I'm going to...

GIANTS!!!!!!

OMFG yes, I'm serious. My parents know how to surprise the HELL out of me sometimes -- for my 21st birthday today, they presented me with a ticket voucher to get to any of the Giants shows I want in May. And my boyfriend comped my flight.

Needless to say, I was THRILLED. It involved a whole lot of staring, screaming, crying, screaming again, crying again, and then a general sense of shock that lasted the whole day. LOL. I still cannot believe I'm going. This is a dream come true, and I cannot possibly explain how happy I am or how much it means to me.

AND, my uncle gave me a giftcard for $400 to be used toward the ticket/flight (since he didn't know my parents and boyfriend already had it covered!), soooo I am looking into buying a ticket to another night as well (gotta make the most out of a free trip to New York!) So if anyone has any extra tickets to the 29th and/or any other nights, let me know!!

As for the rest of my birthday, thank you to everyone who made it special. Your comments meant so much to me (my phone was flooded today with messages and notes, thank you!) and I truly appreciate the kind words. After the shock and excitement of finding out I was going to Giants, my boyfriend and I drove back up to my university in LA because I had to take a midterm exam, and we were going to meet my mom and her best friend (who were in LA for the day coincidentally) for dinner at Red Robin.

We met them there around 7pm as planned, had talked on the phone and kept in contact about where each other was, everything...then when we got there, the waitress took us to our table...and my three best friends were sitting there waiting for me.

OMG.

I stopped dead in my tracks and wore, for the 2nd time today, the shocked and stupid look of someone who had just been surprised again, and proceeded to cry...again. LOL it was SUCH a wonderful surprise, as I haven't seen two of them since Christmas! (They all go to different universities.) I was absolutely, completely shocked, and it was a wonderful dinner with all of us; especially since I had my first strawberry daiquiri. ;)

All in all, a beautiful birthday...and the celebrating isn't over. Friday is a big dinner party with tons of family, and then on Saturday my boyfriend is taking me to VEGAS to properly ring in my 21st. I'm having soooo much fun!

Anyway, just had to thank you all and explain a bit about where I'll be the next week or so, in case I'm behind on posts.

And I'll see some of you at Giants!! ;)

Washington, D.C. set list

Here's the set list from D.C. March 29 -- Romeo Bongiovi's 6th birthday! (Yes, he was in attendance, as per Jon.)

Happy Now (pro shot)
We Weren't Born to Follow
Bad Name
Whole Lotta Leavin'
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Lay Your Hands On Me (Richie vox)
Hallelujah
I'll Be There For You
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Keep the Faith
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule
Runaway
Wanted Dead or Alive
Living on a Prayer

Mohegan Sun, CT - Night 2 setlist

Sorry this is late, folks, I've had a busy weekend at HOME (*happy dance*) and picking up my boyfriend and getting ready for my birthday and....yeah.

But here's the set list from Mohegan #2. Amazing set! Captain Crash again, and MISS FOURTH OF JULY!!! Can I be any more jealous? I just hope I can make it to Giants and they pull out some more good stuff. :)

Next up, Washington D.C. tonight!

Last Man Standing
We Weren't Born to Follow
Bad Name
Whole Lotta Leavin'
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
Captain Crash
Sleep When I'm Dead
Runaway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Hot Legs
Homebound Train (Richie vox)
Hallelujah
Miss Fourth of July
Mama's Got a Squeezebox
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Have a Nice Day
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule

Encore:
Wanted Dead or Alive
Living on a Prayer

Mohegan Sun, CT - Night 1 setlist

OMG. I just have to thank SARA (again) for calling me during Captain Crash -- I LOVE YOU! I was studying for a midterm and got the call, and within 2 seconds of answering I was off my bed and smiling/singing like a freak. LOL. I am SO happy I got to hear it live finally -- in person obviously would have been better, but over the phone is pretty damn good! So thank you thank you Hotlips!

Okay, so other than Crash, I decided that if I had been there tonight, I would have been on the floor from the get-go. My current favorite songs change weekly, but my top favorites that are near and dear to my heart remain the same through time. And tonight, they played THREE of my absolute favorites in a row: In These Arms, Crash, and RADIO. (That's the first time they've played Radio all tour so far!)

Holy moly. Torture, thy name is Bon Jovi.

LOL. Fantastic show for those lucky Mohegan-goers tonight!

SETLIST:

Happy Now
We Weren't Born To Follow
Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
Lost Highway
In These Arms
Captain Crash
Radio Saved My Life Tonight
When We Were Beautiful
Superman
We Got It Goin On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Lay Your Hands On Me (Richie VOX)
Make A Memory
Never Say Goodbye
Mama's Got A Squeezebox
Something For the Pain
Runaway
Work For the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home

Encore:
Wanted
Prayer

Philly, PA - Night #2 set list

EDIT: "Love For Sale" video added!

_______________________________

Thank you Jen (BigAppleJoviGirl) for tonight's PBP!

And if any of my dearest friends "forgets" to call me during Captain Crash at one more show, my wrath will descend upon you mercilessly.

