Concert wrap-up
Feb. 14th, 2003 12:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiSo, as I haven't mentioned on LJ (much to my surprise, not counting some comments), I won 2 tix to the Bon Jovi show tonight at Phillips. We got there, and the tix turned out to be front row.
I have never, ever, been in the front row at an Arena concert before. It's fucking incredible. We had wrist bands to prove that we belonged (if you weren't in the front row, you couldn't rush the security rail). Even though we were all the way to the left, we still had a better view of the concert that any tickets I could have bought would have provided.
The crowd was fascinating. It ranged from teen and barely legal girls to people in their late fifties. The latter, of course, were not much older than I currently am when Bon Jovi first started hitting it big. But it was strange to see girls singing and wiggling to "Runaway" even though they couldn't possible have been born then.
As for the show, the opening act was the Goo Goo Dolls.
As I may have mentioned, I hate the Goo Goo Dolls. Hate them with a passion. Despise them. So I was not pleased. I noticed that they weren't mentioned on the ticket. I suspect that this is because no one would waste their time getting to the concert at 7:30 if they thought they'd see the Goo Goo Dolls.
Their set list was something like this:
Something sucky and pointless.
Name
Something else sucky and pointless
Another sucky and pretentious tune
Three songs sung by the sucky bassist, because the lead singer is too talented, and almost stopped sucking.
Slide
Something else that made me want to puncture my own eardrums.
Etc.
By the time the strains of "Iris," the milquetoastiest of the milquetoast songs in their catalog (and thus their biggest hit) started, I was applauding as loud as anyone, as I knew they'd be getting the fuck off the stage promptly.
Then the real show started.
Understand, I like Bon Jovi, but I don't love 'em. Their best stuff was all in the '80s, with maybe one exception ("It's My Life,"). So all I wanted was a few greatest hit moments, and I'd be happy.
The thing is, Bon Jovi are an amazing band to see live. They have energy, verve, stage presence, whatever you want in a live band. They didn't just deliver a few renditions of their hits. They made them come alive. Granted, that's what any band should do, but too few bands nowadays are really professional performers (as opposed to professional studio-dwellers -- remember Shania Lame's Super Bowl performance?).
They played "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" in the first ten minutes. And they still kept the energy going for two hours. The only hit they didn't touch (that I can recall) was "Blaze of Glory." Otherwise, every song of theirs that I wanted to hear, they played. Including ones I'd almost forgotten, like "Raise Your Hands," (a song that didn't impress me on CD years ago, but is a perfect arena song) and "I'll be there for You," a song I sung to the first girl I ever slept with (aside: never trust the promises of 17-year-old boys).
Actually, I just realized they also left off "Never Say Goodbye." Damn, they had a lot of hit songs.
And Blaze of Glory was a solo song, wasn't it? Never mind, then.
Anyway, the point is, the concert was just incredible. I suspect I may never regain my hearing, but it was still an amazing experience.
And now it's 1:00AM, and I've gotta be up for work in a few hours. Shit.
I have never, ever, been in the front row at an Arena concert before. It's fucking incredible. We had wrist bands to prove that we belonged (if you weren't in the front row, you couldn't rush the security rail). Even though we were all the way to the left, we still had a better view of the concert that any tickets I could have bought would have provided.
The crowd was fascinating. It ranged from teen and barely legal girls to people in their late fifties. The latter, of course, were not much older than I currently am when Bon Jovi first started hitting it big. But it was strange to see girls singing and wiggling to "Runaway" even though they couldn't possible have been born then.
As for the show, the opening act was the Goo Goo Dolls.
As I may have mentioned, I hate the Goo Goo Dolls. Hate them with a passion. Despise them. So I was not pleased. I noticed that they weren't mentioned on the ticket. I suspect that this is because no one would waste their time getting to the concert at 7:30 if they thought they'd see the Goo Goo Dolls.
Their set list was something like this:
Something sucky and pointless.
Name
Something else sucky and pointless
Another sucky and pretentious tune
Three songs sung by the sucky bassist, because the lead singer is too talented, and almost stopped sucking.
Slide
Something else that made me want to puncture my own eardrums.
Etc.
By the time the strains of "Iris," the milquetoastiest of the milquetoast songs in their catalog (and thus their biggest hit) started, I was applauding as loud as anyone, as I knew they'd be getting the fuck off the stage promptly.
Then the real show started.
Understand, I like Bon Jovi, but I don't love 'em. Their best stuff was all in the '80s, with maybe one exception ("It's My Life,"). So all I wanted was a few greatest hit moments, and I'd be happy.
The thing is, Bon Jovi are an amazing band to see live. They have energy, verve, stage presence, whatever you want in a live band. They didn't just deliver a few renditions of their hits. They made them come alive. Granted, that's what any band should do, but too few bands nowadays are really professional performers (as opposed to professional studio-dwellers -- remember Shania Lame's Super Bowl performance?).
They played "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" in the first ten minutes. And they still kept the energy going for two hours. The only hit they didn't touch (that I can recall) was "Blaze of Glory." Otherwise, every song of theirs that I wanted to hear, they played. Including ones I'd almost forgotten, like "Raise Your Hands," (a song that didn't impress me on CD years ago, but is a perfect arena song) and "I'll be there for You," a song I sung to the first girl I ever slept with (aside: never trust the promises of 17-year-old boys).
Actually, I just realized they also left off "Never Say Goodbye." Damn, they had a lot of hit songs.
And Blaze of Glory was a solo song, wasn't it? Never mind, then.
Anyway, the point is, the concert was just incredible. I suspect I may never regain my hearing, but it was still an amazing experience.
And now it's 1:00AM, and I've gotta be up for work in a few hours. Shit.