Tribeca Film Review - Not Always Beautiful

Good morning y'all. Hope you enjoyed my Twittering from the theatre last night (I gotta say my # of followers seemed to triple last night ...LOL) And thanks to those who joined me in the online chat - it was a late night indeed!

First and foremost, the evening was fantastic. We did have to wait a bit before entering the theatre, but after the Vegas experience, nothing can really rattle me now. Hahaha. As you all know, the whole band was in attendance ... hell, the whole world of Bon Jovi basically was there - Lorenza, Bobby, Jeff, PK, Everett, Rew, etc. Though did anybody see Obie? I didn't see him at all!?

We were just about up to the table to get our tickets when the band arrived on the red carpet ... okay, its more like a red hallway rug than the long expanse people usually picture. Their appearance there was quite abbreviated - posed for a few pictures and walked right into the building.

Once inside the theatre, fan club members were basically all together - which was nice - gave us a chance to greet friends we haven't seen since the tour.

I don't want to give EVERYTHING away, but here are some thoughts ...

First off, I commend Jon Bon Jovi for allowing this film to be made. There is a spotlight on him so much of the time that it was quite something to allow a film crew to be around during those "off" times. As much as you might try to forget they are there, I am sure that's truly not possible.

Okay ... to the film itself ...

THE MUSIC: Probably because I'm a musician, the first thing that always resonates with me is sound. And the fact that the concert footage is done in such a way that you actually feel like you're IN the venue is amazing. Its more than just surround-sound, its seriously like you are there.

When the film opens, they are in preparation to go on stage and there's this nice build up and we're all sitting there in the theatre on the edge of our seats so hungry for a show and they do the intro and we're all about to sing and it cuts to title page ... the whole audience is like noooooooooooo. (To say there was a lot of fan club member participation/commentary during the film would be an understatement.)

THE GUYS: The first appearance in the film by each of the guys was cheered. (I do wonder what they were all thinking sitting there behind us ... either that we are all crazy ... or that we just really love them.) I think each member's personality was truly communicated and the role each plays in the band as an organization is defined well in the film.

David's honesty and directness really stood out to me -- at one point when talking about Jon running the band he basically says "it is what it is" ... does he like it, no. Is he unhappy enough to leave, no.

And Richie's view of his relationship with Jon was endearing but realistic at the same time. He makes a comment that part of his role is to just try to keep Jon happy because everything is better when Jon is happy ... and the audience really responded to that. Its like everyone sitting there knew that making Jon happy isn't the easiest thing to do. ;-)

There are several funny moments including Richie talking about being in some girl's bed (YEARS ago) and looking up and there was a picture of Tico on the wall. Jon is talking about how musicians try to act all cool and "artistic" saying how they just want to play smaller venues and all that -- Jon simply looks at the camera and says "fuck that!" he wants to play the stadiums! (Yes, Jon curses a lot, but we all knew that anyway...LOL)

There's a great scene of Richie in the dressing room with his mom and Ava. There's a section where Jon is talking on the phone to someone about buying into an NFL team - it was almost as if he was trying to convince the guy that he was legit. (Truly, they just need to see the enterprise he runs - which is what it is - and they will get it.)

There are times where you can see Jon is just spent, frustrated, lonely and anxious. He talks about just wanting to see his babies and the loneliness that happens after a show. In other words, it really isn't always beautiful.

THE PAST: They do talk about the past somewhat, but not nearly as much as the pre-show articles made it sound. I think they addressed it but clearly show they have move passed that time. Tico is very honest about his past alcohol problems (as is Richie about his more recent challenges.) Jon comes out and says that Tico was a "mean drunk" (and is very quick to say that he, himself, is a happy drunk ... LOL) Tico really seems at peace with who and where he is. I can truly see him being a rock for these guys.

IN CLOSING
Okay, unfortunately, I have to go to work soon so I'm going to sign off. I'm sure I will share more later - like when the film covers Jon's performance of Hallelujah or Jon talking about trying to get the Central Park show to happen (a particularly funny moment when he says they asked him to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game.")

