Mid-Day Motivator: Absolutely

Oh Johanne -- what a delicious picture.  Happy New Year everyone!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Keys Rule

Thanks Bay!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Frak

No, not really "frak".  Naughty Language Alert

T, we know YOUR answer to that...

~ Hath

Wanted Wednesday: Track by Track

Please rise, for the singing of our national anthem...

Today is a set of tracks for your enjoyment.

5 tracks to be precise. They can be downloaded here.

Track 1: Drums
Track 2: Bassline
Track 3: Guitar (Richie)
Track 4: Keys/backing vocals/backing guitar
Track 5: Lead Vocals

Yep, someone pulled apart each of the tracks for us to enjoy. There isn't much that can be said for this other than holy CRAP on the vocals. I know I've posted the vocal track before, but this is the first time I've come across all five tracks.

I have absolutely no musical abilities whatsoever.  Well, maybe I can play the spoons.  Maybe.  But I find this stuff really cool.

Let's Ride!

Track 1: Drums






Track 2: Bass






Track 3: Guitar (Richie)






Track 4: Keys and backing track







Track 5: Vocals (Jon)






~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Smile

You all love this photo!!

T, we ALL wanna know what he's up to :)

~ Hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ Willing to Try

I love this song. Wish there was a version of JUST Richie on vox, but this will have to do :)



~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Joker

Now Bay, I wouldn't go QUITE that far... (lol)

~ Hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ Get Back

Thanks, BlushnScarlett for dropping this by! The song is on my iPod, but I'd never seen the video :)

~ Hath

Last Call: New Post

The next chapter has been posted.  Click here to see what happens next!
~ Hath

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

*sigh* again...



~ Hath

Cantique de Noel

*sigh*

~ Hath

I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas

~ Hath

Please Come Home For Christmas

Hope you're enjoying your holiday!

~ Hath

Merry Christmas!

Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, I wish you a peaceful week and a happy, healthy 2011.

And, I have a couple gifties for (some of ) you.  If you don't have them already, here are a couple Christmastime shows from days past :)

Enjoy!

~ Hath

December 21, 1995 - Red Bank
01 - Rockin' All Over The World
02 - Something For The Pain
03 - Damned
04 - Blood On Blood
05 - Tumbling Dice
06 - (It's Hard) Letting You Go
07 - Lie To Me
08 - Someday Day I'll Be Saturday Night
09 - Crazy
10 - Bon Jovi - These Days
11 - Heaven Help Us All
12 - Wanted Dead Or Alive
13 - Walking The Dog
14 - Sleep When I'm Dead
15 - Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine + Gloria
16 - Always
17 - Livin' On A Prayer (Acoustic)
18 - House Of The Rising Sun
19 - You Give Love A Bad Name
20 - Keep The Faith
21 - This Time
22 - I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas
23 - Run Rudolph Run

December 12, 2005 - Albany
01. Last Man Standing
02. You Give Love A Bad Name
03. Complicated
04. The Radio Saved My Life Tonight
05. Story of My Life
06. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
07. Runaway
08. Bounce
09. Novocaine
10. I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty cover)
11. Have A Nice Day
12. Who Says You Can't Go Home
13. It's My Life
14. I'll Be There For You (acoustic)
15. Blaze Of Glory (acoustic)
16. Bed Of Roses (acoustic)
17. Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars
18. Bad Medicine
19. Raise Your Hands
20. Livin' On A Prayer
21. Welcome To Wherever You Are
22. Born To Be My Baby
23. Treat Her Right
24. Run Run, Rudolph
25. Blood On Blood
26. Wanted Dead Or Alive

Santa Claus/Rudolph

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town / Run, Run Rudolph (from 1997)



~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Definitely

Oh Renee, he's probably at the TOP of the list ;)

Happy Holidays everyone!

~ Hath

Blue Christmas

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Naughty

Tsk, tsk, tsk Catte.... And so close to Christmas, too...

~ Hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ 1985 Interview

Interview with Mick Wall. Jon and Richie talk about their tour, the '7800 degrees Fahrenheit' album and how they hated the video for then-current single 'Only Lonely'!

And note the ink-free Jonny arms :)

*sigh* I loved the puppy days...



~ Hath

On Vacation

Yep, it's that time again.  Time for the many Christmases our family celebrates.  We're packing up the car and heading out to the Hamptons for a week-long stay with the in-laws, followed by several days at home wtih Mr. Hath and the Hathlet. 

So, while I have a few things pre-loaded for posting -- Mid-Day motivators, a Fan Fic update, and a couple other random goodies -- for the most part, it'll be a

around here.  Never fear, I'll be back in 2011.  I also may find time to post some things, but don't count on it.

