NJ Transit Bon Jovi Contest (and a ramble)

Want to win tickets?

NJ Transit wants customers to check out their summer services, so they're offering a drawing to see Bon Jovi in concert a week from Saturday at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

If you visit njtransit.com now through Tuesday, you can enter. The random drawing will be held before the first show on Wednesday, May 26, in the rotunda of the Frank Lautenberg Train Station at Secaucus Junction.

The grand prize winner will receive 10 tickets for the May 29 show...and of course, train transportation to get there! Ten second-place winners will get four tickets and transportation.

The summer services they are promoting include rides to the shore, Great Adventure, Monmouth Park, and the Meadowlands.

source

Fifty tickets set aside for (what seems to be) a last-minute promotion makes me wonder: does this mean that Bon Jovi has *gasp* failed to sell out Giants' Stadium? (ducks from the bricks being thrown). Don't hate, I'm just askin'.

It wouldn't be a surprise to some (that BJ couldn't sell out a stadium). According to the forums at VelvetRope, where members were talking about Gillette Stadium:

Apparently even with Keith Urban and the return of the Dixie Chicks as support acts, the Eagles' date at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA is tanking in a big way. It could be an embarrassing wake-up call for a few egos.

Bon Jovi - who used to do great business there, is also having trouble selling tickets, even with Kid Rock as an opener. They're adding Nickelback as a second "special guest" which is, I'm assuming, to keep Richie and Jon from having to stare at a half-empty stadium for two hours.

Taylor Swift on the other hand, was a near-instant sellout.

Anyone know how the Eagles/Bon Jovi tours are selling elsewhere?

Some responders mentioned being "bombarded with discount and 2-for-1 offers" prior to the HP Pavillion show.

Some other comments:

Fans of Bon Jovi and the Eagles are older and they know what a huge hassle it is to go to stadium shows. The Taylor Swift fans haven't experienced lousy sound, too hot, too cold or rain, two hours of tracffic to get in and out of the parking lots- esp at Gillette. Most Bon Jovi and Eagles fans have already seen them in much smaller venues and can take a pass much easier on this show. Then, throw all that in with "are you serious?!?!?!" ticket prices, and you have yourself a half empty stadium

I've never understood how Bon Jovi has been able to tour like they do. It's pretty impressive that they can still play stadiums and can out-draw bands who have much better catalogs than they do. I'm not hatin', I admire their make the most out of what they have.

Would add that latest bon jovi album is an underperformer that seems like it didn't connect with base or radio like other recent records. Time to rewrite living on a prayer again.

All around, an interesting topic. And I'm jazzed to see Nickleback as another opener.

For me, I think nothing quite compares to an outside show. The open air (maybe even some rain -- isolated thunderstorms are on the forecast for night 2 at Giants'), the ginormous screens, the energy of all those screaming fans.... I don't know. It's just DIFFERENT outside.

But what do you think? Why are the stadium sell-outs [apparently] so difficult? Is it the ridiculous prices? Is it that we (those who grew up with this band and have done a stadium show or two) don't want the hassle, and would rather see them in a "more intimate" setting?

Inquiring minds want to know...

~ Hath

David and Joe: SpringboardNYC

David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, Christopher Fitzgerald, David Alan Grier, Sean Hayes, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Chad Kimball, Jude Law, Laura Linney, Karine Plantadit, Sherie Rene Scott, Marian Seldes, David Zinn, and additional 2010 Tony Award nominees will participate in The American Theatre Wing's online video series, SpringboardNYC with "Cues from Tony Nominees 2010."

Over 30 Tony nominees will answer questions specifically crafted to enlighten, inspire and encourage aspiring theater professionals. New videos are being posted daily on the American Theatre Wing website through Tony Sunday, June 13. You can view existing videos by clicking here.

SpringboardNYC is a yearly two-week college-to-career boot camp for young performers moving to NYC. Each year, the program includes a series of mentor conversations with working artists in the field.

Joe DiPietro and David_Bryan answer the question - "Is there something you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?"



~ Hath

Pretty, Pretty, Baby

Catte is bound and determined to give me heart palpitations today.

Just look at what she dropped in my inbox this morning!

~ Hath

When Richie Is Up for a Tony...

... his substitute is all ready to go!

Ron Jaworski has fun during the live auction with an autographed Bon Jovi Guitar during the Ron Jaworski's Celebrity Pairings Party at The Pool in Harrah's Casino May 16, 2010 in Atlantic City, New Jersey

  

  

Thanks, Catte, this made me smile :)

~ Hath

Hathlet's New Favorite Song

He asks for this on the iPod every day when I pick him up. After this, he wants Stranger.



