The opening act for the Ohio show (at least according to LiveNation) is Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
Tell me there won't be collab songs during THAT setlist!!
~ Hath
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Blaze of Glory
One of my favorite shows the past few years is Chuck. It's a story about a regular guy who mistakenly uploads an entire database of spy-stuff into his brain. BOOM! Now he's working with the CIA. His cover is his "real life", working at the BuyMore (a Best Buy kind of store). It's actually pretty good. Two of the satellite characters, Jeff and Lester, have a "band" (awful btw) called "Jeffster".
On the season finale, Jeffster airs a video over the screens on the TVs at the BuyMore. It took me two notes to recognize it, and burst out laughing. Hub was disgusted lol. The video? So awful it's awesome.
OMG, it's totally priceless. I wonder how that conversation went with BJM. And wonder how they like the final product!?!
~ Hath
On the season finale, Jeffster airs a video over the screens on the TVs at the BuyMore. It took me two notes to recognize it, and burst out laughing. Hub was disgusted lol. The video? So awful it's awesome.
OMG, it's totally priceless. I wonder how that conversation went with BJM. And wonder how they like the final product!?!
~ Hath
July 9 Tickets Still Available
(from BonJovi.com email)
FOURTH NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM SHOW TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
The shows at the New Meadowlands Stadium have been the best yet, and Bon Jovi would like to invite all their fans to come join them for the final Meadowlands performance on July 9th. If you couldn’t make it this week don’t miss your chance to be part of history one last time! Tickets are on sale now here!
~ Hath
Two New Dates Added
(from BonJovi.com email)
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY, AND CLEVELAND OH CONCERT DATES ADDED TO THE CIRCLE TOUR; BACKSTAGE JBJ PRE-SALES BEGIN JUNE 1ST!
Beginning Tuesday, June 1st at 7PM Local Venue Time, members of Backstage JBJ will have access to purchase Fan Club Pre-Sale Tickets and VIP Packages for the following shows:
| Date | Location | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2010 | Saratoga Springs, NY | Saratoga Performing Arts Center |
| July 12, 2010 | Cleveland, OH | Blossom Music Center |
Pre-sale tickets and VIP Packages are available exclusively for our Backstage JBJ Members; to become a member and access pre-sale tickets, visit BonJovi.com/Join.
Ticketmaster lists the Cleveland show as going on sale June 5 at 10am. I assume the Saratoga Springs show will be the same.
~ Hath
Friday, May 28, 2010
Circle Arc 6: New Meadowlands Stadium
Sorry in advance; this is another long one.
Whoa boy.
We thought we were getting one of those sexy-as-all-hell rain shows. It was pouring when we got on the train in Seacaucus.
We could see the lightning as we crossed the river (bay? pond? Whatever it is). Big flashy lightning. The kind that delays shows.
I texted Mr. Hath that it was raining, and things would probably be delayed. He texted back "ha ha". Not a fan, my dear Mr. Hath.
So, we trudged from the train to security through the rain, and every third person had an umbrella. And every third person had said umbrella confiscated at the gate. Security had quite a collection, and I'm pretty sure stayed dry during the deluge.
They weren't letting anyone into their seats because of the lightning, and poor Gavin had to wait to do his set. I think he had to cut it a little short, too, because he was done right around 8:30.
By 9:00, we were hearing "This Is Our House" and Willow and I apparently were t he only ones in our section who knew that this was the Jovi song that is the intro to the show. I still maintain that they should do this one live as the opener while they're at Giants (Sorry, "New Meadowlands").
Tonight we had tickets in section 117, which was on David's side, roughly at the end-zone line, 10 rows from the field. NOT bad seats at all. Actually, in some ways, they were better than last night's section 1 seats because we were even with the stage, and didn't have to crane our necks (I know, you're saying poor baby. I can hear it. I’m just sayin'). Of course, the guys were teeny-teeny-tiny from where we were sitting, but the screens were perfectly visible from where we were sitting, and you could easily watch selections from the screen.
Also tonight, I was able to bring in my good camera, and since the rain dried up just about 15 minutes before Jovi took the stage, I was able to take about 4GB of photos (~900 or so give or take). I need to go through them when my eyes aren't crossing and pull out the best ones (like Jon in that body glove shirt).
The show was delayed, as I said, so while we waited, Willow and I made our way up to the swag stands, got something to eat/drink, and wandered around for a while, handing out tons of business cards for the BJCT. Does 50 count as tons? Anyway, most people were a little leery of us approaching them, card in hand. I suppose, in hindsight, it could look like we were pandering, but once we explained what we were doing, we got nods and smiles. A couple cards wound up with people who had all-access passes and some of the food vendors and guest services folks got them too. Wonder if any of the cards actually made it backstage -- albeit in someone's ass pocket. Hmmm...
We also made a friend at one of the food stands who scored us two gigantic black trash bags that we ripped holes in to wear as ponchos. We were GORGEOUS, let me tell you :) And no, you can't see the picture.
But I digress. It's after 3am I have to be on a Boston-bound-bus in something ridiculous like 4 hours, so I better start typing faster.
Let me start off the review portion of the program by saying, I was prepared to be disappointed in the set list for tonight. Especially since it started with the same exact six -- yes SIX -- songs as last night. I was really getting my dander up. I mean come ON. They HAVE to know that at least half of the people from the first night were at the second.
I will also warn you that there are going to be a few "shallow bits" mixed in tonight, as all sorts of things tickled the femme bone tonight. They won't be lengthy, I promise, but just so you're warned....
In case you didn't know the first-six songs, the lineup was: Blood on Blood, We Weren't Born to Follow, You Give Love a Bad Name, Whole Lotta Leavin', Born to Be My Baby, Lost Highway. My opinions on these didn't change in 24 hours, so you can read yesterday's review for that.
The boys "kicked it into second gear" with We Got It Goin' On. After the obligatory "Are you still with me or what?" Jon obviously decided, yeah, we were with him. We got an audible in Have a Nice Day. Still from last show, but it was at position 20 on yesterday's countdown, this show, bumping Runaway from the number 8 spot (sorry, my Casey Kasem is showing. Let me take care of that.) I guess Jon thought that 1984 was too dangerous to revisit tonight, so we didn't get Runaway at all tonight. *ahem* CHICKEN! lol
(Sorry, I get silly when I'm sleepy... Or sillier, I guess you could say, if you know me well. I'll get on with it.)
The standard, mid-set pairing of When We Were Beautiful/Superman Tonight went over just about as well as it usually does, with many people electing to sit down or get another beer. I will give props to our section, though. They stayed on their feet for just about the entire show. No getting beer during Richie's solo. No spending half the time on the phone shouting "What? I can't hear you, I'm at a concert".
Only a few others in our section knew that they had to wave Captain Crash in, but we managed to wave him through the whole song. This is another fun song that makes me smile. I remember an anecdote Jon relayed in some interview or another, talking about the writing process. He says he starts with a title, and when "Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars" popped into his head, and he blurted it out to Richie, Richie thought for a moment, said "OK, man" and BOOM, had the opening riff. I love that story. It's that, picturing Richie standing there tapping his lips with a finger, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, hip cocked, then having the "a-HA" moment, sitting down, and plucking out that riff, that makes me smile every time I hear that song.
The jukebox portion of Bad Medicine tonight was Bad Case of Loving You, which always teases me, because the intro sounds just like "Born to be Wild" which is one of my favorite classics, and sounded so great when they did it in Kansas City (no I wasn't there, but I saw the YouTube), and I think this should go on permanent rotation. Crap, that was one huge run-on sentence. Sorry, just can't go back and edit that.
