14 Days and Counting ...

Happy Monday my fellow JoviNuts. Hope those of you in the NYC-area are staying cool ... its a scorcher out there. Ugh.

Well, now that the London BJ shows are done, its time to focus on the boys return to the States to finish up the next leg of what I am affectionately calling "the centipede tour" ... I mean, seriously, how many legs are there?

So, first up is the fourth show at Giants. I am hoping we might be in for a few treats given the incredible stuff they pulled out at the O2 ... but honestly, I doubt it will happen. Sorry. Would so love to be proven wrong (hint, hint, wink, wink Jonny.)

What I AM very excited about, however, is that a mere 14 days from now I will be in Ohio for the mother of all double-bills ... Bon Jovi closing for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. LOL

Of course I always love to see BJ ... but those who read this blog on a regular basis know that I'm also a devoted Jukesfan, too. I have had the pleasure of seeing Southside and JBJ together a few times over the years and every time it has been magical. I am expecting no less this time ... especially given the huge following the Jukes have in Cleveland. I'm also excited because this is my first opportunity to hear some of the songs from the new record since its release.

I've been meaning to write about the new album for a while now, but ... ya know ... life just gets in the way sometimes. Anyhoo, about "Pills and Ammo" ... IT ROCKS! Actually, I've been listening to it more than just about any other CD right now. I don't skip a single song (unlike The Circle...shhhh...you know I love you, Jon), but the two stand-out ones for me are easily "Lead Me On" ... absolutely LOVE that track!! ... and "A Place Where I Can't Be Found". There's the wonderfully harsh commentary on NYC (dedicated to JBJ) called "Heartbreak City" which is also a fave.

One of the things I really like about this album is that while its very clean and balanced, it still captures the "live" feel and joy that for me defines the Jukes. If you've ever seen Southside, you know its sort of what I would call a James Joycean stream-of-consciousness experience. Certainly, there is a plan (or at least I think there is LOL) but like all truly great performers, there's a spontaneity and a "let's just go with the flow" type of feel. If you're not familiar with their work at all (shame on you! haha), I think "One More Night to Rock" totally sums up the whole shebang.

Dirty Chuck Taylors and some beat up jeans,
I don't care what it all means.
I got four horns and a rhythm section,
Everybody going in a different direction.
So what if I forget the words
You all know them anyhow ...

Gotta love that!

Take a listen.



....ahhh, yep. That's the Jukes.

So, that's what I'm looking forward to in two weeks. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I'm going to feel short-changed as I'm used to them playing for a good couple of hours. Haha. But, then again there is always the possibility of a "do-it" or two with SSJ and Jonny *crossing fingers but not holding my breath to hear Soul's on Fire*. Having all those guys on stage together is certainly going to be a hoot. Wondering ... do Bobby and Kazee have to play with both bands? LOL They could ya know. :-)

In any case, I'll be tweeting the set list (from both bands) while celebrating my 175th JoviShow (ain't that scary?!) Me and Mom, 5th row center ... we're havin' a party!

P.S. To see when the Jukes will be in your area and to buy the new record (!!!), visit www.southsidejohnny.com.

P.S.2. And JK, if you're reading this ... you already know what's on my wish list. ;-)

MEMPHIS redux ... for the Nth time ... LOL

Greetings friends! Hope this finds you well on "hump day" (hey! you fan fic girls ... get your minds out of the gutter! haha) ... I meant because its Wednesday.

So, still in post-Tony euphoria, Linda and I bought tickets to see MEMPHIS last night ... the first show as Tony Award winners. Tuesday night curtains are early which is a killer in terms of getting to the theatre from way down on Wall Street so I was running on a tight schedule. I arrived to find the will-call line out the theatre and down the block. Woohoo! While I was standing in line, I grabbed this quick picture of the signs posted by fans on the stage door.
























Isn't that cool?! I loved it!

Anyway, Linda and I got tickets in the orchestra center first row. I have never sat there for a show (well, other than Jovi LOL) and it was a totally different experience than the other umpteen times I've seen MEMPHIS. To say that I have a whole new respect for the cast would be an understatement. When you're that close you can hear every hushed word, see every bit of emotion and literally feel the heat coming off the stage. I could see the pain in Chad Kimball's eyes on "Memphis Lives in Me", the resolve on Montego Glover's face in "Colored Woman", the anger/fear in J. Bernard Calloway's delivery during "She's My Sister" ... the whole experience was eye-opening.