Okay, on with the setlist! :)

Happy Now

We Weren't Born To Follow

You Give Love A Bad Name

Thorn In My Side

Born To be My baby

Lost Highway

Captain Crash (GAH)

Sleep When I'm Dead

When We Were Beautiful

Superman Tonight

We Got It Goin' On

Bad Medicine/Bad Case Of Loving You/Shout

It's My Life

Homebound Train (Richie VOX)

Make A Memory

Bed of Roses

Love For Sale

Something For the Pain

Keep the Faith

Work For the Working Man

Who Says You Can't Go Home (acoustic intro)

Love's the Only Rule

Encore:

Only Lonely

Wanted

Prayer

Philly, PA - Night #1 set list

Pretty standard set, except for the seemingly new replacement of Homebound Train with Lay Your Hands On Me! I would freaking LOVE to hear that live.

Blood on Blood

We Weren't Born to Follow

You Give Love a Bad Name

Whole Lot of Leavin'

Born to be my Baby

Lost Highway

When We Were Beautiful

Superman Tonight

We Got It Going On

Bad Medicine w/ Roadhouse Blues [The Doors cover]

It's My Life

Lay Your Hands on Me [Richie Sambora on lead vocals]

Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen cover]

I'll Be There For You

Something for the Pain [acoustic]

Someday I'll Be Saturday Night [acoustic]

Keep the Faith

Work for the Working Man

Who Says You Can't Go Home

Love's the Only Rule

Runaway

I Love This Town

Wanted Dead or Alive

Livin' on a Prayer

Just Because...

I haven't posted one of these Just Because moments in awhile...so here's a Monday night pick-me-up for you Jonny lovers out there.

This is my current desktop...MMMM.

Lay Your Hands On Me, Richie style - what do you think?

So y'all have hopefully heard by now that Richie slayed the audience in Montreal last night with Lay Your Hands On Me. (Hang on a second while I fight the urge to scream in envy again...)

I was curious what you all think -- so here's my new poll of the week!

Watch the videos, listen to the bootlegs, lemme know...do you like Richie's voice solo on that song?

I know I sure as hell do - DAMN he did it justice. Whew!

Oh, and last week's poll results were fairly predictable -- most of you want to hear Learn To Love as the next Circle song in the setlists, but Broken Promiseland was close behind (even though they did in fact play it in Honolulu). Fast Cars did get more votes than I thought it would, though! I guess we'll see what surprises the band has for us in the next week...they're sure living up to their promises now!

Montreal, CAA setlist - Night #2

It's official. I am the most jealous girl on the entire planet.

Did you all SEE this setlist? Or were you among the lucky people there??

GAH!

I am absolutely GREEN with envy! I spent half the night screaming at the PBP and my roommate thought I had lost it! I think I did, partly.

Just...just look at this. Tell me you aren't jealous too. And holy crap, if you send me videos from tonight I will love you forever. Just sayin'.

To my dearest Canadian friends...you know I love you. But it's REAAAALLLLY hard to like you right now!

;)

1. Happy Now (!!)
2. We Weren't Born To Follow
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. In These Arms (!!)
5. Born To Be My Baby
6. Lost Highway
7. Captain Crash (!!)
8. Sleep When I'm Dead
9. When We Were Beautiful
10. Superman Tonight
11. We Got It Goin' On
12. Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
13. It's My Life
14. Lay Your Hands On Me (Richie VOX) (!!)
15. Make A Memory
16. Bed of Roses (!!)
17. Love For Sale (!!!!!!!!!!)
18. Something For the Pain
19. Keep the Faith
20. Work For The Working Man
21. Someday I'll be Saturday Night
22. Love's the Only Rule

Encore #1
24. Runaway
25. Just Older
26. Wanted
27. Prayer

Encore #2
28. Always (!!)
29. Treat Her Right (!!)


P.S. Someone told me on Twitter tonight that she wore the 'Love's the Only Rule' t-shirt I designed on Zazzle to the show, and she was front row. Apparently Jon saw the shirt and liked it! *little girl squeal* Yes, that makes me SO happy and excited. Thank you SO much for the exposure!

Miss Ava Sambora...all grown up.

I was just stunned to see these pics on celebritybabyscoop.com today -- Ava Sambora modeled for the clothing line, White Trash Beautiful, that Richie and fashion partner Nikki Lund launched yesterday in Los Angeles for LA Fashion Week.

From the article:

Ava Sambora made her modeling debut at last night's LA Fashion Week premiere of her rocker dad Richie Sambora's women's fashion line White Trash Beautiful. The gorgeous 12-year-old was cheered on by her beaming mom Heather Locklear as she strutted her way down the catwalk.

This is the Bon Jovi guitarist's first foray into the world of fashion. The inspiration behind the collection, according to his design partner Nikki Lund, is that "every single woman has a little bit of white trash in them and that every single woman wants to be sexy, and these clothes are designed to let a little bit of that diva out."

Well, she is DEFINITELY her parents' daughter. With her mama's dashing beauty and her daddy's sexy charm, she is a hands-down knockout. And she's TWELVE! My roommate saw her and thought she was 18, LOL. God, I remember seeing a pic of her when she was six - riding on her father's shoulders at a carnival.

What a beauty - Richie and Heather should be so proud.







P.S. Did you know that "White Trash Beautiful" was originally the name of a song Jon and Richie wrote? They felt it was too "misogynistic" so the name became Richie and Nikki's clothing line name instead. Just your random Jovi fact of the day. :)

Montreal, CAA setlist

I -- they -- played -- Captain -- Craaaaaash. :(

I can't believe it. I thought they were just writing this one off all tour or something...but they PLAYED IT! It was in Encore #2 -- damn, they must love Canada lol.