Next, Jon wanted to put a roof on the New Meadowlands so they could blow it off with "It's My Life". I think he wants a roof because he knows it's going to be MFC (that's mighty freaking cold) at the Superbowl in 2014. IML was another crowd pleaser, though I feel it should get a lighter rotation, and even the young boy in the row behind us sang along.
We got Love's the Only Rule again, which is a pretty song, don't get me wrong, but if you want a Halle Halle song, how 'bout "Learn to Love"? Please?
I was surprised to get Lay Your Hands on Me again as Richie's solo. Willow and I were all prepared for Homebound Train, having our woo-woos at the ready. Alas, 'twas not to be. Richie had clearly boned up on the lyrics, because there were fewer mistakes :) and boy did he have the crowd jazzed. I'm so glad that people stuck around to hear his solo. Richie is an amazing talent (and I don't say that just because I've been in lust with the guy for the better part of 20 years) and deserves the respect of the fans for his playing.
The arena went dark again, while Jon made his way to the circle. I felt that the continuity of the show was a bit stilted. This was the second time there was a transition that seemed to take longer than it needed to. It felt like long minutes before Jon was lit up with spotlights and surprised the crap out of us with a killer ballad pair in Make a Memory and Bed of Roses. I think the selection was his way of saying "F-you, hay fever". Whatever it was, it was beautiful.
I have now been fortunate to have heard "Never Say Goodbye" TWICE in my life. (Note to JB/Rich: This doesn't mean that I've taken Stranger off my list, it just means I won't bitch too much on Twitter at you). At Mohegan, from our seats, we watched their butts play the song. Tonight, we got the full-frontal version. Damn. Just damn. The four of them, on the circle, singing my all time favorite song, any artist, any genre. I couldn't stop the tears. I just couldn't. Even when the teleprompter guy messed up (which makes me laugh -- that they need the teleprompter. They're so proud of "not having to rehearse" but have to rely on someone else feeding them the words. I have to wonder what was on that screen. I kinda hope it was the Gettysburg Address or some Barney song of something. That would be freaking hysterical.) The song though -- it was beautiful. Simply beautiful. Though I will say, David needs to stand a little closer to the rest of them. He seemed to be off on his own (read as, wouldn't get into damned frame when I was trying to photograph them lol)
Jon made another nice speech about David's award winning (and Tony-nominated) Memphis. He went on for a few minutes, actually, which was quite nice, and finished by saying (something along the lines of) "and to keep him grounded, I make him come out here wearing his accordion". Don't worry David, you DO make that thing sexy as hell.
Something for the Pain/Someday I'll Be Saturday Night was the acoustic pairing again, and Richie with that damned Taylor (I think it's a Taylor) double-neck made my knees weak tonight, as my heart was already mushy from NSG. If a guitar can be sexy, this one is off-the-Hath-charts. I have a close-up of Richie's hand strumming it as my wallpaper at work -- that's how much in love with this guitar I am. Or maybe it's his hand I'm in love with. I'll examine that later.
After heading back to the main stage (and this time David didn't have to run, which is a good thing, because it was probably slippery), we got another great treat: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. This has shown up once before during this tour (in Charlotte) but that's it, so this was a great surprise. I totally dig this song. It's a feel good, foot-stompin, gotta-sing-along great time. Everyone was singing and dancing, and damned if we didn't have fun with it.
Then there was Work for the Working Man and Who Says You Can't Go Home.
An energetic Keep the Faith, complete with maracas and fireworks ended the main set. We started getting excited to see what we'd get for the "bonus feature" in the encore.
Holy crap did we get a winner.
Always, which hasn't been on the set list since Montreal. Jon did an amazing job with the vocals, especially since his hay fever/allergies were totally kicking his butt. I mean, his eyes were all puffy, his cheekbones looked like someone had taken a frying pan to them (bruised not crushed) and he kept shaking his head like he missed notes or something, but it sounded good to my non-musically-trained ear. The whole crowd sang the song to Jon and the boys, and it was another moment that had me crying in the stands. I am a sentimental fool, and this song is just (to me) one of the best love songs I've ever heard.
Afterwards, just before Wanted, he pulls Richie aside and says "Why do we keep writing songs that are up here?". He raised his arm to show the octave. "We need to write songs that are more down here," he says, putting his arm at waist height. A funny moment between the two of them.
Wanted and Prayer ended the evening, with Jon doing a slightly different, more vocally challenging intro to Prayer, as if proving to himself that his voice was "just fine". It was very, very good.
So, all in all, though I was prepared to write a scathing review (actually, I was prepared to just cut-and-paste yesterday's review) they shut me down right quick with the shake up in the beginning of the lineup, and finished me off with Memory/Roses, Never Say Goodbye, and Always. Way to go, guys. Anyone who knows me will tell you, it's hard to shut me up :)
All in all, a great, high-energy show, with a few twists and turns thrown in along the way. 27 songs, by the way (if you're keeping track at home).
I really REALLY wish I was able to go to Saturday's show.
Ah well.
~ Hath
Whoa boy.
We thought we were getting one of those sexy-as-all-hell rain shows. It was pouring when we got on the train in Seacaucus.
We could see the lightning as we crossed the river (bay? pond? Whatever it is). Big flashy lightning. The kind that delays shows.
I texted Mr. Hath that it was raining, and things would probably be delayed. He texted back "ha ha". Not a fan, my dear Mr. Hath.
So, we trudged from the train to security through the rain, and every third person had an umbrella. And every third person had said umbrella confiscated at the gate. Security had quite a collection, and I'm pretty sure stayed dry during the deluge.
They weren't letting anyone into their seats because of the lightning, and poor Gavin had to wait to do his set. I think he had to cut it a little short, too, because he was done right around 8:30.
By 9:00, we were hearing "This Is Our House" and Willow and I apparently were t he only ones in our section who knew that this was the Jovi song that is the intro to the show. I still maintain that they should do this one live as the opener while they're at Giants (Sorry, "New Meadowlands").
Tonight we had tickets in section 117, which was on David's side, roughly at the end-zone line, 10 rows from the field. NOT bad seats at all. Actually, in some ways, they were better than last night's section 1 seats because we were even with the stage, and didn't have to crane our necks (I know, you're saying poor baby. I can hear it. I’m just sayin'). Of course, the guys were teeny-teeny-tiny from where we were sitting, but the screens were perfectly visible from where we were sitting, and you could easily watch selections from the screen.
Also tonight, I was able to bring in my good camera, and since the rain dried up just about 15 minutes before Jovi took the stage, I was able to take about 4GB of photos (~900 or so give or take). I need to go through them when my eyes aren't crossing and pull out the best ones (like Jon in that body glove shirt).
The show was delayed, as I said, so while we waited, Willow and I made our way up to the swag stands, got something to eat/drink, and wandered around for a while, handing out tons of business cards for the BJCT. Does 50 count as tons? Anyway, most people were a little leery of us approaching them, card in hand. I suppose, in hindsight, it could look like we were pandering, but once we explained what we were doing, we got nods and smiles. A couple cards wound up with people who had all-access passes and some of the food vendors and guest services folks got them too. Wonder if any of the cards actually made it backstage -- albeit in someone's ass pocket. Hmmm...
We also made a friend at one of the food stands who scored us two gigantic black trash bags that we ripped holes in to wear as ponchos. We were GORGEOUS, let me tell you :) And no, you can't see the picture.
But I digress. It's after 3am I have to be on a Boston-bound-bus in something ridiculous like 4 hours, so I better start typing faster.
