Greetings from The Big Apple where everyone is in World Series mode. GO YANKEES!!
Sorry I have been a bit slow in posting ... life has just been a bit chaotic as of late.
Hmm ... where do I begin?
First off, who all got tickets for the opening of the new Giants Stadium (ooops ... I mean the Meadowlands Stadium ... yeah, right, whatever haha)?
I was able to get Circleside tickets for all three nights but I swear that was the most stressful fan club ticket buying experience in history. I know Matt (Bongiovi) wasn't too thrilled with how the first pre-sale went down either ... so I'm suspecting there will be some changes in the future.
Speaking of the opening of Giants (sorry, but it will ALWAYS be Giants Stadium to me!) ... hope you all were able to catch the webcast of the "not-so-secret show." Thanks for the e-mails and texts from those of you who saw me during Prayer ... what a hoot! (Good thing I had actually told my office where I would be ... though they all would have guessed anyway when the announcement hit the newswires.)
It was a great morning, indeed ... though a bit on the early side for this night owl. Fiction Mistress and I got up at about 5am and headed to Penn Station for the train to Jersey. (A big thanks to JerzyJovi for picking us up and for bringing me coffee!! Y'all know how much I LOVE my coffee. LOL)
When we got there, the line wasn't too bad ... though entry (several hours later) was a complete cluster&*$% with people nearly getting trampled.
Nonetheless, we were able to get pretty decent spots in like the third row back between Jon and Hugh. The show was short but really fantastic. Having heard the acoustic version of "We Weren't Born to Follow" at the Actor's Studio and then hearing the amped up version Thursday morning was awesome - this is going to rock the arena for sure.
Here are some pictures courtesy of the Fiction Mistress ...
Looking good there, Jonny (I gotta say that it was damn bright out ... I actually got sunburn on my face ... but we lucked out completely in terms of weather)
Okay, Mr. Bon Jovi ... you were only doing one new song ... do you really not know the words yet? LOL
And, yes, Jon ... its us ... AGAIN! haha
It was so great to see so many of our fellow Jovinuts ... it was a wonderful pre-party for the tour. Looking forward to seeing y'all again on the road!
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And, that was just the kick-off to a great weekend which also included a fantastic show by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes on Saturday night at BB King's. I was so happy to be able to share FM's first Jukes show experience with her.
As usual, I staked out my spot between Jeff Kazee and John Conte ... seriously, I love those guys.
As an aside, got a great text from my crazy German girls before and after the Jukes first show in Europe who brought a sign with greetings from me for Jeff ... haha. Cracks me up! Sorry that Bobby isn't there girls ... but the new guitar guy is GREAT ... and cute too! LOL
Jeff tweeted this morning that there was a sign outside the dressing room that said "the Asbury Dukes" ... LOL ... like I told him, at least it was a "D" and not a "P" ...
In any case, it was a great setlist Saturday night - not all Jukes tunes this time - and FM got some great pictures (as usual.)
I just love this picture of Southside ...
Here's a great one of Neal Pawley ...
and ... of course ... gotta post one of my buddy Jeff ...
Alright ... I better go for now.
I promise it won't be so long between posts. With the new record coming out (though, like many of you, I'm already BLASTING it non-stop LOL) ... and the book ... and more concerts ... never a dull moment in Joviworld.
ALSO! We haven't done a poll for quite some time have we? I'd better remedy that!
Until later, my friends ...
Be well. Be Yourself ... and remember ... LOVE'S THE ONLY RULE!
P.S. Remember how they turned off internet access at my office? Well, I finally acquiesced and got a Blackberry ... and after one day with this darn thing, I'm already thinking "how did I ever live without this?!" ROFL
Okay ... the coffee has now begun to kick in (which is good because I need to work hard today, since I'm calling in sick *cough* *cough* tomorrow for the "secret show" that now EVERYBODY is attending ... LOL)
Alright ... so, back to our story ...
