In May 2010 Bon Jovi were invited to baptize the brand new Meadowlands Stadium, set to replace Giants Stadium for the New York/New Jersey area. I had the feeling these were going to be good shows so I made everything I could possibly imagine not to miss them.
On May 24th I took a plane towards Newark Liberty airport at the other side of Hudson river, to stay for 6 nights and 7 days in the most cosmopolitan city in the world: New York.After a smooth landing and a quick hotel check in, I went straight to New York City where Lorenza Ponce, Jon Bon Jovi's long time friend and violin player, was launching her new album 'Soul Shifter'. There I found a dozen of Bon Jovi friends who I know from previous concerts. We had to watch an Norway singer who was also presenting her album before a full band of familiar faces took the stage to back up Lorenza. The drummer had played with Jon Bon Jovi in 97, the keyboard player was Jeff Kazee, also an old friend of Jon who even toured with Bon Jovi in 2005/2006, aside from being a member of the current line up of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. In the audience we could also see the percussionist Jon always calls for his solo gigs.
The band was already jamming when the female singer got onstage to take the lead. Her brand new album is heavily influenced on Rock and Country, unlike her previous ones which consist mostly on instrumental and classical violin songs. This time she sings with a complete rock lineup band supporting her. The result was pretty impressive I must say. Good melodies performed by excellent musicians, all served in a very cosy bar in NYC. What else could I ask for in the arrival night?
The show lasted for about 1 hour and right after it there was a meet and greet with Lorenza in the upper floor. There I had the chance to purchase her new album and ask for a picture and an autograph. She mentioned she liked Lisbon very much when she visited the city with BJ. She had visited some museums and monuments, unfortunately the weather had not been very good. I also had time to chat for a few moments with Jeff Kazee whom I asked to autograph his solo record "No River", and who told me he would go to London on the 13th to replace David Bryan on one of the O2 nights. After a few drinks I took a taxi and went to the hotel, tired as I was from a 7 hour flight, it wasn't hard to fall asleep.
The very next day was spent in New York City, the kind of place where even if you don't know what to do, the simple fact that you are there overwhelms you. The place is magical and a simple walk will get you all exited. So whether walking around mid town and Central Park or visiting the amazing celebrity replicas at Madame Tossau the day went through very quickly.
And so the day of the first Bon Jovi concert on the new Meadowlands stadium came. The good thing about Bon Jovi shows in the US is that you can get the most out of your day, and only by the end of the afternoon you need to go to the concert venue. We had to take 2 trains to the new Meadowlands Stadium, but the train stop was literally a dead end, at the gates of the magnificent new building. After circling it to fetch tickets and taking some pictures we got in to have some fast food dinner and check our places. The place is gigantic and being brand new offers all the state of the art conditions, like comfortable seating, place to put your drink and an amazing view to the stage. For me it was very special as it was my first experience at an outdoor venue in the US, add to that the fact I was in the home state of my favourite band and you'll have a little taste of how I was feeling. We saw Jon's father checking the place, passing unnoticed through the crowd and taking some pictures with his youngster Mat. Despite the size of the venue, it was fun to be in such an intimate atmosphere with so many familiar faces around us.
"Train" was the support band in charge to warm up the crowd and they were pretty good as they enjoy some commercial success currently. They played for about 1 hour and it was entertaining. But what everybody was really expecting for was a 27 year old band of Rockers playing to a sold out stadium in their native New Jersey.
The mixed version of "Our House", a brand new song designed for big events took over the speakers as everybody was expecting the band to come out. As the lights went out a single scream of a thousand voices was heard and the video consisting of images reminiscent of the cover of Bon Jovi's latest release "The Circle" was shown in the big screens as the four band members were shown walking slowly, until they stopped and all of a sudden the spot lights then uncovered Richie Sambora as he played the intro to "Blood on Blood", one of the openers for this Tour. The crowd goes mad and in a few seconds charismatic frontman Jon Bon Jovi joined his mates to see a sold out stadium at their feet cheering the band.