Let me start off the review portion of the program by saying, I was prepared to be disappointed in the set list for tonight. Especially since it started with the same exact six -- yes SIX -- songs as last night. I was really getting my dander up. I mean come ON. They HAVE to know that at least half of the people from the first night were at the second.
I will also warn you that there are going to be a few "shallow bits" mixed in tonight, as all sorts of things tickled the femme bone tonight. They won't be lengthy, I promise, but just so you're warned....
In case you didn't know the first-six songs, the lineup was: Blood on Blood, We Weren't Born to Follow, You Give Love a Bad Name, Whole Lotta Leavin', Born to Be My Baby, Lost Highway. My opinions on these didn't change in 24 hours, so you can read yesterday's review for that.
The boys "kicked it into second gear" with We Got It Goin' On. After the obligatory "Are you still with me or what?" Jon obviously decided, yeah, we were with him. We got an audible in Have a Nice Day. Still from last show, but it was at position 20 on yesterday's countdown, this show, bumping Runaway from the number 8 spot (sorry, my Casey Kasem is showing. Let me take care of that.) I guess Jon thought that 1984 was too dangerous to revisit tonight, so we didn't get Runaway at all tonight. *ahem* CHICKEN! lol
(Sorry, I get silly when I'm sleepy... Or sillier, I guess you could say, if you know me well. I'll get on with it.)
The standard, mid-set pairing of When We Were Beautiful/Superman Tonight went over just about as well as it usually does, with many people electing to sit down or get another beer. I will give props to our section, though. They stayed on their feet for just about the entire show. No getting beer during Richie's solo. No spending half the time on the phone shouting "What? I can't hear you, I'm at a concert".
Only a few others in our section knew that they had to wave Captain Crash in, but we managed to wave him through the whole song. This is another fun song that makes me smile. I remember an anecdote Jon relayed in some interview or another, talking about the writing process. He says he starts with a title, and when "Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars" popped into his head, and he blurted it out to Richie, Richie thought for a moment, said "OK, man" and BOOM, had the opening riff. I love that story. It's that, picturing Richie standing there tapping his lips with a finger, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, hip cocked, then having the "a-HA" moment, sitting down, and plucking out that riff, that makes me smile every time I hear that song.
The jukebox portion of Bad Medicine tonight was Bad Case of Loving You, which always teases me, because the intro sounds just like "Born to be Wild" which is one of my favorite classics, and sounded so great when they did it in Kansas City (no I wasn't there, but I saw the YouTube), and I think this should go on permanent rotation. Crap, that was one huge run-on sentence. Sorry, just can't go back and edit that.
Next, Jon wanted to put a roof on the New Meadowlands so they could blow it off with "It's My Life". I think he wants a roof because he knows it's going to be MFC (that's mighty freaking cold) at the Superbowl in 2014. IML was another crowd pleaser, though I feel it should get a lighter rotation, and even the young boy in the row behind us sang along.
We got Love's the Only Rule again, which is a pretty song, don't get me wrong, but if you want a Halle Halle song, how 'bout "Learn to Love"? Please?
I was surprised to get Lay Your Hands on Me again as Richie's solo. Willow and I were all prepared for Homebound Train, having our woo-woos at the ready. Alas, 'twas not to be. Richie had clearly boned up on the lyrics, because there were fewer mistakes :) and boy did he have the crowd jazzed. I'm so glad that people stuck around to hear his solo. Richie is an amazing talent (and I don't say that just because I've been in lust with the guy for the better part of 20 years) and deserves the respect of the fans for his playing.
The arena went dark again, while Jon made his way to the circle. I felt that the continuity of the show was a bit stilted. This was the second time there was a transition that seemed to take longer than it needed to. It felt like long minutes before Jon was lit up with spotlights and surprised the crap out of us with a killer ballad pair in Make a Memory and Bed of Roses. I think the selection was his way of saying "F-you, hay fever". Whatever it was, it was beautiful.
I have now been fortunate to have heard "Never Say Goodbye" TWICE in my life. (Note to JB/Rich: This doesn't mean that I've taken Stranger off my list, it just means I won't bitch too much on Twitter at you). At Mohegan, from our seats, we watched their butts play the song. Tonight, we got the full-frontal version. Damn. Just damn. The four of them, on the circle, singing my all time favorite song, any artist, any genre. I couldn't stop the tears. I just couldn't. Even when the teleprompter guy messed up (which makes me laugh -- that they need the teleprompter. They're so proud of "not having to rehearse" but have to rely on someone else feeding them the words. I have to wonder what was on that screen. I kinda hope it was the Gettysburg Address or some Barney song of something. That would be freaking hysterical.) The song though -- it was beautiful. Simply beautiful. Though I will say, David needs to stand a little closer to the rest of them. He seemed to be off on his own (read as, wouldn't get into damned frame when I was trying to photograph them lol)
Jon made another nice speech about David's award winning (and Tony-nominated) Memphis. He went on for a few minutes, actually, which was quite nice, and finished by saying (something along the lines of) "and to keep him grounded, I make him come out here wearing his accordion". Don't worry David, you DO make that thing sexy as hell.
Something for the Pain/Someday I'll Be Saturday Night was the acoustic pairing again, and Richie with that damned Taylor (I think it's a Taylor) double-neck made my knees weak tonight, as my heart was already mushy from NSG. If a guitar can be sexy, this one is off-the-Hath-charts. I have a close-up of Richie's hand strumming it as my wallpaper at work -- that's how much in love with this guitar I am. Or maybe it's his hand I'm in love with. I'll examine that later.
After heading back to the main stage (and this time David didn't have to run, which is a good thing, because it was probably slippery), we got another great treat: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. This has shown up once before during this tour (in Charlotte) but that's it, so this was a great surprise. I totally dig this song. It's a feel good, foot-stompin, gotta-sing-along great time. Everyone was singing and dancing, and damned if we didn't have fun with it.
Then there was Work for the Working Man and Who Says You Can't Go Home.
An energetic Keep the Faith, complete with maracas and fireworks ended the main set. We started getting excited to see what we'd get for the "bonus feature" in the encore.
Holy crap did we get a winner.
Always, which hasn't been on the set list since Montreal. Jon did an amazing job with the vocals, especially since his hay fever/allergies were totally kicking his butt. I mean, his eyes were all puffy, his cheekbones looked like someone had taken a frying pan to them (bruised not crushed) and he kept shaking his head like he missed notes or something, but it sounded good to my non-musically-trained ear. The whole crowd sang the song to Jon and the boys, and it was another moment that had me crying in the stands. I am a sentimental fool, and this song is just (to me) one of the best love songs I've ever heard.
Afterwards, just before Wanted, he pulls Richie aside and says "Why do we keep writing songs that are up here?". He raised his arm to show the octave. "We need to write songs that are more down here," he says, putting his arm at waist height. A funny moment between the two of them.
Wanted and Prayer ended the evening, with Jon doing a slightly different, more vocally challenging intro to Prayer, as if proving to himself that his voice was "just fine". It was very, very good.
So, all in all, though I was prepared to write a scathing review (actually, I was prepared to just cut-and-paste yesterday's review) they shut me down right quick with the shake up in the beginning of the lineup, and finished me off with Memory/Roses, Never Say Goodbye, and Always. Way to go, guys. Anyone who knows me will tell you, it's hard to shut me up :)
All in all, a great, high-energy show, with a few twists and turns thrown in along the way. 27 songs, by the way (if you're keeping track at home).
I really REALLY wish I was able to go to Saturday's show.
Ah well.