For those who celebrate, have a Merry Christmas.

For everyone else, Happy New Year!!

~ Hath

David Bryan: Character Approved

Robert Diamond is the founder and editor-in-chief of BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the net. He put together ten things he considers to be Character Approved from this year. Coming in at number 5? Our own David Bryan!

Green Day isn't the only rock act on Broadway this season. Bryan, Bon Jovi's keyboard player, brought his lifetime of experience touring the country and the world (and taking in lots of local music as well) by writing the music and lyrics by the 2010 Tony winning best musical Memphis. Along with lyricist Joe DiPietro, Bryan put his heart and soul into the show, and even missed touring appearances with Bon Jovi for the first time ever to work on it.

source

Thanks, Wills, for dropping this in my inbox :)

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Success

Too true, Queenie, too true...

~ hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ Let It Rain

One of my favorite collaborations ever.



~ Hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ Hallelujah

Jon couldn't have scripted the rainfall any better if he tried.
Truly a beautiful performance.



~ Hath

Resplendent Randomness ~ Great Balls of Fire

Goodness, gracious... what a fun little romp :)



~ Hath

Bon Jovi in Glastonbury?

Um, okay, so now you all know where to hang out when the boys hit London :)

Bon Jovi have revealed that they are "toying" with the idea of performing at Glastonbury next year.

The group, who were recently declared the highest grossing tour act of 2010, said they would consider performing at the three-day event if they were invited by organiser Michael Eavis.

"I've always toyed with the idea of playing there," Jovi told the Daily Star.

"If they don’t have another old-timer like me, I’d love to go out and see it and perhaps do a set, sure."

The 'Living On A Prayer' rockers, who are due to play London's Hard Rock Calling festival next year, also revealed that they were persuaded to play the event over a concert at Wembley Stadium because of the gig's location.

Jovi explained: "We could have sold out Wembley Stadium no problem but Hyde Park is right out the back door of the hotel I stay at in London.

"The traffic of getting to Wemb­ley from central London I’ve done enough times. I like to walk across the park - it’s that simple."

~ Hath

source

Wanted Wednesday: Sydney, December 18, 2010

Please rise, for the singing of our national anthem...

Yes, it's a recent one. Very recent. Ripped from jovigirlfm's YouTube posting. Thank you, JGFM for posting this. One of the most beautiful versions I've heard in a while.

The audience sings the first verse, then right around 1:58 Jon looks at Richie and says (what looks like) "you wanna go up?" and Richie takes the mic.

Let me say that again.

Richie takes the mic.

That hasn't happened in AGES! Of course, this show was one for the record books. The story from Backstage (shared with me by someone who'll remain anonymous unless she comes forward) is that a FAN'S setlist was passed to Jon during the Q&A. He spent some time with it, made some adjustments and boom! Well, read for yourself. As a note, I apologize in advance if this irks any Backstagers -- but this is a great story, and should be heard by the rest of the fandom, especially those of us -- myself front and center and loud and proud -- who bitch about the set lists.

Hi all. Let me tell you the story about the wish set list that got turned into tonights awesome set list.

Last week after the Etihad show, flutes, Helly, Helly's other half CJ and myself were drinking at Crown Casino. We were feeling a bit deflated after a vanilla show at Etihad following the amazing show we had the night before at Rod Laver. We were a little drunk (just a little) and decided to compile our dream, wish, but realistic set list. This process started on post it notes at about 1:30am Sunday morning and was completed later that afternoon - after more drinking. I decided to type it up nicely and try and make it look as close as possible to a real set list. I printed several copies and flutes bought some duct tape, so if we got the opportunity to present it to Jon during the Q&A, we could say "we have enough copies for the band and here is some duct tape for the stage as well".

And boy, did we get a chance to present it to Jon during the Q&A. I can't remember excactly what flutes said - I'm sure many videos will follow - but the gist was "You've been known to change the set list up, we'd like you to do that tonight, and here is our suggestions."

He came over and took the list from flutes and then spent a couple of minutes studying it and commenting on it. Side note: CJ renamed "No Apologies" to "No Wasabi Peas" for some reason, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the drinking at the time. ;-)

Back to the wish set list, Jon asked "Is this in order?" and we said "Yes". He said there are a couple of songs they don't do, but as he examined the list further you could see him thinking about it. He then asked for a pen to "work on it".

But that's not the end of it. Towards the end of the Q&A someone requested a song so he picked our wish list back up, pen in hand and started going through it. He asked the room for our pick of ballad - we selected "Living in Sin" - and you could see him making a lot of notes on it.

After the Q&A and before the concert, we had feedback that the real show set list had been changed considerably to cater for the wish set list songs....so you can imagine our excitement to hear how just how many and what ones.

