My dream set list (Jon, are you reading?)

So with my final stop on this tour coming up Saturday night, (have I mentioned I'll be third row? Not sure if I've bugged you all enough yet) I'm thinking more and more about the set. And how close I'll be to the band. And how I'm going to die of happiness.

Anyway. Since Vancouver holds some special value - with the origins of Slippery When Wet and all that - and since Saturday night is going to be "A Night With Bon Jovi," with no opener, I say we should get a long, kickass show.

So I've written this little open letter to the band, in the crazy hope they'll actually see it. ;)

Dear Bon Jovi,

How are you? I hope you are doing well. Thank you for the great show in Vegas, and I hope you made it out of there safely, with the crazy weather.

I will be in the pit, third row, in Vancouver this Saturday night, and it will be my final show for this tour. It makes me sad that I won't see you for several years, but I have had a great journey seeing 8 shows since last February, and my dream of seeing you in New Jersey (New Meadowlands Stadium) came true. I have never been closer than 6th row, but this Saturday I have 3rd row pit and am just beside myself with excitement.

I have LOVED every single concert I have ever been to, and I'm not complaining about the set. You could sing the ABC's and I'd still watch, rapt with attention, and then cheer and shout enthusiastically. However, for my final show, and for your SWW birthplace, and for the Night With Bon Jovi, and just for the hell of it, I'd love if you could pull out all the stops. Give us another Mohegan Sun. Knock us off our feet.

Because I'm telling you, I KNOW for a fact that fans are coming in from worldwide to see you. I personally know people from Jersey, Norway, Japan, and Australia (and I'm from California) are coming to Saturday night specifically, and that's just who I've heard of in my own circle!

So, consider the following set list. Obviously, I am probably clear off my rocker with some of these suggestions, but I did say it's my DREAM set list. So maybe just get a few ideas. Okay?

Thanks very much for considering it, and I'll see you Saturday.

Love,
Becky

My Perfect, "Only In My Dreams," Night To Remember Set List:

Living On A Prayer
Radio Saved My Life Tonight
Blood On Blood
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
Have A Nice Day
Wild In the Streets
Lay Your Hands On Me
Hallelujah
Everybody's Broken
Richie: Stranger In This Town OR Undiscovered Soul (I would pee my pants if he did US, as that song is SO dear to my heart)
One Wild Night
Right Side of Wrong
Bounce
Something For the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Born To Be My Baby
What Do You Got?
Bad Medicine w/ SHOUT! (I actually love when you play that!)
I Got the Girl
Dirty Little Secret
Love For Sale
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Wild Is the Wind
Love's the Only Rule
Keep the Faith

Encore:
The Distance (for my boyfriend, whom I met through the fan club, and who lives in the Netherlands. This song pulls on my heartstrings when we're apart.)
In These Arms (also my boyfriend's and my song...I NEVER get tired of hearing this one live. Made me cry in Vegas.)
Satellite (off the box set. I know, fat chance in hell, but I've always wanted to hear it!)
Never Say Goodbye (perfect ending to my last show, methinks)


And I'd love if David could do Memphis Lives In Me and Tico could do Waltzing Matilda or Only In My Dreams somewhere in there too!

A girl can dream, right? :)

Like a poet needs the pain, like the roses need the rain...how else can I explain?

Do something for me. Right now, in front of your computer screen.

Take a deep breath: inhale slowly, exhale slowly. Relax.

Go back to your very first Bon Jovi concert. The venue, the crowd, the smells, the sounds, and that adrenaline-bursting moment when the band first took the stage.

Do you remember it? Can you feel it?

Close your eyes, and go back. Relive it.

Clear your mind and focus on as many details from that first time as you can. Stay in that moment as long as you want, but at least until you've completely immersed yourself in the memory.

Why did you become a fan in the first place? Was it any of the members' good looks? The thrill of the music? Or were you not even a fan before you were dragged to a show, fell in love with the live experience, and were hooked? What's your story?

Everyone has one. And it's the reason, to this day, that you still listen to their music, still count down the days to a concert, still cry when your favorite song comes on just as you're feeling lower than dirt. It's the reason you're reading this blog.

