Thought I would just stop by and give you a few thoughts on the just-released Madison Square Garden DVD. A HUGE thanks to my dear friend Rike for sending me a copy early (no, not a bootleg ... a REAL copy) so that I didn't have to wait until the release in the States. (No worries, the U.S. economy is not suffering from this ... for I already had 4 copies on pre-order. LOL) The screen captures you see are also from Rike ... aren't they wonderful?!
In any case, what can I say about this concert dvd? Well, I mean, besides that I will be watching this several dozen more times ... probably before Christmas.
The camera angles for the most part are fantastic. And they really capture all the guys (well .. at least J, R, D and T) at their best. In terms of the song inclusion, its pretty darn good with obviously performances from both nights ... some of which were absolutely unforgettable (i.e. a Blood on Blood for the ages!)
I will say that I'm not crazy about the tracking. I have always felt that Jon Bon Jovi does an incredible job of constructing a setlist that flows well. Yes, we know he may change things around from time to time and there is usually that list of audibles, but he has the uncanny ability to gauge exactly what a crowd needs when and, as such, there is always an incredible rhythm to the band's live shows. By straying from that, I felt the dvd lost that somewhat. 
Nonetheless, having been at both MSG shows, it certainly captured the excitement and energy of those two nights. Furthermore, I'm MORE than grateful to have a beautiful, clean copy of Dry County now. I have several bootleg versions, but a professionally recorded one is always that much better.
I think the filming REALLY captures the strength of Tico Torres. I will admit I am on a bit of a Tico "thing" right now after the whole Today Show experience last week. Seriously, I could sit and watch him play for hours on end. Also, you can tell that he is truly having a fantastic time playing with his band of brothers. His no-nonsense, grounded stability is something I believe has really come out both in this dvd and in the documentary.
And, of course, its no surprise that the performance of Hallelujah is truly out of this world. ONCE AGAIN I will say ... that does not mean that we want to hear that MORE than some of the deep cuts from the band's albums. We just want to hear it IN ADDITION to those songs. Basically, Jon ... just start the show around 1pm - right after Richie wakes up - and just continue singing til about midnight. :-) We promise to bring you plenty of tea and give you a bathroom break. Haha.Speaking of shows and such, if you haven't seen it ... Hath has put together a very cool concert calendar that will help you connect with some of your Jovifriends. You can visit it on her site. As for which shows I'm attending, you can see the anticipated list in the left column of this blog.
Well, that's all for now. I look forward to hearing your comments about the dvd once you've seen it.
P.S. If you know me in real life, you will find a good shot of me and Joviswillow during Bad Name. :-)
