New Jersey Hall of Fame Inductee Southside Johnny Headed to CT

He's known as the Godfather of the New Jersey sound and now he's headed our way.

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Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are coming to the Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, May 6th. The show begins at 8 pm and tickets range from $50-80. This will be the 13th time Johnny and the Jukes have performed at the Playhouse.

I love Southside Johnny but not just as a fan of his music, I'm a fan of the man. Over the years, I've had a handful of encounters with Johnny that have led me to a deeper understanding of him. I believe he's a curmudgeon and so am I so I get him.

Years ago, I was backstage at the Milford Oyster Festival in Johnny's VIP tent when there was an incident. I was there to support my ex-wife who was the opening act for Johnny's show. I had hours to kill and access to Johnny's tent so I set up camp in a folding chair.

After my ex got off stage, a catering company brought in a ton of food including a massive bowl of shrimp. I consumed almost all of the shrimp and eventually Johnny came looking for it. He expressed serious frustration with me that day and it became a running joke for years. Each time Johnny would make a guest appearance on my show (The I-95 Morning Show), I'd drudge up our fishy past.

We also got into some spirited debates over the years about my outlook on things, including Halls of Fame. This was the moment when Johnny realized all I really care about is entertaining myself.

Johnny came up again in a recent discussion about New Jersey on our show.

If Johnny were to read this or listen to the segments, I would not expect him to return the admiration but I'll always like him, for being him.

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P.S. Attention Jared from the Ridgefield Playhouse, it would have been nice for you to reach out and offer Johnny as a guest. What are we doing sir?