Europe: 4 Nights, 4 Cities!

Greetings friends! A number of you emailed me to ask if I was going to do a review of the Gulf Shores show. Thanks for checking in, but ... well ... I can't write about it cuz I wasn't there!

Why you ask?

Well, because, as much as I love Jon Bon Jovi and the boys, I couldn’t pass up the chance to go to Europe for the first part of the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes tour. It was a QUICK trip, but man, we packed a lot into those four days!

Day One: Amsterdam

After a slightly bumpy and raucous crossing, I arrived at my first destination. Okay, I gotta say … y’all know I’m a New Yorker … things move pretty fast here. But that didn’t prepare me AT ALL for Amsterdam. It’s a well-known fact that the Dutch like to bike everywhere, but seriously … there were things coming at me from every direction – trams, bikes, buses, bikes, little cars, bikes, mopeds, bikes, bikes, BIKES! I think I stood there for a good ten minutes trying to cross the street in front of our hotel. It was like being in the middle of an endless video game.

So after dropping my bag at the hotel, I went out in search of coffee (not a surprise I guess LOL.) It was refreshing to not see a frickin’ Starbucks on every corner. In my jet-lagged state I made a beeline for the first coffee shop I could find … ahh! … but one must remember, this is AMSTERDAM. There are coffee shops and there are “coffee shops” where you can get a side of java with your order of cannabis. At this point, I’ve had about 1.5 hours of sleep in the last 36 … you can imagine what happened … walked in and was like “this is the strangest smelling coffee ever” … LOL.

Eventually found coffee and walked around the canals looking at shops and taking in the charms of the city. Made it back to hotel in time to welcome my crazy German girls who were travelling in from all over. After a great reunion, we headed out for a bit to eat before the show. (note: the Dutch make the best mayonnaise I have ever tasted…and with amazing fries! … and thus began the healthy eating during this trip ... oh lordy!)

Ok … I had heard over and over again how great the Paradiso is as a venue. As a musician and a fan of music, I have played in and seen A LOT of music halls both in the States and all over the world … but this place really IS special. An old church that has been converted, there is a main floor and then these fabulous balconies overlooking the stage. There's a wonderful intimacy to the place and with the backdrop of the incredible stained-glass windows, it was an unforgettable experience.

As for the show itself, Jukesfans know that this has been a challenging time as of late. As a result, emotions were definitely running high … but so was the energy of the band. It’s amazing what the human spirit can do in times of adversity. The crowd was great and that helped and inspired the band even more, I believe.

I love that most Jukes shows are general admission … this was my vantage point for this extraordinary night. Nice, huh?

*that would be me on the right*

Here are some of the funny moments I remember…

During “Paris” when Johnny got to the first line of the chorus which is “Paris you're a drug, you won't let go…” and at that exact moment, this HUGE waft of marijuana smoke drifted to the stage. Haha.

When Johnny got frustrated (no worries...that’s a regular occurrence) and chucked his harmonica at the back of the stage and almost took out Eddie’s head! By the way, the horns were on fire during this show. And the famous "dance moves" by Neal and Chris were a sight to see!

Southside is so great with the fans and at one point he took this guy’s camera-phone and began throwing it around the stage. Later in the tour you'll hear about him taking both my camera and Steffi's and taking pictures with it! Anyhoo, Sandy got this great photo when SSJ handed the phone back to the guy.

I hadn't really told anyone I was going (other than my crazy German girls of course) so it was nice to meet so many Jovi/Jukesfans at the Paradiso - both from the States and from overseas. It was also fun to see the looks on some of the band members' faces when they saw me there ... and what a nice welcome from Johnny, which Sandy captured on video.



As usual, the set was called out as they went along ... which always leaves room for absolutely amazing moments like this incredible tribute to Solomon Burke (who passed away en route to play at the Paradiso last week.)



Exhausted from the show and after SEVERAL bottles of wine and a whole lotta chocolate, we all finally crashed into bed! What an unforgettable day!

And that was just the beginning ...

.... stay tuned for Day 2: Melle, Germany

p.s. I was bummed to only be in Amsterdam for less than 24 hours. I definitely have to go back ... so many places I'd like to see there. And heck! who could not like a city that has the Museum of Bags and Purses?! No joke!!

Two More Nights to Rock

Once again I have back-to-back Jukes shows this weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing what surprises Uncle Southside has in store for us ... maybe another JK solo ...? Gotta get my fill before the boys head to Europe next week. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler on stage than it was in this clip (I heard it was about 115 degrees ... no kidding.)



"Lost" (written by Jeff Kazee during the midnight hour while recording the "Going to Jukesville" record)

A Rare Man Indeed

Just doing a quick drive-by today to say ... Happy Birthday to Tico Torres -- the heart, the soul, the rock-solid foundation of Bon Jovi.

The man has so many talents it's almost ridiculous - musician, artist, entrepreneur, golfer. Add to that father, husband, friend. Sensitive, playful, observant, loyal.

