BJCT Post: Vancouver

Bon Jovi was in Vancouver last night!

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

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

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Baby

A trio today, since I missed yesterday (sorry)!  I have to go back to pre-posting them a week at a time.  Anyway, all three today come from Bay, though I've been gathering them for weeks.








Happy Friday!

~ Hath

Contest for BSWJBJ Concertgoers

From Bon Jovi's website

Been to a recent 2011 Bon Jovi concert or going to one (or a couple) later this year? After the show, write a review of your experience and share it with the Backstage JBJ community here! Connect with other members who were at the show, share your photos, and re-live the concert!

The Backstage JBJ Team will also be reviewing your reviews and if we like what we see, we might even send you a signed set list from the show you attended.

I tried to read all of the fine print. I really did. I could see that to enter online you have to be a member of BSWJBJ. But to do the email and/or snail mail entry, it doesn't say anything about being a BSWJBJ member.

So, I'm going to enter via email.  I may have Hathlet enter via snail mail. We'll see happens.

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Hello!

No, Tre, they surely don't!

~ Hath

BYU Students Go Backstage

In keeping with the new tradition of opening the backstage crew experience to local college kids, a contingency from BYU got to work with the crew in Salt Lake City. From ABC 4 in SLC:

Tuesday night Bon Jovi takes on Salt Lake City, but before the singer hits the stage BYU students learn what it takes to make it all happen.

10 BYU students spent the day learning how to put the concert together – from start to finish. The crew starts working at about 5AM turning a cement floor into a rock stage.

Kimberly Orton, a PR student at BYU said, “This is a really unique opportunity for us to see a large special event.”

Emily Taylor is also a PR student at the Y. She said, “No matter how much you learn in the classroom - seeing it first hand and experiencing it first hand, I learn it 100 times more.”

About 80 people make up the road crew; they say it takes only two hours to tear it all down

~ Hath

Salt Lake City Reviews

Some of the reviews I've found so far were lukewarm at best for last night's SLC show.  The reviewer for the Salt Lake City Tribune thought the night was lacking oomph, and that the band's lyrics were trite:

The core of the band — the eternally youthful Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, drummer Tico Torres and keyboardist David Bryan — was enthusiastic enough, though, for the most part, the members appeared as if they weren’t about to leave everything on the stage. And despite a sludgy mix that negatively affected Jon’s vocals, his gravelly tenor was in fine form. Sambora’s guitar playing was predictably superb, and the rhythm section was as tight as could be hoped for.

The band was best when it moved beyond the confines of the stage and its own music, especially at a point an hour into the show, when Bon Jovi finally threw off his jacket. He led the band through an epic rendition of “Bad Medicine” that included Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” in the middle. Another nice moment was when Jon moved to a catwalk that separated the VIP seat-holders from the proletariats to croon a convincing version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

But I soon realized that the reason I liked the Cohen cover so much was because it gave my mind something to chew on. Most Bon Jovi songs are uninteresting lyrically and musically similar in their verse-chorus-verse repetitions. Frankly, for a rock show, I wanted more edgy, heart-palpitating guitar.

Ouch.

But, some of the concertgoers had a more favorable view of the experience (though Richie 'leathery'?  Mmmm, bad hair YES.  Bad skin?  I don't think so)  In any event, InThisWeek gave a more favorable review:

The years have been kind to Jon Bon Jovi, who hasn’t lost a single step--likely thanks to his aerobics-style onstage dancing (complete with “jazz hands”). Throughout the three-hour set, the band evoked crowd fist-pumping (“Bad Medicine”), heart-throbbing (“I’ll Be There for You”), and, behind the lead vocals of Richie Sambora, gospel revival-ing (“Lay Your Hands on Me”).

And therein lies the secret to the band’s continued success. Under the umbrella of hard rock, Bon Jovi manages to appeal to an incredibly wide audience, as they push into to pop (“It’s My Life”), country (“Blaze of Glory”), and Shrek soundtracks (“Hallelujah”).