~ Hath
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Circle Arc 5: New Meadowlands Stadium
Let me start off by saying, I'm very VERY disappointed in the set list for tonight. I know, I said I wasn't going to get my hopes up, and I didn't but I really expected more. That being said, we did get some amazing stuff tonight, and I'll get to that in turn.
We took the train from Seacaucus to the stadium. A whole mess of us. It was great, because we got left off right outside the gate. Super easy, and we wouldn't have to worry about the parking lot zoo afterwards. We went through security (who barely checked my bag DAMMIT - I didn't bring the good camera tonight because I heard a story about someone who was turned away from the gates (not here obviously) and I got freaked out. Then I asked one of the guest services guys inside the stadium and he said, "no, detachable lenses are fine" so tomorrow, I'm bringing it.) and went on a quest to find water. H-O-T HOT tonight.
The stadium itself is gorgeous (as it should be, because it's new). The stage is enormous (if you haven't experienced a stadium show before, the stage is elevated quite a bit from the arena shows, and is MASSIVE. Lots of space for Jon and the guys to move around, though Jon is the only who takes advantage.
The opening graphics sequence on the ginormous screen that spans the endzone is just fantastic. It's essentially the same as in the arenas, but they have it tied in to the screens that ring the stadium, so as the little pulses happen, they traverse the whole of the stadium. Pretty neat.
The opening licks of Blood on Blood started, and my first thought, I swear to you, my devoted, was "Great. Blood, Follow, Bad Name." Yep, got it right the first time. Not that those aren't great songs, but still...
You'll be saddened to know that Jon did NOT take my costuming advice, and they were sans cut-off short-shorts. They were dressed in standard concert attire. Maybe tomorrow.. They had to have lost at least a gallon or two of sweat each tonight. Those tight clothes, while appreciated by [most of] the fandom, are NOT good for hot weather.
Jon made some remarks about being the first guy to introduce the home of the 2014 Superbowl ("The New Meadowlands Stadium: I like it, I like it, I like it. Out with the old, in with the new," Bon Jovi told the crowd. "I get to be the first guy to get on a big microphone and say welcome to the home of the Super Bowl!") and to say he would like to see a Jets/Giants Superbowl in 2014. As a rabit Patriots fan, I had to stick my tongue out at him.
He also made a comment about "The only american idol you need to see is standing right here!" Very funny, and the crowd liked it.
NJ.COM has these first three videos up. I'm too tired to sort out how to stream/download them, but I know that by tomorrow there'll be a zillion videos on YouTube (Catte, hopefully you'll be out of your anniversary sex coma, and can go OCD all over that).
The setlist continued with Whole Lot of Leavin' which is one of my favorites from Lost Highway. Bobby does the opening sequence, and just does an amazing job with it. As an aside, Bobby was dressed in a flippin' suit the entire night, and did NOT take off his jacket, nor did his hair appear to be sweat-drenched. Wonder what his secret is?
Anyway, We get Born to be my Baby (a real crowd pleaser) followed by Lost Highway, and Raise Your Hands.
Raise Your Hands made its debut this tour, and was a nice treat. I have to say, I consider that one of the "staples" so was CERTAIN that it has been played already but nope. I woulda lost the bet on that one.
Then came Runaway.
If you were following along on Twitter, OH MY GOD.
Partway through the song POOF! The sound goes. I mean GOES. You could hear Tico's kit, and those in the pit said they could still hear the guys a little, but damn. It was quiet for a WHILE. Like half a verse and a chorus. Close to a minute. Jon kinda gave a little smile, but kept right on singing, complete with the little faces he makes. We helped out, singing along until the speakers came back on. Twitter's all a-twitter wondering who's getting the blame (read as fired) over this. It was a BIG glitch. To Jon's credit, he didn't mention it at all, just kept right on going.
Then we got the WWWB/Superman duo, and most of our section sat down for a breather. We were on the FLOOR, section 1, 10 rows back. And the section was half-empty to begin with. Sold out my ass (don't get me started on that again. I know about the filler tickets and the stupid VIP/Exec/Corporate tickets, it just irritates the fudge outta me). I just don't get it.
Next up, We Got It Going On, Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues (which is my favorite pairing so far) with a Shout teaser, but just I think he just wanted to shake the sweat out of his hair. Once he had our attention, it was "a good thing there's no roof on this joint" as they launched into It's My Life. Slowed down with Love's The Only Rule, which I think was better in the arenas when Jon could go through the crowd to get out to the circle. He did shake hands and stuff on his way, but it's not the same. As he disappeared below the main stage at the end of the song, Richie donned his hat (not THE hat, but the other one lol) and took center stage for Lay Your Hands On Me.
Sidebar note here, I think it's cute that he doesn't remember all the words to the song, and just sings the same phrases over and over. It's okay by me; he's getting his singing time, and this means tomorrow we get Homebound Train. I'd rather have Stranger (the other song I want to hear sometime before I die -- Never Say Goodbye was the first, and I got that at Mohegan).
Jon broke out Hallelujah tonight, and it was absolutely beautiful. If his allergies and what not were bothering him, he put it aside for this song. Richie joined him for I'll Be There For You, and I was torn between watching them on the screen where I could see their head-to-head duet with perfect clarity or watching them from my seat, so I was facing Richie. It was a tough call; I alternated between the two :)
Let's see, what next.
You can probably guess it.
Go on, I'll give you a minute
Got it yet?
Yep, the Something for the Pain/Saturday Night acoustic pair which is (I guess) a signal for GET MORE BEER (shakes head). It's not a sporting event. It's a freaking concert. At the end of the acoustic set, David had to haul ass with his accordion back to the stage. He actually cradled the thing in his arms and BOOKED back to his keys. He turned his back to his tech who unfastened him and helped slip the instrument off his shoulders.
We got a great treat in Have a Nice Day -- complete with Richie flipping off the crowd at the end. This is one of my favorite live songs. It has a great energy and I'm not tired of it yet.
I am tired of the next two songs. Working Man and Who Says. *sigh* That's all I'm going to say about that.
Then we got Keep the Faith. Amazing energy, though Jon kept flexing his non-maraca hand; not sure if he was cramping up or if he was trying to flick sweat off of it. Lots of shaking (assets and maracas) and we got a short but suhWEET fireworks show with the song. The air was just heavy enough for the smell of the spent shells to be a bit overpowering on the the field, but just breezy enough that before you could get sick on it, it was clearing away.
The guys took a few minutes to get themselves together, then came back out for the encore. Within 2 minutes, they were pouring sweat again :)
When the opening notes of Dry County sounded, my heart literally clenched in my chest. This song is on my "take some songs to a deserted island" list, and I haven't heard a version I didn't like. This is my first time seeing it live, and I have to say, it just blew me away. The whole rest of the practice set list was worth it to get to this song.
I know of at least three people who're uploading closer copies of this to YouTube right now, and you HAVE to find it (you can get it on the BJCT in a day or so) and watch it. The solos were just beyond thrilling. Tico was a freaking MADMAN behind the kit, and Jon was just all over the place happy-happy. He sang the "real" words to the song, not the words he reworked during sound check. It was just beyond fabulous.
Then of course, we got Wanted and Prayer.
26 songs this evening. Only a couple "new gems" in the bunch, but that did not, in any way, stop it from being a fantastic show.
Honestly, I only get hyper about the set lists becasue of the BJCT. If I wasn't watching the set lists so closely, I wouldn't even realize the similarities. But because of the other blog I'm more attuned to the duplicates.
Do I wish I had sat this one out?
HELL NO!
