Outlaws, part of Southern rock legacy in New Jersey, play Count Basie on Thursday

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It's official, Outlaws fans love the band's Nov. 10, 1978, performance of the classic “Green Grass and High Tides,” filmed at the long-closed Capitol Theatre in Passaic.

A video of the Southern rock band's rendition of the classic, in 20-plus minutes of glory, has nearly 1 million views on YouTube.

“If someone tells you they don't like Southern Rock, play for them this song,” commented a fan. “It transcends all genres. I get goosebumps EVERY TIME.”

Outlaws frontman Henry Paul had departed the band by 1978, but he fondly remembers the Capitol Theatre shows.

The Outlaws play the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on Thursday, June 9.
The Outlaws play the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on Thursday, June 9.

“I left the band in 1977, but played the Capitol Theatre many times with the Outlaws and the Henry Paul Band,” Paul said via email. “The Capitol ... was a very family run venue starting with John Scher right on down to the catering and security. It was a joy to play and feel like you were a part of a close-knit organization (that) always treated you with respect and affection.”

The Capitol brought the giants of music to New Jersey in the 1970s and '80s, including the Who, Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead. The spot was a hotbed for Southern rock. A 1977 Marshall Tucker Band concert there was released in 2007 as “Carolina Dreams Tour '77.”

Paul was an early member of the Outlaws who fronted the band when “Green Grass and High Tides” and “There Goes Another Love Song” were released on the band's  breakthrough 1975 album, “Outlaws.”

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Paul returned to the fold about 15 years ago, and he'll lead the charge Thursday, June 9, as the Outlaws play the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

The show will be “a high energy, musically true impression of Outlaws classics and contemporary favorites off the recent albums 'It's About Pride' and 'Dixie Highway,' “ Paul said.

The Artimus Pyle Band, performing Lynyrd Skynyrd classics, open. Tickets starting at $28, are available. Visit thebasie.org for more information.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Outlaws, part of Southern rock legacy play Count Basie in Red Bank NJ