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that at age 49, Jon Bon Jovi still gets the ladies worked up when he sheds his suede jacket and rocks a sweaty tanktop. Richie Sambora, on the other hand, has grown more leathery, but he can still rock the superfluous double-neck guitar and the always-awesome vocoder tube.

After the pumping out too many hits to count, Bon Jovi finished its set with its best tune of the night, the word-for-word singalong “Livin on a Prayer.” At that point, there was nothing left for them to give, other than a well-deserved, collective bow before the house lights came back up.

Were you there?  How was the show?  Did the guys have high energy or were they just calling it in?

~ Hath

Justin's Dream Came True

You may remember we read about Justin Milton a couple of months ago.  He's the 40-year old fan with Down's Syndrome who has listened to Bon Jovi every day since he discovered them as a teen.  His dream was to get to meet Da Man. 

Well, he got his dream.  As reported in the Idaho Statesman:

Photo provided by Sara Mitton Cox

Justin Mitton, a Twin Falls man who was born with Down syndrome, has been a lifelong fan of Bon Jovi. Tonight he got the ultimate 40th birthday gift: a face-to-face meeting with his hero.

Mitton, whose nickname is "Bergie," met Jon Bon Jovi backstage before a concert in Salt Lake City Tuesday night. His family wore T-shirts with the logos "Living on Bergie's Prayer" and "Bon Jovi Live: Justin's Dream Come True."

In January, Mitton told The Idaho Statesman that he was pretty sure he had listened to Bon Jovi every day since he discovered the band as a teenager.

Mitton, who turned 40 in February, has worked at the Smith's grocery store in Twin Falls for 10 years, bagging groceries and helping customers.

His family began working on trying to get a backstage meeting with Bon Jovi in December, launching a Facebook page titled "Help Justin Meet Bon Jovi." Two days after a Statesman story about Mitton, Bon Jovi's brother, Matt Bongiovi contacted Mitton's sister, Sara Mitton Cox of Boise.

Mitton's family has posted photos of Justin meeting Bon Jovi on Facebook. The singer signed Justin's T-shirt.

You can see more photos of the meet on the "Help Justin Meet Bon Jovi" Facebook page.

Stories like this make my heart swell and my eyes tear up.  What a wonderful, feel-good story.  Kudos, Jon.  Such a little thing, and it made such a big difference in one man's life.

And, Happy Birthday, Justin!!

~ Hath

Wanted Wednesday: Moscow 1989

Please rise for the playing of our national anthem.

No, this isn't from the Moscow Peace Festival, though I do have that on my iPod somewhere makes note to go find that recording

No, this is Jon and Richie. Two guys, two guitars, hanging out on the streets, playing.

How much do you suppose they miss those days? The days where they could go out on the streets and play and not be mobbed, grabbed, followed stalked, etc.? Though, I suppose there's something to be said for all the fame and adoration -- I'm sure that isn't too bad either ;)

This was the second of a three-song-set they played out in the streets: Ride Cowboy Ride / Wanted / Prayer. The MP3 recording here picks up after they finished Cowboy, which apparently the folks listening didn't know. You can hear Richie say "When in doubt..." then the opening strains of Wanted start.

Acoustic goodness all around, though Richie's either closer to the boom, or else just projecting his voice more than Jon.

Not that it bothers me, of course. Their voices still blend perfectly together.

Two cute guys, on the streets of Moscow, playing guitar. Does it get any better than that?

Let's Ride!





In this Mediafire folder, you'll find the Wanted track as well as

the full video from YT and the full WAV rip from the video.

If you want to watch the video, here it is, thanks to airpress7



~ Hath

BJCT Post: Salt Lake City

Bon Jovi was in Utah last night!

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

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

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivators: Bill

They are messing with my beloved NFL.  Players and coaches are already jumping ship to the UFL so they can guarantee a paycheck this year.  They want to do away with the KICKOFF because it's too easy to get hurt.  If they turn the NFL into the NFFL (National Flag-Football League) I'm gonna have to smack someone silly.