P.S. I did see my friend B from Germany in the film - front row in Dublin. It was awesome to see her. And a friend last night said she saw me in the MSG footage. I missed it. Was sort of hoping to see my Destination ArenaBowl sign (by the way, there was very very little about the Soul AT ALL!)

ADDED: (I keep coming back to add more ... there is footage at the end of Jon in the studio ... frankly looking quite exhausted ... recording a new song ..."When We Were Beautiful" ...)

P.S.2. This review was brought to you by whatever coffee company Stas works for -- girl, I'm drinking the French Roast now ... THANK YOU!!!!

P.S.3. And this is the most important ...

THANK YOU to my friend T in Germany. This was the best birthday present I have ever received. I am so sad you weren't able to join me. A huge hug from across the ocean to you.

A Whole Lot of Jovi Goin' On ...

Greetings from the Baked Apple ... its way too hot this early in the year ... funny thing is, that no matter how hot, that first cup of coffee still feels sooo good. :-)

Anyway, there are a few things on my mind today ...

LP Voting
First off, I thought I'd just post a bit of a reminder that the poll will be closing soon on the Legendary Performances voting for Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. By the way, I'm never giving y'all an option again for "both" ... that's the easy way out ... LOL.

If you missed the two entries, click here. If you've already voted, but still haven't had enough (can you ever have too much Bon Jovi?), here's something for you ... (TAALS/SIBSN from Letterman)



Yes, I guess you would have to edit that opening line on national television. ;-)

The Man
Also on my mind today is my overwhelming respect for Jon Bon Jovi, the man. I get frustrated explaining why it is I admire Jon so much. I really try not to get too snarky when harassed about it (especially from some of my snobby classical music colleagues) ... I just simply start rattling off the various projects he has done and continues to do. Either they will "get it" or they won't. (As for the musical part of converting people, I actually have a 2-disc set called "So You Think You Know Bon Jovi" that I have given to several of my friends. Their musicianship is so obvious - particularly in certain songs - that a musician from any genre couldn't help but acknowledge their talent.)

Back to the man ... even though his philanthropic work has been recognized more and more as of late, the fact that he keeps things pretty low profile speaks to the kind of person he actually is.

Speaking of recognition, if you haven't seen the clip of Jon's speech at the Can-Do Awards, visit Hath's blog.

BIRTHDAY WISHES
And, last but certainly not least ... I want to wish a very, very happy birthday to my friend Rike in Germany. Our friendship is proof that Bon Jovi brings people together from all over the world. Rike grew up in East Germany, I grew up in Chicago. Yet, she and I have become wonderful friends and her insight, honesty and love is something I cherish.

And since Rike is a Richie girl, I thought I'd better do a little tribute to Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome (who seemed to be having a rip-roaring time in Vegas)...

So, for you Rike ... Its All Richie All The Time

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND!

Why We Love Jon Bon Jovi

I usually don't just post things that come across in my Google because y'all have usually seen it anyway, but this one made me smile ...

Songs Written By Children Who Stutter Bring Artists Together in a Calling for Compassion
June 23rd Album to Benefit Our Time Organization

On June 23rd, a remarkable album, eight years in the making, will be released. Listen is a collection of 15 original songs, written by children who stutter, and recorded by iconic artists including Carly Simon, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Duncan Sheik, John Forte, Mandy Patinkin and many others. In addition, Jon Bon Jovi donated the use of his studio, so that his state-of-the-art facility could support the recording process.

Superstars from the worlds of pop, rock, R&B, Broadway, hip-hop and more joined together to contribute their time and talents to a cause bigger than stuttering – a call for compassion and acceptance, and for respect of one-another’s differences.
...
Our Time is a non-profit organization centered on a one-of-a-kind Arts program that provides children who stutter with an environment of unconditional acceptance…a creative forum, where they can express themselves through art, and fueled by the incomparable energy of Musical Director Everett Bradley, Our Time Theatre Company is a free resource for these children and their families. There is no place quite like Our Time.

So, yes ... we love the music. It's what brought us to Jon Bon Jovi in the first place. But, it's all these additional layers that keep us coming back ...

P.S. And you've gotta love a man who supports his friends ...

