MSG1: No Apologies

The Big Apple. The Greatest City in the Universe.
And at the Center of it All ... Madison Square Garden.

There's nothing like getting excited about your hometown show. Those are the ones you wait for ... the ones you work for. So my friend K and I decided to do the VIP packages for these first two nights (which is why I have taught 3 zillion classes over the past six months. LOL)

I always love shows in NYC because so many people travel here to see them. Some of you know that even two of my crazy Gs (aka "the crazy Germans") decided to fly over at the last minute. Friends from all over the U.S. are in town so every show here is like a family reunion. :-)

So, K and I met at the venue and headed up to the VIP dinner. There was Jovi on the sound system and the video screens and the room was decorated with pictures of the band (most we recognized) as well as some of Tico's artwork ...



and two of the infamous Jovi slot machines. Of course, I HAD to try those out.



Dinner itself was nice. And the never-ending supply of wine always makes BAJG a happy girl. Seems that due to union rules, the raffle they usually have for memorabilia had to be replaced by the staff just randomly giving stuff away. I haven't actually seen the merchandise that comes with the package yet -- but from what we heard it includes a bag, blanket, scarf, hat, leather journal, water bottle and tour program amongst other things. I did get one of my sets of the lithographs ... which are GORGEOUS! ... seriously, my mom is gonna try to steal the one of Tico. LOL

After dinner, we went down to the arena for the show. I was so happy they opened with Last Man Standing. I absolutely LOVE that song and it brings me back to that legendary MSG show during the HAND tour. I took advantage of Jon being at the back to get some pictures of Richie up at the front... :-)



I must say that Jon must have really hauled tush to get back to the stage so quickly because before I knew it, he was up there and they launched into Bad Name ...



Overall, I thought the set list was just fine. The more I listen to The More Things Change, the more I continue to laugh ... the lyrics are just so incredibly spot-on.

"...It’s the same damn song with a different melody

The market keeps on crashin’
Tattered jeans are back in fashion
‘Stead of records, now it’s MP3s

If you hang in long enough they say you’re comin’ back
Just take a look, we’re living proof and baby that’s a fact..."

Seriously! Between Last Man Standing and The More Things Change, we've got some great commentary on the music industry. LOL Anyhoo, I always love hearing In These Arms (encore) and Jon Bon Jovi's vocals on WWWB continue to astound me. Beautiful song ... beautiful lighting!



*sigh*



And certainly one of the absolute highlights of the night was this performance:



No Apologies just works SO WELL live and it seemed to energize Jon even more. As an aside: I must admit, the crowd in Montreal was much more alive (sorry fellow NYC-ites ... tis true.) But Jon was engaging as always, commenting about the Knicks' recent acquisition, the band's history in MSG and (my favorite moment) when he introduced Richie as "Joan's baby boy" ... that was sweet. I didn't see her, but you KNOW Mrs. Sambora was somewhere in the crowd ... singing and dancing, like always.

In terms of the band, I actually felt they played much better in Pittsburgh. There were some strange moments musically throughout that made me think Jon was a bit distracted (totally feasible given the venue and probably being pulled in different directions with family, friends, etc. there) There were transitions that just didn't flow quite right. I have a feeling tonight will be a bit tighter ensemble-wise. As those who read this blog know, I never pull any punches when it comes to writing about music ... #NoApologies. :-)

Overall, it was a great night. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us in round 2!

But, while we wait for this evening to come 'round, here are some pictures ...













...probably my favorite action shot of the night...



I'm a JonGirl thru-and-thru, but ohhh Richie ...



...and I just love this one... :-)



Okay, well that's all for now. I should try to get some work done before, as Yogi Berra said "DejaVu all over again!"

Til later.
BAJG

Oh Canada!

Bonjour Jovinuts! Hope this finds you all well ... and for those in the U.S., enjoying this Presidents Day holiday. I'm certainly grateful for it after the whirlwind 36 hours I subjected myself to this weekend.

Yes, as many of you know, I decided at the last minute to take a trip up to Montreal for Bon Jovi night 2. So, there I was on the midnight bus from Port Authority ... very much like that scene out of Harry Potter. Luckily, I arrived in one piece as the sun came up in freezing cold, snowy Canada ... hey! they don't call it The Great White North for nothing. LOL

I got a killer rate on a hotel one BLOCK from the venue so I spent the day just relaxing, catching up with friends and watching a bit of tv. By the way, you know you’re in Canada when:

1. Curling is one of the streaming scores on TSN (the Canadian ESPN)
2. You turn on the TV and a classic BON JOVI video is playing ... in this case, “These Days” ... wow, what a treat! They continued featuring the band all day, including the NMS dvd right as I was getting ready to go to the arena. Canada always has great media coverage of Jovi.