After the show, we stuck around to talk with the cast who were, I believe, a bit blown away by the cheers of the crowd when they came out the stage door. Lots of smiles all around. Everyone was nice enough to sign my Tony program ...



















And Chad's dad even got a great picture of us. :-)



Speaking of Chad ... I heard that someone at the Tonys on Sunday went up to him and asked him if he was a seat filler?!! Ooooops. He told us that he hadn't even seen the video yet of when they won and that he finally got to bed at about 6am Monday morning. (I'm hoping that David Bryan was able to sleep on the plane over to Paris.)

Needless to say, it was a great night all around.

Now things slow down a bit until Kazeedigs on June 23rd ... and then watch out for July -- the Jukes at The Stone Pony, Melissa Etheridge in NYC and New Brunswick, and a whole lotta Jovi (NMS, Ohio, Toronto, Boston and Chicago.)

Okay ... gotta go .. time to make the ramen noodles. Haha.

Speechless ... part 2

So ... here's a bit more on my Tony Awards show experience. I really wish they would have broadcast the Creative Awards that took place from 7-8pm prior to the nationally televised show. For me, those were some of the most priceless moments of the evening actually.

Anyhoo, a few thoughts ... in no particular order ... well, EXCEPT ...

Given the name of this blog post, I had to start with what was truly the most speechless moment of the show ... when the incomparable Marian Seldes was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Dramatic, magical and stunning are just a few words to describe Ms. Seldes, who I sometimes would see in the halls of Juilliard. She is without equal in the theatre world, that's for sure. She came to the stage last night, accepted her award and simply said so much by not speaking a word ... in the way only SHE can ... looking from the audience then to the side of the stage, to the floor, back to the audience, and then exiting the stage. It truly WAS speechless.

Speaking of Juilliard, one of my classmates from school also won a Tony last night -- the fantastic Viola Davis, who is starring in "Fences" with Denzel Washington. Many people don't realize that the school has one of the most prestigious drama programs in the country. The list of people who have come out of the Drama Division is staggering -- from Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Kline and the late Christopher Reeve to Christine Baranski, Marcia Cross, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Laura Linney (also nominated last night.) And, if you're a WingNut like me, the dashing Bradley Whitford (who played Josh on The West Wing) is also a Juilliard grad. (As an aside, someday maybe I'll write about the funny conversations I used to have with Robin Williams when he would call the school and I was doing work-study on the switchboard. Damn, he is a funny man.) But in any case, back to Viola. I saw her in a production of The Cherry Orchard when we were in school together. It was always one of my favorite plays and she was absolutely unforgettable. That production -- and her performance in it -- blew me away. It haunted me for weeks. Needless to say, I let out a big shout when she won. :-)

I will say that one of the times I was also left speechless was when Montego Glover didn't win for Best Actress in a Musical. (Since this is my blog and I can say what I want ...) I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who was completely shocked. You could feel it in the audience. Montego and Catherine Zeta-Jones had tied for both the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle awards, but I ... like most ... was convinced that Montego would win the Tony. I mean, seriously -- she has created the next great American musical female character. The mark she has made on the field with this role is unquestionable. THAT is what the award is supposed to be about.



No doubt, even better than David Bryan and Joe DiPietro winning their "individual" Tonys (this sounds like the gymnastics competition at the Olympics. LOL) was the win for Best Musical. I love love LOVE Bernadette Peters ... so when she came out to introduce/announce the category I had a good feeling. But given what happened with Best Actress I wasn't going to assume ANYTHING. If, by chance, you didn't watch the broadcast ... here is how it all went down ...



I do believe I can hear myself scream in that clip. Haha. As I tweeted last night, our section of the theatre was very MEMPHIS-centric. Most of the people around us were rooting just as hard as T and I were. Seated in the first mezzanine, the ceiling above us sort of created a cave-like feeling and totally amplified the sound of our cheers. And boy did we cheer! I don't think I've even yelled that loud at a Bon Jovi show (sorry Jonny.) Needless to say, I've been sucking on lozenges most of today. ;-)

Okay ... that's all for right now. I need to get this posted before I fall asleep. There will be more later ... "Promises, Promises" LOL.

Speechless...

Good Monday morning y'all! There is, of course, much more to come from my night at The Tony Awards ... but honestly, I have a killer headache from drinking a WHOLE LOTTA champagne at the after-party. I also fear I have no voice after cheering (rather loudly LOL) for all my favorites the whole night.