Only This Band (my Vegas review)

Hello y'all. Yes, I have returned from the Wild Wild West ... though I swear its warmer here in NYC than it was in Vegas. I went away for two days and summer arrived in the Big Apple!

So, the Hard Rock show ... hmm ... where to start? First off, entry to the venue was a bit of a nightmare ... correction, it was a total nightmare. If you follow either me or the Fiction Mistress on Twitter, you already know all about it. LOL

And what makes it sad is that its not just an unfortunate experience for the fans, its not fair to the artists. They end up with a crowd that is overtired and overheated without the energy they deserve.

On another note though, while standing in line, FM and I learned more about the "cookie diet" and liposuction than we ever thought possible from two girls standing near us. But, between that and the never-ending video loop in the venue itself -- which showed bikini-clad girls in heels enhanced to the point that either they were going to tip over, or if they were balloons, they were going to simply rise up to the ceiling -- I was beginning to have serious body issues. LOL

But, Bon Jovi can make you completely forget about the 5+ hours you just stood in line and the fights that have broken out amongst drunk women -- including one that made FM's wonderful and endearing Southern charm just disintegrate at the hands of a crazy drunk girl ... at one point, I thought mild-mannered FM was going to give those huge boxing fights at the MGM a run for their money! (A bit of advice -- don't mess with FM when you're drunk and stupid -- particularly because FM is neither of those.)

As for the concert ... I must say that Jon Bon Jovi is brilliant. He made a bit of a reference to getting out of the studio and having some fun. I bet there's a lot of truth to that - and I have to say that it certainly looked like Dave and Richie, in particular, were having a BLAST. Don't get me wrong - I think (and hope) Jon enjoyed himself as well, but the interaction between Richie and Dave just really stood out to me and it looked like a show was JUST what they needed.

In any case, we ended up with a decent spot just off-center about 5th row back (thanks to the aforementioned long wait in line) and though the setlist was very typical (as expected), it just felt so good to be at a show. This band can transcend whatever the current situation is (either personally or whatever) and take you to another place.

So, I do believe Jon may be in love with his new electric (which not only sounds great, but is a gorgeous instrument to look at!) I was very happy to hear Whole Lot of Leavin' -- which is hands-down my favorite song off the last record. It was bittersweet to hear We Got It Goin' On due to the whole AFL situation. (BTW, I met a guy from the NFL Players Association at the airport - we actually had a long chat about arena football and its future.) And even though, I'm a bit over (oops ... did I say that out loud?!) Who Says and the whole "its alright" thing, Jon did this awesome syncopated, triplet-thing at one point that totally made me smile.

As always, if there is a song that will get a crowd going, this would certainly be one of them ...



There are, of course, dozens of videos up at YouTube already ... so enjoy! And definitely visit FM's blog to see her wonderful pictures from the show when she posts them (the pic above is hers.)

On a more personal note, it was great to catch up with Jovi friends, though I wish we had more time. But, I must say ... if my German friends bring me any more chocolate, I'm going to send them the bill for my clothes alterations! LOL

(And to FM and P -- I simply could not have made it thru the show without your love and support ... THANK YOU!)

Next LP: You Vote

Someday I'll Be Saturday Night

I absolutely love this song. I have since the first time I heard it. I have seen and experienced so many great versions of this song that I knew it had to be added to the Legendary Performances posts.

The only thing is ... which one? So, I'm throwing it out to you all. I think both of these performances are absolutely remarkable. The Amsterdam HAND one just pulls at my heart. The one from South America ... it just blows me away. I think these two show Jon Bon Jovi's incredible diversity in delivering a song ... as well as the strength of the song itself. Favorite lyrical line by far ... "Gonna pick up all the pieces and what's left of my pride." Brilliant.

So, what do you think? (You can vote at the left.) I really can't decide ... awww heck, maybe both should go in?

Lyric of the Day

Hello fellow Jovi-ites. Well, its Monday. Its raining. And I have had a lousy day ...

So, I woke up this morning with severe back "issues" ... couldn't move at all, tremendous discomfort -- even breathing hurt. I have had problems before due to extensive radiation on my lower back, but it's never been quite this bad. Of course, the first thought that goes thru my mind (after the initial "how the heck am I going to get to the bathroom?") ... was but I'm going to Vegas on Thursday!