Hmmm ... certainly makes me wish there were more people like him out there. #justsaying

Got Bail Money? LOL

Happy Monday friends ... honestly, I'm actually GLAD Monday is here so that I can rest! LOL

I thought that with Jon Bon Jovi and the boys in South America that my schedule would somehow slow down. Ha! In reality, that just means I miss fewer Southside Johnny shows. Three in the last two weekends and another two on tap before the gang heads to Europe.

So, I took a quick trip to Bethlehem, PA on Friday to catch the Jukes at the new "venue" at the Sands Casino. As I found out ... not really a venue, just a BIG tent set up on an asphalt slab. I think they are planning on building something once they've stolen enough patrons' money. Ha! They didn't get anything from me! I came out ahead about $200. :-)

Anyhoo, there are some bands where the venue should just remove all chairs -- and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes is definitely one of them. Performers thrive on the energy that comes back to them from the crowd -- so everyone sitting on their hands the whole time is just cruel. So, after the main set, a few regular Jukesfolks and I finally rushed the stage. At one point I honestly thought we might get arrested, but figured it was well worth it. I look at it as doing a public service by standing up and singing. :-)

I must say, though ... Friday night reminded me why I hate casino shows - whether its Bon Jovi or Southside Johnny or anyone - because there is always some type of time constraint. Even though the performer usually pushes it as far as they can, it often feels like they (and the audience) are somehow short-changed. Nonetheless, the guys put on a great show as usual.

Speaking of performers who push things (in a good way), my weekend closed with the final performance of Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong's guest appearance in the role of St. Jimmy in the Broadway production of American Idiot. I had seen the show on opening night (review here) and was happy to be able to catch it on another special night -- especially as my friend got us house seats which were row H dead center. Woohoo! The show was definitely energized by Billie Joe and the crowd went wild. A cool moment during the bows when he had written a special intro about his stint on Broadway. Someone upstairs was able to capture it on video:



What the video didn't capture was when he gave his brand new Gibson guitar to a fan in the audience after she gave him a bouquet of flowers! That was something!

Not much to report on the JoviFront right now (plenty of Google alerts about Hall of Fame noms, interviews in South America, Heather changing her name, etc., that you can all read ... or not) ...

OH! except there IS the upcoming movie theater showings of the Giants concert(s) in May. Now, THAT should be a blast ... if you're coming in to NYC to see it at the 42nd Street AMC let me know and we can meet up. I'm excited because by that point I will be in my new place -- only about two blocks from there -- nearly smack dab in Times Square. :-)

So, until we "meet" again ...

p.s. SSJ photo credit: Kevin Mingora, The Morning Call

The Last 24 Hours

disclaimer: this post is a bit long, but it was a busy 24 hours

Greetings friends ... hope this finds you all well and enjoying these last vestiges of Summer (at least here in NYC.) I, personally, am NOT a fan of the season and I'm looking forward to the cool, crisp days of Fall.

I basically had the week from Hades ... family drama, work drama, apartment drama ... too much frickin' drama! I was seriously ready to move to "a place where I can't be found" (points for whoever gets that reference LOL.)

Luckily, at the end of the week comes the week-end. Brilliant, huh?! *rolls eyes* And though I was missing Jon Bon Jovi and the boys in Mexico, I was getting Southside Johnny and his boys in Jersey. That certainly had to brighten my spirits right?

So off I went to Ridgefield, NJ last night to catch the Jukes. Hadn't planned on attending, but my friend B from Seattle was in town, so off I went. After a rather eventful short train ride we headed over to the show eventually finding parking way out in the hinterlands (possibly west of the Mississippi.) This was the first event in this new park and I have a feeling they may have underestimated what kind of turnout they would have. Walking ... and walking ... and walking to the venue was strangely reminiscent of the BJ Soldier Field shows. But, eventually we made it ...

And thank goodness we did because it was QUITE a night.

First off, there was a choreographed gang of spiders on the stage -- they seemed quite frightened of Johnny and headed towards Kazee, but then possibly caught sight of Jeff's hat and all ran the other way. It was totally like that scene out of the Harry Potter movie ... but with a rock-n-roll soundtrack.

Secondly, it was a fantastic set list which included just about all my favorite songs, great horn playing and the occasional interspersed random song quote from Kazee (always a highlight.)

Thirdly, SSJ was in rare form ... though in actuality, its not that rare ... its just HIM. At one point, he took out all the money out of his pocket and ended up handing it all to me when the guys in the band started circling him. So, there I was with this cold hard cash (okay ... more like hot sweaty mushy cash) in my hands. I'm thinking a new iPhone, Jovi tickets, a taxi back to the car after the show! ... but, no, I was nice and gave it back to him. Next time though ... LOL

I didn't take many pictures due to the lighting. Every few minutes we would get blinded by these bright yellow lights, prompting my friend Linda to say that we probably looked like french fries in the front row. Haha. But, look at this blurry one. What is it with him giving me his version of the stink eye? ... see what I mean about the hat? (truth be told, the hat was absolutely FABULOUS)



And so that was last night.

Who knew it would get even better today?!