Jon was obviously happy and moved to be playing in his backyard and couldn't help but to thank and salute the thousands of followers that were gathered in the venue. The stage production was massive, consisting of a giant screen that covered the whole back of the stage and two others on the sides. Also the stadium screens at the upper corners were used to enhance the experience, just as the little ones that circled all the balconies, between lower and upper tier. The band was at home, the weather was sunny and hot, and so there were no excuses not to have a great time.
Among hits and new songs the band delivered a little bit for everybody, so whether your favourite period from the band was the 80s, 90s or 2000s there were songs to please any fan. Even the old time favourite "Runaway" was played, with the PA blowing away, leaving no sound to be heard for a couple of minutes. The band kept going and the crowd sang harder so there was no silence. After 30 minutes of party upbeaten songs like "Bad Name", "Born to be my Baby" and "Raise your hands", the band delivered the first intimate moment of the set: 'When we were beautiful' and 'Superman Tonight' were introduced with a speech telling us all how important everybody is in the construction of what must be a "We" decade, unlike of what was a "me" decade we just left behind. The silence took over and everybody was really paying attention to the words and watching as Jon was making his dramatic gestures to emphasize the song. Brilliant.
More party with Jon circling the catwalk around the pit during "We gotta going on" and a medley during "Bad Medicine". "The Doors" classic "Roadhouse Blues" was added to the 80s mega hit and the party couldn't get any bigger, while the 2000's anthem 'It's my Life' blew the roof off the venue. The band then played "The Circle" strongest song "Love's the only Rule" with Jon leading the crowd to sing an amazing choir. very impressive specially since this is not only a new song, but it's not even a single, and nevertheless it had a massive reaction. Bravo!
The lead guitarist "Richie Sambora" took the lead to deliver the 80's live favourite "Lay your hands on me" to prove 1) the song fits him like a glove and 2) the crowd loves it. So after years of singing the stadium ballad, "I'll be There for you", the right hand man found a fresh way to spice things up and please the crowd. Church figured glasses shown in the big screens added to the chants of the crowd all contributed to a brilliant rendition of a song that should be a must on every Bon Jovi show.
The second intimate part of the show came, with Jon appearing in the middle of the stadium, at the center of the catwalk, to sing his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", a moment in which Richie was able to rest, and Jon to show off the good shape his voice currently is. Another moment everybody was dead silent in order to fully appreciate the moment. As the song came to its end Jon called Richie and with the two by the middle of the Stadium, it was heard "I'll Be There for You", the 80s monster ballad sang again by the lead singer, after years of a more bluesy version, sung by the King of Swing. Simply amazing how there's such a chemistry between singer and guitarist and how they are able to make an entire stadium sing at one voice. One of the highlights of the show. The duo then called the remainder elements of the band, and so Dave and Tico walked towards them to deliver the rare song of the Tour: the acoustic version of "Something for the Pain" a real gemn for hard core fans that is already a signature song of the Circle Tour. The song has an amazing arrangement and the band proves to be at the top of their game as they are able to make a huge stadium feel so intimate. An acoustic and slow version of 'Sat. Night' wraps up the segment played at the stadium center and the band gets back to the stage.
"Have a Nice Day" kicks off another set of rockers, while "Work for the Working man" with elaborated videos and a rehearsed choreography, maintains the mood. The State song "Who says you can't go home" gets everybody at their feet with uncountable "It's Alrights" and the very powerful, and enhanced with a zillion fireworks that covered the sky above the stadium "Keep the Faith" takes the main set to its end. The band had it all: the energy, the songs and the passion. Nobody could complain.
The encore came and for me the best rendition of 'Dry County' post 1996 was delivered. It was obvious the band had rehearsed over and over again and not only musically everything was perfect as Jon gave his all to really mean every word he said. A fan favourite that had not been played this tour so far, but that really stood out to the occasion and was the cherry at the top of the cake. "Wanted" followed and hearing it at a building with such deep meaning is no lees than overwhelming. The show ended with 'Livin'on a Prayer', the anthem for generations and nowadays "karaoke" classic, was sung by everyone in the building and enhanced by countless videos of fans interpreting the song at their own way. The videos were shown in the giant screens at the four corners of the stadium, while the spotlights aimed at the crowd.