Of course, the first order of business is to congratulate Joe DiPietro, David Bryan and the entire cast and crew of MEMPHIS. Its been an incredible journey and last night was the crowning moment. Most shows go thru several stages (both literally and figuratively) during their lifespan. MEMPHIS has had a long, long road to get to where it is now. And as I have told Joe, so many of us fans have followed it since its early days and so for us, just as with the cast, seeing the success it now has achieved feels personal. When you think about the songs that have been cut, the scenes that have been re-worked, the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the product you see on stage, its staggering. Being there in person to share the experience will forever be in my heart.

Hearing David Bryan's name be called from the podium at Radio City Music Hall was a thrill. Watching the camaraderie between him and Joe was so wonderful -- their partnership isn't some "made in the factory" collaboration. The connection between them not only as artists but as PEOPLE is so refreshing to see. I still think those two need to start their own stand-up comedy routine. The way they feed off one another is so natural and so genuine. I truly can't wait to see what is coming for them down the road (which, by the way, is several more shows ... including one that is well underway!!) So, David and Joe -- thank you for letting us into your hearts and souls. Its a great place to be ... can we all stay a bit longer?

Okay ... mushy stuff over. LOL

I've gotta go for now -- probably should have taken the day off of work, but alack and alas, a good portion of my vacation days are being used for David's other job. In any case, I will be back later with more of my time at The Tonys ... including my dress near-disaster, the after-party chaos and what's up next. :-)

Countdown to the Tonys!

Its only a few days now until the big night ... THE 2010 TONY AWARDS! I'm so excited I can barely sit still.

Ever since I was a wee child, my family always watched the Tonys so its a dream come true to be able to actually attend ... THANK YOU L, LOVE YA!!! xoxo

Anyhoo, preparations have been underway - both at Radio City Music Hall and in Big Apple Jovi Girl's apartment, where I've been fretting about the right dress, shoes, jewelry and make-up. And as if going to the ceremony wasn't thrilling enough, my friend J is taking me to the "American Idiot" after-party ... how cool is THAT?! Okay, I know I know ... I'm all about MEMPHIS, but a party is a party right?! LOL ... And I DID go to the opening (read about that fun night here.)

So, the official Tony people have been confirming presenters and performers for the night and its quite the list ... including Antonio Banderas, Cate Blanchett, Michael Douglas, Scarlett Johansson, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Chris Noth, Bernadette Peters, David Hyde Pierce and Raquel Welch. Pretty awesome.

And, of course, as always, there will be selections by the nominees for best musical and best play. Rumor has it that the cast from "American Idiot" will perform with Green Day playing the music (instead of the show band) ... and we have also heard that there will be something special by our Bon Jovi boys for David? ... ooooh, can't wait to see what comes of that. Will we only see it if David wins for best original score? Hmmm ...

If possible, I will be tweeting (bigapplejovi) from the show ... so if you're around on Sunday night, tune in for some insight from inside the theatre while I cheer for Montego Glover, Chad Kimball, Joe DiPietro, David Bryan and the cast of MEMPHIS ... as well as my Juilliard classmate Viola Davis to all win big.

And then, check the blog on Monday (or maybe Tuesday dependent upon how late I'm up Sunday night LOL) for a complete wrap-up.

P.S. Am getting daily reports from my crazy Germans who are living in London for the month. Can't wait to hear about Jeff Kazee's big night at the 02 -- watch out, Jeff ... they have tickets on your side. LOL

Friday Fotos (part 1)

Hello from NYC ... thought I'd just post some pics from Giants Night 3 (including a series of tush shots LOL) ... more to come. :-)

A GIANT(s) Wrap-Up (part 1)

Greetings my exhausted JoviFriends!

I don't know about you all but its taking a bit to recover from these three amazing shows at the New Meadowlands Stadium (see?! I do know how to say it, I just choose not to! LOL)

It was several incredible days of catching up with friends from around the world - Germany, Italy, the UK, Australia, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Washington, California and even from right across the river in Jersey. Every night it was a party in the pit as people (friends and ... ummm .... otherwise LOL) saw eachother. JoviShows in Jersey are always a big reunion.

One of the great things about visitors is that it forces me out of the norm to play tour guide and concierge.