A couple of months ago I was chatting online with my crazy German girls when one of them mentioned Rick Springfield. Now, I was a devoted fan of his music in the early 80s and drooled over him as Dr. Noah Drake, but Rick fell by the wayside when a few years later, a sandy-brown haired, blue-eyed singer came on the scene.

But, when B mentioned Rick Springfield, I thought I'd check out what he was up to and found he was doing a concert at the Best Buy (better known as the Nokia) Theater and bought a ticket for the soundcheck package.

What a fantastic experience! From the minute you arrive, through entry to the venue, getting to meet the band, talking with Rick, taking pictures and getting autographs.

The whole thing was relaxed and fun and had a feeling of being part of a family. Rick spent quite a lot of time just hanging out and talking. It was a small group of us -- seems they keep it to approximately 25-30 people which makes it not only manageable for the staff, but an intimate, accessible event for those attending. Rick was incredibly sincere and funny and generous with his time. What a wonderfully nice guy!

I have the distinct feeling I will be attending many more Rick shows in the coming years. :-)



So, after the meet-and-greet I was heading over to have some dinner before the show ... and look who I run into!? The beautiful and talented Montego Glover from MEMPHIS (which I saw for the 15th time last Sunday!) Since I was by myself, I did the "hold camera out and pray" technique. This was the result. LOL



After a bite to eat, I ended up meeting up with two of my fellow Jovigirls Chris and Sandy ... who ironically decided at the last minute to buy tickets to the Rick Springfield show. And only a couple of blocks from there Southside was playing at BB King's so off I went ...



Like Jon Bon Jovi said about Southside at Blossom, "I love that man." Me, too. There truly is nothing like a Jukes show and nobody like Johnny, so I take every opportunity to see them. The energy at BB's is always amazing and I think it brings out not only the best, but the craziest out of everyone. But, a little chaos is good for the soul. *wink*




It was slightly odd to walk in and not see Kazee at the keys though -- he was playing a charity gig in Baltimore. But, his sub Bobby Lynch was really terrific ... oh, and what is it with Jukes keyboard players and hats?! LOL



... and they might not be the original Chuck Taylors, but he got the shoes, too ...



... ahhh, them Jukes horns



with my favorite cheerful lad from England Neal Pawley (you should check out his fun stuff at 11 Acorn Lane)



... and the very sweet Billy Walton who gave me his pick and the set list :-)



I've gotta say, seeing two SSJ shows in two days is always a good thing. And it certainly turned my whole week around ... but isn't that what music is supposed to do? Inspire, console, excite, energize, soothe, transcend.



Okay folks, that's all for now. I'm exhausted! Until next time ...

Now, THAT'S a Party

...just a little something in honor of Bruce's birthday.

Here's a clip from hands-down the best show I ever saw. It was an emotional night. It was an uplifting night. It just simply rocked.

I fell in love with Southside Johnny, Jon Bon Jovi, Little Steven and Bruce all over again that night and the love-affair hasn't ended yet. (and doesn't SSJ look dashing in that suit?! So cool.)

The Divine "Miss L"

Yes, my friends ... our favorite multi-talented songstress/instrumentalist has just announced a few tour dates for this Fall.

The incomparable Lorenza Ponce (talent, brains and beauty ... its lucky she's so damn nice or we might have to hate her! LOL) will be presenting the following shows:

October 26th - The Living Room (NYC) ... her last show there rocked the house! You can read my review by clicking HERE.

November 5th - Bearsville Theater (Woodstock, NY)

November 6th - Stanhope House (Stanhope, NJ)

You can definitely count me in for the NYC show ... and maybe the Stanhope one, too. Sorry, Lorenza, I'm in Niagara Falls for the Jukes on the 5th ... just think ... I get TWO endless (or would that be incessant?) world wonders in the same night - Southside Johnny AND the Falls. Haha.

Anyhoo, if you haven't purchased Lorenza's Soul Shifter, go to her site NOW and do so.

...and to get you in the mood...here's a little clip recorded by my dear friend Rike (or @RikeBJ on twitter) and even though its not one of Lorenza's original songs (like my personal favorite "Testify") I absolutely LOVE her performance of this George Harrison masterpiece ...



...okay...well since I mentioned "Testify", I might as well include that too :-)



See?! It's a great song, isn't it?

P.S. You can follow her at @LorenzaPonce on Twitter. And be sure to visit her Facebook page as well.

Happy Tuesday!

Just had to share what my friend sent me as a surprise ... I'm jumping up and down and screaming VINYL!! *co-workers are looking at me like I'm crazy - but that's nothing new LOL*





Cough...cough...I think I feel a cold coming on. Maybe I'll just have to go home early...

No Words Needed.

*thank you to B for finding and posting this*

Another Clip...

Here's another video from JBJ's "appearance" at the Stephen Talkhouse. I love how Jon gets a bit flustered when he messes up the words. S'alright Jonny, Southside messes them up all the time! Even wrote that into a song ... LOL



p.s. ... and like they say "boys will be boys" ... last time they were at the Talkhouse, the two of them were pushing eachother around the stage then too. Haha.