In the end? 12 out of our songs were played, six of them were what we considered "special" requests.

Uh, wow. Jon, this was wonderful. Should be precedent-setting, actually. Just sayin'.

Well, enough yammerin.

Let's Ride!









You can download the mp3 here.

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Peek-a-Boo

*gasp* Catte!  lol

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Munchies

Mmm, Catte, I sure wouldn't mind taking a bite.  Thanks for this one :)

~ Hath

Last Call: New Post

The next chapter has been posted.  Click here to see if Richie decided to take Aimee up on her invitation :)

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Sydney (Night 3)

Bon Jovi was in Sydney last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

How I Spent My Saturday

I've created my own platoon.

Fabricated one out of mint and glue and plastic googley eyes and pompoms and chenille sticks and tacky craft glue.

An honest-to-goodness platoon

Of candy-cane reindeer.

Yep, fearsome candy-cane reindeer.

This involved a trip to the local mall, which was freaking INSANE just one week before Christmas.  Honestly, people, if you don't have your shopping done by now, I have five words for you: Internet Shopping, Next Day Delivery.

Just sayin'.

But, I digress.

I had to venture into the third circle of Hell -- we were out of eyes.

Can't have a platoon without eyes.

Hathlet thought we were making an army, but frankly 60,000 soldiers was JUST a bit outside my patience zone.

So we have two platoons, actually.  The first one is on desk duty, and will accompany me via train transport on Wednesday.  Once on location, the soldiers will split off into maneuver teams and fulfill their peacekeeping mission.  This is a covert affair, so no photographs of this platoon have been taken.

The second is on school duty, and will deploy this coming Thursday.  The platoon needed transport, so we built a man-mover (cane-carrier?) that will help the platoon take the school.  As this is a tactical maneuver, and not covert in any way, the platoon, under the leadership of First Lieutenant Brady Brown-nose, posed with their transport prior to being released on liberty.

Did I put way too much thought into this?

Yep.

Insomnia's a bitch.

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Sydney (Night 2)

Bon Jovi was in Sydney last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

New Chapter of Rings

Yep, we've got another one for ya. Click here to read what happens to our boys next...

Just a note for you ~ With the holidays next weekend, we may not have another chapter for you next Friday.  We might, but no promises :)

Enjoy!

~ Hath

New Chapter of Rings

Yep, we've got another one for ya. Click here to read what happens to our boys next...

Just a note for you ~ With the holidays next weekend, we may not have another chapter for you next Friday.  We might, but no promises :)

Enjoy!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Magic Fingers

Nice one, Willow.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Hath

Check Out This Band: HWY99

Cameron Melnyk (vocals) & Jesse Wainwright (guitar) from State Of Shock, team up with producer Jeff Dawson, mixer Mike Fraser and co-writer Jordan Thorsteinson to create "Let The Sunrise Say Goodbye."

The project name is HWY-99.

Jordan reached out to me and asked me to share this with my readers -- he thinks that the rock-n-roll sound, the smokin' riffs, the lyrics will appeal to the Bon Jovi fan, and I daresay, he's right.  I passed it around to a few friends who all loved it, and it's passed the driving test: it sounds AWESOME in the car. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can listen to it with the sunroof open :)



The song made its world premiere on the mighty CFOX in Vancouver, BC in September.

The inspiration for this song came from legendary bands like Bon Jovi, U2 and Van Halen. A song about living life to the fullest with someone you love.
LYRICS:

Written By: Jordan Thorsteinson, Jeff Dawson, Cameron Melnyk, Jesse Wainwright

The moon is rising, stars aligning
Step in from the outside
Fuse igniting, strangers shine
Will love and fate collide ?

Chorus:

All I ever needed, all I ever wanted was motion
We got 24 hours to keep this love alive
No hesitation, just raw acceleration
You are the fire in the sky ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

The passion flowing, lover's glowing
Fire from the inside
Intoxication, elevation
Hang on for the ride

Chorus Repeat:

Tonight's the night stand up if it feels alright
In the morning light you'll know it was worth the fight ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

Heat ignites, gadgets talk, fly away, stop the clock
Take my hand, don't let go, hold on tight, we're in control ...

All I ever needed, all I ever wanted was motion
We got 24 hours to keep this love alive
No hesitation, just raw acceleration
You are the fire in the sky ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

The song is billed as: a song that is pure, straight up Rock n' Roll. From the opening guitar riff, this track makes you want to get in your car and drive!

I have to agree.

If you love it, you can buy it from itunes, here.

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Sydney (Night 1)

Bon Jovi was in Sydney last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

Memphis Book Released

A new 160-page book chronicling the Broadway life of the rock musical Memphis — from the first performance to its big night as the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical — is now available.

