Cruisers" (which incidentally hints at the bands song "The Voice of America's Sons").� There was also a "Live in Concert" album and an "Unreleased Tapes" album, both under the Cruisers name.
So there you go.� John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band are not Eddie and the Cruisers, but Eddie and the Cruisers are� John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.� In other words, fuck the Hollywood movie, we got the real fuckin' thing right here in our own backyard.
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Ladies and Gentlemen...
JC and the Beaver Brown Band

Although it was an early set for a rock n roll show, at approximately 4 pm, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band took the stage.� Opening up with a blues jam, they wasted no time going straight into their biggest hit "On the Dark Side".� The hour and a half set included such songs as "Wild Summer Nights", "It's Just a Matter of Time", "Tender Years", "Voice of America's Sons", "Tough All Over" and my personal favorite, "Boardwalk Angel".

The audience got into it, applauding and singing along.� It was a great high energy show.� The sad thing is, if you look at the schedule above, you'll see that the band was actually the opening act for a� PIE EATING CONTEST!!� Not your typical rock n roll atmosphere, I'll tell ya.
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�And now for you know who...

I wasn't there when John Lyon met Steven Van Zandt.� I wasn't there when Lyon became Southside Johnny or when Van Zandt became Miami Steve.� Or when Miami Steve became Little Steven.� And I wasn't there when Southside, Miami and Bruce Springsteen played the Jersey scene together.

Well God Damn, I'm here now!

Everybody...

���� The man who played the fool, played the soldier, who's struggling days are over.� He wanted everything but all he needed was us.� Mr. Southside Johnny Lyon and his Asbury Jukes playing right across the street from the place where I grew up.

Just as John Cafferty did earlier in the day, Southside opened with a blues jam leading into "I Played the Fool".� Next was the Aretha Franklin song "Without Love" that the Jukes recorded for the "This Time It's For Real" album back in 1977.� After casually introducing the song, the band absolutely lit the place on fire.� It reached such a high point I almost got fuckin' teary eyed.� But being the unemotional prick that I am, that's impossible though.� Then came the Van Zandt gem, "Take It Inside".� In fact, most of the songs played that night were from the Jukes albums produced by Van Zandt including the Springsteen written songs "The Fever" and� "All The Way Home".

And of course I gotta mention Southside's sense of humor.� There's no doubt the band still has fun on stage. Making jokes about� a girl cheating on him during "Talk to Me".� And the guitar players wardrobe, saying he looked like he coulda been in Devo.� Johnny looked at him at one point and said "That's it.� You're fired."
��� Towards the end of the set the band played "I Don't Want To Go Home", the first song off their first album.� As I said before, I wasn't there then, but I'm glad I was there that night.
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Johnny, I raise a glass to you brother. -Justin Masters 07/15/00

www.rockforever.com

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Official Site

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes European Site

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