Anyhoo, after meeting up with my friend L and her husband for a relaxing pre-concert drink, we headed over to the Bell Centre. With no opening act, we expected 'the boys' to go on around 8ish. Adding to my excitement of the show (for the tales of the Montreal crowds are legendary) was that I was going to meet my friend Juliedreamon in person. She and I have known eachother online for YEARS but always seemed to miss eachother at shows. Not this time!

Well, I thought I was prepared for the cheer from the crowd ... but I wasn't. Holy moly! Those Québécois definitely LOVE their Jovi and that was apparent from the minute the screen started and the roar engulfed the venue. Wow!

Because it was so last-minute, I was happy to get whatever seat I could ... which ended up being a few rows off the circle on Richie's side. Not bad ... but I was grateful for the 26x zoom on the new camera. LOL

Speaking of which, here are a few shots ... (I posted some of these on Twitter that night as well)

...Jon was pumped by the crowd...





...and Richie Sambora was ON FIRE (including a super-bluesy fun LYHOM)...





...probably my favorite shot of the night...



...Living in Sin/Chapel of Love was a great treat...



...I liked this shot as well...



...and it's always a rare thing to get some good shots of Tico Torres...





...there was this great moment with Richie and Hugh rockin' out...



...and I almost missed being close enough to make David do the hand motions during Who Says ...



...Jon DID sing his heart out...



...but the star of the night was the crowd in Montreal which brought Jon Bon Jovi to his knees ...



I have been to a lot of shows. I have experienced some great crowds ... but this one definitely ranked up there in the top 2 or 3 all-time. Absolutely amazing.

After the show, I was back at the hotel in like 10 minutes. LOL I'm DEFINITELY staying there again ... I was uploading pictures while the venue was still clearing out! (Thanks to all who stayed up and joined the post-concert Twitter picture party.)

The next morning, after making the mandatory stop at Tim Horton's for coffee and some donuts for the bus, I headed back to New York. No major drama this time in terms of travel ... though, it was an interesting moment when we stopped at the border and the security dog went BONKERS over the joint that some college kid forgot he had in his pocket. Luckily, the pooch didn't get the munchies too badly ... he would have had to fight me for those donuts! Haha.

So, what's up next? The absolute CHAOS that is the next two weeks ... wanna see the calendar?

Tuesday - Lorenza Ponce at The Living Room
Wednesday - two of my crazy Germans arrive for ...
Thursday - Bon Jovi at MSG
Friday - Bon Jovi at MSG
Saturday - Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in Montclair, NJ
Sunday - Bon Jovi at Verizon Center

Wednesday - NYC Hit Squad (with Jeff Kazee, Jukes horns, Christine Ohlman) at Iridium (I am missing the Philly Jovishow for the first time in like SIX tours!)
Friday - Lorenza Ponce and Bon Jovi at Mohegan
Saturday - Bon Jovi at MSG
Sunday/Monday - BAJG sleeps for two days straight ROFL

...and the wheels keep on turning... :-)

This is Love...This is LIFE

Well, Happy Monday morning y'all! *said with totally fake enthusiasm*

It's definitely going to be a slow, lazy Monday for me as I'm still recovering -- mentally and physically -- from the extraordinary show "that damn band" put on in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

I have done some pretty crazy travel things over the years in the name of good music -- so this past weekend wasn't really so out of the norm I guess. Still, it's a lot of time sitting on your tush. Strangely reminiscent of that 18-hour round-trip train ride to Niagara Falls for the Asbury Jukes, my trip to see Bon Jovi in Pittsburgh made me appreciate my iPod and Blackberry even more...the iPod for obvious reasons and the Blackberry so that I could follow Jeff Kazee's play-by-play of the Grammys last night. (If you've never followed one of his "award show evenings in front of the TV" you really should ... some seriously witty stuff. You can find him on Twitter at ... well ... @jeffkazee ... LOL)

Now, on to the show on Saturday. I'm bummed I missed Friday, but after not being at work on Wednesday and Thursday for "the Lorenza show", I figured I should probably put an appearance in at the office before they FIRE me! LOL ...