I am SO jealous. And also wondering why NONE of my friends who went to the show called me?! *taps foot impatiently* Y'all better have VERY good excuses! And staring at HRH or KOS is NOT a good one right now! ;)

Anyway, feast your eyes (and heart) on this setlist. Daaaamn. I want to see video of Captain Crash NOW.

1. Blood On Blood
2. We Weren't Born To Follow
3. Bad Name
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Born To Be My Baby
6. Lost Highway
7. Have A Nice Day
8. Thorn in My Side
9. When We Were Beautiful
10. Superman Tonight
11. We Got It Goin' On
12. Bad Medicine w/ Hot Legs (Rod Stewart cover)
13. It's My Life
14. Homebound Train (Richie VOX)
15. Hallelujah
16. I'll Be There for You
17. Diamond Ring
18. Something For the Pain
19. Saturday Night
20. Keep the Faith
21. Work For the Working Man
22. Who Says You Can't Go Home
23. Love's the Only Rule

Encore #1
24. Runaway
25. I Love This Town
26. Wanted (w/ Kid Rock)
27. Prayer

Encore #2
28. Twist & Shout
29. Captain Crash

In case you didn't get the email...

Bon Jovi is performing a FREE (yes, you read that right!) set for former Philadelphia Soul season pass holders next Wednesday, March 24, 2010.

From BJ Management:

Bon Jovi will give a free, special ticketed performance for former Philadelphia Soul season ticket holders and fans on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at the Wachovia Center at 5:00pm. While only fans with tickets can be admitted, through the cooperation of WMMR, those that can’t attend can tune-in live via a commercial-free radio broadcast at 93.3FM in Philadelphia or stream it live via www.wmmr.com.

Starting today, a limited number of tickets are now available. Former Soul season ticket holders have been alerted via direct email outreach. All other fans can enter to win tickets online at www.wmmr.com and through on-air call outs on WMMR leading up to the show.

The announcement honors a commitment made by Jon Bon Jovi on WMMR’s Preston and Steve show when he predicted a championship win for the Arena Football team he co-owned, The Philadelphia Soul. He also promised a free performance if his prediction proved true.

Although the Philadelphia Soul claimed victory at the July 2008 ArenaBowl, the Arena Football League had simultaneously begun their own fight for survival that spanned two years and sadly, resulted in the suspension of League operations.

The bittersweet announcement of this special concert to celebrate The Philadelphia Soul brings Jon’s promise full circle as Bon Jovi prepares for two sold-out shows in Philadelphia next week (3/23 and 3/24) at the Wachovia Center.

I SO wish I could go. :( Three years ago on that exact date was the Philly Soul fan club event that I begged my parents to let me go to -- and they ended up sending me there as a birthday present.

I hope all lucky attendees have a BLAST and report back with full details! :)

Five songs we would love to hear Bon Jovi play...

Here's another (hopefully) fun and interesting bit to mull over -- five songs in different levels of play probability.

Here are mine (more like a SAMPLE of mine) -- what are yours?

Five songs I would love to hear Bon Jovi play...

A. ...Just Because I Love Them.

1. Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars ("Crush") -- I have never heard this song live! I petitioned relentlessly for this through the California shows, to no avail. But they still haven't played it beyond California, so maybe they're just waiting for Europe when I see them next year! ;)
2. Blame It On the Love of Rock & Roll ("Keep the Faith") -- it's a fun and upbeat, great rock and roll song!
3. Love Me Back To Life ("Bounce") -- I LOVE this song. It's passionate, jubilantly beautiful, and so meaningful. Everyone can relate to these lyrics at one point or another.
4. We Can Dance (Valentine's Target exclusive) -- a pretty, tender little number I have a soft spot for. And Lord knows I would LOVE to dance with Jon onstage...oy.
5. Rich Man Living In A Poor Man's House ("100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans...") -- I know, random, right? But I had to put this up here because I LOVE that song and I think it would be a great, riffy little tune to play live.

Of course, this is only five I had to choose...I'd also love Keep the Faith with the jungle noises, and Never Say Goodbye (they played it in Vegas but *I* wasn't there!!), and Bitter Wine, and Nobody's Hero, and....

B. ...From Their Solo Works.

1. Rosie (Richie Sambora, "Stranger In This Town") -- one of my FAVES.
2. Destination Anywhere (JBJ, "Destination Anywhere") -- one of those songs that makes you want to pack up and leave this place, but in a high-spirited, adventurous way.
3. Lullaby For Two Moons (David Bryan, "Lunar Eclipse") -- my favorite off his instrumental album.
4. Undiscovered Soul (Richie Sambora, "Undiscovered Soul") -- a song extremely close to my heart for many reasons.
5. Never Say Die (JBJ, "Blaze Of Glory") -- another one of those songs that makes your blood pump faster and renews your sense of strength, endurance, and faith. At least for me, anyway.