Official Memphis blogger Carolyn D. Miller, an associate of the musical's producing team Junkyard Dog, has kept the blog since the hit musical arrived at the Shubert Theatre Sept. 23, 2009.

"Memphis Lives in Me: One Blogger's Journey to Broadway and Beyond" is a collection of blog entries detailing the onstage and backstage action of the musical's first year on Broadway.

"Memphis Lives in Me: One Blogger's Journey to Broadway and Beyond" is currently available for purchase by clicking here. A representative for the musical told Playbill.com Miller is hoping a publisher will take on the book for wider distribution.

Read the rest of the article at Playbill.com.

~ Hath

Casino Gig

JON Bon Jovi was the preacher at a rock and roll revival show last night relaunching Star City as one of Sydney's premiere entertainment venues.

With his spirit fingers punching the air, the frontman had the majority of the crowd on their feet for the band's entire 75 minute set - with the only exception being the older members of the celebrity-studded audience who needed to rest their legs.

It was a searing performance which rocked from the moment they took the stage and was greeted by the kind of screaming which would drown out a Justin Bieber crowd.

"This is not TV - get up out of your seats," Bon Jovi demanded, flashing that brilliant white smile.

You Give Love a Bad Name, It's my Life, Keep the Faith, Wanted Dead or Alive, Livin' on a Prayer and Bad Medicine prompted massive shout-a-longs from a crowd who knew every word.

Covers of Pretty Woman and Shout were extra bonuses in the hit-laden set.

Souths owner Russell Crowe pulled off a marketing coup, convincing the US superstar to wear a Rabbitohs jersey for the encore of his gig.

Crowe's Souths chief executive Shane Richardson confirmed that the super group's lead singer had joined the club as an ordinary member on Tuesday.

"Russell you got me to ear your team's jersey," Bon Jovi said, just after closing out the show with his version of Johnny O'Keefe's Shout.

The pressure is now on for a band who commands the world's biggest arenas, to bottle the energy they harnessed during last night's gig and translate that to their three night stand at the Sydney Football Stadium starting tomorrow evening.

source

Snippet of Prayer:



Pretty Woman:

Mid-Day Motivator: Heaven

Once again, I think so :) :) :)

~ Hath

Nice Thought, but it'll Never Happen

Vanity Fair asks, Is It Time To Stop Making Fun Of Bon Jovi?

Most fans would say of course!  And there are a few naysayers who would say the #FAIL of the RRHOF would provide more fodder for the make-funners.

But the article's author believes it's time to let the poodle-hair hair/boy band jokes go.

Shouldn’t we finally give the band themselves some credit for the Springsteen-level success they are now enjoying in middle age? With the recession making Tommys and Ginas of all of us, Jon and Richie feel somehow more necessary than they did back when they were still writing songs about Diane Lane.

[...]

The most appealing thing about this band, though, is the size of their heads. They are low-maintenance heroes, and I’m pretty convinced their stature is down to tenacity and not some elaborate marketing campaign to get people like me to write words like these. (I could be wrong, but you gotta believe, right?) I once interviewed them for Nylon magazine. It was one of those terrible situations where the Q & A and the photo shoot are done at the same time, which usually finds the writer waiting for hours while trousers and split ends are discussed by the stylists and the photographer. Not at a Bon Jovi shoot. They walked right in, Jon ran a hand through his hair, shook his head out, and said, “O.K., let’s go.” Later, he shrugged as he told me, “It’s just genetics.” I’d never seen anyone less affected, much less a major rock star.

It’s a little odd to proclaim affection (and respect) for Bon Jovi, since what I do for a living is completely irrelevant to them. I occasionally contribute to the music magazine Uncut and I read all of the expensive English music mags and papers (Q, Mojo, the N.M.E.), which essentially dictate what bands we are supposed to like (even the ones that come from America), and I cannot recall a single feature on Bon Jovi … ever. (Please correct me if I’m wrong here.) And yet, when they play over there, it’s cricket fields or Wembley Stadium. I know some of those in attendance must be rock writers in disguise. I once got a text from a very influential music journalist who was standing on the side of the stage during a Bon Jovi show out in Jersey. It was a gush; the kind of thing you can’t tweet if you want to keep your job.

But slowly, with every passing honor and record set, the secret is getting out.

Click here for the full article.

~ Hath

Presidential Appointment

The White House released a statement yesterday that has everyone just busting with pride over "our" Jon Bon Jovi:

President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs.