Off I crawled to my doctor. The medical staff at Sloan-Kettering is fabulous and to their credit, they totally put up with me. I used to come into the treatment room and yell "Is there a doctor in the house?!" ... at which point several of the staff would start singing Bad Medicine.

After a considerable amount of them twisting and turning me, you can guess what I said ... "Can you give me SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN!" ...

Damn, love that song. Here's one of the few performances I know of it caught on video ... I think the shirt Jon Bon Jovi is wearing fits the venue in Johannesburg, South Africa. And, I love the accordion, David (don't worry, it didn't suck the cool out of you, like Jon once said).

If you've never seen the whole show, I highly recommend it. Jon's introduction of the band is hysterically funny. There's also a great version of "These Days" (oh ... has there ever been a bad version?) and during "This Ain't A Love Song" at the end, he almost takes out Huey accidentally with his mic stand toss.

Added later: Oh and I forgot ...there's also a kick-a$$ version of Helter Skelter. War paint and all!



Now, as for Vegas and my back ... well, I have three days to hopefully rehab it enough to be able to stand Friday night. Fingers crossed! But, regardless ... you know I'll be there even if I have to crawl. LOL

PS Thanks to my friend B in Germany, who got the great picture posted in the Image of the Day (upper left) ... from the soundcheck at the O2. Is that not perfect for me today?

Undivided

Greetings fellow Jovinuts!

Its been a busy week but now its the weekend and as every day passes I am getting more and more excited to get on the plane to Vegas for the Hard Rock show. Friends, poker and a Bon Jovi show ... life doesn't get much better than that!

So, I had the day off yesterday ... and it was BEAUTIFUL in the city. After a bit of shopping, I stopped by a neighborhood bar to catch the last several innings of the Yankees game. It was a great game and we needed a win badly.

As always, Yankees fans are not quiet folks and as I was joining in the cheers for our pin-up boys in pinstripes, I looked around at the people assembled to watch the game: There was Steve, an insurance salesman in his jacket and tie from Long Island, a guy who worked down on the docks (no, his name was not Tommy...I think it was Bill...I asked), a significantly tattooed young dude named Phil from the East Village and me, the classical musician/Jovi-lovin'/investment banking girl. The whole scene brought a smile to my face as I realized that THIS is why I love New York City.

I was here for two of the most significant events to have occured in the city in the last decade -- September 11, 2001 and the great black-out in 2003. I have always said that if these two things were going to happen, thank goodness they happened in that order. I think the black-out would have been very different if the people of NYC hadn't lived through 9/11.

Of course, thinking about this made me think of the Bounce record. Y'all know how much I love that record - I have not been shy about that. LOL So, here's a bit more ...

Okay, first off - Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora hit this one right on the head. How many of us think THIS song should have been the first single? I know Jon loved Everyday ... and its a good song, too ... But, Undivided .. holy crap ... the driving mix of optimism and emotion tinged with a bit of anger and the almost prayer-like opening and closing, the lyrical content. Whew - gets me every time.

Secondly, I wish it appeared on setlists a little more often, because when it does, its always something special. I particularly love when they stretch out the transition near the end, building and building the tension until you get that relief of the return to the chorus ... the performance at Giants on the HAND tour comes to mind.

But, here's another of my favorite performances of this song...

Oh Canada ...

So, this little bit of news arrived in my inbox earlier today ... made me happy and sad all at the same time.

Riders Add Nyenhuis
The Saskatchewan Roughrider announced on Wednesday that the team has signed import defensive lineman Gabe Nyenhuis to a one-year plus an option contract. Financial details were not released.

Nyenhuis, who stands 6’4" and weighs 275 lbs, spent the past two seasons with the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul where he recorded 42 defensive tackles and 12.5 quarterback sacks. Prior to joining the Soul, Nyenhuis spent the previous three seasons with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks.

Nyenhuis spent his final two seasons of college football at the Univeristy of Colorado. In 25 games with the Buffaloes, Nyenhuis recorded 85 tackles, eight quarterback sacks and 24 tackles for a loss.