I'm raising him right :)

~ Hath

Jon's New Home

Yes, yes, I'm talking about "New Meadowlands".  I'm sorry, I have to call it Giants' Stadium.  No matter what they call it (and they're still looking for corporate sponsorship) it's Giants' Stadium.  We went through that with the "TD Banknorth Garden".  It's the Gahden.  Always has been, always will be.

Anyway, I digress.

Jon's new house has some cool features:

• There are 1,350 toilets/urinals in the stadium
• There are 800 points of sale for food, ranging from hot dogs to premium options.
• Fans can bring in small bags or purses, subject to search. Fans can also bring in food contained in a clear plastic bag. Also, fans can bring in 20 ounces or less of bottled water.
• Concert seating is approximately 65,000, depending on the configuration of the stage. It's 82,500 for football games.
• There are 20 HD pylons ringing the stadium and inside, 30 by 118-foot HD video display screens are in each of the stadium's corners. A video ribbon board circles the interior and there are 2,100 HD monitors in the entire stadium.

Sounds like pretty sweet digs to me.

I'll let you know next week, when I go visiting. Hmmm, is a housewarming gift appropriate?

~ Hath

Cigar Aficionado

A couple weeks ago, I posted scans of an article in Cigar Aficionado magazine featuring our own Mr. Torres.  The article has been posted online, and can be seen here.

Some highlights:

Compact and muscular, with neatly sculpted (and graying) sideburns and soul patch, dressed all in black ("because I'm a musician, and from hanging out with Gary Player"), Torres slides into a seat near a window, offering smiles and "How are ya's?" to other members, who seem to take a certain protective pride in having a celebrity as a fellow regular at the club.

Torres orders an omelet with ham and onions, bacon on the side. "My son (six-year-old Hector) came to me the other day and said, 'Dad, you're famous,'" he says. "When I asked where he'd heard that, it turned out the neighbor's kids had told him. He had no idea. It's a little strange when your son notices."

Compact and muscular. What a perfect description.

"I don't mind being in the background," he says. "As the drummer, I get to watch the show and perform. I don't mind walking into a room where nobody knows who I am. There's a beauty to that. I started playing for the sheer joy and creativity of it."

I wonder if any of the other guys wish, when they're trying to have a nice, quiet dinner out for example, that they would go unnoticed? I mean, on some level, I'm sure the recognition does good things for their egos :) But there's gotta be that time (probably more than one) when they're saying "dammit, why can't I be invisible today?"

He's befriended several professional golfers and played rounds with many of the greats, including Tiger Woods. Asked if it was humbling to go tee-to-green with Woods, Torres doesn't miss a beat: "But he can't play drums."

That just made me laugh :)

[The tour] schedule would take its toll on any performer, but drummers take a particularly hard pounding, moving arms and legs almost nonstop for an entire show, which lasts two-and-a-half to three hours. To prepare for the physical rigors, Torres begins working out several weeks ahead of time, exercising on a Stairmaster and strengthening his core.

"It's about getting your heart and your lungs ready," he says. "Mainly, it's about getting my wind up. Doing a show is like boxing—your heart rate goes up and down. It takes a couple of weeks to feel like I'm in command physically."

On stage, Torres attacks his drums with ferocity from start to finish. One particularly noteworthy fan, Queen Elizabeth II, spoke up after Bon Jovi played in Liverpool. "Your arms must be so tired," she said with admiration, then quizzed Torres on his stamina and workout regimen. "That was special to me," Torres says.

"There's no one better behind the kit," says Jon Bon Jovi, via an e-mail interview. "He does things, without the use of technology, that would take a drummer and a percussionist to pull off live. And there's no one more loyal and loving than Tico."

A fabulous read about our favorite Cubano.

~ Hath

New Jovi Store

From BonJovi.com:

We are proud to announce our brand new Backstage JBJ store, open today! Previously accessible to only Backstage JBJ Fan Club members, the newly redesigned store is now open to any and all Bon Jovi fans looking to get some exclusive JBJ merchandise! Check out BonJovi.com/Store to get JBJ t-shirts, posters, and more.

Additionally, we're offering all Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi MEMBERS an exclusive discount - 10 % off any and all merchandise from the Backstage JBJ store - always! Want to become a member? Find out more here.

David on Q104.3

David appeared on the Jim Kerr show on Q104.3 this morning to talk about his Tony nominations, Memphis, Bon Jovi and more.

He also performed "Memphis Lives In Me" live in the studio, which is my second favorite song from the soundtrack. My favorite? The Music of my Soul. But I digress.

For a podcast, pictures and video visit the Morning Show's website.

Here's "Memphis Lives in Me". Lookin' / soundin' great the early morning after a show!



