What the #%$! is 'the Jersey Shore sound'?

Southside Johnny Lyon

"I don't know if there is one Jersey sound, but a defining characteristic is sincerity. The Jersey Shore was a tough place to make it way back then, and the only way you could get anywhere is by moving the audience with some heartfelt music.

"Oh, sure, you could play in a Top 40 band and do all the current hits and make a lot of money playing to the dancers, but to build up a following that cared about what you were doing and where you were going, you had to play hard and be honest. It's still that way around here. Not too much glitz and no phoney showbiz, just hard and true. Not a bad heritage for all the young whippersnappers."