Well, with Gabe, Matt D'Orazio and Phil Bogle all playing in Canada (as I'm sure other Soul players are) I think it may be time for a road trip. I really have no idea what I'd DO in Saskatchewan, but I'll figure it out.

All I can say is ... I hope that this is a very short stint for our boys up in the Great White North. We need them back in Philadelphia, playing at the Wachovia where they belong.

The "Brotherhood" Lives On ...

As I sit here writing this post, I'm just about in tears. But they are tears of joy.

Why am I so emotional (besides that I'm a girl and we get like that)? Because of YOU ... yes, all of you who made this such an amazing birthday for me. I was overwhelmed with the number of messages on Facebook, at Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi and directly to my e-mail.

And, I gotta say ... when I mentioned that I was happily accepting gifts of eye candy for the blog, y'all certainly didn't disappoint!

So, I thought I'd share just some of the great pictures I received and thank you for sharing your favorites with me...

Did you ever notice that he has a tendency to write things on his arm?

















Okay ... here's just a few more ...












Sandy ... you knew I'd absolutely LOVE this one! :-)



So, since its my birthday ... I'm going to ask y'all a favor. I'm asking you to just stop and think about the incredible people that have come into YOUR life as a result of your love of these Jersey guys. And, hopefully, somewhere out there, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres realize their belief in friendship and "brotherhood" has been inherited by and lives on in their fans.

Until the next post....
All my love to you!
Big Apple Jovi Girl

Can You Relate?

I know its Monday ... but still! It just seems like the whole world is particular out of whack today -- its one of those days where everything you say just seems to come out wrong ...

Well, I'm sure Jon Bon Jovi knows the feeling ... but luckily he can write a song to help get him out of the doghouse. Nobody really wants me to start playing the Mozart Bassoon Concerto as an apology. Damn, I knew I should have chosen a different instrument ... LOL



So, what song best describes your day today?

P.S. I loved that whole Sessions @ AOL set ... I heard it was brutally early in the morning ... you can find most of the rest on YouTube - Blood on Blood, Joey, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Bed of Roses ... even DIAMOND RING! Ahhhhhhh.

Two Guys - Two Guitars: Perfect

So, after another "interesting" day in the finance world Wednesday, I stopped by an old Wall Street bar to unwind and catch the Yankees game.

Well, the Yanks were playing like crap, BUT there were these two guys playing and singing. Just two guys and two guitars doing songs by request. (I restrained myself.) But, they did everything from the Plain White Ts to Def Leppard...and they were FABULOUS. They finished off with the whole bar singing "Sweet Home Alabama" ... it was quite amusing - picture all these investment banking guys in their loosened ties belting out the song.

Anyway, it made me think of Jon and Richie...so here is a little stripped down magic (NOOOO ... not that kind of stripped!) I figured the song was appropriate given my impending birthday ... argh ...

Amazed ... Again

So, ever since the Sayreville fan club show I've been a bit obsessed with the soundtrack from the Young Guns 2 movie. I guess hearing some of those songs live just struck a chord.

I will admit that I'm not much of a fan of that genre of film, but I'm a huge fan of the music. In actuality, there are many films I have seen where I can't remember a bit of the plot, but I remember the score...LOL

Probably, my favorite movie music of all time is the score from "Out of Africa" ... it is simply the most lush, heavily orchestrated, soaringly melodic score I've ever heard and I just LOVE it. The lines are so pure and simple that they make you melt - and though the orchestrations are a bit typical from a symphonic standpoint, it just makes me happy to remember a time when movies actually employed A LOT of musicians.

Anyway, if you've never heard it ... aww hell ... I'll just include it here. After the intro, when that main theme starts, I think its one of the biggest "ahhhhhhhh" moments I've ever heard.



Back to Jon Bon Jovi and the Young Guns soundtrack. You can understand why he was hooked and wanted to be involved in more films -- he had the opportunity to do things artistically that were so diverse. But, what amazes me is when I think of how young he actually was when he wrote that.