And the pictures:




The MP3 of the full interview is also up on my MediaFire.

~ Hath

myCentralJersey Meadowlands Contest

Bon Jovi Photo Contest Starts May 18 - Ends June 14


Send us a photo of you with big hair or dressed in your best rocker outfit and you could be at the show.

We will give away two pairs of tickets, one pair for the photo that gets the most online votes and one pair for the best photo as selected by the MyCentralJersey staff.

Contest ends June 14. The winners will be notified and may pick up the tickets at the Meadowlands Will Call window the night of the show.

Tickets provided by AEG Live, a live concert promotions and tour production company.

For complete rules, please visit www.mycentraljersey.com

~ Hath

David Pictures

David has actively supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for the past several years.  Here are a few photos J found from galas from previous years, for our viewing pleasure!

~ Hath

    

What'd YOU do for lunch?

David Bryan attended the 61st Annual New Dramatist's Benefit Luncheon at the Marriot Marquis today in New York City.

New Dramatists is dedicated to the playwright, and pursues a singular mission: to find gifted playwrights and give them the time, space, and tools to develop their craft, so that they may fulfill their potential and make lasting contributions to the theatre.

The program is made possible largely through contributions from the theatre and entertainment community. In return for this gift of time and resources, resident playwrights write and create new works for the theatre. The company organizes an average of 90 readings and workshops of new plays and musicals by its playwrights each season.

This year's Spring Luncheon Tribute honored Julie Taymor. Among her other credits, Ms. Taymor won two Tony Awards for "The Lion King": Best Director (Musical) and Best Costume Designer.

Find out more about this organization at http://newdramatists.org

~ Hath

  

HullabaLOU Volunteers Needed

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, is seeking volunteers who can help run operations during HullabaLOU, a three-day music festival that will be held July 23 to 25 at Churchill Downs.

Make-A-Wish in March announced a partnership with Churchill Downs to provide its volunteers to help run the music festival.

The nonprofit organization hopes to recruit 350 volunteers for various facets of the festival, which will feature 66 musical acts on five stages. Artists scheduled to appear will include Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews Band.

In addition to providing volunteers to run the festival, Make-A-Wish will use HullabaLOU as an opportunity to connect seriously-ill children with entertainers at the event.

Each volunteer will be subject to a background check and will be required to contribute a minimum of 12 hours over three separate shifts. Workers will be required to attend a mandatory training session Wednesday, July 21, or Thursday, July 22.

Volunteers will receive a HullabaLOU uniform T-shirt, complimentary parking with shuttle service and a volunteer credential that will give volunteers general admission access when they are not on duty.

Volunteer applications can be obtained at www.makeawishky.org. Information about the festival can be found at www.hullabaloufest.com.


source

Why do I have a feeling they're going to be inundated with volunteer applications, once JoviNation discovers the need? :)  Sounds like a great cause, irrespective of WHO is performing at the event.

~ Hath

Hershey Park

Here's a brief (~9 minute) video showing the setting up of the stage for Hershey Park.

I can't wait for the videos/reviews/pictures to start rolling in for this show!

To everyone who's going, wish I was there... but have a FANTASTIC time!  (yeah, like you need me to tell you that lol).

~ Hath

DVR Alert ~ Bravo Canada

One of the most successful rock bands in the world, BON JOVI, appears on the next episode of Bravo!’s acclaimed series, INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO (May 23).

The band’s connection to acting? Jon Bon Jovi’s on-screen credits include appearances on television series such as THE WEST WING, ALLY MCBEAL and SEX AND THE CITY. The band’s frontman also starred in Hollywood films such as No Looking Back (opposite Lauren Holly and Edward Burns), Pay It Forward (with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment) and a brief appearance in Young Guns II – for which the band supplied the film’s chart-topping theme song “Blaze of Glory” that garnered a Golden Globe® win and an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Song. The band’s keyboardist David Bryan tapped into musical theatre, co-writing the Tony®-nominated musical, Memphis, now playing on Broadway. He also co-wrote the off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger.

With instruments in hand, the legendary band (which includes Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, guitarist Richie Sambora, and drummer Tico Torres) reflect on their years together and rock the ACTORS STUDIO – performing renditions of their classic hits including “Livin' on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” before discussing how they came full circle on their latest album with host James Lipton.

INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO featuring BON JOVI premieres Sunday, May 23 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Bravo (Canada only)

If you don't want to wait, or are in the US, I've got the MP3s and Videos are up on my SkyDrive from when it originally aired.

~ Hath

Post-Idol Interview

Listen in to Ryan Seacrest's interview with Jon after Bon Jovi's performance on "Idol" where he discusses the evolution Bon Jovi, the band's work ethic, and what it's like to be on tour now.