President Obama said, “These impressive men and women have dedicated their lives and careers to civic engagement and social innovation. I commend them for their outstanding contributions to their communities, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well in their new roles on the White House Council for Community Solutions. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

In addition to providing advice to the President on solving specific community needs, the White House Council for Community Solutions has been tasked with three key functions: enlisting leaders in the non-profit, private, and philanthropic sectors to make progress on key policy goals; providing strategic input and recommendations to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration; and honoring and highlighting those making a significant impact in their own communities. The Council will be composed of leaders from non-profits, corporations and foundations who are committed to social innovation and civic engagement.

The press release also offers this brief thumbnail of Jon:

Jon Bon Jovi, Appointee for Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
Jon Bon Jovi currently serves as Chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the lives of those in need. The Soul Foundation launches programs and partnerships with the intent to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in the United States. To date, Mr. Bon Jovi and the Soul Foundation have provided affordable housing to hundreds of low-income individuals and families. Mr. Bon Jovi is also the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning group Bon Jovi, which has sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts for more than 34 million fans.

This puts a finer point on what he's going to be doing when the band "takes a break to recharge" after this tour wraps up.

Congratulations, Jon!

~ Hath

David's Soundcheck BooBoo

This was on Triple-M, and has made its way to YouTube.  Now you curl girls, don't get all upset :)  Check out Jon's smirk as he does the berating :)



~ Hath

No Go for RRHOF

Of course, this is the big news that has Jovidom all a-twitter.  The "snub".

Yes, I put "snub" in quotes.  Why, may you ask?  Well, because it's not really a surprise.  Seriously, if you search your hearts, are you truly shocked that the band was left off the RRHOF inductee list?  Given all the talk about the critics never really feeling that Bon Jovi was anything more than an aging hair band (though we know differently), we can feel the acute disappointment that a trip to Ohio isn't in our imminent future, but can we really fill ourselves with righteous indignation?

Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.

This is the criteria that critics and naysayers hone in on.  They say, "What has Bon Jovi done to further rock-and-roll?  Finding Cinderella doesn't count."

Terry Stewart, the President of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, offers this by way of explanation of criteria for HOF induction:

Nomination and induction into the Hall of Fame is not about popularity, records sales, which label the group is on, or anything other than the process below. The love for, the evaluation of, and the impact of any artist are subjective questions to be answered by the nominators and the voters. Unlike baseball, football, basketball or hockey, statistics are not relevant.

They say this, but in the press release announcing the nominations, the numbers are prominently quoted, with the rest as [seemingly] an afterthought:

Beyond the numbers – over 120 million albums sold (more than 34 platinum titles cumulative in the U.S. alone), more than 2,600 concerts performed in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, including The Lost Highway World Tour, ranked as 2008’s #1 top-selling tour, and 2010’s 30-country, 135-show The Circle World Tour – there is also Bon Jovi’s enormous influence on innumerable young bands seeking to follow in their footsteps. Bon Jovi steadfastly follows their own instincts, ignoring obvious trends and providing a model for other bands and musicians just starting out on their careers."

This should have triggered the Chinese gong sound in the collective mind of Jovidom.  They did a lot, sold a lot, toured a lot.  Oh yeah, and they ignore trends and do their own thing and don't care if you don't like it.  The way Bon Jovi's accomplishments were phrased should have (in hindsight) been telling.

Mr. Stewart goes on to say:

The entire nomination and induction process is coordinated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in New York City. Individuals can be inducted in four categories: Performer, Early Influence, Non-Performer and Side-Men. The only formal criteria for the performance category is that an artist has to have had their first record 25 years ago. That said, candidates are reviewed and discussed relative to their impact on this music that we broadly call rock and roll. The innovation and influence of these artists is also critical. Gold records, number one hits, and million sellers are really not appropriate standards for evaluation.

You can interviews with inductees Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Darlene Love, and Dr. John here.

~ Hath

Additional Source: Future Rock Legends

Hey there, good morning!

So I missed a LOT of news yesterday, playing Mom and chaperoning a 4th grade class field trip.  I'm back today, though, and getting through  my emails and DMs (thanks everyone)!

I'll have everything up in due course; I just ask you be a bit patient until I get caught up!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Hangover

Crude language warning :)

Catte, d'ya suppose this is really running through his mind? Or probably not until next year? :)

~ Hath

Wanted Wednesday: Sessions @AOL

Please rise, for the singing of our national anthem...

I was in the mood for a little acoustic happy-happy today, and the AOL Sessions track fit the bill. Acoustic, "professionally recorded" so you can hear everything you're supposed to, and just the deliciousness of The Boys and waht they do best.

Short but sweet intro today.


Let's ride!





You can download the song here.

And thanks to Zwanatic, you can watch the video of this performance:



~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Duck Lips

Well, I think so anyway!