But, it's good to know that there are folks out there ready to pick up the slack.  Thanks for the reminder, Bay!

~ Hath

2-Page Spread in VEGA Magazine

Thanks, Tara, for dropping this in my inbox.

For a great review of the Vegas show, head on over to Becky's Jovi Bits blog.

~ Hath

Happy Birthday William Shatner!

Thanks for sending this along, Judith.  Yeah, it has nothing to do with Bon Jovi, but I have a soft spot for Captain James T. Kirk...

~ Hath

Purchase Digital Music to Help Japan

Recording artists are banding together to raise money for the Red Cross in Japan.

Stars including Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj are offering up their songs for a compilation album to raise funds for Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

Executives at Universal Music are releasing a digital record later this week, with the profits going towards the Japanese Red Cross relief appeal.

A spokesperson for the label says, "We are doing it only digitally because it is faster, and this will be a worldwide release. The plan is to have it available later this week."

Other artists rumoured to be on the playlist include U2, Lady Gaga and Bon Jovi.

source: MSN

NME confirms the Jovi as part of the effort, so we'll have to wait and see to find out for sure (as per usual lol)

If you don't want to wait, and want to purchase music NOW to help Red Cross Japan, check this out:

‘Heartbeats’ is a 34-track album featuring the collaborative talents of some of the finest producers in the house, garage and dubstep spectrum.

The brainchild of Rob ‘Submerse’ Orme, Andy Bee and Toby ‘Price’ Godwin, all revenue from the release will be donated to Red Cross Japan to help the relief effort in the wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami. For just £5 (~$8 USD) you can support the cause and grab yourself a load of fresh, unmixed tracks from the likes of Rob Sparx, Kanji Kinetic, Klaxons, DJ Madd, Phaeleh and many more.

You can listen to these tracks and buy the album here.

If you'd like to forego the music altogether, and just donate, you can do so at the website of the American Red Cross (amongst hundreds of others).

~ Hath

A Message from JBJ...

... to all of the band's (and our) friends in Japan.



~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivators: CTRL ALT DEL

Yeah, my  Monday is kinda like this.

Oh, and it's snowing.
Happy Spring grumble grumble

~ Hath

New listing in FF Directory

Not new, this has been WIP for a while, but it's new to the FF Directory

Music Business
by Sambora's Answer and TotallySambora

This story is simply Richie dealing with all aspects that revolve around the business of music including love and of course the music itself.

~ Hath

Memphis: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Saw this in the LA Times Blog last week, but haven't had two seconds to get it up here for you.

Are you ready for a "Memphis" onslaught? The Tony-winning, crowd-pleasing Broadway musical is set to play in movie theaters around the country before the launch of a national tour this year. Meanwhile, the production at the Shubert Theatre in New York, which opened in late 2009, is going strong.

"Memphis" will play in movie theaters on four days: April 28, 30 and May 3 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee May 1 at 12:30 p.m. (You can check for movie theaters at the official website for NCM Fathom, which is one of the presenters of the event.) A spokeswoman said that the Broadway production was filmed in January over the course of several performances, with original cast members including Montego Glover and Chad Kimball.

The national tour of "Memphis" will begin in Memphis, Tenn., in October at the Orpheum Theatre. The tour will stop at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood from July 31 to Aug. 12, 2012.

The musical saw an early run at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2008 before moving to Broadway. Directed by Christopher Ashley, "Memphis" won the Tony for best musical. Joe DiPietro wrote the book while the score is by David Bryan — of Bon Jovi fame — and DiPietro.

"Memphis" tells the story of love and romance set in the segregated South of the '50s. Along with NCM Fathom, the cinema presentations are being organized by Broadway Worldwide.

So, here's my dilemma.  I'm interested to see how the movie compares to the Broadway performance.  However, I've always been disappointed in the film adaptations of ANYTHING I've seen on the stage.  Anyone else have a pre-disposition to forego the film version of a stage play?

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Las Vegas

Bon Jovi was in Nevada last night!

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

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

~ Hath