Nothin' but hits, Baby!

So, I may not have been able to snag a ticket to the All-Star Game, but I was one of the lucky 50,000 people who got to see Bon Jovi in concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park! (Since the concert was in conjunction with All-Star Game festivities, it was the next best thing!)

In town for two upcoming shows at Madison Square Garden, Bon Jovi played a free concert in Central Park Saturday night to help celebrate the All-Star Game at Yankees Stadium this week. Free tickets were made available at both Yankees & Shea Stadium, as well as the Staten Island minor league ballpark and various other venues. There were even a number of tickets available on MLB.com. (Of course, scalpers got hold of free tickets and sold them on eBay, Craig's List, etc. as well.) My cousin's brother (who's not related to me...long story, but in this age of blended families, I'm sure you can figure it out) was in the city this weekend, and one of his friends managed to score 5 tickets to the concert. So, we went, and a good time was had by all!

Now, I am going to date myself here. I was around 13 years old when Bon Jovi topped the charts with "Livin on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name", and I remember both of those songs being the highlight of many a 7th and 8th grade school dance. It was the mid to late 80's, and "hair bands" or "arena rock" was all the rage. When I hear other old songs from that era on the radio, I will often either laugh or shudder, depending on my mood or the particular band/song. However, I still enjoy Bon Jovi. Their music doesn't sound dated, which is not the case with some of their 80's contemporaries. Plus, Jon Bon Jovi lists Bruce Springsteen as a huge musical influence, and being a Springsteen fan myself, I can definitely hear the similarities and make that connection. However, I had never seen Bon Jovi live before, so this concert was a real treat for me.

How was the show? Wow! It was quite an experience! First of all, the sheer number of people assembled on the lawn was astounding. When we were standing in the middle of it, it was hard to get a true sense of the size. However, when I looked at the photos from the New York Times, I was blown away! See below...



Despite the massive crowd (and the fact that we were near the back and VERY far away from the stage), we could see pretty well...thanks to the multitude of giant video screens. The band sounded great, and they put on a first rate rock and roll show. 110% energy and adrenaline! Jon Bon Jovi looks great! He is better looking and seems to be in better shape now than when my friends and I idolized him in the 80's. My cousin went back and forth between swooning over him and insisting that she needs to find out who his nutritionist is. Richie Sambora, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have aged as well. (Just my personal observation and opinion.)

When asked in an earlier interview about the set list for Saturday's concert, Jon Bon Jovi answered, "Nothin' but hits, Baby!" The band made good on that promise. They opened with "Livin on a Prayer", and the hits just kept coming after that. Rather than promoting their latest album, it seems this concert was more about keeping the crowd in Central Park on their feet and singing along. I knew almost every song, and boy did I sing!

Below is a link to a photo slide show on the New York Times website, in case anyone is curious to see more. The pictures really capture the energy and experience of a night in Central Park with an iconic rock band.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/13/nyregion/0713-BONJOVI_index.html