~ Hath

Traveling Guitar Foundation News

The Traveling Guitar Foundation, of which David Bryan is a board member, is co-producing "Come Together: A Tribute to John Lennon" with Bergen Community College students.  The tribute is one of a slew of memorials taking place this year (Lennon would have turned 70 this year). Area bands and BCC students will perform Lennon's repertoire, both solo and with The Beatles. The concert is designed to help fund the non-profit's operations next year.

WHAT: "Come Together: A Tribute to John Lennon."
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
WHERE: Anna Maria Ciccone Theater at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus; 201-447-7428 or tickets.bergen.edu.
HOW MUCH: $15, BCC students $10.

You can read the whole article here.

~ Hath

You Knew It Was Coming...

... but did you know it was today?  Neither did I.  But this site reminded me that it just ain't Christmas without Jon Bon Jovi and R2D2:

John Bongiovi, as he was known as back in 1980, was making some extra money sweeping floors at his cousin’s music studio. Tony Bongiovi was working with Meco Monardo on the Star Wars Christmas album and couldn’t get “R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas” to sound the way he wanted it to. Tony asked Meco to give his cousin a shot and the rest is history: Jon Bon Jovi’s first professional recording. Check it out:

Do you suppose his kids taunt him relentlessly with this?

If they don't, do you suppose Richie changes his ringtone to this song in December just to piss Jon off?

~ Hath

PS: If you find you just simply have to have a copy of Christmas in the Stars, you can scour eBay, or purchase it from a reseller on Amazon.

Oprah Taping

Getty ImagesThousands of people have descended on the Sydney ‘Oprah’ House for the much-hyped filming of the Opera Winfrey Show, RadarOnline.com is reporting.  According to Undercover News, Bon Jovi performed two songs ‘Living On A Prayer’ and ‘Its My Life’ before Jon joined the Big O to talk about his 25 years of touring.

Here is a video (snip, about 26 seconds) of Prayer.  You can see the gorgeous weather, the ecstatic crowd, and get a hint of what the sound was like.  Hopefully more videos will come out soon -- I saw lots of people with cameras in the clip :)



And there are a boatload of snaps up and around -- here's what I've found so far.  Anything else I may stumble upon, will be up in this photobucket folder, so check back!


~ Hath

BJCT Post: Brisbane

Bon Jovi was in Brisbane last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

Jon to Judge X-Factor?

Hello XM Satellite Radio...

Keith Roth announced on Hair Nation today that Jon will do a 1-week stint on UK's X-Factor as a judge.  No dates yet; he called it "breaking news."  

Hmmm...

Sounds surprising to me, especially in light of the comments he made on Larry King.  I guess this is why it's a RUMOR, right?

Anyone know anything more?

~ Hath

At The Longroom

A few snaps of the guys last Friday night, post show.  I think it was cool of Richie to stick around for autographs and photos after the guys had their down-time in the private rooms.

Loving Richie's jacket!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Cammo

Yeah, Catte, I don't think anyone cares that he isn't doing this right :)  Just what this cold Monday morning needs -- a little beach reminder!

~ Hath

Tico Torres Talks About the Band Going Indie

Tico Torres, the drummer for Bon Jovi, can see the writing on the wall for the group being a major label band. It's only a matter of time before they go Indie.

“We are still on a major label but we can see the writing on the wall,” Tico tells Undercover News.

Part of the problem, he says, is that the old model doesn’t work in the current world. “It was a conglomerate machine that was invented many years ago which in essence owned and manipulated bands but also gave bands a chance to get some upfront money that was again recoupable,” he says. “The companies always made a lot of money of it. It got to a point where the price of records were so dear for the buying public that as soon as the internet came in there was there was another avenue for people to listen to music”.

Tico advises acts today to think before signing. “So you have to think out of the box now, new bands especially. You can’t go that way,” he says. “You should maybe release your own thing and do it through the internet. It’s just a different way of thinking. You can’t follow the old rules. Thats a dead soldier. Its just hanging on by threads”.

source

Last Call: New Post

The next chapter has been posted.  Click here to see Richie's view of their first encounter.

~ Hath

Larry King Live

Thanks to all of you who emailed and DMd me about sharing the LKL episode.  You are all very sweet, and I very much appreciate it!!!

Catte uploaded the interview to my Mediafire.  It has 8 segments, separation points come where the commercials were.

Enjoy, and thanks again, everyone!  I am truly blessed.

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Melbourne (Night 2)

Bon Jovi was in Melbourne again last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

Story Update ~ Rings

I know; two weeks in a row!


See what we came up with next!

~ Hath

David to Play Kinder Benefit

Thanks, MrsDavidSambora for dropping me a line on this.  As seen on DOTmed.com

Jeffrey Kinder, a longtime industry executive who has held sales positions with Toshiba American Medical Systems and Philips Healthcare, needs your help.