My friend S and I were blessed with great pit tickets on David's side. I swear that everybody and their brother was there - friends from ALL over the place -- Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Cincinnati, DC, Philly, Jersey and more! And I was incredibly relieved that both my girls who missed the Starland show due to the snow were there to enjoy this incredible night.

From the moment the screen went up and they launched into "Just Older", you just knew it was going to be one of those nights. Oh, and it was! Any lingering worries I'd had after Wednesday's State College show (yay Lorenza!) about J&R being sick were obliterated by Richie Sambora's wailing guitar and Jon Bon Jovi's unbelievable energy and super-strong vocals. I want some of whatever was in their chicken soup!!

To all those who were disappointed that I didn't do the pbp (awww...thanks!), sorry, but there was just no way to do that and try out my new camera and still actually ENJOY the show at the same time. But, I think my random "Holy Crap!" and "This is insane!" tweets pretty much summed up the evening.

What a treat to hear two of the new songs from the Greatest Hits album - The More Things Change and (my personal fave) This Is Love, This is Life. I have to say that I hope they add This is Love to the regular set list. It worked VERY well live. That was one song where I just put down the camera and sang my heart out. Somehow I feel very connected to the song. *sigh*

Speaking of "the camera" ... a number of you asked last night on Twitter what I got. Well, it's the Nikon P100. And so far, so good. A big THANK YOU to my friend CY who fixed all the settings (since I had just bought the darn thing less than 24 hours before the show. LOL)

So, let's get down to business ...

...this ad for your local dentist brought to you by JBJ...




...those dance lessons are really paying off, my friend!...



Jon: "Damn that Sambora is good! ...



... but, HA! I have a better butt!"



... seriously, folks...the show was great. Jon sounded fantastic on Hallelujah...



...and NOBODY hits like Tico -- and y'all know my mom will be happy I got some decent pics of him! :-) ...



Heck, I even got a good shot of Hugh on the other side of the stage in the dark!



Richie was so funny during LYHOM ... very flirty and bluesy ...



...this was one of my favorite shots of the night...



...and oh, yes, almost forgot David (who sang along and did the hand motions with me on Who Says ... #DefinitelyMadeThatSongMoreBearable LOL) ...



I still have about 300 shots to go thru, so I may post some more later. But, for now, I will leave you with just a few more ...






Ok...I have to get some ACTUAL work done now. Will be back later.

Until then, be safe, be strong, be yourself because ...

THIS IS LIFE!

xoxo
BAJG

Another Opening, Another Show...

Greetings from the Frozen Apple! Ya know...last year around this time I was in Hawaii, hanging with friends and seeing Jovi shows. Well, as Meatloaf would sing "two out of three ain't bad." Haha.

So...State College, Pennsylvania (... umm definitely NOT Honolulu.)

My attending this show came VERY last-minute. But, I truly believe it was meant to be ... for the sole reason that this was Lorenza Ponce's big solo debut with her band. Thanks to everyone who kept the #TeamLorenza hashtag going. *smile* (And I really appreciate everyone who followed the play-by-play on Twitter and tweeted/texted when they saw me during the live stream.)

As many of you know by now, I don't drive. Haven't had a license since I was maybe 17 or 18. Living in NYC you really don't need one. The only problem is I tend to travel outside of NYC ... A LOT. So I ended up taking the Chinatown bus to State College for the show. The term "Chinatown bus" is actually a general name for several different privately-owned bus companies whose "buses" depart from ... well ... Chinatown. Duh. Please note that the word buses is in quotes ...

After stocking up on roast pork and sweet corn sticky buns (yay, I LOVE food in NYC), my buddy @hugsy2k and I headed for the pick-up point. After several false sightings -- including the bus for the County Jail and what turned out to be a large green sanitation truck -- an old 18-seat Mercedes van-type thing pulled up. L and I said a quick prayer and climbed in. The journey wasn't too bad ... much shorter than "that other trip." There WAS an awkward moment, however, when they purposely left some guy in a McDonald's parking lot somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania claiming he never paid for his ticket. Ayyy!

Anyhoo, we arrive in State College, meet up with our friend Ryan and head over to the venue. All three of us are fervent supporters of Lorenza and jumping out of our skin with excitement to see her on her big night. Inside the venue, the stage set-up is basically the same as the last leg, though the pit is MUCH smaller ... only six rows this time. Enjoyed talking with old friends--Jovishows are always mini-reunions--until the lights went out.