You can listen from the KIIS FM website.  There's also a link to download the MP3.

~ Hath

5-Part JoviGasm Article

Glenn Orsin has finished posting a 5-part article on Why Bon Jovi Fans Crave JoviGasms.  For a guy, he's pretty attuned to the female fandom.  He also spent some time talking to some of the fans (and FF writers) on Twitter that we've all seen (and some of us are lucky to know) including NorwichLiz, and FictionMistress.

It's a great series, and Goddess Recommended :)

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5

~ Hath

Lorenza Ponce Performance

In Celebration of the release of Soul Shifter, Lorenza Ponce will be playing a show:

Monday May 24th 2010 8pm
The Living Room
154 Ludlow St.
NYC
(646) 602-9404




After the FREE show Lorenza will host a Meet and Greet upstairs in the Googies Lounge.

Bring your cameras, markers and CDs for her to sign!!



~ Hath

Open for Bon Jovi Jovi at the O2!

Bon Jovi are offering aspiring musicians a once-in-a-lifetime shot at fame - they're giving up-and-coming bands the chance to open for the rock icons when they take to the stage in London this summer.

The Livin' On A Prayer hit-makers will perform a 12-date residency at the O2 Arena next month and they want new talent to warm up for them on their five opening dates. Applicants have been invited to upload content about their band online at OpenForBonJovi.com. The information will then be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Bon Jovi's management company, to determine the five finalists.

A post on the website reads: "If you are in a band, looking for a break - then this is as good as it gets... We are looking for 5 fresh and promising new bands to fill the opening nights at The O2 arena... Start uploading videos and content which proves that you're good enough to open for Bon Jovi."

Entrants have until May 31st to take part in the competition. Bon Jovi kick off their O2 residency on June 7th and will be supported by Kid Rock and OneRepublic on their remaining London dates.

source

The website listed only has the first set of O2 dates listed as potential opening dates, but I imagine they will continue the trend for the second set of dates.

~ Hath

MEMPHIS Tops Outer Critics Circle Winners

Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for all media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2009-10 season in 23 categories.

As previously announced, the cast of the hit comedy "God of Carnage" --- Dylan Baker, Jeff Daniels, Lucy Liu and Janet McTeer will serve as presenters at the organization's 60th Annual Award ceremony on Thursday, May 27th (4PM) at Sardi's Restaurant (234 West 44th Street).

Celebrating its 60th season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theatre, the Outer Critics Circle, is an association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, web sites, radio and television stations, and theatre publications in America and abroad.

MEMPHIS has won the following awards:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER (Sergio Trullo)
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Montego Glover)

source

Congratulations!

~ Hath

Online Updated

Her flight's about to Take Off....

~Hath

Soul Shifter Review

Anthony Kuzminski (The Screen Door) has published a great review of Lorenza's newest CD, 'Soul Shifter':

In the music world, we often pay so much attention to those upfront and center we tend to overlook the talents standing in the shadows that help bring the artist’s vision to life. While they may not receive due consideration, they are fundamental to the artists career.

Lorenza Ponce is one of these unheralded artists. You’ve seen her on tour with Sheryl Crow and Bon Jovi along with dozens of television broadcasts with everyone from Pearl Jam to Michael Buble to John Mayer. She’s also an in-demand session musician who has worked on recent albums by Fall Out Boy and has worked with such illustrious producers such as Tony Visconti (T.Rex & David Bowie). Her resume can’t even be called extraordinary, it stretches beyond mere words. She can now add significant solo artist to the ever growing resume.

Soul Shifter, her fourth solo record, but her first to embrace the foundation of rock n’ roll is a stunning album that defines her as more than “the girl with the violin”. On Soul Shifter Ponce has taken an excursion from her new age experience to embrace the underbelly of rock n’ roll. While it isn’t a guitar heavy affair, it still holds enough bite to make you stand back and take notice. At the forefront of the easy-on-the-ear recordings are piercing and outspoken lyrics.

Delving deep into her psyche and heart are commentaries on artists who have lost the plot, sensuality and the search for faith and meaning in a world that defies logic. Imagine Alanis Morissette in a jazz club with a hushed sultry voice, an enticing violin utilized like a Les Paul that tempts the soul and you have Lorenza Ponce.

Read the entire review here.

Soul Shifter can be purchased on Lorenza's website or on Amazon.

~ Hath

Track Listing:

1. Casual Girl
2. Remedy
3. Baby Please Don't Go
4. Frostbite
5. What Happened To You?
6. Testify
7. Soul Shifter
8. Let It Down
9. Daddy's Baby
10. I Won't Lose Faith

Lorenza's other records: