JonBon with SSJ

Last evening, our own JonBon kicked off his Labor day weekend with a stint as a Stunt-Juke. Jon joined South Side Johnny on stage at Stephen's Talkhouse after watching the show from the audience with his wife.

For those of us who visit the Hamptons regularly, we tend to stay away from the long-weekends (Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day) as those are heavy "city" weekends -- where all the NYC-dwellers pile on the busses, trains, and the LIE for some relaxation.

Looks like this was yet again a bad plan :)

It appears though Jon had a great time, and if I wasn't working over Columbus Day weekend, I'd head out to the Hamptons for the close-of-season weekend.

~ Hath

BonJovi.com Goodies

From BonJovi.com

Now up in the FEATURED Photos section of BonJovi.com are five rare photos of Bon Jovi from the era of the Lost Highway and Have A Nice Day albums! Visit BonJovi.com/Photos to check them out now!

And don't forget to visit the Official Bon Jovi online Store for discounted merchandise from the Lost Highway and Have A Nice Day eras!

Happy Weekend!

~Hath

MLB Drops Jovi, Picks Up Rock

From 'Duk on sports.yahoo.com:

The good news? Bon Jovi's two-year reign as the playoff song you love to hate is over.
The bad? TBS is replacing those vanilla ditties with Kid Rock's "Born Free" this fall.

Now, don't get me wrong. I completely admire Mr. Kid for the way he realized that his early rap-rock career had a Durst-like shelf life before transforming himself into a record-selling prince of the proletariat by draping his body and average musical skills in the flag. He's become Jimmy Buffett for those who still wear jorts, but still seems like a smart guy who I'd like to have a beer with (which, I suppose, is his exact intent).

And while I plead guilty to having owned one of his CDs during college, my problem is that his voice is completely shot and resembles the wail of a dizzy alley dog. You think you're going to get sick of Conan commercials? Wait until you're hit with Kid Rock doing his poor man's Seger 86 times during a 4-1/2 hour New York Yankees playoff game.

At any rate, go watch the new video/promo to get a head start on burning the tune into your head. It starts with a shot of PNC Park (you know, because plenty of postseason baseball will be played there) and has plenty of Chip Caray clips sprinkled in (though sadly no samples of "fisted").

Mr. Hath will be happy.  He likes baseball, Jovi?  Not so much.

~ Hath

Bon Jovi = Wayne Newton?

I saw this article, and my immediate, visceral reaction was, "Really? Excited? I don't think so."

Then I re-read the article and saw it peppered with phrases like "reportedly" and "it is believed" which makes me think it's almost completely made up.

I mean, this band is in the midst of a HUGE world tour. Still raking in cash hand-over-fist in that space, why the heck would they want to trade in the RockStar image for Lounge Act? I just don't see it. BUT, hey, what do I know?

Bon Jovi have reportedly been offered a multi-million dollar residency by a top Las Vegas hotel.

The iconic American rock band, fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, comprises of guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres and bassist Hugh McDonald.

It is believed the owners of an unnamed hotel in Las Vegas were so impressed by the band’s performances on their recent The Circle tour, they have offered them an impressive deal to be the establishment’s resident musical act.

There has been no official word from the band, although a source reportedly told the British newspaper The Mirror that Bon Jovi were “excited by the offer”.

So what do you think? Do you think that JonBon and crew are ready to give up the road, and uproot their families, move to Vegas, and become lounge singers?

~ Hath

Free Bon Jovi Show in October

Two of the biggest names in music will use their star power to help bring attention and tourists back to the Alabama Gulf Coast.  The two free concerts on the beach are slated for the weekend of October 15th-17th in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with Bon Jovi performing on Friday, October 15th and Brad Paisley performing on Sunday, October 17th. These two shows signify the next installments of Alabama's "Concerts For The Coast" event series.

The shows, which are FREE to the public, will be ticketed events.  Tickets will be available through Gulf Shores and Orange Beach lodging partners starting Wednesday, September 8th.  For a list of accommodations offering reservation packages with free tickets, visit http://gulfshores.com/packages-deals/.

A limited number of tickets will be available for local distribution to area residents on Saturday, September 11th.  A valid government issued photo ID is required and there is a 2-ticket limit per person available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information, please visit www.concertsforthecoast.com.

Read the whole article here.

SO, who among you are 'Bama residents?

~ Hath

Wanted Wednesday ~ Behind the Glory Days

Welcome to a new feature I'm adding, called "Wanted Wednesday".  In perusing my bootleg collection, I found I have more than 125 versions of this song, and thought I'd share them with you (one at a time lol).  Overplayed as some say it is, I love this song, and haven't yet heard a version I didn't like.

From week to week, depending on the version I select, I may have a little bit to say, or a whole lot.  Either way, if you don't want to read through it all, just go down to the bottom of the post where there's a mini player to hear the tune, and link for downloading.

OK.  Now, without further ado....

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

Up for your enjoyment today, a track from a collection called "Behind the Glory Days"

For anyone who’s ever gone to a concert and been pissed when the band starts Wanted and the crowd comes in too early – well, you're going to be a little more forgiving from now on.  See, in the early days, Jon got confused too.

Recorded live at the "New Jersey" premiere on September 19, 1988 (as I started to settle in to my senior year in high school -- holy crap) this radio performance is one of my all-time favorites, and why I chose it to start this series off.

Once Jon comes in too early, he calls Richie on it (There you go, screw with me on national radio).  Richie’s maniacal laugh is just pure joy, and I’m considering this for a ring tone.

This track sounds like it was recorded when Jon was having some of his voice issues, or perhaps was coming down with a cold or allergy attack.  You can hear the scratchiness in his voice.

Aside from the fact that it is an acoustic cut and very raw, what I like most about this version is how it shows Jon’s ego. He’s a bit light in the vocals for the first verse; good, but not that strong. He has Richie trade lines with him for the second verse, and there the Wingman is in all his powerful growly goodness. When Jon comes back in for his lines, he’s doing the same bluesy growly thing. That had to totally hurt, but he wasn’t going to let Richie show him up.

The chemistry between the two is totally audible in this track, and I think you're going to like it.



You can download this track here.

~ Hath

Movie Night!

From an email from BonJovi.com:

Tonight, the website will stream Bon Jovi's epic live performance, "Live at Madison Square Garden" ...twice!

First at 11AM EDT and again at 9PM EDT.

As an added bonus, fans will be able to participate in playing a BON JOVI TRIVIA game while watching the movie on BonJovi.com. This interactive feature will only be available exclusively on BonJovi.com the day of the streaming - you won't want to miss it!

I'm intrigued by the trivia...

~ Hath

BonJovi.com Goodies

Theme Week on BonJovi.com continues with a new video and new audio track for your consumption :)

Video: "Lost Highway" from London's O2 Arena

Audio: "Story of My Life" from the vaults (of course Obie is still holding the source close to the vest). You can download the MP3 from the website here.

~ Hath

Two New Richie Stories

For those who are inclined...

Author: Richie's Virginia Lady

You Had Me From Hello
Dominique has lived a nightmare for three years. See how Richie helps her regain her life.

Who's Gonna Be Your Superman Tonight?

Richie spots Jesse while sight-seeing before a show. See how they fall in love.

These and other stories can be found at the Bon Jovi Fan Fiction Directory.

~ Hath

Interview with Richie Sambora - coming soon

Editors for Electronic House and CE Pro recently got a backstage tour of the band's rig for its massive world tour, including a dressing room detour to interview guitarist Richie Sambora. They have a video of the interview coming (they said they spent 20 minutes with Mr. S), but for now just they only gave a couple sentences to whet our appetites.

Last month, when mega band Bon Jovi‘s The Circle Tour went through the northeast, colleague Bob Archer and I were able to get a look behind the stage of the lavish setup, as well as a peek inside the dressing room. Sorry, girls, nothing to reveal except a pretty zen-like quiet atmosphere in which we were able to sit down with guitarist Richie Sambora for a 20-minute interview (check back soon with ElectronicHouse.com for the full video interview).

When we were ready to interview Sambora, as we wandered through the bowels of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., to find a quiet place he’s the one who actually decided that we should just high-tail it into the dressing room.

A few highlights from the interview, to whet your appetite ...

Sambora is definitely a music guy, in terms of both playing and being able to talk about it like a true audio fan. The iPhone is his friend, especially places like the gym, and he says the he and Bon Jovi actually used the device to do some recording.

However, that’s not to say he doesn’t appreciate sound quality on more than a crushed MP3 stage. He’s delighting in the vinyl revival of the last few years, and even noted that the recent re-issue of the Rolling Stones’ classic Exile on Main Street is a major improvement in detail over the original vinyl release from 40 years ago.

And how about Bon Jovi when it comes to sound quality? If he was looking for demo material from the band’s own 25-plus-year-old catalog, Sambora suggests New Jersey, Bon Jovi’s fourth album, which came out in 1988.

You can read the whole article here.

There are several photos up as well...  Here are a few, you can follow the link above to see the rest.

;

Check back for the interview; when they get around to posting, it, I'll be sure to let you know! 20 minutes of Richie? Yes please!!

BonJovi.com Goodies

From BonJovi.Com:

Bon Jovi themed weeks and Wednesday movie nights continue! Visit BonJovi.com/Videos NOW to see the latest video - "Lost Highway"! More rare content will be revealed throughout the week, so check back often!

A reminder, movie night this week is the MSG DVD, with an Obie Clip and photos rounding out the week. Check back here (or at bonjovi.com) for the specifics!

~ Hath

Steph's Summer Job

Just because your dad's loaded doesn't mean you shouldn't learn the value of a dollar by taking a summer job.

HIDDEN IN THE CORNER of an East Hampton parking lot, popular hangout The Blue Parrot finally reopened last summer with the help of a few famous fans (reportedly, Renée Zellweger, Ron Perelman and Jon Bon Jovi all invested in the joint). Helping to make the place a family business is 17-year-old Stephanie Bongiovi, now serving up the local Tex-Mex fare to hungry patrons. One part hostess, one part model and one part high school student, she’s also the oldest of rocker Jon Bon Jovi’s four kids with his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley. She might not be old enough to indulge in her employer’s killer Dirty Bird margarita, but she took a break from her shift to share a few other indulgences with us.

You can read the questions and answers here.

She learned from the best when it comes to talking with the press (even small, local press). Keep the answers short and sweet, and flash a gorgeous smile while you do it.  Yep, she's definitely her father's daughter.

I will say, the way they talk about JonBon and Dorothea, they make it sound like the two are just shacking up.  That made me chuckle.

~ Hath

Dinner in the Hamptons

Jon and his oldest were out for dinner at Madame Tong's Redeux in Southampton on Saturday night. A mere 20 minutes from where we were enjoying perfectly grilled fillet mignon and fresh corn on the cob.  So, while I extended an invitation to Jon & family to join us for a quiet family barbecue, I guess letting Jesse meet one of his basketball idols was more exciting.  Guess I can't blame him.

Jon Bon Jovi's son Jesse may have a rock-star dad, but he was most excited about meeting NBA star Dwyane Wade Saturday night. Bon Jovi drove his 15-year-old son to Southampton restaurant Madame Tong's Redeux to meet Wade at a dinner hosted by Hamptons media mogul Jason Binn.

A source told us: "Jesse is a big Wade fan. He and Jon spent a lot of time talking to Wade and his girlfriend Gabrielle Union." Other guests at the dinner to welcome Wade on his first-ever trip to the Hamptons included Veronica Webb, Star Jones and Bethenny Frankel.

source

MY first-ever Hamptons trip included a riotous ferry ride with gale-force winds, a carload of college kids and a case of beer.  I think Mr. Wade definitely got the better deal.

Here are some photos courtesy of WireImage and Life Images:



How utterly at ease does Jon look with wine glass in hand? And look at the grin on Jesse's face.  He's going to be a heart-breaker in a couple years.

Happy Monday!

~ Hath