"We're half way there", to be precise 1/3 way there, so the band had only time to thank everyone and leave while being cheered for a long time. "See ya tomorrow for round 2".....
Another day, another show. The ritual repeated and inside a Bon Jovi train we got to Church where another show was about to happen. However by the time we were checking our spots it began to rain and so I figured it would be better to wait inside where food and merchandise were being sold. What first was a light rain soon became a lightening thunder, hard enough to make the support act to cancel their show. At some point nobody was allowed to go to the open air, as it was a massive place where thunders could fall very easily. Security was already talking about canceling the show and figuring ways to post pone it. As for me, my only thought was "I'm screwed", the show will be postponed to July and I'll have no chance to see it. It was not the first time the bad weather paid a visit in a Bon Jovi Stadium show in New Jersey. Either in 2003 and 2006 there was 1 show each year with heavy rain, the one in 2008 even got to end earlier due to lightening danger. So, there I was with no raining coat whatsoever waiting if Bon Jovi's 2nd show at the new Meadowlands Stadium would in fact happen or not. In the mean time people working at the venue began distributing garbage bags so people could use them as rain coats. There were even Americans paying to get more bags.
Finally when everything seemed to come to a not so happy ending, the security told everybody they could go to their seats, they had been informed the rain was heading in some other direction and so it was safe for a Rock show to happen. Lucky us;)
The band came out with the same intro and "Blood on Blood" was again the opener. The set list was not very different from the night before, except some Stadium regulars that were introduced such as "Capt. Crash" and "Sleep when I'm Dead". The night's medley on "Bad Medicine" was Robert Palmer's "Bad Case of Loving you" leading to hysteria. The band was tight and really nailed the songs, but it wasn't until the "Circle" segment of the show that things got interesting.
First they played "(You wanna) make a memory", with Jon solo at the circle center. Then Jon continued in the middle of the Stadium and the whole band performed "Bed of Roses". At that time I honestly believed I was part of the song's video as Jon was touching the fans in the middle of the crowd. It was a very 1993 like moment. A real treat. Jon then called the rest of the band and even before they had time to get to the Circle Center he had already begun to sing a request a fan had asked for: "Never Say Goodbye". Wow.. Now I was speechless eventhough Jon had some trouble with the lyrics during the second verse and ended up not singing it, it was another classic moment.
They kept at the circle and once again delivered impressive versions of "Something for the Pain" and "Sat. Night", two songs I can never get tired from. Getting back to the stage, the band wrapped up the main set with "Sleep", "Work", "Home" and once again a version filled with testosterone and never ending fireworks of "Keep the Faith". An opotheotic main set finale. Brilliant!
The encore came and we were surprised with "Always", an extraordinary rendition of their biggest ballad. The band then delivered "Wanted" and "Prayer", both to an overwhelming reaction. Great encore. Awesome show filled with their four best Power ballads. One day to rest and there's the 3rd and final night....
One more day in NYC, either on the streets or visiting the NBC Studios and by night, well I went to check on David Bryan's play "Memphis" and must say I was really impressed. It has everything to be a classic on Broadway. The storyline of struggle for a greater cause, the love story, the twists and the absolutely amazing songs and performances. I don't think it's any worse than "West Side Story". Outstanding, indeed.
When I was going out and getting ready to buy some souvenirs, I saw Richie Sambora inside leaving, so I ran outside but saw no one. So I figured he must had gone backstage to say hi to the actors. Therefore I waited, and asked most of the actors an autograph, complementing their work, until Richie along some relatives left the building rushing towards the road. I was glad enough I had seen him, so I stayed for a bit more so I could have all the autographs from "Memphis" main actors and also have some pictures from outside the theater.
Great night full of glamour in NYC.
The last show in the USA before Bon Jovi headed towards Europe in 2010 added to the fact it was the 3rd on the new Meadowlands Stadium put the expectations sky high. The band knew fans had come from all around the globe and didn't want to disappoint them. So the spotlights were on the band to see what tricks they'd pull on this very special occasion.