C. ...But Never Will.

1. Satellite ("100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong") -- it's a beautiful song, but the chances of them ever playing this live are slim, at best.
2. Unbreakable ("Have A Nice Day" cut) -- because Jon calls it a "mistake," which I HIGHLY disagree with!
3. Let's Make It Baby ("New Jersey" cut, I believe) -- because women would quite literally wet themselves if they ever played it.
4. Stay ("Crush" demo) -- another gloriously beautiful, passionate song and a personal favorite, but I really don't think Jon can hit those notes anymore, unfortunately.
5. River Runs Dry ("100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans...") -- another one I don't think Jon can sing anymore, as much as I love this song.

Auburn Hills, MI setlist

Sorry for the late posting, folks -- forgot I hadn't posted this here!

Auburn Hills got another vanilla setlist, but reports were that the show was fantastic -- and they got a surprise guest musician! Rap/rocker/country artist Kid Rock joined them onstage for their "anthem", Wanted. Lucky show attendees can't complain after that, now, can they? ;)

1. Blood on Blood
2. We Weren't Born To Follow
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Thorn in My Side
5. Born to Be My Baby
6. Lost Highway
7. When We Were Beautiful
8. Superman Tonight
9. We Got It Goin' On
10. Bad Medicine
11. It's My Life
12. Homebound Train (Richie Sambora VOX)
13. Hallelujah
14. Diamond Ring
15. I'll Be There For You
16. Something for The Pain
17. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
18. Bullet
19. Who Says You Can't Go Home
20. Work for the Working Man
21. Love's The Only Rule

Encore:
22. Runaway
23. I Love This Town
24. Wanted
25. Prayer

Detroit, MI set list

Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Thorn in My Side
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie vox)
Hallelujah
Diamond Ring
I'll Be There For You
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Bullet
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule
Runaway
I Love This Town
Wanted Dead or Alive (w/Kid Rock)
Living on a Prayer

Jovi in OZ?

Aussies should be VERY happy if this is true. :)

We won't know until the band confirms themselves, but it's something to speculate!

From triplem.com.au:

Well, obviously, it doesn’t get any better than the man himself promising it will definitely happen.

You’ll remember Mr Jon Bon Jovi recently told Triple M’s Byron Cooke that the Jov were heading our way for sure as part of their mammoth two-year Circle world tour.

The only thing we didn’t know was when... until now.

A source very close to the band has let slip to us that the Jov might be here as soon as – are you ready? – November, this year!!!! That’s only eight months away!!!

Bon Jovi are currently still on their first run of dates through the US – they’re on stage in Detroit as you read this.

The band’s current confirmed tour itinerary only runs through to the end of July, which sees the Jov back in the US following a run of shows in Europe, including a 12-night stand at London’s O2 Arena.

We’re not joking – our info comes from a very reliable source, although nothing is set in concrete just yet. So keep those fingers crossed.

How exciting is this news? Exactly how bad are you hanging out to see Bon Jovi in concert again?

Source

Kansas City, MO set list

Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Whole Lotta Leavin'
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Born to Be Wild
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie Vox)
Hallelujah
I'll Be There For You
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Keep the Faith
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule
Runaway
Wanted Dead or Alive
I Love This Town
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Living on a Prayer

NEW CONTEST!

Okay, my lovely, devoted readers -- I have devised the newest contest for you all! I hope you'll enjoy this one as much as the last; I was very pleased with the response last time.

This is mainly to help me derive what YOU, the readers, want to see more of on this blog, but I'm offering up a little "reward" to encourage you to speak out. ;) I would love to expand this blog further, but I can only expand it proportionately with the reader base size.

Therefore, there are two ways you can win this contest:

1. Tell me: what do YOU want to see on this blog? More news? More pictures/videos? More personal/opinion pieces? Whatever you want, throw it my way. I want to get an idea of what the readers are interested in. If you think the blog is perfect right now, then tell me what you like about it best. The more detailed feedback, the BETTER, folks! Leave your suggestions as a comment on this post.

2. ZAZZLE! [Oh come on, you had to know I was going to incorporate that too - after all, I'm using the profit I make to help me get to Giants. :)] For every $10 you spend at my Zazzle shop before March 31 (11:59PM/PST), you will be entered TWICE into the drawing. (Because this requires actual monetary contribution, I feel that double entries is fair compensation! Oh, and those of you who have already ordered from my shop are already entered, too. :))

**You get ONE entry for completing Option #1, and/or TWO entries per $10 spent in Option #2. You can do both options, or just one, you'll still get an entry!**

*BONUS ENTRIES*: Help me spread the word. Yes, I am shamelessly asking for recruitments - but not out against their will. I obviously don't want a false readership or inflated follower numbers - it's not about that. But I do want to let Jovi fans know about this place so that I can build a reader base AND get even more insight on how to improve this blog.

SO - as extra incentive, every TWO people you get to follow this blog (they must become followers through the 'Followers' feature on the left-hand side!) will earn you one extra entry into the drawing. I kindly ask that you don't just ask random people to follow for the purpose of getting you entries - I really would prefer genuinely interested fans.

Make sure the person you recruit leaves a comment on this post with YOUR name, so you get the credit!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The contest will end Wednesday, March 31 (11:59PM/PST), and I will draw the winner at random, to be announced Sunday, April 11 (when I get back from Vegas!)

The winner will receive a Jovi "grab bag" consisting of:

[1] *ITEM OF THEIR CHOICE* from my Zazzle shop (you pick the design, or give me a design of your own, and I'll make it!)