And then out came Lorenza ... totally rockin' in her leather pants and GORGEOUS White Trash Beautiful top. And she's singing and playing and moving around the stage, working the audience and having a great time. It's amazing to think that just a year ago, she kicked off her first pre-album-release shows at The Living Room. This ride is going FAST so hang on! She did a good selection of songs from her current CD and I happily sang along to every track. LOL

After her set, we went backstage to congratulate her - smiling, hugs, laughter all around. Trying to stay out of the way as the crew got ready for the band to enter, I ended up watching the Bon Jovi boys take their places behind the screen, finally running back to my seat after Jon had gone up the stairs to the stage. A slightly surreal experience.

I know many of you watched the UStream of the show ... how nice that they extended it to over an hour! The set list was as expected for the first show back after the break. And yes, I was happy Lorenza came back on stage for Who Says ... and yes, she totally made me laugh during the whole thing knowing EXACTLY how I feel about that song. (Sorry Jonny...didn't mean to distract her. And for the record, I did raise my hands ... a little. LOL)

Overall, it was a fun "let's get back into it" show complete with some more ... let's just say 'flavorful' chords here and there. I felt for Richie who was fighting a head cold and Jon who seemed on the verge of being the next in his family to get sick. Hope they take care of themselves ... a lot of big shows in a short period of time over the next few weeks. The thing is ... those two guys sick can STILL can kick butt.

I'm not sure if there is a curfew there at Penn State (nice of Jon to throw on a jersey for the final song by the way) because it seemed on the short-ish side. That is, short for a Jovishow ... which is still considerably longer than just about any other touring artist out there. #justsaying

AND, after 15+ shows already on The Circle/Greatest Hits tour, I FINALLY got a frickin' chair. Several times I've been like 1 seat away from "the chair" or ended up in the first row at a venue that wasn't offering "the chair", so getting an extremely expensive metal folding chair (at ticket-only price!) was just the perfect ending to a great night! Though, as I said on Twitter yesterday, at some point during my journey up to my fourth floor walk-up apartment, it went from "the chair!" to "the DAMN chair" LOL Nonetheless, it is proudly sitting in the corner. :-)

So, what's next?

Well, the bus to Pittsburgh leaves at 6:50am tomorrow morning. #IntravenousCoffeePlease

p.s. and good news! I'm getting a new camera today, so hopefully pictures will be MUCH better going forward. #NoGuarantees ;-)

#TeamLorenza

Greetings Jovifriends! Just wanted to give you the heads up that I will be doing a play-by-play on Twitter (@bigapplejovi) from the first night of the next leg of Bon Jovi's The Circle Tour (are we still calling it that? or is it just BJ Live 2011 now? hmmm....)

TOMORROW NIGHT
Wednesday, February 9th
State College, PA
7:30PM

A public thank you to Jon Bon Jovi because the super-fabulous Lorenza Ponce and her band will be taking to the stage to kick off the night. I CAN'T FRICKIN' WAIT! I'm so excited for her! I'll be using the hashtag #TeamLorenza throughout the set (or at least as much as I can while texting and still singing, smiling and dancing my way thru the show.)

Don't forget that there will also be a live UStream of the first half-hour of the show. Look for me! I'll be front row (yes I get "the chair" LOL) on Richie's side ... maybe I should wear the infamous green shirt? Haha.

Enjoy! See you on the road!

A Night For Lovers...MUSIC Lovers

Wow! What can I say about last night's JBJ & Friends show at Starland? Well, a whole helluva lot!

Jon Bon Jovi put together a night for MUSIC lovers. With definite influence from Bobby Bandiera, the show was one big rock-n-roll revue featuring my beloved Southside Johnny, as well as Bob Burger and Lisa Bouchelle, among others. Thanks to all who followed the Twitter play-by-play. I had a blast sharing the experience with you.

Even before the screen featuring information on the Parker Pavilion was raised, you could tell there was a LOT of gear on stage. I could see a line of stands for horns (which of course got me all crazy) and percussion plus drum kit plus a BUNCH of mics and amps and ... and ... and ...

Little did we know what we were TRULY in store for!

Okay...so of course, I was trying not to rely too heavily on all the rumors that Southside was going to be up there too. I always love seeing them together, my two favorite guys in the world (who REALLY need to coordinate their concert schedules a bit better so I don't have to run around QUITE so much! LOL)

As the night progressed, it was a constant stream of "oh, man, I LOVE that song" ...

