In The Field: On The Darkside with John Cafferty
John Cafferty on stage at The Stone Pony
Ain’t nothing’s gonna save ya from a love that’s blind
Slip through the dark side and cross that line
~ On The Darkside, John Cafferty
There are some bands that just have that….ah…Jersey Shore sound.
A sound that just belongs in a little seaside bar in Asbury Park.
It’s a sound that trades on guitar riffs, a steady drum rhythm, and saxophones.
Definitely saxophones.
John Cafferty And the Beaver Band fit this bill perfectly. Even though they hail from Narragansett, Rhode Island, they fit the Jersey Shore sound perfectly. And their sound was on full display when they recently played to a packed little seaside bar…this one being the legendary Stone Pony.
JC&BBB started their career in the 1970s – just like a few other local guys we all know and love – and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the “Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack“.
On this night, On The Darkside, one of their biggest hits from that era with one of the most well-known hooks was, played, surprisingly, early in their Stone Pony set (second song).
But the phones of their loyal fans were up early and on “Record” as they blasted through that song tells the rock ‘n roll story of unprofessed love.
“Settle in,” said John, still sporting the same shaggy hair as in that video link above, told the crowd after one of the songs, “We’re going to play awhile.”
And play awhile they did. They’d hammer the stage for two straight hours of East Coast Rock ‘n Roll. It may have been chilly up on the AP boardwalk, but John and the band heated up The Stone Pony.
On stage this evening, on sax, was Michael “Tunes” Antunes, who appeared as the saxophonist in the original Eddie & The Cruisers film.
Tunes doing his thing on stage
Blasting through Hearts On Fire, Cafferty’s solo track featured on the Rocky IV soundtrack, heated it up even more. Did you know that Cafferty has songs in 35 movies? Pretty incredible for a bar band that’s been touring the Northeast Corridor for more than forty years.
By the end of the set, the band had put in a great night’s work. And the fans saw one of the classic East Coast rock ‘n roll bands of our time.
PS: This post was also appears on the Asbury Park Vibes website, of which I hope to contribute more.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2021
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I’m not familiar with the band but your photos have captured a real energy, looks like a great night.
Interesting. Had you you ever seen Eddie & The Cruisers, Paul? I guess I’ve always known about them from the ’80s. Basically another band/musician that I listened to in my teen years, to go along with Annie Lennox, Janet Jackson, Bruce – that I never in my wildest dreams would think I’d one day photograph. heh.
No, I’d not seen them previously but I’ll be sure to check out their back catalogue. Your photos generally are inspiring me to get out my camera again, something I keep promising myself to do but don’t. That will change.
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