Around a month ago, Jeff was diagnosed with brain cancer. His friends have created a fund to help cover his medical costs and pay for living expenses. They've organized a concert next month to help raise money.

In order to help out Jeff's family, we established the Jeff Kinder Support Fund to cover living expenses and medical bills the insurance company does not cover.

To raise money for the support fund, we are holding a benefit concert on January 9th, 2011 at Woody's Roadside Tavern in Farmingdale, N.J. from Noon to midnight!

We have the Jeff Kinder Band as the house band, and special guests including the one and only David Bryan keyboardist for Bon Jovi and Tony Award Winner for Memphis the Musical!!!

Please call Marc at 732-803-0512 with any questions or suggestions...

Donations can be made directly to the following website: www.jeffkinder.wordpress.com

And, if that wasn't enough incentive to lend a helping hand, according to Jeff Kinders' wordpress blog:

...anyone who attends the Jeff Kinder Tour 2011 (benefit dinner) will have the opportunity to bid on 4 tickets to BON JOVI at MSG with BACKSTAGE PASSES AND 4 tickets to MEMPHIS with BACKSTAGE PASSES and PROGRAM signed by it’s writer DAVE BRYAN!!!

These also include an optional limo ride into the city at a discounted price! This is an incredible chance to get to see the greatest band in rock and the best broadway show around!

And who knows…maybe rock god Dave Bryan might just show up to give you the tickets =;)

Ok let’s be honest, now you HAVE to make sure you get to this rock and roll Jeff Fest! Don’t forget the date is Jan 9th beginning at 12:00pm at Woody’s Roadside Tavern in Farmingdale, NJ.

~ Hath

A&E Private Sessions

As tweeted by Bon Jovi:

BonJovi: Dec 12th @ 9am EST A&E's Private Sessions: Bon Jovi discusses how they stay humble as the #1 touring band in the world http://bit.ly/F8Xsq

 In case you missed it the first time around :)

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Buckle

Catte, yeah, I know you wanna do more than touch...

~ Hath

Born to be Beautiful

Another article from the HeraldSun. Click here for the whole text.

A little about the guitars that tour with the band -- this kind of little detail is the stuff I love; though we've seen this particular statistic before...

This rock star from the same working class roots as Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen flies in a private jet from gig to gig these days.

But that's about as far as his conspicuous consumption of wealth goes. He's not dripping in bling, his uniform remains a T-shirt, jeans and leather jacket and his most treasured guitar is an old black acoustic number that has AP 95 scratched into its varnish.

The initials stand for Al Parinello, Jon's guitar teacher who died in 1995.

"Jon scratched that on there after (Al) died. It's his numero uno guitar. That's the guitar that keeps us all working," says Mike Rew, one of the backstage bosses who keep The Circle tour running smoothly.

Around the corner from the road case that houses Jon's six touring guitars is Richie Sambora's collection of close to 40 instruments.

The Bon Jovi guitarist's on-the-road collection is valued at more than $2 million according to Rew, with one axe alone, a '57 Gibson Les Paul, worth $150,000.

"Richie just loves playing different guitars. Each one has its own sound, a different tone," Rew says as he continues to show us around the backstage precinct.

Jon goes on to talk a little bit about Oprah:

Added to their Australian concert tour, which includes seven stadium gigs, isa performance for Oprah Winfrey at the Sydney Opera House.

As a rock star, he gets the hysteria that has greeted the talk show queen's visit here.

"It's like going to see Santa Claus. Oprah has been good to a lot of people and she's a nice lady," he said.

About the Oprah reference, this article, posted in the Sydney Morning Herald, claims that Jon's name is not on the itinerary. Not sure what's up with that -- is it like in the NFL when the coaches put all their star players on the "questionable" list?

~ Hath

Year-End: Bon Jovi Leads As Top Touring Act of 2010

From Billboard.com.  There's more to the article if you're interested; I just pulled out the Jovi bit:

Billboard's year-end touring recaps are compiled from Boxscore data reported for the Nov. 28, 2009, issue through the Nov. 20, 2010, issue.

Ten of the top 25 tours of the year were logged by artists who have risen to headlining status in the past decade, and three of the top tours are by artists in their earliest days of touring: Lady Gaga (No. 4), Taylor Swift (No. 15) and Justin Bieber (No. 19). In fact, all three of them have yet to hit their 25th birthday.

But, as is typical, the road veterans ring up the biggest box office. Bon Jovi's Circle tour (which has morphed into a greatest-hits tour that extends into 2011) leads all touring artists. Grossing $146.5 million, the four New Jersey boys played for 1,591,154 people at 69 reported shows.