I also think about how much he probably had to bust his tail doing it ... I mean, how many times had he worked with a chorus or orchestrated his songs? I remember my first foray into real orchestration and pulling my hair out with the transpositions of the different instruments --- Okay, here's your music lesson for the day: not all instruments are pitched in the same key. For example, there is Bb clarinet and A clarinet (actually also Eb clarinet and bass clarinet) ... flute and bassoon play in C ... there is generally Bb and C trumpet (tho that can vary) ... french horn ... well, lets just skip that one, its complicated.

In any case, you can see that taking on a project like this was not a simple endeavor.

On top of that, there is the lyrical content. Now, I'm sure there was inspiration there from the script, but still when you think of some of the great lines and emotions of the songs, you realize how really mature some of the writing was.

Here are a couple of video clips by a Bon Jovi fan of two of my favorite tracks ... though, in actuality I think the album is great from start to finish.



(and I would have loved to been in the studio when he recorded this one ....)



P.S. I must say when I listen to the whole album, I get more and more disappointed that he didn't win the Oscar. I do believe our boy was robbed! Billy get your guns ... LOL

What A Difference A Year Makes

I was over at my friend H's last night trying to do something creative (rather than just continue to mope about) and a song came on that put a smile on my face because it instantly took me back to Philadelphia about a little more than a year ago.

You know the weekend. Opening Soul game. Two concerts at the Wachovia Center. Jon Bon Jovi's birthday. It was a helluva few days!

I was lucky enough to go to soundcheck for the March 3rd show at the Wachovia Center. It was a very small group of us (most people had gone the day before) and the atmosphere was very light -- I'm sure the guys were feeling the effects of the previous night's show and party at the Ritz.

At some point, Jon said why don't we do "Glad All Over" ... they figured out the key transition from that to "Lost Highway" ... he wanted to keep the house lights up during the song so that it was like a big party ... and this was the result ...



Sidebar: I always laugh when Jon "paws" at the ground with his right foot. He does that a lot. Southside does it too. Always reminds me of a horse getting antsy.

It was a short soundcheck ... Jon had joked "tell everybody that last night's concert was really great because I'm gonna do four songs tonight and go home to bed" LOL

The show was actually very good - tho I remember Jon having a coughing fit in the middle of Born to Be My Baby and I thought we were going to lose him there for a moment. I also remember we got Blood Money that night - which he had done during the rehearsal but I really didn't think he'd do at the show. I was very happily wrong on that one!

In any case, its one year later and ... no tour ... no Soul ... and a feeling like we will never get those days back. :-(

Rollercoaster Ride Continues for AFL

Well, this is certainly disturbing news ...

The future of the Arena Football League appeared to darken this week as
its acting commissioner resigned, and league owners were reportedly set to
discuss options including a possible full shutdown.

Acting AFL commissioner Ed Policy abruptly stepped down Monday, leaving the dormant league without a top executive as it struggled to regain footing after canceling the 2009 season.

Policy's departure was reported in Monday's edition of Street &
Smith's SportsBusiness Journal.

In the wake of the resignation, a league source said the AFL's board of directors
was set to convene via conference call later Monday to discuss options including
possible dissolution.

At this point, I just don't know what to think. There has been so much speculation and rumors have run rampant with comments ranging from "all systems go" to "complete and total failure." At this point, all we can do is wait and see.

As much as we'd all just like Jon Bon Jovi, John Elway and those guys to just step in and take care of it, that's just not feasible. For the League to be strong, individual teams have to be strong ... and vice versa. Though there are some strong teams (including our Soul), many teams are struggling for various reasons, some of which is due to the League office's shortcomings.

I have my own thoughts about Jon's continued involvement with the Soul and the AFL, but don't want to speculate on that here (there's enough misinformation going around.)

Suffice it to say (and as much as it pains me), I would just walk away right now.

But, lets not end on such a sad note ... let's remember the fun we have had and what has been accomplished ...
- 5 years of cheering for our team and getting to know the players
- countless charity drives at the games for Philadelphia-area organizations
- performance and learning opportunities for young kids including the Junior Soulmates, the Band & Drumline and the "Music Thru Peace" initiative (aka Mike and Mike)
- dozens of houses built thru the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation

oh, yeah ...

and forever having the title of ...
2008 ARENABOWL CHAMPIONS

Bon Jovi: A Song for All Seasons

Sometimes its just one of those days ...