Some really funny moments stick with me which I thought I'd share with you -- cuz you never know what is ACTUALLY going to make it onto the broadcast.
So, in no particular order ...
-- Well, right off the bat ... when James Lipton asked Jon "so where were you born?" ... and Jon Bon Jovi promptly replied, not skipping a beat! ... "in a manger." (that's when I knew that Jon was in a pretty good mood.)
--They talked about all being born in the same hospital by the same doctor ... David was hysterical saying (and I paraphrase) yep ... we each came out and the doctor slapped us on the ass one at a time (slap) "Bon Jovi" ... (slap) "Bon Jovi" ... (slap) "Bon Jovi" ... one of us said "yes" and the other two of us said "who the *&%$ is that?!"
-- You know that James Lipton always closes with the same questions to all his guests (and EACH of the guys did respond) ... some of the more memorable: Lipton: What turns you on? Richie: Women Lipton: What turns you off? Richie: Women
Lipton: What is your favorite word? Jon: Yes Lipton: What is your least favorite word? Jon: Recoupable (this is an often thrown-around word in the recording industry ... when the record label is looking for the artist to do things simply to make up for the cost the company had in promoting the record. I thought it was funny Jon said that considering L.A. Reid was in the audience...LOL)
Side Note: I must say that I was surprised the guys (with the exception of Jon) didn't really seem prepared for "The Ten Questions." Jon mentioned that he has watched the show for a long time and seemed very humbled by appearing on it. He did interface and relate very well with the students during the Q&A section at the end of the evening.
-- When they were talking about writing versus recording and Richie spoke about how they still very much write in the same way they always have -- two acoustics and an old cassette tape recorder between them -- closing with the idea that no matter how much you "produce" a song once you're in the studio, if its not a good song, its just not a good song ... "You can't polish bullshit."
Side Note: Also, a funny moment when Richie said that they now record it on the iPhone and Jon turned to the audience and simply said with a smirk "There's an app for that!" ... it was so funny considering we all know how technologically challenged Jon says he is (....hmm....I don't quite believe he is that stone age.)
-- Also great moments of Jon talking about playing in a marching band (at which point he looks at the audience and says "sexiest rockstar huh?") and Richie talking about playing accordion. Tico changed his name to Cosmo Jones during his period of playing jazz ... did y'all know that?
-- They really went back in time and talked about the band's whole career. They passed over 7800 Fahrenheit extremely quickly ... as Jon said "you have your whole life to write the first record and then you have like 3 months to write your second one" ... and that he should have known it was gonna be bad when they got a flat tire on the Turnpike on the way to Philadelphia to record it. When asked about how SWW got its name, Jon hemmed and hawed for quite some time and eventually quickly said about the strip clubs in Vancouver.
-- James Lipton mentioned that he and Jon met for the first time ever backstage at the Concert for New York. Lipton was so moved by that performance of Living on a Prayer that he asked the band to play it so that the audience "could remember it for the rest of their lives" just like he does. Very nice.
-- Great moment when Jon stopped after the opening of Blaze of Glory and said "I'm taking this down a step" ... good idea. When they were younger they wrote songs in much higher keys and over the years, you just need to take it down a step or step-and-a-half sometimes. In the end, he still didn't like the performance of the song very much and I wonder if it will make it onto the broadcast at all.
-- We did get Who Says twice due to audio problems ... which was fine with all of us because the first time, we were a nice little studio audience and bopped our heads as they sang. But, the second time we all just threw caution to the wind and clapped and sang (and yes, JerzyJovi and I did raise our hands a bit on the "its alright" part LOL)
Side Note: Most of the BJ gang were there - Obie, Mike Rew, Lumpy, PK, etc. I must say that Obie is looking so very thin ... Jon, please let him out of the studio and give him some pasta!
Okay, I really don't want to give away any more than that because hopefully you'll see a lot in the show. It was a long evening ... and Jonny (and the rest of us) were fading a bit at the end. Poor guy had been up since 5:30 going to a build in Newark. (The man is simply amazing. Period.)