I thought it was poignantly beautiful for them to open with "Help" considering the purpose of the evening's show.

But, it was not to be a night focused on melancholy reflection...it was a night to PARTY! And what better way than a horn-heavy, rockin' version of CC Rider?!



Just about everybody had a chance to sing a song ... and there were some great performances especially by Bob Burger on "She's Not There." If you don't know Bob Burger, you should check him out ... he's a great songwriter sometimes working with Glen Burtnik, another Jersey Shore legend (umm...I'm not sayin' you guys are old, by the way! LOL) I'm hoping somebody got Bob on video.

Well, and, you ALL know of my love of all things Southside Johnny ...



oh, before I continue...must give HUGE shout-out to Deb308 who ALWAYS takes the best video...you should all definitely subscribe to her channel on YouTube #justsaying

Okay, back to the show. As you can see from list, Jon eventually did a few Jovi songs. But honestly, I would have been fine whatever he chose to do. As I said, this was not a show for just Jovipeeps, this was a show for MUSICpeeps ... stuff that has always resonated with me.

This was a night where I felt you see the human Jon ... the fun-loving, likes to hang with his friends, do the songs he loves, rediscover the joy of music, type of Jon. Dancing and singing and swaying his hips, joking and laughing, it makes you think "damn, he must throw a really good backyard barbecue!" LOL

As for the venue, entry, etc. I think most of us thought it would be a similar entry procedure as last time at Starland. I wasn't really prepared to stand out for several hours in line, but if you wanted a relatively decent spot you had no choice but to wait. Luckily, regardless of the 31,486,380 inches of snow we had, the temperature wasn't nearly as brutal as the 2009 show. THAT was ridiculous! (speaking of all the snow...I'm still very bummed my dear friends S and B were not able to fly in...#NotHappyWithMotherNatureRightNow)

We did end up getting a decent spot...here's a picture taken by my pal @hugsy2k who was with me and @Zoe211 and her friend T. I'll be sure to post some of Zoe's pictures in a bit. She was dead center 2nd row. :-) Additional thanks to Z for sending me home with some kick-ass Greek food. LOVE YOU!

Oh, and a note to Starland...hey!...maybe try promoting an UPCOMING show to the people standing in line?! Just a thought.

They had this "welcome to an evening of JBJ and Friends" recording on a constant loop for HOURS. We could all recite it verbatim. And I love how they emphasize he's playing "LIVE" ... well, he certainly wouldn't be playing dead now, would he? Haha.

Gotta go for now...will be back later with more pictures and more mundane commentary. LOL

P.S. Oh, and I got a JBJ guitar pick! Yay!

P.S.2. THIS JUST IN...one of Zoe's pictures...SSJ on harmonica. He and Bobby had a great little impromptu jam session at the end. :-)

Put Me In (Cold), I'm Ready to Play Today

*blog title sung to the tune of "Centerfield" by John Fogerty*

Greetings friends! Hope this finds you well and enjoying a great start to the new year.

I wasn't going to post for a while, but I just simply had to talk a little about Friday night. I will keep it brief ... ok ... probably not.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was very much looking forward to the return to the stage of the Early Elton Trio. Having had a less-than-lovely week, I was counting the hours until the start of the show. So, after a completely unproductive Friday afternoon at the office, I headed over to Rockwood Hall. (For those of you who have seen Lorenza Ponce at The Living Room, Rockwood is basically down the block and around the corner.)

After a quick stop at Sugar Cafe for a cup of coffee, I went and got in line. As a Jovigirl, I have no problem with lining up early, but it was frickin' FREEZING outside. I honestly thought I would never get the feeling back in my fingers and toes again! (I am so not looking forward to the parking lot at Starland for Jon Bon Jovi & Friends later this month. #justsaying)

The last time I saw EE, they were playing BB King's so to see them in a much more intimate space was a real treat. It is a split-level venue with only a few tables downstairs close to the stage and mostly standing room. My friend and I were lucky to snag bar stools with a clear view of the piano keyboard ... a MUST for me.

Musicians must learn to perform in whatever environment they are thrown into. Sometimes it's an ideal situation (like Carnegie Hall) ... sometimes ... well ... it's not (for example, playing Haydn 'Creation' in the middle of the Amazon Jungle in Peru. No joke. That's a story for another time, though.)