Am I jazzed for tomorrow's show even though I know in my heart the "Big Event" will be Saturday, and I'll have to live it vicariously through my girlfriends?
HELL YEAH!
Because it's Bon Jovi.
And I love them.
Bring on night 2.
~ Hath
We took the train from Seacaucus to the stadium. A whole mess of us. It was great, because we got left off right outside the gate. Super easy, and we wouldn't have to worry about the parking lot zoo afterwards. We went through security (who barely checked my bag DAMMIT - I didn't bring the good camera tonight because I heard a story about someone who was turned away from the gates (not here obviously) and I got freaked out. Then I asked one of the guest services guys inside the stadium and he said, "no, detachable lenses are fine" so tomorrow, I'm bringing it.) and went on a quest to find water. H-O-T HOT tonight.
The stadium itself is gorgeous (as it should be, because it's new). The stage is enormous (if you haven't experienced a stadium show before, the stage is elevated quite a bit from the arena shows, and is MASSIVE. Lots of space for Jon and the guys to move around, though Jon is the only who takes advantage.
The opening graphics sequence on the ginormous screen that spans the endzone is just fantastic. It's essentially the same as in the arenas, but they have it tied in to the screens that ring the stadium, so as the little pulses happen, they traverse the whole of the stadium. Pretty neat.
The opening licks of Blood on Blood started, and my first thought, I swear to you, my devoted, was "Great. Blood, Follow, Bad Name." Yep, got it right the first time. Not that those aren't great songs, but still...
You'll be saddened to know that Jon did NOT take my costuming advice, and they were sans cut-off short-shorts. They were dressed in standard concert attire. Maybe tomorrow.. They had to have lost at least a gallon or two of sweat each tonight. Those tight clothes, while appreciated by [most of] the fandom, are NOT good for hot weather.
Jon made some remarks about being the first guy to introduce the home of the 2014 Superbowl ("The New Meadowlands Stadium: I like it, I like it, I like it. Out with the old, in with the new," Bon Jovi told the crowd. "I get to be the first guy to get on a big microphone and say welcome to the home of the Super Bowl!") and to say he would like to see a Jets/Giants Superbowl in 2014. As a rabit Patriots fan, I had to stick my tongue out at him.
He also made a comment about "The only american idol you need to see is standing right here!" Very funny, and the crowd liked it.
NJ.COM has these first three videos up. I'm too tired to sort out how to stream/download them, but I know that by tomorrow there'll be a zillion videos on YouTube (Catte, hopefully you'll be out of your anniversary sex coma, and can go OCD all over that).
The setlist continued with Whole Lot of Leavin' which is one of my favorites from Lost Highway. Bobby does the opening sequence, and just does an amazing job with it. As an aside, Bobby was dressed in a flippin' suit the entire night, and did NOT take off his jacket, nor did his hair appear to be sweat-drenched. Wonder what his secret is?
Anyway, We get Born to be my Baby (a real crowd pleaser) followed by Lost Highway, and Raise Your Hands.
Raise Your Hands made its debut this tour, and was a nice treat. I have to say, I consider that one of the "staples" so was CERTAIN that it has been played already but nope. I woulda lost the bet on that one.
Then came Runaway.
If you were following along on Twitter, OH MY GOD.
Partway through the song POOF! The sound goes. I mean GOES. You could hear Tico's kit, and those in the pit said they could still hear the guys a little, but damn. It was quiet for a WHILE. Like half a verse and a chorus. Close to a minute. Jon kinda gave a little smile, but kept right on singing, complete with the little faces he makes. We helped out, singing along until the speakers came back on. Twitter's all a-twitter wondering who's getting the blame (read as fired) over this. It was a BIG glitch. To Jon's credit, he didn't mention it at all, just kept right on going.
Then we got the WWWB/Superman duo, and most of our section sat down for a breather. We were on the FLOOR, section 1, 10 rows back. And the section was half-empty to begin with. Sold out my ass (don't get me started on that again. I know about the filler tickets and the stupid VIP/Exec/Corporate tickets, it just irritates the fudge outta me). I just don't get it.
Next up, We Got It Going On, Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues (which is my favorite pairing so far) with a Shout teaser, but just I think he just wanted to shake the sweat out of his hair. Once he had our attention, it was "a good thing there's no roof on this joint" as they launched into It's My Life. Slowed down with Love's The Only Rule, which I think was better in the arenas when Jon could go through the crowd to get out to the circle. He did shake hands and stuff on his way, but it's not the same. As he disappeared below the main stage at the end of the song, Richie donned his hat (not THE hat, but the other one lol) and took center stage for Lay Your Hands On Me.
Sidebar note here, I think it's cute that he doesn't remember all the words to the song, and just sings the same phrases over and over. It's okay by me; he's getting his singing time, and this means tomorrow we get Homebound Train. I'd rather have Stranger (the other song I want to hear sometime before I die -- Never Say Goodbye was the first, and I got that at Mohegan).
Jon broke out Hallelujah tonight, and it was absolutely beautiful. If his allergies and what not were bothering him, he put it aside for this song. Richie joined him for I'll Be There For You, and I was torn between watching them on the screen where I could see their head-to-head duet with perfect clarity or watching them from my seat, so I was facing Richie. It was a tough call; I alternated between the two :)
Let's see, what next.
You can probably guess it.
Go on, I'll give you a minute
Got it yet?
Yep, the Something for the Pain/Saturday Night acoustic pair which is (I guess) a signal for GET MORE BEER (shakes head). It's not a sporting event. It's a freaking concert. At the end of the acoustic set, David had to haul ass with his accordion back to the stage. He actually cradled the thing in his arms and BOOKED back to his keys. He turned his back to his tech who unfastened him and helped slip the instrument off his shoulders.
We got a great treat in Have a Nice Day -- complete with Richie flipping off the crowd at the end. This is one of my favorite live songs. It has a great energy and I'm not tired of it yet.
I am tired of the next two songs. Working Man and Who Says. *sigh* That's all I'm going to say about that.
Then we got Keep the Faith. Amazing energy, though Jon kept flexing his non-maraca hand; not sure if he was cramping up or if he was trying to flick sweat off of it. Lots of shaking (assets and maracas) and we got a short but suhWEET fireworks show with the song. The air was just heavy enough for the smell of the spent shells to be a bit overpowering on the the field, but just breezy enough that before you could get sick on it, it was clearing away.
The guys took a few minutes to get themselves together, then came back out for the encore. Within 2 minutes, they were pouring sweat again :)
When the opening notes of Dry County sounded, my heart literally clenched in my chest. This song is on my "take some songs to a deserted island" list, and I haven't heard a version I didn't like. This is my first time seeing it live, and I have to say, it just blew me away. The whole rest of the practice set list was worth it to get to this song.
I know of at least three people who're uploading closer copies of this to YouTube right now, and you HAVE to find it (you can get it on the BJCT in a day or so) and watch it. The solos were just beyond thrilling. Tico was a freaking MADMAN behind the kit, and Jon was just all over the place happy-happy. He sang the "real" words to the song, not the words he reworked during sound check. It was just beyond fabulous.
Then of course, we got Wanted and Prayer.
26 songs this evening. Only a couple "new gems" in the bunch, but that did not, in any way, stop it from being a fantastic show.
Honestly, I only get hyper about the set lists becasue of the BJCT. If I wasn't watching the set lists so closely, I wouldn't even realize the similarities. But because of the other blog I'm more attuned to the duplicates.
Do I wish I had sat this one out?
HELL NO!
Am I jazzed for tomorrow's show even though I know in my heart the "Big Event" will be Saturday, and I'll have to live it vicariously through my girlfriends?