James Lipton was right ... it is a night I will NEVER forget.
P.S. Oh, right...and after the show Richie stayed on stage for a couple of minutes and a few of us were able to go up and shake his hand and say a few words. I gotta say, I'm a Jonny girl thru-and-thru but, damn, Richie is looking happy and healthy and ... well ... HOT!
P.S.2. Maybe I'll do a post-broadcast blog post to share more tidbits of things you did/did not see in the final version.
P.S.3. If you didn't read part 1, look for the post earlier today ... :-)
Last Night. Inside the Actor's Studio taping. Priceless. That's all I will say. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ok, so that's not ALL I will say. haha
But, I only got 4 hours of sleep so this will be part 1 as my nose is just about to hit the keyboard. Splat.
Seriously, I don't know where to begin! When I got into the hall (first row balcony - woo hoo unobstructed view) the first thing I saw was Richie's doubleneck guitar. THAT is when I knew this could be a special night. Little did I know it would just get better and better and better.
First off, this was not Inside the Actor's Studio with Jon Bon Jovi as it was billed - it was ITAS with BON JOVI, THE BAND. Yes, 4 hours of Jon, Richie, David and Tico talking, playing, joking, laughing, telling stories. It was a very open, honest, spontaneous evening. I have a feeling that at a few points James Lipton didn't know what to do with these 4 brothers. LOL. It was very different than his usual one-on-one.
As for the music part - acoustic performances of songs were interspersed throughout the night. They opened with We Weren't Born to Follow - which was perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the evening for me. Acoustically, the song is absolutely stunning. My friend JerzyJovi and just sat there in awe. After the song, you simply couldn't even speak. Gorgeous. Uplifting. Personal. Cuts to your core type of performance.
The other songs played were Prayer (more on that in part 2 of the review ... later ... when I have had some coffee ...), Wanted, Blaze of Glory and Who Says (twice ... also, more on that later.)
I think having them play throughout the interview really helped put all the members at ease a bit ... though, admittedly, the stop and start is hard as a performer. You can tell how Jon just really feels more comfortable when his guitar is in his hands. I think that's one of the great things about that instrument (versus, say me and the bassoon) ... you can just pick it up and its ready to go (more or less.)
Okay, stay tuned for more ... like little comments I jotted down throughout the evening, getting to meet Richie after the show and some of the answers to "The 10 Questions" James Lipton always asks (Richie was particularly funny with those!)
Jon and the boys will be doing a show for WPLJ listeners next week ... details to be released tomorrow (according to the on-air guys ... though website says Monday.) I usually SUCK getting tickets to these things ... but I'm gonna damn well give it my best shot!
from WPLJ website Wanna go to a PRIVATE 'PLJ BON JOVI CONCERT?? Bon Jovi wants to say thank you to their incredible fans, so next Thursday (10/22/09) they're doing a private concert for 'PLJ listeners ONLY!!
Where's it gonna be?? We ain't telling!
BUT, what we can tell you is that we're doing a 72 hour ticket blitz and blowing out HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of FREE Bon Jovi tickets around the clock.
Bon Jovi's new CD "The Circle" hits stores on November 10th.
Listen to Scott & Todd, Monday morning (10/19/09) from 6am-10am for further details, including registration info!
As everyone already knows, HRH appeared on the Today Show this morning to announce about the upcoming performance on the plaza and their/his (not really sure which ...) "artist-in-residence" at NBC. If, by chance, you missed it ... here's the clip ...
This is always an exciting time in the Joviworld - waiting for the release of the record, little teases from the fan club (Matt's note yesterday did crack me up), all the guessing/arguments/assumptions/silliness about potential tour dates/cities/setlists, etc. I sometimes wonder if Jon Bon Jovi just sits back and laughs at it all.