In the case of Jeff, John and Rich, they had no time in the venue Friday prior to the show. Add to it that, for pianists, they are obligated to play whatever is rolled out in front of them. (Luckily, this seemed to be a pretty decent Steinway.) Add to that, it was like 15 degrees outside and everyone's hands were cold. After just a few minutes of getting some general sound levels and having (as Jeff described it) a "blind date" introduction to the piano, they launched the show with this:



Pretty incredible, huh?

...and then they just kept playing...and singing...and playing...and singing.

All-in-all they played a 1.5 hour set that included better-known songs like Levon, Take Me to the Pilot and Country Comfort (which I always want to call Southern Comfort. LOL) as well as deeper cuts like My Father's Gun. But the highlight of the night for me was an out-of-this-world performance of Madman Across the Water. You can find it on YouTube here ... which is great ... but experiencing it live. Lordy! It left me speechless (and y'all know me ... that is quite a feat!)

Of course, I've seen Jeff Kazee and John Conte play quite a bit (ok, A LOT) as they are both Jukes. Rich Pagano is best known as the drummer for The Fab Faux, but like the others, does a ton of other work. All three can really sing. All three can really play. Listen to this! (Oh, and don't miss Conte's super-cool lick at 4:17 ...)



Then, they followed that with Grey Seal! I honestly don't know how Kazee's hand didn't literally fall off. I am thinking that arm/hand massage gift certificates are going to be his favorite Christmas and birthday gifts. LOL

With the new website and an announcement that they will be playing later in the year in Hempstead, NY, I'm excited that I will be able to see them perform again soon. If you are in the tri-state area I highly recommend you catch their show.

Well, that's all for now folks. Until later ...
xoxo
BAJG

p.s. Videos courtesy of Marc M. who recorded just about the whole show. THANKS MARC! Chocolates are on the way!

p.s.2. Also, be sure to visit the Early Elton Trio's facebook page.

The Year In Review

Okay...so it's a little late, but nonetheless, here it is. My 2010 in a nutshell (wow! now, THAT'S a loaded statement! LOL)

*I can't find my envelope with all my Jovi ticket stubs...I'm bummed*

Top Ten Shows
I had the privilege of attending A LOT of events this year...some memorable, some not-so-much. Not nearly as amusing as Letterman's Top Ten, but probably more meaningful ... here's the list in order: (you can click on title of each to read the corresponding blog post)

1. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at The Stone Pony (July)
I went to over 25 SSJ shows in 2010 ... each one of them was an unforgettable and unique experience. But this show, in particular, holds very special memories for me. In addition to an amazing set list on a perfect summer night, there was humor beyond belief as well as some personally poignant moments. I still carry around Andy York's guitar pick as a reminder of that night. It was clearly the #1 show of the year for me.

2. Bon Jovi in Honolulu (February)
Paradise + Bon Jovi = *Sigh*
It was a treat to completely miss the snowstorm in NYC, instead opting for mai-tais on the beach and beautiful evenings under the tiki torches. Less of a concert and more like two open rehearsals, we were lucky to hear some incredibly rare tracks that hadn't been played in YEARS. What a great way to kick off The Circle "Centipede" Tour.

3. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at The Paradiso in Amsterdam (October)
Don't even know where to begin. A lot of laughter, a bit of sadness. It was an incredible show in an absolutely gorgeous venue with some of my closest friends. It kicked off four wacky days of cars, trains, trams, planes and wine, beer, chocolate and pastries (the 4 major food groups?)

4. Bon Jovi opening the "New Giants Stadium" (May)
What a crazy whirlwind THAT was! The Big Apple became Bon Jovi Central for that week. Everybody and their brother coming to the States for the shows ... my crazy Germans, the Italians, the Aussies, the UKers. A little bittersweet now - it was the beginning of some great friendships and the end of some others. Let's not talk about night 4 though ... ouch ... poor Jonny.

5. Early Elton Trio at BB Kings (March)
Easily one of my fave shows of the year. What is it about EE shows always happening when I'm having a crap week?! Divine intervention maybe? Whatever the case, there is nothing like rediscovering great songs you forgot about while watching fantastic musicians playing their hearts out. Nice.

6. Bon Jovi at Soldier Field Night #2 (July)
My hometown. My childhood best friend. Turn the Page. Damned. Need I say more? LOL

7. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in Amagansett (September)
What a night!! There was a hurricane-ish. There were great songs. There was free wine all night. There was Jon Bon Jovi. *smile*

8. Lorenza Ponce at The Living Room (May)
I was lucky enough to see Lorenza perform several times during the year, but this one was made extra-special by the dozens of Jovi-ites who were able to attend and the kick-ass afterparty upstairs. Now, THAT was a record launch!