[1] Bon Jovi heart & dagger sticker decal (measures 4" x 6"; can be applied to any flat surface)

[1] "The Circle"-themed keychain

[1] set of The Circle tour photographs (4x6 glossy prints)

More than anything, I just want to thank you all for your unending support -- and this, I feel, is a good way to promote my blog and shop, encourage feedback so I can better cater it all to you (the reason I'm here!), and offer you a little something for your trouble.

Thanks so much -- and GOOD LUCK!

Songs not yet in the setlists

EDIT: Thank you to TRE for pointing this out to me -- they DID in fact play Broken Promiseland in Honolulu on February 12. So there are only three songs yet to be played! Unfortunately, I can't change the poll once it is active, but consider Broken Promiseland a song you'd like to see AGAIN in FUTURE shows. :)
__________________________

Well, in the last week we have seen two new Circle tracks debut in the set lists - Bullet and Happy Now. That brings the total number of Circle tracks played live this tour to NINE so far:

We Weren't Born To Follow
When We Were Beautiful
Work For the Working Man
Superman Tonight
Bullet
Thorn In My Side
Broken Promiseland
Love's the Only Rule
Happy Now

Which means that the remaining three yet to be played are:

Live Before You Die
Fast Cars
Learn To Love

So I'm curious (and you know when I'm curious, the question usually becomes the poll of the week) -- which of these yet-to-be-played songs would you love to hear live? Sorry, you can only pick one!

I personally LOVE Fast Cars, but I know I'm in the minority. So my lonesome vote up there will probably be vastly overshadowed by, I'm predicting, Live Before You Die...?

You tell me!

Oh, and new picture and video of the week are up too. Enjoy. :)

Bullet!

Live from Wichita, Kansas - for your viewing pleasure!! I wish I had seen this live!

Wichita and Fargo set lists

Here are the most recent setlists - take a look at Fargo! They got all sorts of mixed up order...new songs, a different encore...and I am so glad to see Happy Now and Bullet making its way into the setlists. Jon's keeping his promise!

Wichita, KS setlist:

Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Only Lonely
Born To Be My Baby
Whole Lot Of Leavin'
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie VOX)
Make a Memory
Something For The Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Bullet
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule
Runaway
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' On A Prayer


Fargo, ND setlist:

Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
Bad Name
Whole Lot of Leavin'
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got it Goin On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie VOX)
Hallelujah
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll be Saturday Night
Happy Now
Working for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Loves the Only Rule
Sleep When I'm Dead
Love this Town
Twist & Shout
Runaway
Keep The Faith
Wanted
Prayer

THANK YOU.

I just felt the overpowering need to say this, so here you go...

THANK YOU!!

For all your support with this blog - the traffic reports alone make me smile every morning. The comments, feedback, votes on the poll, the emails asking for videos and setlists and info, everything...it just warms my heart and I am THRILLED you are all enjoying it so much. I love doing this, but it is a lot of work, so it's priceless to have the backing of such loyal readers. We aspiring writers, as I've said a million times before, thrive on the feedback and interaction from our readers. They are the best gifts you can give us.

For those following me on Twitter, the number has skyrocketed since I hosted the California play-by-plays, and I'm just flattered! You make me smile every day with the kind messages and mentions - and I've "met" some wonderful new people on there, as well as my friends I know in person.

I've even gotten comments on my YouTube Channel from total strangers, telling me they love reading my blog and thanking me for the information, pictures (and YT videos). It's amazing!

Zazzle customers - a HUGE thank you goes to you especially, because you are giving both of your support AND money. I've been inundated with compliments on my designs, emails requesting new ones, and messages on Twitter telling me you've ordered something. Thanks to you, the mere 10% profit I make has already added up to $30+!! In only a few days, that's incredibly inspiring -- maybe I'll get to Giants after all! :)

My cup runneth over! It truly does. If there is ANYTHING else you'd like to see on here, please let me know! (Oh and I'm working on a new contest, so stay tuned...:))

I could never do this without all of you, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

xoxoxo

Some more videos from recent shows...

Hey folks - sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Unfortunately real life caught back up with me (as much as I resisted!) and school/work has been consuming my time again. Thankfully this was just a temporary little mid-week thing - my midterms are over and such, and we're actually gearing up for spring break in a few weeks (Las Vegas, here I come!) so I shouldn't go missing for very long again. :)

Anyway, I have been keeping up with the latest shows and am THRILLED to see Jon actually mixing up the setlist like he's been SAYING he would! (I just wish he could have done it in California a bit more, but well...) In the last week, lucky Jovi-show-attendees got Living In Sin, Diamond Ring, Never Say Goodbye, Only Lonely, Sleep When I'm Dead, and BULLET! (Jon in fact tweeted that they were working on that and Happy Now just that afternoon.)

And of course, with all these new goodies surfacing, YouTube is flooded with Jovi fans seeking out the performances. I found a handful of treasures - my favorite is definitely Living In Sin/Chapel. BEAUTIFUL performance and I wish I had been there!

Enjoy:




(unfortunately, it's only partial)

No one seems to have gotten Only Lonely or Bullet, so if I find those (and a full version of NSG) I'll share.

Omaha, NE set list - DAMN!

