BPD member BJ4ever checks in with this report:
"I'm looking for love tonight? Are you with me?" Jon Bon Jovi asked me before the show backstage.BJ4ever, sounds like you had yourself one helluva good time.
As one of what I guess were thousands of screaming, excited females in the arena, you just gotta know that my answer was a resounding Yes. JBJ then gave me a big hug and set off to begin his 2 1/2 hour set.
The first words from his lips out front were "Bon Jovi is like Viagra for women, you know," while getting a "kiss-cam" trained on couples in the audience who were then triggered into locking lips.
"I want to see some smooching going on!" he demanded.For all you lovers, and soon-to-be-lovers, and somebody-who-meets-somebody at a Bon Jovi concert and becomes lovers.
I'd seen their show last July, but the major difference this time was a much more intimate show - if you can call a large, in-the-round stage, a circular catwalk, and an impressive LED screen and several mini screens as a backdrop intimate - with the energetic frontman able to easily move around and work the room.
Back in July, the singer had just torn his calf muscle and was a trooper but a stationary one.
On Monday night, about 150 audience members were also lucky enough to be in a semi-circle of seating that was actually part of the stage while the band - rounded out by guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald and a touring guitarist - played just a few feet in front of them.
"Now brothers and sisters, you ask why I come back here time and time again," said Bon Jovi, on one of his jaunts to the back of the stage. "Well the truth is I like to hear you scream!"
Oh, the screaming came alright for such hits from the band's 27-year back catalogue as You Give Love A Bad Name, Born To Be My Baby, Lost Highway, It's My Life, Runaway, Who Says You Can't Go Home, Keep The Faith (with Bon Jovi on maracas), Wanted Dead Or Alive, Just Older and, the grandaddy of them all, Livin' On A Prayer.
Sambora got some mic time too, taking over on lead vocals on Lay Your Hands On Me, but it was the frontman with the million dollar smile who clearly had the arena in the palm of his hand.
Covers included Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman - with Bon Jovi at his most flirty - Robert Palmer's Bad Case of Loving You, which became part of the band's own Bad Medicine, and the jazz standard, My Funny Valentine, which featured Bon Jovi at the front of the catwalk crooning away in a red T-shirt while getting red roses thrown at him for that song and the follow-up ballads, the band's own Bed Of Roses, Superman Tonight and I'll Be There For You.
This was a dream come true. All I can say is WOW! Like a fine wine, they just keep getting better.
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