Review: New Year's Eve with Southside Johnny

Southside Johnny Lyon at the Count Basie Theatre in 2007. (Credit: File photo)

2008 was a pretty big year for Ocean Grove's Southside Johnny Lyon, and he was sure to see it out in classic style with a killer set Wednesday (Dec. 31) at Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre.

In July, the singer and Asbury Jukes leader commemorated the 30^th anniversary of the release of his album "Hearts of Stone" with a track-by-track performance at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Then in September, he released "Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits," an album which featured his takes on classic Waits songs with the aide of Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg's 18-piece big band. And, this past December, the singer celebrated his 60^th birthday.

Fittingly, Lyon closed out the year by rocking with the Jukes until well after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve for his and the Jukes' 10^th annual end of the year bash.

From the first sight of party hats and noisemakers being handed out in the lobby, concert-goers knew to expect a celebration, and Lyon and the band did not disappoint. The audience was on its feet for most of the hits-filled set, and the crowd didn't seem to mind whether the tunes were Lyon's (such as "I Remember Last Night") or somebody else's ("Happy" by the Rolling Stones and "Walk Away Renee" by the Left Banke were favorites.)

While Lyon didn't treat the fans to another track-for-track recreation of "Hearts of Stone" on New Year's Eve, the album still served as the focal point of the evening, with six of the album's nine classic songs -- including the title track and "I Played the Fool" -- being featured throughout the night.

It was also on those tracks that Asbury Jukes guitarist Bobby Bandiera showed himself to be something of a musical successor to Steven Van Zandt, a founding member of the Jukes as well as a guitarist for the E-Street Band and the producer of "Hearts of Stone." Bandiera's vocal interplay with Lyon, as well as his impressive and understated guitar work, showed why he has become such a fixture on the Jersey Shore scene.

For his part, Lyon showed he still has the ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy on tunes such as the Sam Cooke classic "Having a Party" and also convey tender, quiet moments, including the Alejandro Escovdeo cover "Tired Skin."

While Lyon and the Jukes took the crowd at the Count Basie Theatre on a rocking ride out of 2008 and into 2009 with their epic 27-song set, they also received a valuable assist from opening act Outside the Box.

While the Jersey Shore-based blues-rock band lead by singer/guitarist Jeff Cafone looked younger than most of the members of the audience, they seemed surprisingly at home on the high-profile stage. They're set to open for Johnny Winter at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on Saturday (Jan. 3), and it looks like 2009 could be a big year for this talented young band.

Here's Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' set list from New Year's Eve:

1. "Let the Good Times Roll"
2. "I'm So Anxious"
3. "Love on the Wrong Side of Town"
4. "Walk Away, Renee"
5. "Happy"
6. "Into the Harbour"
7. "Gin-Soaked Boy"
8. "Why is Love Such a Sacrifice"
9. "I Played the Fool"
10. "This Time Baby's Gone for Good"
11. "Light Don't Shine"
12. "Shake ‘em Down"/"Don't Be Cruel"
13. "Nothing but a Heartache"
14. "I Remember Last Night"
15. "When You Dance"
16. "It Ain't the Meat, it's the Motion"
17. "Let's Get it On"
18. "Talk to Me"
19. "On the Beach"
20. "Auld Lang Syne"
21. "Having a Party"
22. "I've Been Working Too Hard"/"Twisting the Night Away"

Encore:

23. "Touch Me"
24. "Passion Street"

Second Encore:

25. "Tired Skin"
26. "Hearts of Stone"
27. "Got to Be a Better Way Home"