But, the band's appearance on the Today Show is always special. It is, however, one of those "just be happy you're there" types of events. Regardless of how early you get there, how organized we all try to be, things happen. Security plays favorites. People get nasty. Last time, it was a MESS! I'm going to try very hard not get myself all worked up about the legions of people who will show up at the last minute and end up in front of me. Perhaps I should bring a couple bottles of those wines that were featured after HRH's segment this morning. LOL
In any case, yes I'll be there. And luckily, a friend of mine will be in from out West and we'll camp out together.
Happy Saturday y'all ... hope you are having a good weekend thus far. Me? How am I? Well, I'm BARELY able to move. LOL ... seriously! I need to get in better shape before the Jovitour cuz after two back-to-back nights with Bruce and the E Street Band, I feel like I'm about 185 years old! How on earth am I going to make it thru 25-30 Jovishows ... ayyyy!
This was, of course, the final shows at our beloved Giants Stadium. I must say I got a little misty, especially last night, thinking about all the amazing shows I've been to there ... all the Jovi ones, as well as other artists. If you haven't heard it yet, here's the song Bruce wrote about the closing of the stadium ... yes, its awful to think that all our memories and victories and such will soon be a big parking lot. But, as Jon Bon Jovi would say "welcome to the next chapter" ...
They had some great "wrecking ball" t-shirts but I couldn't imagine wearing that across my chest. If you follow me on Twitter, you do know that I did actually buy a t-shirt ... so ... that makes 100 Bon Jovi t-shirts and ONE Bruce shirt. LOL
Anyway, there were so many amazing moments in the last two nights I don't even know where to start! The first night I was in the pit ... which was, as always, an incredible place to see a show. Certainly having the opportunity to help Bruce back to the stage was an unexpected treat! :-)
(here's a clip from a previous night of the great crowd-surfing moment)
Before all of you start thinking, oh HRH should do that! Just think about it. I don't think he'd ever get back to the stage. His clothes would be stripped off ... he would be grabbed everywhere (thank goodness he already has four kids) ... and he would be dropped "accidentally on purpose" and held captive by thousands of screaming women. Hmm ... perhaps just stick to walking thru the crowd, Jonny.
The Thursday show was "Born to Run" in its entirety ... and then last night was "Born in the U.S.A." from start to finish. I must say that hearing 60,000 people scream TRAMPS LIKE US is an almost amusing thing in itself. I loved hearing both those records - every track done by the original musicians. It was definitely a piece of history.
There were some extraordinary moments - a few that stand out are The Rising (on both nights), a smokin' version of Because the Night Belongs to Lovers, Human Touch with Patti (damn! I wish I could rock in leather pants like her ... one super cool chick), 4th of July, Asbury Park (better know as Sandy) and Jungleland (Thursday night.)
The man certainly shows that turning 60 obviously isn't a bad thing. He was non-stop action for 3+ hours (ok ... that's one thing that HRH could do ... c'mon Jonny, you're more than a decade younger ... you can still do 3 hour shows! hehe)
No, there were no "special guests" as was speculated upon endlessly by radio stations in NYC yesterday. In a way, I really wish they wouldn't do that because what happens is people end up getting disappointed over what DIDN'T happen rather than what DID.
And some people will always find something to complain about. I heard a lot of Bruce fans moaning about him closing with "Jersey Girl" ... which I LOVED! Oh, and by the way, why do Bruce fans talk so negatively about Bon Jovi and yet Bon Jovi fans - even if they don't care for Bruce - aren't NEARLY as nasty?! Hmmm...
But, in the end, the shows were FANTASTIC! They are two nights I will never forget ... along with all the other great nights in that great stadium. (Oh, and in good Giants Stadium fashion, as soon as the concert ended ... the skies opened up and it POURED ... guess the angels were crying.)
Well, that's all for now folks. I'll be back later. (Have you seen the WWBTF video yet? If not, go visit www.bonjovi.com.)
P.S. Here are the two setlists from the shows I attended ...
October 8, 2009 Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm) Out in the Street Outlaw Pete Hungry Heart Working on a Dream Thunder Road Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Jake Clemons, Ed Manion, Curt Ramm) Night Backstreets Born to Run She's the One Meeting Across the River (with Curt Ramm) Jungleland Waitin' on a Sunny Day Raise Your Hand (instrumental) It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City My Love Will Not Let You Down Because the Night Human Touch Lonesome Day The Rising Badlands No Surrender * * * 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) Bobby Jean American Land (with Curt Ramm) Dancing in the Dark Rosalita Twist and Shout
October 9, 2009 Wrecking Ball Badlands Spirit In The Night Outlaw Pete Hungry Heart Working On A Dream Born In The USA Cover Me Darlington County Working On The Highway Downbound Train I'm On Fire No Surrender Bobby Jean I'm Goin' Down Glory Days Dancing In The Dark My Hometown Tougher Than The Rest The Promised Land Last to Die Long Walk Home The Rising Born To Run Raise Your Hand The Last Time (Rolling Stones) Waiting On A Sunny Day Seven Nights To Rock Kitty's Back American Land Jersey Girl
OH MY FRICKIN' GOODNESS ... I just got back from the Springsteen show at Giants Stadium and ... well ... I'm speechless (yes, mark this day on the calendar!)
Well, actually ... probably not speechless but VERY exhausted ... so I'm gonna go to bed. But a couple tidbits before I go ...
FIRST - Similar to Bon Jovi during the HAND tour, there was a walkway at the back of the pit with a small platform ... here's Bruce up there working the crowd ...
and then being the crazy man he is (which we all love!) ... here's Bruce (a bit blurry) ... crowd surfing back to the stage. I had to eventually put my camera down ... didn't want to drop Bruce!! You break it, you buy it! LOL
So ... one down ... one more to go. I have a feeling tomorrow night is going to be even more energetic than tonight ... and tonight ROCKED!
Greetings ... and happy Saturday to y'all. Sorry that my posting has been a little erratic lately. Somehow my schedule is all over the place - and it seems October is going to be absolutely CRAZY. I'm not kidding ...
- The last two Bruce Springsteen shows at Giants Stadium - Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at BB King's - Bobby Bandiera's Rock-n-Soul revue show at the Count Basie - Yankees post-season games
and
- the taping of Inside the Actor's Studio which excites me more than I can even say!!(THANK YOU to my Jovifriend who helped me get tickets. *wink wink*)
Sounds like a pretty damn good month to me!! Woo hoo!! I do realize that I am EXTREMELY blessed to live in New York City and be able to attend lots of great events. That's one of the main reasons I have continued this blog - to simply be able to share these experiences with others who might be interested in them.
Anyway ...
Its been a looong time since I posted a new poll. I thought I'd do something to celebrate Bruce's run of shows at Giants by choosing a couple of clips of him with HRH for you to enjoy. Here we go ...
I was so bummed to hear that the HOPE Concert was probably not going to happen this year (according to the box office rep at the Count Basie.) Those shows are always awesome - great rock-n-roll music at its best.
And this clip just makes me laugh ... what is up with HRH's hand permanently attached to his belt? LOL
Don't forget to vote ... the poll box is somewhere on the left side bar ... below the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation widget, the Bon Jovi MLB (GO YANKEES!) widget and various other things ... its there I promise.
As a total aside: Does anybody else think that Big & Rich's "We're Coming to Your City" is the most perfect pairing for a tv show EVER (for ESPN's College Gameday) ... I LOVE IT!! Obviously, it just came on ... haha.
Okay ... there's been other news in the Joviworld, but that's what Google alerts are for. In terms of the artwork for the new record, I like it. (A quick note to the Twitter people there ... be sure the link actually works when you send out the tweet ... LOL) And as for that paparazzi video of Jon coming out of the Essex House ... seeing Craig Spencer in it has my head spinning with speculation (that's a dangerous place to be.)
Gotta go for now ... but I'll be back shortly. Time for more coffee (but, of course!)