HELL YEAH!
Because it's Bon Jovi.
And I love them.
Bring on night 2.
~ Hath
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
25 -26 songs? We'll Be Counting!
As a fan, I don't necessarily care about the quantity. It's all about quality. Don't get me wrong; I would listen to them sing ANYTHING. But I'd rather see them take a deep dive into the catalog then trot out all the standards -- especially tonight. That being said, Jon did have this to say:
source
~ Hath
"I change eight or nine songs a night," Bon Jovi said. "So to be honest with you, not to BS anyone, I’ll pretty much have an A list tomorrow and then it will go from there. I pretty much know the 25 or 26 that will be set for tomorrow. And then they’ll fluctuate dramatically."
A safe bet for tomorrow’s first night in Jersey: "Who Says You Can’t Go Home." He said he has already penciled in a cover of "Hallelujah."
It’s always exciting and difficult as well to play at home, because you’ve got every cousin and relative and neighborhood friend that’s there with you," Bon Jovi said. "You’re obviously wanting to be at your best when you’re in your backyard."
source
~ Hath
Soundcheck
And apparently the Dry County rumors may be actually true. Billboard.com tweeted:
Jon Bon Jovi rewrote the lyrics to "Dry County" for the new meadowlands opening shows about 5 hours ago via web
And, at least one of the girls at sound check last night reported / recorded Dry County, though I haven't seen it on YouTube yet. (hint, hint)
RikeBJ took some great shots, and uploaded them here. A few of my faves::
We're still debating whether or not to forego the $100 seats we have and buy new seats closer; at least for the first night.
Is it time to go yet?
~ Hath
Bon Jovi Fever
Everyone is susceptible. Apparently, NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has an off-season regiment that includes Bon Jovi songs and late nights with Lance Bass. Bass and Sanchez hooked up for a karaoke duet at the Canal Room in NYC this past weekend. The two busted out a version of "Livin' on a Prayer" -- and we're told it was actually pretty good.
source
Everyone's got Jovi Fever.
I got it.
And I'm lovin' the burrrrrnnn....
~ Hath
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
How I Spent My Tuesday
After jostling my suitcase (thanks, bro, for the loan; you'll get it back this weekend), my backpack-cum-camera-bag-cum-purse, and my Bon Jovi laptop bag onto the train, we set off for Boston.
Three of those later, and I'm ready to deal with work. I've had today circled in dark purple ink for MONTHS now, and all day, I had to keep snapping a rubber band on my wrist to remind myself that if I get fired from my job for being over-Jovi'd I won't have any moolah with which to feed my habit.
That would suck.
The conference room was air conditioned, and they have their own supply of Diet Coke, so I was a happy camper. I got back to my office just in time for a status update meeting with the VPs in my division (again, sounds impressive, but is just my boss' way of making sure I do what he tells me to do, the jerk. Like I haven't.... but I digress) and before I knew it, it was 1:00! That meant T-minus-30 minutes until the bus leaves to take me to New Jersey!!!!
So I head over to the bus station (which is about 300 yards from my office; tres convenient), and wait in line with the ONLY paper ticket in the place. Everyone else was showing their blackberries to the ticket-taker. One of these days I'll catch on to the paperless community. For me, having the piece of paper in hand meant I didn't have to scroll through 1872 emails to find the Bolt Bus receipt.
Yeah,. Bolt Bus.
Pretty cool. Round-trip bus from Boston to Jersey and back for $50. Can't really beat that. You do have to switch busses in NYC (at Tick Tock at 34th and 8th) but you go from your bus to the bus in front of you, and the transfer takes all of 4 minutes.
But I skipped the oh so best parts (can you see my eyes rolling)?
On the first leg, the guy in the seat in front of me thought it would be fun if he slammed his seat into my knees three or four times. He also thought it would be nice to lie to everyone who was coming on the bus that he was "waiting for someone" which is apparently code for "I want to take a nap, sprawl over two seats, put my feet in the face of the girl in front of me, and slam the lady behind me with my seat". Ass.
By the time we got to NYC, I was SO ready to get off the damned bus. We switched to the other bus, which was FAR more comfortable, and set off.
And immediately hit traffic.
In a tunnel.
Did you know I was claustrophobic?
No?
ANYWAY, we finally, FINALLY make it to New Jersey. How do I know? We had to pay to get out of New York. That cracks me up every single time :)
A short while later, I get dropped off in Cherry Hill, in the middle of the highway. I thought Willow was kidding when she told me that.
Nope.
We drove home from CPK with the top down (her convertible, not our own couture thank-you-very-much) and came to meet an exuberant Jersey, her adorable puppy.
Now you're caught up. We chatted with Catte for a while, I watched Willow pack for the rest of the week, and we're gonna hang out and catch up for a while.
Tomorrow, we're off to the Hilton, after manicures, and will meet up with Summer, Tresca, and TaraLeigh at some point (they have to sign the boxers, and Tresca, you HAVE to toss them up to Jon lol) then we're off to Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Then what?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot --NOT --
The Meadowlands. Giants' Stadium. Jon's new home. BON JOVI!!!!
*sigh*
I can't wait.
AND, someone's spreading rumors on Twitter of Dry County for tomorrow night. Can you say GAH! I can :)
GAH!!!
~ Hath
Richie and Nikki on Leeza
Not sure when it was from, but Leeza Gibbons posted this on her YouTube channel on May 21.
Richie and Nikki talked with Leeza about their White Trash Beautiful line on her radio show, Hollywood Confidential.
I think Nikki looks absolutely adorable in this video.
Richie still needs to ash-can those shades :)
~ Hath
Richie and Nikki talked with Leeza about their White Trash Beautiful line on her radio show, Hollywood Confidential.
I think Nikki looks absolutely adorable in this video.
Richie still needs to ash-can those shades :)
~ Hath
Sold out, my ass
Sorry, I couldn't help it. I love how they tout the shows as "sold out" but magically have a pile of tickets they can release just before the show. A little honesty please, people. I know, I know, at least one of you has tried to explain to me how the whole sold-out thing works, but I still hate the subterfuge.
ANYWAY, some really great seats are still available...including PIT seats!
Tickets
There are still pit seats available for the first night ($350 per, and you have to buy two). I'm seriously trying to decide whether to eat the $100 for my seat for tomorrow, and get a "better" one on the freaking field for $150. Or may be just check out the alpers-scay at the venue. GAH!
In about 15 minutes, I'm outta here, heading for the bus.
YAY!!!
~ Hath
Don't miss Bon Jovi at the New Meadowlands Stadium on May 26, 27, 29 and July 9!
Great production seats have just been released for the May shows.
The amazing "The Circle World Tour" hits Bon Jovi's home state with the following special guests:
Wednesday, May 26 - Train
Thursday, May 27 - Gavin DeGraw
Saturday, May 29 - OneRepublic
Friday, July 9 - Kid Rock
Ticket Prices: $153, $99, $69, $39.50
(Ticket price includes $3 facility fee)
All acts, dates and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO VENUE
A special NJ Transit train car will be fully wrapped with Bon Jovi graphics in honor of the inagural concert series at the new venue. Visit www.njtransit.com/meadowlands for more details on convenient mass transit rail service to the concerts.
Tickets
There are still pit seats available for the first night ($350 per, and you have to buy two). I'm seriously trying to decide whether to eat the $100 for my seat for tomorrow, and get a "better" one on the freaking field for $150. Or may be just check out the alpers-scay at the venue. GAH!
In about 15 minutes, I'm outta here, heading for the bus.
