Steven Van Zandt takes a Springsteen tour breather to talk 'Elvis,' pasta and rock's future

Steven Van Zandt has the mischievous glint of a satyr.

Talk to him and depending on the question, you'll see a wide range of grins and grimaces and hear a selection of giggles and guffaws that suggest this is a man fully in touch with his Dionysian side.

Van Zandt, 72, better known as Little Steven, the guitar-slinging consigliere to Bruce Springsteen's commanding capo in the fabled E Street Band, is celebrating his SiriusXM radio program "Little Steven's Underground Garage" rolling into its 21st year after more than 1,000 shows.

For Van Zandt, who became a household name playing Silvio Dante in "The Sopranos," the radio show is no mere diversion but rather his pulpit, a way for him to preach the gospel of rock 'n' roll to a new generation of music lovers who may not be aware of the historical roots planted in the '50s and '60s.

But he's also got a keen eye on the future, having touted early on the music of bands such as The White Stripes and Arcade Fire.

"It's hard to believe we're still doing this, because no one wanted it at first," says Van Zandt, colorful winter cap on his head as he recovers from yet another raucous stop on the E Street band's epic global tour.

"People told me, you can't play Howlin' Wolf into The Clash into The Chiffons into a new band – that diversity was unprecedented," he says. "But I was doing it for selfish purposes. I wanted to hear music that influenced, and then was influenced by, the British Invasion."

As if on cue, his cellphone rings. The ring tone: "Hello, Goodbye," a 1967 hit for the Beatles.

Question: You sound like some sort of rock 'n' roll professor?

Answer: (laughs) Yeah, well, I barely got out of high school, so I don't know about that. I just happened to be there. I missed the pioneers of the '50s, but starting in the mid-'60s, I was a witness to it all.

Elvis Presley was such a seminal influence. Did you like the movie "Elvis"?

I liked it, though I would have liked to have seen more about (Jerry) Leiber and (Mike) Stoller's impact (the famed writing duo penned songs such as "Jailhouse Rock"). I recognize Elvis' importance, but I'm really a band guy.

Which bands made you want to join one?

The Beatles introduced us to this new world, and the Rolling Stones invited us in. The Beatles were an epiphany, the first time any of us saw a real band that sang and played their own stuff. But they were really sophisticated. However, then the Stones come along and they wear what they want to wear, their hair isn't perfect, they don't harmonize. And Mick Jagger doesn't smile, which was important to me. It wasn't about show biz, it was a lifestyle.

Do you remember the first song you ever sang live?

It was the summer of 1965, and it was "Like A Rolling Stone." I was on stage trying to be a part of this new world.

And here you are still going strong on stage in 2023. What's your favorite Bruce Springsteen song to perform?

(laughs) A lot of my favorites we don't play. "Restless Nights," "Loose Ends," "The Little Things (My Baby Does)," "Gotta Get That Feeling." Bruce was just writing like a maniac in the late '70s and '80s, and most of it is out now, thankfully, but at the time they were all outtakes. But I love the show we're doing. The guy has not written a song that I don't enjoy.

The shows on this tour seem to be strategically assembled.

This tour is really interesting, and different from what we've done for the past 40 years. There's more of a coherent theme, as there was with the last album, "Letter To You." Rather than a different set every night and requests from the audience, this is more like a Broadway show. It's like the shows I do with the Disciples of Soul (Van Zandt's band, which will perform April 18 in Red Bank, New Jersey). Every song has a purpose. Same with (the E Street Band) tour. It combines a theme of mortality with a proof of vitality. This show is a hurricane from beginning to end.

Those epic Springsteen shows require refueling. Your family roots are Calabrian, so what's your favorite pasta dish?

(laughs) Well, there's nothing wrong with a little penne arrabiata, that's always a go-to. Or the cacio e pepe dish, which is not a red sauce. But it all works for me, I grew up with it. Although I spent a lot of time (on tour) in Italy in the '80s, and what a revelation that was. Here I was growing up eating Italian food my whole life in America, and then you learn what Italian food really tastes like. It was a mind blower.

Let's wrap up on a rock note. You're keeping old school rock alive. But is rock dead?

It'll be here until they invent new instruments. Sure, maybe in the '90s you could say rock was dead, after Kurt Cobain died. We went back to a pop era. Officially rock is dead in terms of the business and record sales. However, it's still the biggest thing live.

We may not sell big record numbers, but many of us are still making records of a high quality, from Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan. And I hear the new Rolling Stones record is quite good. Maybe rock 'n' roll belongs as an underground cult, and the 30 years of it being commercial was a fluke. But it's a pretty big cult.

More Bruce Springsteen news:

• Review as the Boss hits the road: Bruce Springsteen delivers the most thrilling live concert moment ever

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• The Boss among DC honorees: Joe Biden honors Bruce Springsteen, Mindy Kaling, Gladys Knight with delayed National Medal of Arts

• Want more Boss concert dates?: Bruce Springsteen just added 22 shows to his tour. Here's how to snag tickets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Van Zandt takes a Springsteen tour break to talk rock, radio, pasta