Did you SEE this set list?! Holy fluck, of course it's only three shows after the last of mine...GAH. So jealous!

Blood On Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
In These Arms
Born to Be My Baby
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie VOX)
Make a Memory
Never Say Goodbye
Something For The Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule

Encore:
Runaway
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Living On A Prayer

Denver, CO set list

Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Whole Lotta Leavin'
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie Vox)
Hallelujah
I'll Be There For You
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Keep the Faith
Work for the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule
Runaway
Wanted Dead or Alive
Living on a Prayer

GIANTS!!

Ok, so, I've hatched a plan.

As most of you know, I am desperate to go to Giants/New Meadowlands - have been for years, and have always missed out each tour for various reasons.

First I was too young.

Then it fell on a school day (and I was still too young).

Then I didn't have the money (and it was on a school day).

Now, I just don't have the money. (Even though I had SAVED like a pack-rat to get there this tour...but let's not go there...)

But. The semester ends mid-May this year, and all three Meadowlands shows are well out of school range, so I wouldn't be missing a thing. if I can just scrape together the money to go - and if some kind soul would put up with me (I swear I don't take much room) for a couple nights - I'd be the happiest camper on the PLANET.

To succeed in this Operation: Get Becky To Giants, I thought I would combine my other operation - Operation: Zazzle Merchandise is Awesome to work together.

I've told you all about my designs, and I'm still creating new ones for The Circle. If you would be so kind as to check them out, order a t-shirt or mug or totebag (or bumper sticker, keychain, hat, or even doggy outfits), I would be SO grateful. I get 10% of the selling price on each item, and while it adds up slowly, it still adds up. Some of you have already placed orders and I cannot thank you ENOUGH - in 24 hours I made $20!!

So please consider it - at least check it out. If you've been looking for some new Jovi swag, consider checking my site first - the prices are considerably less than official merch, I can design (almost) anything upon request, and you'd be helping make my dream come true. (Yes, that last part was cheesy, but I'm desperate here.)

Thanks so much!

Diamond Ring & Living In Sin from Vegas!

I AM SO JEALOUS.

LOL but so happy for those who were there for these great performances!!

Someone posted a great close-up of Diamond Ring, and got LIS too...enjoy!

Where are your seats??

So last week's poll was interesting - more than half of you thought Jon and Richie should sing "I'll Be There For You" together as a duet, while the other half was split nearly right down the middle between Jon solo and Richie solo. Interesting results! Richie did it solo quite often last tour (if not all the time), but this tour they've been doing it together, so I was curious to know what y'all thought.

This week's poll -- another interesting subject. As a heated topic right now, especially among fan club members, I'm curious to know where your seats are. I know most of you are going to several shows, so vote for where your BEST seat is. If you've got a main floor ticket for 5 shows and front row for the 6th, please vote for the front row...it's not accurate for where most of the tickets are being sold, but I'm curious as to what the experience of fans is.

And another video and picture are up for this week's viewing pleasure - have a great one! :)

Las Vegas, NV set list

Well folks, as much as it killed me NOT to be there tonight, I enjoyed another Twitter PBP party. They are seriously a really good alternative. ;)

Another mostly vanilla setlist, but they got a few surprises! I am so jealous! (Thanks Marissa, for the setlist pic!)

1. Blood On Blood
2. We Weren't Born To Follow
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Whole Lot of Leaving
5. Born To Be My Baby
6. Lost Highway
7. When We Were Beautiful
8. Superman Tonight
9. We Got It Going On
10. Bad Medicine/Roll, Baby, Roll
11. It's My Life
12. Homebound Train - Richie VOX
13. Hallelujah (Jon solo on catwalk)
14. Diamond Ring (solo/filler on catwalk)
15. I'll Be There For You (duet on catwalk)
16. Something For the Pain (acoustic on catwalk)
17. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night (acoustic on catwalk)
18. Keep the Faith
19. Work For the Working Man
20. Who Says You Can't Go Home
21. Love's the Only Rule

Encore:
22. Living In Sin (WHAT!!!)
23. Runaway
24. Wanted Dead or Alive
25. Livin' On A Prayer


Oh and Jon was hangin' out with Drew Carey before the show - they posted on FB and Twitter, LOL! I read earlier that Drew was doing a standup show down the strip, so I'm not surprised they ran into each other.

New Zazzle merch: "Love's the Only Rule" & "JOVI"

Some of you have ordered from my Zazzle shop before, and I thank you with all my heart for supporting it. I have been designing new stuff to go with The Circle, and came up with two designs tonight that got really good reception on Twitter, at least.

So...check out these two new designs. If you like them, please consider ordering them! I get 10% of the selling price - it's not much, but is REALLY appreciated.

(click on the logo to go to the online store)

Love's the Only Rule (womens' & girls' design)


Updated J.O.V.I (vertical now, instead of the original horizontal)


And if you like any of the designs, but want them on another product (like totebags, hats, etc.) just let me know! I can easily add more. :)

Thanks a million!

Videos from Los Angeles, CA

These are not mine - but some of my favorite highlights from the show I found on YT. Enjoy. :)


(I know you can see me in this one, I just haven't actually seen me yet, LOL. Look for a girl to Jon's left, a bit back from the stage, in a white shirt and black vest...)






I don't BELIEVE it - I'm in the crowd here, but the filmer zooms to the BIG SCREEN when I held up my poster!