~ Hath

Larry King Live

Unfortunately, I not only wasn't able to watch, our DVR sustained a "crap, I'm full" event, so I missed it entirely. Hopefully, YouTube will come through.  There are a few brief bits up, but from CNN's page, so not embeddable.

About being crowned "Sexiest Man Alive"... ( though they have it wrong, he was "only" #6, but I'm sure that's one gaffe folks won't complain about...)

About the "Robin Hood" style restaurant...

About Twitter...

About the band's longevity...

When/if I find more, I'll be sure to pass it along.

And if anyone out there in Joviland wants to share the entire episode, I'll be extremely grateful!

~ Hath

Melbourne Review

ONE of the most amusing books this holiday season is Things Bogans Like. Like the blog of the same name, it deftly details the likes and cultural touchstones of a significant number of Australians.

Last night at Rod Laver Arena, a good number of the 16,000 in attendance could safely be described as either the book's targets or target market. And based on the hysteria Jon Bon Jovi and his bandmates from New Jersey generated, that was just fine.

As for mullets, tight jeans, bourbon (in a hip flask) and leather worn proudly by band and fans alike, well, that was simply the order of the day.

This was a shamelessly old-fashioned set of stadium-sized rock. Last night's show, which sold out in 10 minutes, was packed with power ballads, anthems and cliched rock moves.

Jon Bon Jovi, the irrepressible band leader, wore a black sleeveless leather vest with ample room to display his well-sculpted pecs. Playing second fiddle was gregarious (and hirsute) guitarist Richie Sambora.

And all of the band doggedly insist on persisting with hairstyles best left behind two decades ago. Yet it's impossible to dismiss the band as anything but relentlessly energetic entertainers. These are master craftsman of meat-and-potatoes rock. After all, their current single, played last night, is called No Apologies.

Their arsenal of hits - You Give Love A Bad Name, It's My Life, Born To Be My Baby, Keep The Faith, In These Arms, Wanted Dead or Alive - provided ample ammunition for an ecstatic audience.

Last night's crowd, while gleefully flying the ''b'' flag, was surprisingly youthful. Many fans were not yet conceived when Bon Jovi broke through with the album Slippery When Wet in the mid-1980s.

Although ostensibly on a greatest hits tour, there were perhaps a few too many ''newer'' songs served up for the casual fan. Yet the in-the-round staging and multitude of video screens meant fans were hardly bored.

In fact, the frontman had to do little more than flex his muscles or smile to generate thousands of screams.

Describing the show as a warm-up for their huge gig tonight at Etihad Stadium, Bon Jovi was earnest in promising fans more than two hours of entertainment. There was even a well-timed cover of Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman midway through Bad Medicine.

The final song was, as at every show, the world's best karaoke moment: Livin' On A Prayer. No matter what pop culture stereotype you brand it, last night was lots of fun.

~ Hath

PS: Don't forget, that the Etihad Stadium gig will be partially webcast. We can still hope they forget to turn off the feed....


source

Well HELLO There...

...a few shots from Melbourne.  Thanks Q!!

~ Hath

JBJ / Kathy McCabe Interview

A teaser interview yesterday whet our appetite for the full JonBon/Kathy McCabe interview.

The full interview has now been posted.



~ Hath

Let the Summer Hype Begin!

Though June is a LONG way off (and as I look at the 13 degree [F] temperature reading, I realize it's even LONGER off than I would like), Bristol's 106.5 JACK FM has this post:

The legendary rock band is stopping off at Ashton Gate next summer during their UK tour.

The band - fronted by Jon Bon Jovi - will be playing on Monday, June 27 at the home of Bristol City Football Club.

Managing Director at Ashton Gate, Doug Harman told us it's great to have them back after they first performed here two years ago: "The feed back we had is that they certainly enjoyed the concert here in 2008.

"Their UK plans for this coming year were for only four dates, one to Edinburgh, one to Manchester, one to Hyde Park and one to Dublin - clearly much bigger venues than Ashton Gate. We're delighted we've been able to shoe-horn another date in-between London and Dublin."

The band started out in 1983 and has sold around 120 million albums worldwide.

Doug added that a lot of hard work has gone in to secure the gig: "To actually get a band of their size and status to a stadium like Ashton Gate is amazing. We're very pleased with our selves!"

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 9am. (venue time)

Though it was posted today, I'm not sure when the station talked to Mr. Harman -- there are more dates than he alludes to.  Visit  bonjovi.com/tour for the latest (official) tour information.  That being said, the June 27 date is not on the official website.  BUT, if the date just got "shoehorned in", and tickets are going on sale tomorrow, the date is probably good :)

~ Hath