YAY!!!
~ Hath
Bon Jovi Quits Smoking To Save Money
This made me laugh. I mean good for him for making the healthier choice, but I have to wonder; does the inflated premium REALLY make much of a difference to his bottom line? I think not.
~ Hath
Rocker JON BON JOVI has given up cigarettes - because he refuses to pay the huge insurance premiums needed to cover a smoker.I found this here (though the version on CM has the swear words censored). I love ContactMusic; they have some pretty funny stuff on their site every now and again...
The Livin' On A Prayer hitmaker picked up the habit while filming 1994 movie Moonlight and Valentino, but finally decided to turn his back on tobacco after trying to buy life insurance - and realising he was paying over-the-odds due to his love of cigarettes.
He tells Q magazine, "I swore off them before the tour and I'm happy to say that I haven't picked them up again.
"(I quit because of) the cold hard truth. I tried to get life insurance and the price with smoking was so ridiculous it was enough to piss you off and just throw them in the garbage. So it was cold fucking turkey."
~ Hath
New Story!
~ Added to the Fan Fiction Directory ~
Codename: Kryptonite
A Jonny story by my good friend T.
From the site:
Gabriella Prince (codename: Kryptonite) is sent back in time to help President Bongiovi.
Trust me, you'll want to check this one out.
~ Hath
Codename: Kryptonite
A Jonny story by my good friend T.
From the site:
THIS IS A TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE BASED ON A REAL PERSON (FAN FICTION). THERE WILL BE GRAPHIC SCENES OF AN ADULT NATURE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: SEXUAL SITUATIONS, VIOLENCE, AND ADULT LANGUAGE. IF ANY OF THIS IS NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU MOVE ALONG NOW.
Gabriella Prince (codename: Kryptonite) is sent back in time to help President Bongiovi.
Trust me, you'll want to check this one out.
~ Hath
Richie!
Richie Sambora and Nikki Lund attended the E! Entertainment's 20th Birthday Celebration at The London Hotel on May 24, 2010 in West Hollywood, California.
I'm sorry for saying this, because I know you're not gonna like it.
Richie, honey, thanks for wearing something other than black -- red is definitely your color. But those glasses. Really. Linda Richman anyone?
Go ahead.
Talk amongst yourselves.
I'm getting a little verklempt.
~ Hath
I'm sorry for saying this, because I know you're not gonna like it.
Richie, honey, thanks for wearing something other than black -- red is definitely your color. But those glasses. Really. Linda Richman anyone?
Go ahead.
Talk amongst yourselves.
I'm getting a little verklempt.
~ Hath
In The Studio
... I know, this is old news, but with the opening of Meadowlands TOMORROW! I wanted to remind everyone of what Jon tweeted/FB'd last week:
BUT, how can I not, with this little teaser bouncing around in my brain?
Oh, and how cute was Richie, biting his delectable lower lip?
Willow and I are going to have a late supper at the California Pizza Kitchen, then it's back to her condo to play with Jersey and get ready for Giants. Jon, I hope you'll pilot whatever you guys were playing around with in the studio with us on Wednesday. Pull out the "bootlegger" speech for us, yeah? I take the jaunty wave to be agreement :)
OK, off to do a bit of work. Less than six hours!!!
~ Hath
day off... recording a couple new songs for you - jbjIn a little more than 6 hours, I'll be boarding the Bolt bus, and on my way to New Jersey. I'm very excited for this first night at Giants, and I am trying like hell not to get my hopes up too high.
BUT, how can I not, with this little teaser bouncing around in my brain?
Oh, and how cute was Richie, biting his delectable lower lip?
Willow and I are going to have a late supper at the California Pizza Kitchen, then it's back to her condo to play with Jersey and get ready for Giants. Jon, I hope you'll pilot whatever you guys were playing around with in the studio with us on Wednesday. Pull out the "bootlegger" speech for us, yeah? I take the jaunty wave to be agreement :)
OK, off to do a bit of work. Less than six hours!!!
~ Hath
Monday, May 24, 2010
WWWB Video!
TOTALLY forgot about this. The video is now open for everyone to view on bonjovi.com. Our own Catte and FictionMistress are in the crowd shots :)
~ Hath
~ Hath
Online Updated: The End
No, really, this is The End. It's been quite a wild ride, and I'm thankful to those of you who chose to come along with me. I hope you like what I did with the ending...
~ Hath
~ Hath
Have Violin, Will Travel
A great article about Ms. Lorenza Ponce in the Asbury Park Press.
The full article can be read here.
~ Hath
When Bon Jovi added a Nashville accent to its sound for its “Lost Highway” tour, the band turned to Lorenza Ponce for some country-rock violin.
Sheryl Crow also recruited Ponce for tours, and encouraged the violinist to play guitar and to sing, as well as to write string arrangements for the tour.
On her own solo tour, the New York-based Ponce takes with her the lessons she learned from these stars and applies them to club performances.
“One thing I learned from Bon Jovi — it’s good to be on top,” Ponce said, with a laugh. “They live a great lifestyle. But, it’s a lot of hard work and they are incredibly disciplined. Everything is geared to the show — working out, eating, vocal warm-ups. Everything is scheduled to be gig-ready. And that’s why they’re so successful. It’s a job. They love it, but they know they have to take it seriously. They don’t always get the best press or whatever, but there’s a reason why they’ve lasted. You can go crazy and drink and last for five years, or you can have the discipline that Jon has and still be performing at the top after 25 years.”
Ponce continues to make occasional guest appearances on Bon Jovi’s current tour, promoting “The Circle.” The tour will open the new Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, with shows May 26, 27 and 29, as well as July 9.
Meanwhile, Ponce celebrates the release of her most recent solo disc, “Soul Shifter,” with a show May 24 at The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St. in Manhattan. Ponce performs at 8 p.m., followed by an after-party at the club’s Googies Lounge from 9 to 10:30 p.m. Admission to the show is free, though a one-drink minimum is required.
“Because of the tours I’ve been on, I haven’t been in clubs for so long,” Ponce said. “I love being able to talk to people and take pictures with fans, and sit for a couple hours afterward. I’m really active on Twitter and Facebook, so I know a lot of foreign fans, especially from Italy, are coming in for the Bon Jovi shows and they’re coming to see my show, too.”
The full article can be read here.
~ Hath
MEMPHIS Scores 4 of 7 Drama Desk Awards!
Outstanding Musical
Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Montego Glover, tied with Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Outstanding Music (David Bryan)
Outstanding Orchestrations (Daryl Waters & David Bryan)
Congratulations!!!
~ Hath
"The Email"
This has been floating all around the Blogosphere; a letter written to Bob Lefsetz, writer of the Lefsetz Letter received this e-mail Lefsetz linked to a New York Times article about VIP packages.
THIS comes after the discussions on various boards about how stadium promoters are adding more acts to the Jovi shows in the hopes of getting more BIS (butts in seats), and how 2-for-1 offers are starting to crop up.
My opinions? If you can afford the $1000+ for the front-row package, and don't mind the spend, then go for it. If you think that it's way too much for not so much return on your investment, or you feel that hearing someone else got the same tickets for free, skip it and buy someplace else in the arena. I also have to say, I'm not sure how this writer was "lied to". The very slim "perks" that came with the ticket were all spelled out in the package -- it just sounds like he has buyer's remorse. Which is fine, of course, but it's not like he was promised a meet-and-greet.