(I'm RIGHT in that little sea of faces by David, but it's really hard to see me lol)




HOLY SHIT.

MORE COMING...

Los Angeles, CA - REVIEW

Well. I sit here with a very mixed jumble of emotions today - including sad, happy, fulfilled, hopeful, depressed, and melancholy. I'm sad/depressed/melancholy because my Circle, at least for now, has come around 360 degrees and ended. I'm happy/fulfilled because it was AMAZING and I had the time of my life, as usual. But I'm hopeful because I am determined to get to Europe next year to see some shows with my boyfriend...and as long as the money gods don't continue to curse me, I should be able to.

So, with that wee bit of emotional unloading, on to last night's review!!

It was, in a word, amazing. I had SO much fun jumping and singing and dancing - everything seemed to be going for me last night: Sandra, Debbie, Michelle and I basically got a free dinner of snacks before the show, and the merchandise I wanted was on sale, so this struggling college student's bank account was very happy. LOL. I was told at first that I couldn't bring my sign in (see below), but the security guard who was called to escort me to the main desk ended up giving in, telling us she "knew nothing", wished me a happy 21st birthday, and left, pretending she'd never seen a thing. I could have kissed her!



Then, the people in my row were all friendly, animated, excited women (not drunks or tall men!) and the women in FRONT of me were short, so I could see! LOL. (Believe me, that's a huge upside for me after my nightmarish viewing problems in Anaheim.) And to top it all off, I was 8th row - the closest all tour, and hardly 3 rows from the catwalk. It was one of those nights where my stomach was a jumble of nerves, my hands and legs were shaking, and my heart was in my throat - I was SO excited.

So, I had a clear view, great company, and a soaring heart when the band took the stage for the last show in California, and I was determined to make that last night one to remember. The music was fantastic, and the guys were in great spirits.

They powered through the standard opening songs - Blood On Blood, We Weren't Born To Follow, and Bad Name (I didn't even have to reference the setlist for that, by the way), before switching to one of the two options they've had all tour: Whole Lot of Leaving instead of BTBMB right away. But the crowd was on their feet, clapping and punching the air, and the sight of everyone up to the ceiling doing the same thing in unison sent chills up my spine again.

Jon was playful again, prompting us to "rise out of your seats, I got a fuckin' show to run!" and the whole venue exploded in screams and cheers. After the second song, he introduced himself: "Hello Los Angeles, my name is Jon Bon Jovi, and I am here on business tonight!" Later on in the show, he started talking about how he felt strong (I think this was during Bad Medicine?) and he goes, "I'm strong. I look strong, I feel strong." then he looked at Richie and said, "You look handsome (jabs at his chest) but I look strong!" Then he warned us that he was just getting started, we'd be tired by the end of the night, and that we'd better prepare ourselves (he was "priming" us) because "I'm a marathon man, and I'm gonna go all night!" And when he raised his arms above his head and swayed his hips at the mic, I think my eardrum popped from all the female screaming (mine included).

And of course, the Bad Case of Loving You bit is always fun - Jon pretends to fish around for a "jukebox classic", asking Richie, Tico, and David in turn what they think they should play, then finally, lo and behold! Bobby has a great idea! "What about Bad Case of Loving You, Jon?" "Oh!" says Jon, "Great idea, Bobby!" And the two of them strut over to the mic and belt out "Docta, docta, gimme the blues, I gotta...bad case of lovin' you!" And then Richie joins them, they sing together, Jon wraps his arms around each of their shoulders, then they back away to the drumstand, Richie plucking a riff on the guitar, Jon shakes his sweaty hair out of his face, rubs his face vigorously, gets "ready", then the three of them saunter toward the crowd on bent knees, and make everyone swoon. LOL I know the routine by heart now, but it's still fun!

Richie KILLED on Homebound Train again (although I'm so annoyed with the beer-drinkers, seat-takers, and bathroom-goers when he takes stage!!) and thanked Los Angeles, welcoming us with "I call this place home, so the Homebound Train is taking me home, too." And commence explosion of cheers.

Two of my friends, Marissa and Michelle, were in the pit last night, and they had a FANTASTIC time -- Marissa hugged Jon and Michelle kissed his freaking hand when he came through the pit during Love's the Only Rule! I am SO HAPPY for them, and wildly wishing I were in the pit too, LOL. If you know either of these ladies, ask them about it - they're still on Cloud 9 and eager to share their wonderful moments. :)

My own moment was...well, not exactly what I'd hope it would be, but I'm trying not to be crushed about it or anything. I had that sign for my 21st birthday (thank you all, by the way, for the kind b-day wishes on Twitter, but my actual birthday is March 30! This was just my present, and part of my celebration. :)) I told all the girls around me that I had a sign, was planning on holding it up briefly during the catwalk segment when they could actually see it, and if it bothered them to please let me know. They were all SO sweet and supportive, so I didn't feel so guilty raising it when Jon and Richie were on the catwalk for I'll Be There For You. Unfortunately, I was so far toward the opposite aisle on Bobby's side that only Richie was facing my side, while Jon was facing straight out center. But the people around me, far from agreeing with me that I should give it up, kept pushing me to hold it up, and the girl behind me was so excited for me that she literally hauled me up ON MY CHAIR and lifted my arms for me so that I was a glaring spotlight in the crowd! I could have DIED - I felt like I was on stage and all eyes were on me - but I stared determinedly at Jon and willed him to see my sign.