Side note: Speaking of "out of the norm" ... it was a hoot greeting the fan club buses as they came down Wall Street on their city tour. You can imagine the scene ... me standing out on the street holding up a NMS BJ t-shirt and busloads of people hollering. I got quite a few "interesting" looks from passers-by.

Anyhoo, many good times were had over the past week, like ...

Introducing my crazy Germans to the love that IS Levain Cookies ...



















And the strange inhabitants of Manhattan LOL ...



















Together we took a long walk through Central Park, drank margaritas, saw MEMPHIS (my lucky number 13th time I think) and did a bit of shopping (ROFLMAO ... anyone who knows my girls know that a BIT of shopping is always an understatement hehe.)

We ended our week together with an amazing road trip to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. We stood on the beach at the end of the United States in Montauk. We drank margaritas (do you see a pattern here? LOL). We jumped in the pool. We caught an incredible sunset on the nearly deserted Georgica Beach in East Hampton ...



















I am always grateful to "that damn band that takes all my money" for the real, true friendships I've been blessed with. *sigh*

Okay ... yeah yeah yeah, but I know why you're all reading this blog ... you want to hear about Jon and the boys.

Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer for that as I finish going through pictures, etc.

But, in the meantime ... here is my first video EVER ... I love the song, but damn! ... you don't realize how long it is until you're holding up a camera. LOL



So, stay tuned for pics and thoughts about the shows. :-)

P.S. For those who are surprised to see a post from me today, it was pre-scheduled. Haha...tricked you! I know you're all with me today as we continue on this journey. Will be in touch as soon as I can. Thanks for your never-ending support. Luv you guys.

A New Era ... Complete with Snafus :-)

Well, good morning my Jovifriends! (though honestly, I'm not sure how many of you are up yet ... LOL)

Unlike my usual ramblings-on I'm just going to do a mostly picture-oriented post today.

Why?

Because I actually TOOK pictures.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I rarely take pictures at shows. I prefer to just experience the whole thing and let my memories take the snapshots. But, given this was the opening of the new stadium I thought I'd give it a try. I don't even have a real camera, so I'm super-grateful to my dear friend Rike for letting me use her second one. *muah Rike*

So, where do we begin? At the beginning, I suppose ... (this was my view from pit 4 row 3)
(note, you can click pics to see larger view)





















The location was great with incredible views ... the only problem was navigating around the moving video camera LOL



















And even though I was concerned that Jon might not come over a lot onto Richie's side, there were no issues there whatsoever ...
























As this was my first attempt at actually taking pictures, I tried to get some of everything ...

I was on a mission to get one of Richie and David together



















... and even Tico (damn, that's a tall order ... the picture, not Tico LOL ...sorry Teek)



















But, not surprisingly ... in the end I mostly ended up with lots of Jon :-)
























































































And even though it was obvious (though not vocally and certainly not energy wise) that Jon's allergies were probably bothering him ...



















... his playful nature and teasing of the audience certainly was right on target


















...even with the slight sound snafu during "Runaway" (which in my opinion ADDED to the magic of the evening, rather than detract from it) ...
























There were a couple of other little technical things -- Richie's guitar not quite kicking in at the opening of the solo in "Wanted" ... or Jon's tech not comprehending what song was next, which is why Jon started singing the opening line of "Who Says..." -- his tech had thrown the maracas up to him, Jon threw them back at him, gave the guitar sign a few times and still no guitar appeared LOL -- when it finally did, Jon just laughed and took it. No attitude. No frustration. Just fun.

(as an aside, I was slightly concerned that Jon seemed to be shaking his left hand out a lot ... hopefully it was just tight because of the break ... don't stress, Jon, you push the strings harder and then it hurts more)

I'm still going thru all the pictures and will likely post a second set later today (because I actually do have to do some work before heading to the stadium again. Haha.)

In closing, a few words (ok, probably more than a few LOL)

The show was absolutely amazing. The heat outside, the excitement of the new venue, having the chance to see friends from all over the world, a rip-roaring Richie solo during "Dry County", the fireworks (woofrickinhoo!!) during "Keep the Faith" ... it all added to this fantastic night.

Yes, there is always a special magic when Jon Bon Jovi and his band of brothers hits the stage. But last night was different - it was a true sense of homecoming. Jon mentioned that it was 21 years ago that they played Giants for the first time -- I remember it well. :-) -- and how extraordinary it was that they are still there. He shouldn't at all be surprised ... even back then, the logo/slogan said "Bon Jovi Forever" ... as it shall always be.