I think the "fat club" remark was uncalled for, though I totally believe it happened and continues to happen. I never cease to be amazed at the lengths people will go to in order to make others feel badly. Just a note to Matt & Co., it's those "fat club" people that buy all the crap that's hawked on BSWJBJ (though now they have to open the store to the unwashed masses due to -- I assume -- lousy sales numbers) shell out the big bucks for the VIP packages and "good seats", and generally support the band no matter what the management is up to. Just sayin'.
I also think that while I don't want anyone getting shot, the writer sticking up for Fredo did make me chuckle.
~ Hath
Bob -
I have contemplated for weeks to write you and finally deciding to do so now based on the items coming out about prices.
I attended a few Bon Jovi shows this past winter/spring and wanted to share some insight. The 1st one was in a nosebleed section and i felt a million miles away. The band is a long way from their catwalk days where every fan mattered. It felt like they only cared about those upfront. The stage was distracting & unimpressive and everyone in the balcony sat on their butts.
A week later after being unemployed for 8 months I scored a new job. I felt elated. I decided to treat myself to something special, a VIP ticket to an upcoming Bon Jovi show. I was surprised to find tickets available to a major market show still available. The price tag, $1100. I would like to state that I am foolish for paying this but felt as if I deserved it after my ordeal.
So I fly in, get to the arena for my VIP treatment and for the next few hours, was treated like shit by everyone from arena staff to band staff to Jon Bon Jovi’s brother. Someone (a heavier girl) wanted a picture with Matt BJ…and he rolled his eyes in a manner that was disgusting. A friend overheard one of the crew guys referring to the fan club as the "fat club"...out loud, in front of people! It was like scheduling a meeting with Michael Corleone and getting Fredo instead.
When I bought the ticket, I honest to god thought there had to be more than what they were advertising. Couldn’t they at least give us Hugh (the guy who has played bass on every bj record but jbj refuses to be a part of the group)?
The group managing BJ at this time is flat out insulting. I take my seat and the guy next 2 me asks what I paid, I tell him and he begins to laugh out loud. He goes on to tell me that he paid nothing, was given free tickets by the management team and that people like me pay for his tickets. He had been drinking but I couldn’t stop listening. He went on and on and told me that the band makes all their money from people like me who are dumb and foolish enough to spend the money (which was confirmed by the NYT article). He said that by me essentially buying 10-12 tickets it allows them to give freebies out to give the illusion that a show is a sell-out when it really isn’t.
The next 2 hours I don’t remember anything. I was so sick to my stomach I couldn’t even enjoy the show. I don’t remember any of it. I felt raped. I felt violated beyond words. Not to mention the bad experience backstage where I was offered a wondrous chance to take a picture with a certain members guitar.
Until the day I die I will let everyone I come in contact know about the experience, how its not worth it, how I was hurt and how I was lied to and taken advantage of. I'll never see this band again, buy their music or send a single cent their way. They may have gotten my $$$ but they’ve lost my loyalty forever.
PS: Don’t publish my name as I don’t want to be harassed for speaking out.
PS2: My comparison of Matt Bon Jovi to Fredo is an insult to Fredo. If Matt went out fishing in a boat and was shot, people wouldn’t be shocked, they’d celebrate. Hell, I’d pay $1100 to watch that.
THIS comes after the discussions on various boards about how stadium promoters are adding more acts to the Jovi shows in the hopes of getting more BIS (butts in seats), and how 2-for-1 offers are starting to crop up.
My opinions? If you can afford the $1000+ for the front-row package, and don't mind the spend, then go for it. If you think that it's way too much for not so much return on your investment, or you feel that hearing someone else got the same tickets for free, skip it and buy someplace else in the arena. I also have to say, I'm not sure how this writer was "lied to". The very slim "perks" that came with the ticket were all spelled out in the package -- it just sounds like he has buyer's remorse. Which is fine, of course, but it's not like he was promised a meet-and-greet.
I think the "fat club" remark was uncalled for, though I totally believe it happened and continues to happen. I never cease to be amazed at the lengths people will go to in order to make others feel badly. Just a note to Matt & Co., it's those "fat club" people that buy all the crap that's hawked on BSWJBJ (though now they have to open the store to the unwashed masses due to -- I assume -- lousy sales numbers) shell out the big bucks for the VIP packages and "good seats", and generally support the band no matter what the management is up to. Just sayin'.
I also think that while I don't want anyone getting shot, the writer sticking up for Fredo did make me chuckle.
~ Hath
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Ticket Prices and an O2 2-for-1
Thanks, T, for dropping these in my inbox; very interesting reads!
Click here for the whole article.
Ticketmaster is selling 2 tickets for price of 1 for Bon Jovi at O2, London on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th June 2010.
Click on the link and enter the password BONJOVI for this offer.
I just tried and got 2 seats, section A2, row F. That's six rows from the circle! Lots of seats still available, and at 2-for-1, the prices are ALMOST reasonable! Here's the layout of the O2 for Bon Jovi:
A Front-Row Seat, to Go? Rock Fans Pay for Perks
Helena Aguiar had come all the way from São Paulo, Brazil, for a front-row seat to see her favorite band, and she got it: a black metal folding chair with a gold and cherry-red Bon Jovi logo on the cushion, hers to take home. The price: $1,750.
At Bon Jovi’s three sold-out shows this week at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the top package — which includes the takeaway chair, a leather bag and a catered meal — is $1,875.
Once available only for top-dollar tours by the likes of U2 or the Rolling Stones, V.I.P. packages have trickled down to the rank-and-file of live music, as artists try to maximize grosses and reap some of the markup value that the best seats get on resale sites like StubHub.com. And despite the soft economy, promoters have found that hard-core fans are willing to pay premium prices to get red-carpet treatment for their favorite shows.
“It’s probably the biggest negotiation in any tour deal,” said Randy Phillips, the chief executive of AEG Live, promoter of the Bon Jovi tour. “On a hot act you can make as much money from 10 percent of the house as the other 90.”
Four-digit prices are relatively new for the concert business. In 1996 the average ticket to the top 100 tours cost $26, according to Pollstar, an industry trade magazine, but since then it has increased more than 140 percent, to $63. One reason is the collapse of record sales, which has forced artists to rely on touring for most of their income.
Artists and their managers say the V.I.P. programs allow them to dote on their biggest fans, rewarding loyalty with special treatment. And many concertgoers leap at the deals. Laurie Huey, a 44-year-old accountant in New Jersey, has bought six various V.I.P. packages for the current Bon Jovi tour, at a cost of about $8,500. She has five Bon Jovi chairs at home and expects to buy even more before the tour is through.
“Years ago I used to have to pay a scalper that to get front row,” Ms. Huey said. “I would rather pay the Bon Jovi fan club or Ticketmaster and know what I’m getting, because I’ve gotten burned by scalpers.”
At Hersheypark, the well-oiled Bon Jovi machine coordinated several levels of backstage access. Members of the fan club got a backstage tour that included a chance to pose for a photo with Jon Bon Jovi’s maracas and mic stand, while the non-fan-club V.I.P.’s enjoyed prime rib, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and white wine in a separate tent. Participants said their experience was well worth the price tag.
“I have money,” said Jim Leaman, 55, who owns a propane gas company. “So if I want to come to a show, I want to be up front and I don’t care if it costs $100 or $1,000.”
Click here for the whole article.
Ticketmaster is selling 2 tickets for price of 1 for Bon Jovi at O2, London on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th June 2010.
Click on the link and enter the password BONJOVI for this offer.
I just tried and got 2 seats, section A2, row F. That's six rows from the circle! Lots of seats still available, and at 2-for-1, the prices are ALMOST reasonable! Here's the layout of the O2 for Bon Jovi:
~ Hath