I held it high above my head and waved it slightly, and he SAW IT. My heart skipped a beat as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what it said, and it felt like an eternity (although probably only 3 seconds) while he tried to read it and apparently gave up...because I didn't get a kiss or even a smile! I was slightly taken aback, but everyone insisted I try again, so the next time he looked, I waved it again. He smiled sort of half-heartedly and then took his eyes off the sign and ignored it to look around at the crowd behind me, and I decided it was a lost cause, lol. Looking back on it, I truly think he didn't understand what it said, but at least he saw me (and Sandra and Debbie, 8 rows behind me and a section over saw me!) and everyone around me had been so supportive. I thanked them all and quickly folded up the sign, slightly embarrassed and crestfallen, but honestly, I didn't expect a real kiss anyway!

David made up for it a bit though, when he and Teek joined Jon and Richie onstage. I got another smile/eyebrow waggle from him and we "sang" to each other again...as much as you can when you're in the crowd and he's on stage. ;) It helps when everyone else is vying for Jon's attention!

After that, I had to literally force myself to enjoy the show - not that I wasn't enjoying it, but I refused to let that slight disappointment ruin my evening. So I promptly forgot about my sign, and poured my energy and heart into the songs pounding through my veins. I was rewarded, too, because Jon's high voltage personality mixed with Richie's all-out making love to the guitar, Tico's relentless pounding on the drums, and David's flying fingers on the keyboard gave us one HELL of a workout.

When they started Love's the Only Rule, my heart skipped a beat. It was almost over, and I had precious little time to soak up as much as I could to take with me until the next time I see them live again. As if to intensify my enjoyment of that song in general, Jon seemed to read my mind...and DESTROYED me with it. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful it was - the raw passion etched in every line of his face as he sank to his knees, flung his arms out in the air, swept the audience with imploring eyes, grimaced with overwhelming emotion, and sang his heart out was more than I could stand. I stood there in awe, my hands raised high, singing along with him, my heart so full it could have burst, the lyrics I hold so closely echoing in my ears and mind, filling my soul and renewing my sense of hope. I was surrounded by "brothers and sisters" in the Jovi world, and yet completely alone at the same time, just me, standing in that arena, no one else but the band on stage, lost in their music-making - and in Jon's case, a bit of love-making as well.

The inserts of "hallelujah" (not the Leonard Cohen song) in that song are perfect, and make it even more beautiful live than on CD. The place is just flooded with music and passion, hope and faith, life and love...they spill out from every chord, every crescendoing note. If you haven't seen them this tour yet, you are in for one hell of a treat, and an emotional roller coaster that will sweep you up to another world for the last 10 minutes of the show and leave you flying.

When the song ended, and Jon disappeared below stage, still crooning "hallelujah" and "whoa-oh-oh-oh" with the entire crowd, I literally had goosebumps on my arms and legs. The crowd started screaming and cheering for the encore, but I stood there numb, savoring the last ringing notes of the Love's The Only Rule in my ears.

The encore was another treat - we got four songs instead of three: Runaway was added before the standard Thorn In My Side, Wanted, and Prayer. Though I'm (almost) slightly tired of the last two, there's no denying how powerful it is to hear the ENTIRE audience belting out the entire chorus by itself - no music, no accompaniment, just Jon thrusting his mic stand out toward us - and sing every single word in PERFECT unison. I was smiling so big at how beautifully we did it - there's an unspoken message in that you just can't help but love! And Jon grinned like his face would split in two, shaking his head and saying, "There ain't NOTHING better than that."

The show ended with several bows, a bit of playing around onstage, and whole hell of a lot of applause. I was trying so hard to get a good bow picture that I didn't applaud - and when they disappeared below stage I felt a sudden pang of guilt for not cheering for them! LOL oh well, it's not like I didn't do it the last two times, or even during the show.

All in all, a wonderful time was had by all, and I am SO grateful to everyone who made these three shows possible for me. They are my release from reality and the struggles I've been dealing with constantly for awhile now, and I can never fully explain how much I love seeing Bon Jovi live.

I hope all of you who have upcoming show enjoy the hell out of them - make the most of every minute, because when they're over, coming down from Cloud 9 is not easy. ;)

What a wonderful ride this Bon Jovi train takes us on, eh? There's truly nothing like it!

__________________________________________________

FULL SET LIST:
Blood On Blood
We Weren't Born To Follow
Bad Name
Whole Lot of Leaving
Born To Be My Baby
Lost Highway
When We Were Beautiful
Superman Tonight
We Got It Going On
Bad Medicine/Bad Case of Loving You
It's My Life
Homebound Train (Richie VOX)
Hallelujah
I'll Be There For You (duet on catwalk)
Something For the Pain (catwalk acoustic)
Someday I'l Be Saturday Night (catwalk acoustic)
Keep the Faith
Work For the Working Man
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Love's the Only Rule

Encore:
Runaway
Thorn In My Side
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' On A Prayer

*** By the way, if anyone finds video of I'll Be There For You and/or Something For the Pain with the crowd (to the band's left) PLEASE let me know! I want to see if I'm on there ;)