9. Southside Johnny/Jukes AND Bon Jovi at Blossom (July)
Ahhh, Cleveland ... but not quite. Couldn't miss going to this show knowing that my two favorite gangs o' guys would be there together. Ok, so Jon might have been a little loopy due to the pain meds, but he still rocked the whole evening.

10. The Tony Awards (June)
Theatre-wise, it was the year of MEMPHIS. Sure, I saw other things too but lordy, how many times have I seen that show?! So to be there when they won the Tony was out of this world. Don't think I've EVER cheered so loud. Oh, and the afterparty with the American Idiot guys was fun too ... painful the next morning LOL ... but a lot of fun at the time! Haha.

So there you have it. The year that was.

There were so many other good nights - Lifehouse, Daughtry, Melissa Etheridge, Sugarland, kazeedigs (and its poster that I still covet), Rick Springfield, new artists, old artists, other Jovi shows, other Jukes shows. Hopefully, there are more good nights to come...you never know what tomorrow will bring, so you gotta live every day.

Rose Trees CAN Grow in New York City

Happy Thursday friends! ...oh and since this is the first post of 2011, Happy New Year! etc. etc. etc.

Well, the year certainly kicked off with a bang ... aka Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes NYE show at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ. I really love that venue ... so many amazing memories over the years. Any of us who had the privilege of attending the Bon Jovi Christmas shows or Bobby Bandiera's Hope concerts there feels the same way I'm sure.

Historically, January and February are two of the slowest months in terms of performance activity. But not this year! The next several weeks look to be incredibly crazy, starting with the Jukes tomorrow night at HighLine Ballroom and ending with the Jon Bon Jovi & Friends show at Starland at the end of the month. And, let's not even discuss February/early March when the many-legged Jovi Centipede Tour struts thru the Northeast.

But for me, the highlight of the month is definitely Jeff Kazee/John Conte/Rich Pagano doing their "Early Elton Trio" show. The first (and actually only) time I've seen them was last March and I've been hoping/begging/praying for another performance ever since. (Note to Maestro Kazee: Sorry for all the cyber-nagging ... well ... not really that sorry.)

Anyhoo, why did I love this show so much?

First off, it's just excellent music. I mean, seriously ... how can you NOT love "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters"? I don't know ... maybe I have a special affection for that song because I live in NYC. Or maybe because the lyrics feel representative of (my) life -- some paradoxical mix of resignation and optimism. *sigh* Whatever the reason, I can't wait to hear the guys do that one.

And now I know
Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say
I thought I knew
But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City
...
This Broadway's got
It's got a lot of songs to sing
If I knew the tunes I might join in
I'll go my way alone
Grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City
--Elton John/Bernie Taupin

Secondly, I love to see (good) musicians doing what they love. And, you're talking some awesome talent. By the way, if you ever want to experience true kick-ass bass playing, just go to a Jukes show and listen to John Conte tear it up on "Trapped Again." #justsaying

I think it is important to say that I am not a fan of impersonators and this show is definitely NOT that. We aren't talking fake personalities and questionable costumes (no! the guys actually dress that way 'normally' LOL) ... we're just talking great songs written by great artists performed by great musicians. So, there you have it: beauty can grow in New York City.

Here's the guys at work...



Also, check out their performance of Amoreena.

I will certainly be there. If you live in/near NYC, hopefully you can join me. Here are the details:

Friday, January 14th at 8:30pm
Early Elton Trio
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
Tickets: $12 advance/$15 day of (really, $12?! that's sacrilegious ... worth SO much more!)
http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/

Have questions? Need directions? Feel free to contact me at bigapplejovi@yahoo.com.

p.s. also at Rockwood later in February (2/19) is Outside the Box, a good young band from the Jersey Shore (the real Jersey Shore if you catch my drift)...the 1am start time is a killer, though. I'm getting too old for this!

It Takes A Village

Greetings friends! Hope this finds you well and surviving the holidays (whoa oh, we're halfway there!) And for those who got slammed with the snow, hope you've been able to entertain yourself while holed-up in your house/apartment/whatever. I DO believe it was for times like these that YouTube was created! LOL

Anyhoo, I wasn't planning on posting until after the new year, but this blog is mostly about my trials, tribulations and triumphs while following around my favorite musicians. So, I couldn't neglect sharing the "fun" that was my day yesterday.

