Words by: Andrew DaRosa Photos By: Geoff Tischman

Being Bruce Springsteen’s 68th birthday this past Saturday, the excitement was palpable at The Cap when his right-hand man, and guitar-slinging compatriot, Little Steven, took the stage for an evening with his Disciples of Soul, ready to convert the audience in the stroke of a chord. As the lights dimmed in the theater, the sea of “Spring-nuts” were greeted with the blaring of police sirens and bright lights, reminiscent of late nights in the urban jungle of New Jersey, where Steven Van Zandt got his start with The Asbury Jukes. Though, when the curtains opened, fans were welcomed by the melodic synchronization of the Disciples of Soul, complete with an array of backup singers, percussions, and a full-blown horn section.

After a minute of showcasing their instrumental proficiency in a tight introductory jam, Little Steven came out to grace the audience with his signature bandana and black Fender Stratocaster adorning him. In a moment’s notice, Little Steven took no time to delve into the self-titled track from his latest record, Soulfire, bringing elated fans directly into his no-frills world of rock n’ roll. The Springsteen-esque tune was the first of many from Soulfire to be thrown into the set during the evening, which stressed a return to his roots as well as the roots modern music, exclaimed Little Steven when interacting with the crowd.

Throughout the set, Little Steven dropped gems for the patient audience such as The Asbury Jukes’ 1991 rarity, “Coming Back” and the recently-unearthed “Princess of Little Italy.” The career-spanning set satisfied on all levels with Little Steven delivering something for everyone, whether you found yourself to be more of a reggae rager (“I Am A Patriot”) or a blues brother (“Blues Is My Business”).

Additionally, the night was not without its fair share of comedy and artist camaraderie. Prior to his historical introduction to the doo-wop crooner “The City Weeps Tonight,” Little Steven jokingly directed the light director on how to work the spotlight while towards the beginning of his set, he sarcastically explained that this was his first non-political records because he felt there was absolutely nothing political to say in this era of American history.

2 hours and 20 songs into his set, Little Steven took his bow with The Disciple of Soul before dipping into his encore, in which he welcomed The Cap's owner Peter Shapiro onstage to thank him for his ongoing support before he delved into symbolic renditions of “I Don’t Want to Go Home” and “Out of the Darkness.”

With his performance coming to the close, fans were assured that there would be no appearance of The Boss that evening but nonetheless, the enthusiasm and welcoming aura emitted by the audience towards Little Steven was evident of the good vibes felt throughout the evening. It would be safe to assume that Saturday night at The Cap felt like Sunday morning at church, with Little Steven presiding over his audience and converting anyone that was in his radius.

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