As the intro video got to its end we had the first answer: "Who says you can't go home", the theme song for the Garden State was used as the opener for the very first time. People got all exited right from the first second with so many "It's alrights". "We weren't born to Follow" and "Bad Name" increased adrenaline levels, while "In These Arms", the fans favourite Hit the band always plays on their stadium shows kept the party going. The band was happy and invested on upbeaten songs like "Raise your Hands" and "Capt. Crash". As the first slow moment came Jon put in words what everybody was feeling: it was a very special night and the band was proud to stand on that stage. He also invited people to come back for the 4th show after the European leg of the tour in what was a smart marketing move.
Again "When we were Beautiful" proved to be very cinematic and "Superman Tonight" the kind of ballad the band have continually failed to deliver for the last 10 years. The hit "Bad Medicine" had no medley, which was odd, but it lacked no excitement. "Love's the Only Rule" was kept and by this time we all knew how passioned the band is about this song. Like no other it puts down in words the message the band has been spreading throughout their carer. Speechless.
Richie kept singing "Lay your Hands" which even though it's kind of repeating (he could have played "Homebound Train", a song he played in the beginning of the tour, in one of the shows) but that actually makes sense since it's more appropriated for big stadiums and much more interesting for casual fans to stay focused during Richie's moment.
Then Jon as usual appeared at the center of the Stadium and the whole band gave us another treat "Livin' in Sin" with "Chapel of Love" in its end. This fan favourite is very deep and makes a lot of sense to be played with Jon solo in the middle of the catwalk since it was the very first song he wrote by himself to hit the Top 10 in the States. Richie joined Jon for another highlight, the power ballad "I'll be There for You" from the same record "New Jersey", which proved to be the perfect match. The whole 4 members of the band gathered to deliverer "Something for the Pain" once again, which, again, made perfect sense. The song deserves to be on every single show since it is the moment for the hard core fans and will probably only last the current tour. As Tico and David were already returning to the stage, Jon started "Diamond Ring" and the crowd got to its knees. The song had been originally recorded for the album "New Jersey" and is one of Jon's favourites, providing moments only as intimate as intense. Breathless.
The whole band then took the stage and got the party grooving with "Sleep when I'm dead", the song requires a lot of interaction and it worked great. Unfortunately as it is played in most shows since it was recorded in 1992, it lacks some freshness. But the band knew the evening was special and they rose to the occasion. In its interlude Jon started to play "Jumpin' Jack Flash" a Rolling Stones cover the band used to play in the 90s. What no one could have guessed was that the cover song would have 2 verses and 2 chorus, as the band had always played it with a single verse and chorus. This was a defining moment, in which Bon Jovi sealed the show as unique and forever to be remembered as the first ever occasion when the band stretched the old classic. The party couldn't get any bigger at this point. The song didn't even had a long fade out as the band kicked off another die hard's favourite from the 80's, "I'd Die for you". There couldn't be one single soul not overwhelmed by the occasion: both song selection and passion put into them showed the band we all loved was alive and having a real blast. An electric version of "Sat. Night" (rare moment this tour, since the song is usually played acoustically) added even more emotion to the show (if possible) and yet another killer version of "Keep the Faith" full of fireworks and extended solos wrapped up the main set.
For the encore the band played safe and repeated the songs they had played in the 1st night. "Dry County" was once again amazing, giving me the shivers, since it was performed with all the subtle details of the album version and an emotional intensity the band delivered as we could sense how focused they were so it would be perfectly interpreted. "Wanted" and "Livin' on a Prayer" once again closed the night and I couldn't help but to think in all those videos I had seen while I was a teenager of the 1989 show in the building that is now in ruins, but whose legacy is carried by the venue we were standing on. Jon played safe and didn't gave his all since he knew he had a long run of 12 shows in London starting the following week. But he also made sure those three nights were special and filled each and every one of them with memorable moments.
I knew one week later I'd see the band again in Spain but I also knew these were concerts I'd always treasure as they were the first ones I attended at their Home Stadium, now completely redone, the one Jon when goes by in his car looks at and smiles thinking of the memorable pages written in the history of "Bon Jovi" inside those walls. And so even though this chapter came to an end, the story carries on because "We live for the Fight and that's all that we got"....
Thanks to my dear friend Anabela who once again took me on this ride and allowed me to live another amazing "Bon Jovi" experience.
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