This is yet another reason why I have devoted my eternal appreciation to the dynamic songwriting duo of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora: they really do have a song for just about everything.

There are times you just feel lousy and you don't want an optimistic, upbeat rock song ... sometimes you just want to sit around and mope (as long as it doesn't last for too long.) Admittedly, when it comes to Bon Jovi, they don't do that many of these types of songs ... but when they do, damn they're good!

So, what is your "rainy days and Mondays" song ... (did you catch on Twitter that Hath and I texted that at exactly the same time ... a total Twilight Zone moment!)

P.S. I'm sure y'all saw the news about the screening of the new documentary, "When We Were Beautiful" at the Tribeca Film Festival. (I'll withhold my comments right now on the title ...) Anyway, hoping to catch it either with the fan club ... or if I can get a ticket when AMEX tickets go on sale (on my birthday ... that would be a nice present to myself!)

Jon Talks About The Beacon

There are many amazing venues in this city - Town Hall, City Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City ... and certainly, The Beacon Theatre.

If you are in the New York area and can get the MSG Network (for those who don't know ... that is NOT a station run by Chinese takeout restaurants, but by Madison Square Garden), try to catch Jon Bon Jovi in the new documentary on this legendary space. (Thursday, April 9th at 10pm.)

Just Another Manic ... FRIDAY?!

Well, another week has come to an end ... where does the time go? That's alright with me because I'm looking forward to having a fun weekend with some of my Jovi/Soul girls.

Obviously, there is no shortage of live music options when you live in NYC -- from the Met Opera to visiting orchestras at Carnegie to little jazz clubs downtown. But, still every once in a while I must get my Jovi fix. And luckily, I know just the place to go! New Jersey, of course!

I have heard a number of Bon Jovi cover bands in my day, but we in the tri-state area (yes, I know there are other tri-state areas, but really ...) are lucky to have a terrific Jovi tribute band called Slippery When Wet.

Why do I like this band more than just about all the others? Because they can actually play and sing!

Sure, they sort of look like the guys but they don't try to BE the guys and I appreciate that. The lead singer (Mike) can truly deliver a song and always impresses the heck out of me with his range ... yes, he actually does all those ridiculously high lines at the end of Runaway. And his axeman (Chris) is a guitar whiz. Its not easy to live up to a fan's ideal of Richie Sambora, but this guy really does.

Also, they do songs that we'd actually like to hear Bon Jovi play again live (Homebound Train, 99 in the Shade, In and Out of Love, etc) and do a great mix of all the eras. Their version of Lost Highway is quite good. I have seen Edge of a Broken Heart on their setlist, but have yet to hear it live ...

So, anyway ... some of the girls and I are going to see them a couple of times this weekend. I figure that should hold me until the Vegas show later this month.

Speaking of Vegas, I always like going to those shows because ... well ... its Vegas. Historically the concerts there have been awesome - the HAND one, in particular, totally rocked with an impromptu acoustic Never Say Goodbye at the end. (Rue ... I am still looking for that...) If you plan on going, please track me down. Fiction Mistress and I will be happy to have a little party ... though if you know the Fiction Mistress, it is not likely to be little. LOL

Well, that's all for now folks.

P.S. Did you see my Twitter yesterday about Brett Favre joining the Soul ... yes, literally almost gave me a heart attack! It was an April Fool's joke. It wasn't funny. (Umm...not a fan, can you tell?!)

On another note, the new Yankee Stadium has its first exhibition game today ... I hope that the rain isn't an indicator of the season to come ... argh.

P.S.2. Okay ... and now something completely unrelated that goes under the category of ...

Jon Bon Jovi - what the hell were you thinking?

Every time I hear this song I have the same reaction. How did this not make the record ... any record? Obie, please add to the next box set ... "200million Bon Jovi Fans Have Been Pestering Me to Do This" ... LOL (not sure of the accuracy of the text in this video (Stefania?!?), except that it was a b-side somewhere ... which is how we all have it in the first place!



Its a shame we don't really have "singles" here in the States, but thank goodness other places do so we can get some of these songs Jon inevitably cuts from the record.