It’s My Life, And It’s Quite a Life!
Maybe you’re thinking, “Jon Bon Jovi? What do I have in common with a 46-year-old man who has a son named Romeo and a collection of tattoos my mother would kill me for copying?”
Chances are if you haven’t sold 120 million albums all over the world or won a Grammy, then not a whole lot. Nevertheless, given these impressive records, I can also tell you that if you love music, the open road, or a three-hour concert with explosive energy, you might really like the lead singer of Bon Jovi. Sure, the band may have had some wild times in 25 years, but it was some of the band’s beginning moments that were featured in the concert Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, the last stop on their Lost Highway Tour.
For this Washingtonian, CosmoGirl headquarters on the 20th floor of a soaring New York skyscraper is test enough for my usually unbothered vertigo – but our seats in the theater gave the 20th floor a run for its money. The All American Rejects were on when we arrived, and they had a few laughs to share with their fans: “Last night was pretty good,” lead singer Tyson Ritter whispered into the mike, “but I’m really horny for tonight.” My friend and I made uncomfortable faces at each other, but soon what grabbed my attention were the clusters of people pouring in from every exit down below. In only a few minutes, the colossal stadium had every seat filled, the young band was gone, and every voice was now singing along to the opening songs of Bon Jovi. The sheer size of the space, the colorful lights painting all the faces, and the noise from the rumbling guitar was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
And it seemed this was pretty special for Jon Bon Jovi himself. Always giving pats on the back to his band-mates through the show, the singer at one point wove his way through the jumping crowd to a side podium where he performed literally inches away from reaching fingers and delicately poised cameras. Loving the love, Bon Jovi kept smiling and touching people’s hands. In his trip back to the stage, he sang with the mike in one hand, and playfully tightrope-walked the railing (holding a bodyguard’s fingers in the other hand) next to the pack of astounded fans. And here I thought singing and playing the guitar at the same time was a talent!
He never fell from the railing, but we fell for him: When his hands shot in the air, ours did too. When he shook his hair, we shook ours. Sometimes he pointed the mic out to the stadium and every voice sang his words – for 20,000 backup singers, we had great coordination!
And finally the most emotional moments at the end came when he surprised us with some songs the band had not played since their earliest and unknown days in New Jersey. It was clear that even at their beginning they absolutely loved what they do. As they took a bow, the stage was sparkling — and so was I! Last night proved the guys of Bon Jovi sure are oldies but goodies!