For some reason, I have never seen Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA regardless of the fact that it is literally five minutes from my old apartment (I spent a year and a half commuting back and forth -- working at our firm's DC office during the week and spending the weekends back in NYC.)

I decided the time had come, so off I went to our nation's capitol.

Well, due to getting dumped on at work (what?! like getting dumped on by Mother Nature wasn't enough?!) I ended up not being able to leave for the show until the same day. No problem though - I've taken the bus ($30 round-trip!!) a zillion times without issue. Well, not this time. *rolls eyes*

The bus was late leaving. Then it took nearly 45 minutes to get out of NYC. Then there was a ton of traffic on the reduced speed NJ Turnpike. Then we get to the last toll in NJ just before you go over the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It was at that time, everything stopped. The road had become a parking lot. As the minutes ticked away, I kept looking at my watch and freaking out. We had managed to go 0.25 miles in 1.5 hours. This was NOT looking good.

I found myself reaching out to the internet via my Crackberry ... and through the wonder of Twitter and Facebook I attempted to keep some semblance of sanity (a preemptive SHUT UP to those who would insert a comment here. LOL)

Ultimately, a 4.5 hour bus ride became an 8-hour marathon. Ugh. But, I appreciate the dozens of tweets and fb posts from my wonderful (yet slightly wacky) friends. As a dear friend said, "it was like tracking Santa on Christmas Eve!" LOL

So...I'd like to say a few special thank yous:

- to @jeanie_ann for sending real-time point-to-point travel estimates via the I-95 website ("...so where are you now?")

- to @zoe211 for consistently sending me positive vibes/tweets/texts for hours and hours *muah*

- even to @jeffkazee regardless of his later admission that he was quite amused by my increasing level of angst (ummm...thanks a bunch for your support...I think)

But "good guy of the night" definitely goes to drummer Tom "Goose" Seguso who chivalrously offered to feign illness in an effort to delay the start of the show. Thanks Tom, you ROCK!

Now, as for the show!

I can see why the band (and many other artists for that matter) include The Birchmere in their list of favorite venues. There is definitely a warmth and intimacy to the place, even though it holds A LOT of people. And the place was PACKED ... totally sold out. (Yay Jukes!) After an "interesting/slightly frightening" cab ride from Union Station, I arrived at 8:29pm (literally only a minute to spare!) and totally lucked out to find a single seat at a table maybe 20 feet from the stage on the keyboard side.

The great thing about a Jukes show is that you'll never get the same thing twice. And I mean NEVER. There were so many great moments during the show last night that I wish I had filmed the whole thing.

Every band frontman needs a sidekick (for lack of a better word) to bounce things off of both musically and in terms of stage banter. And the repartee between Johnny and Kazee is one of the best around. Whether it's Jeff vs Johnny debating the value/spirit/wonder of Christmas or Jeff cheekily informing Johnny that after he brilliantly improvised a version of "Hold on William Searington" that the fan had actually requested "All I Want is Everything." Priceless!

On top of all the laughs was, of course, great music. The new material from "Pills and Ammo" continues to simply astound. I think it was one of the best versions of Cross That Line I'd heard yet ... and I've heard a few. I was delighted to hear When Rita Leaves, which was eventually played after the first attempt morphed into a fantastic cover of Ben E. King's Spanish Harlem. Making the whole transportation ordeal worth it was a breathtakingly soulful 2nd verse of my favorite song (Lost) sung by Mr. Kazee.

Due to where I was in the hall, I didn't feel quite as connected to the horn section as I usually do ... yes, when it comes to the Jukes, location is everything. Nonetheless, as usual, the guys played and "danced" with joy befitting the season and bari sax god Eddie Manion was incredible on Unchain My Heart.

After a good 2.5 hours, the night sadly came to an end ... but with an incredible performance of Hearts of Stone that left everybody in awe and wanting more. *sigh*

Luckily, I don't have to go thru too much withdrawal ... for Friday we ring in 2011 at the Count Basie in Red Bank, NJ. I can't wait to see what magic we get tomorrow.

So, wishing you all a happy and healthy, music-filled new year.
xoxo
BAJG

Note: By the way, the SSJ photos in this post are by the fantastic Jerry Frishman. Isn't that black and white one of Johnny absolutely GORGEOUS?! You can visit his website to see more of his work. :-)