Okay ... gotta go for now. Will definitely post some more images later - including a fun tongue shot and a couple with Hugh and Bobby. Until then, rest up for tonight -- same time, same stadium, almost same seat (but on David's side.)

Lorenza Rocks "the Room"

Greetings Jovinuts! Well ... the party in the Big Apple has begun. :-)

Most everybody has arrived (the crazy Germans, the Italians, the Aussies, etc) ... and there are others on the way (FictionMistress and RocknRow are on the plane right now, actually.) New York has been invaded by Bon Jovi fans. Its a wonderful thing. :-)

Anyhoo, a bunch of us hit the Living Room on the LES (that's Lower East Side) last night for Lorenza Ponce's album release show and party. And, what a fantastic night it was!

The crazy Germans and I got there on the early side (I REALLY wanted to get out of the office LOL), had a quick drink and met up with some other folks - including D from Phoenix and my friend L - and caught up for a few minutes with Lorenza and Kazee. Its a great venue - as Lorenza says, a very "in the trenches" type of place -- one of those little NYC "come as you are" spots.

The band took the stage at just about 8pm and did a nice vamp of the opening of "Casual Girl" as Lorenza walked thru from the back of the room to the stage. As expected, the place was packed and the energy was amazing.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed myself the last couple of times I saw Lorenza live, it was even better this time around. The band was great and the sound just blew the roof off the joint. They played most of the tracks from "Soul Shifter" and perhaps its because I have now listened to the album at least 30 times (according to that nice little tracker on iTunes LOL) or maybe it was because there was so much love in the room, every song really had a special electricity to it.

For me, one of the tests of a real musician is how they perform on stage. You can produce an album to death, but when its just you and the band, THAT'S where the truth often lies. I can tell you, Lorenza completely captivated the audience, her vocals were amazing and her ability to juggle multiple instruments, lead the group, engage the audience and not miss a beat is mind-boggling.

She kept the set moving along as the timeframe is quite short ... but I did enjoy hearing her relay a story last night about an artist she went to see - the inspiration for "What Happened to You?" - who didn't quite live up to her expectations. I think that has happened to many of us at some point. I know I had a rude awakening once when seeing one of my favorite classical musicians. I had listened religiously to his recordings and then ... BAM ... saw him when he was in NYC and ended up really depressed, almost angry, about the letdown. Like I said, live performance is key.

After the show, most of the crowd went upstairs to hang out for a bit. As always, Lorenza was absolutely gracious and signed CDs and took pictures for hours. (p.s. Lorenza, I love the new line of shirts!) I also had a chance to catch up a bit more with Jeff Kazee, another musician I truly respect. (p.s. if you are in/near NYC, you must, MUST come to see Kazeedigs "Exile on Canal Street" on June 23rd ... visit his facebook page for more info. The picture of Jeff amuses me ... its like he's in the middle of telling a scary ghost story ... nice phantom right hand. Haha.)

So, after a few "adult beverages" and greetings with the slew of EuroJovis, a number of us went out for a late dinner. A couple hours and lots of laughs later, I ended up falling into bed around 1:45am. Ahhh, THIS is the life. :-)

Next up ... Jon Bon Jovi and 'da boys hit the new Giants Stadium ... Lorenza, 3 BJ shows, MEMPHIS and a road trip with the crazy Germans. I'm in for quite a week. LOL

P.S. Thanks to Rike for the pics from last night. xoxo

MEMPHIS in the Morning

So, David Bryan visited with Jim Kerr on Q104.3 at 7am this morning to talk about Memphis (and a bit of Bon Jovi as well LOL) ... and so, OF COURSE, I woke up early to hear it. :-)

I must say ... I became a musician so I didn't have to get up at these ungodly hours (probably David was thinking the SAME thing!)

In any case, he performed "Memphis Lives in Me" live on air ... here's the picture the radio station tweeted ...



















He sounded GREAT considering it was an early morning after the show in Hershey last night.

Anyhoo, David talked about the possibility of a movie being made. He talked about missing the first show with Jon in thirty-two years because of the Tony Awards (DAVID - I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU!) ... all around it was a great interview. Hope they podcast it.

P.S. He also mentioned they were going to "do something" at the Tony's but he couldn't disclose what it was. I can't wait to experience it ... ordered the dress yesterday. Just need to find the right jewelry. Haha.

P.S.2. Updated later to include video :-)