10 Reasons Why Little Steven is The Man of Many Bandanas

Sep 11  / Monday

Sure, you may know him as the guitar-slinging, right-hand man to The Boss, but did you know that outside of his role in the E-Street Band, Little Steven is a man of many hats, or rather, bandanas? Whether he is advising the great Tony Soprano on The Sopranos or raising awareness regarding US military interference in Central America, Little Steven has given so much of himself to the world that sometimes, it’s hard not to slap the label of “the most interesting man in the world,” on him. With latest album, Soulfire out this year, we cannot wait to have Little Steven and The Disciples join us here at The Cap on Saturday, September 23. Tickets are available here!

1. He is one of the core musicians of The E-Street Band

You cannot deny the sheer star power that is The Boss. Though if you peel back the layers of sound, you’ll encounter one rockin' guitarist in Little Steven, who joined the E-Street Band in 1975 and has went on to record 19 different albums with Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUyOZS-PyTA

2. Little Steven + Bruce Springsteen = BFFS

It's a match made in rock 'n' roll heaven! No matter if they’re playing on the same stage together or just dropping in on each other’s sets, The Boss and Little Steven have proven to be the best of friends both on and off stage. With The Boss’ latest track record of spontaneous appearances, we wouldn't be surprised if he showed up for a special sit-in with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul at The Cap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue34b9zO2mk

3. His solo career is just as prolific

With eight albums under his belt, Little Steven has pushed out a steady stream of material that has earned him spots on the charts in the U.S. His latest record, Soulfire, which released in May, is a race through the roots of blues and ushers an aura of 1970s Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYr0LLnaUMc

4. Oh, by the way, he co-founded the original Asbury Jukes

Legend has it that in the early 1970s, Southside Johnny and Steven Van Zandt got together and formed a musical group that would become the renowned Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes. While his tenure with the band was short-lived, his impact on their music is immeasurable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaAiheuk5EI

5. He has worked with more musicians than you can count

From producing an album for Meatloaf to helping kick off Ronnie Spector's solo career, Little Steven has been able to bridge genres and form some of the most interesting and spectacular recordings with some of the most storied musicians. Be sure to check out the many records that Little Steven has guested on, including Jimmy Barnes’ For The Working Class Man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PagtsHHbs

6. When he is not playing music, he is acting

Taking on the role of Consigliere to Tony Soprano in The Sopranos is a massive challenge, but Little Steven took on the role of Silvio Dante without any professional acting experience. In turn, fans were eager every week to turn on HBO and see who their favorite Jersey boy would whack from the show. Little Steven has even shown up in Tussles in Brussels, Hotel Caesar, and Lilyhammer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNgBf6VQbaY

7. His philanthropy flat out rocks

As an activist, Little Steven has interwoven the importance of music into social justice, and thus has contributed to numerous causes ranging from serving as a board member for Little Kids Rock to raising awareness of sociopolitical issues in Central America. Did you know that in 1985, Little Steven recorded the Sun City project with numerous musicians, including Bob Dylan and Miles Davis, in order to raise awareness of apartheid in South Africa?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY3w9gLjEV4

8. He has dipped into broadcast media

Surely a musician of Little Steven’s stature would produce music but in 2002, Little Steven took on broadcast media and started Little Steven’s Underground Garage, which hit over 200 different radio shows across America. This led Little Steven to serve as a music director for ESPN’s Monday Night Football as well as help start a new program, Outlaw Country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITHtWlyUjLo

9. He has even founded his own record label

In 2006, Little Steven took records (literally) into his own hands and started up his own, fully-functioning label, Wicked Cool Records. Outside of releasing material from his Underground Garage station, Little Steven was able to also put out seasonal and holiday records as well as sign new musicians, including The Cocktail Slippers and The Launderettes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9liz3U9rzM

10. Though most importantly, Little Steven is an all-around nice guy

Tales of his kind heart are known to be plenty throughout his legion of fans and as a family man, Little Steven sets a precedent for what it means to be a “good guy” in the rough lifestyle of rock n’ roll.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_pMFRp9n50
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