It is simply uncanny what four men with instruments can do in a person's life. When I heard my first Bon Jovi song, I had absolutely NO clue what my life would be like 11 years later. And 7 years after joining the fan club, it's even more surreal. I've already reminisced about the friends I've made and the experience I've had before. But there is a purely "me" factor, too. My heart, my soul, my very being. Those four men with instruments have dug their way into every fiber of who I am, grabbing hold of my very core - and I know without a doubt that I can never let them out. And I don't want to.

There is a literal truth to the saying, "Being a Bon Jovi fan is not just a hobby, it's a lifestyle." You sign into the fan boards every day, read blogs, check up on the band's latest comings and goings, assign Jovi songs as your ringtone, decorate your home with memorabilia, travel crazy distances to see them live, meet new people, then travel to see them when they've become friends, and make memories that literally last a lifetime. It's truly a way of life!

But sometimes we overdo it. In our excitement, we load up on so many live shows that we get sick of them. We overplay the CDs until they're worn thin, scratched and battered. We literally turn against songs (ahem, Who Says You Can't Go Home) because we're so sick and tired of the same chorus and melody over and over and over again. (Although in the case of Who Says, I blame Jon for overdoing it. lol) We lapse into periods of "Jovi dieting", where we purposely set aside the CDs, change our ringtones, and choose not to add another show to our already packed lineup. We even welcome a hiatus in touring, because we want to refuel our excitement gauge. And that's okay! Give it a few weeks' rest and refresh.

But when it has gone too far, total and complete burnout is possible. A complete numbing to everything Bon Jovi sets in - the live shows are bland and unexciting, the music is old, permanently worn thin, and meaningless. And the most dangerous of all - the politics and economics of the Bon Jovi enterprise - have jaded us beyond redemption.

Hopefully this won't happen to you. But I've been chatting with some of my friends lately who are either bordering on complete burnout, or have already crossed the line. And it honestly breaks my heart. There are many reasons for burnout besides just overdoing it, of course. But overdoing it is the easiest and quickest path.

Don't let yourself get that way. Especially lately, the politics has poisoned the Bon Jovi world.

We all need a little cleansing every now and then. I for one do not EVER want to lose the magic I still find so thick in the air at every concert, the thrill in my stomach whenever a Jovi song comes on in the grocery store, the tears that pour from my depths when I feel low and "shattered and bruised" and Jon Bon Jovi sings lyrics straight to my heart. The larger than life, higher than the sky sense of immortality when a song like Love's the Only Rule courses through my body. I refuse to lose that. I want the sheer, pure goodness worth its weight in gold to flow through my blood until the day I die.

People say I'm naive. I'm a young fan, so I'm still high on the Jovi fever.

That may be true, but I won't pretend I haven't overdone it a few times. I've "Jovi dieted". And I firmly believe that anyone who once adored the band can find that magic again, if you know where to look.

So do something for me - actually, for yourself - this weekend. Set aside some time and watch a video or DVD - An Evening With Bon Jovi, or Access All Areas, or Live From London. Something from as early in your Jovi journey as you can. Lie on your bed, close your eyes, and listen to old albums for a little while. Dig out old tour scrapbooks. Watch the original music videos. Do something that "takes you back" to when you first became a fan - the stronger the deja vu, the better. Let yourself be absorbed by the memories, the nostalgia, the feelings you had all those years ago. Refresh your Jovi meter - look inside yourself and remember why you became a fan in the first place.

No matter what your "status" is - still ridiculously excited about everything related to the very mention of the band, or completely burned out - try it out. Let your heart take control, and take yourself back to whatever memories you have - concerts, friends, dinners or parties where you laughed so hard you cried. Everything Bon Jovi brought to your life.

Hopefully it will renew your sense of faith. And if not (which I hope is not the case), at the very least you will have reminded yourself that there WAS a reason why you spent all those years devoted, and how it changed your life - probably for the better. It wasn't a waste.

Do you remember it? Can you feel it?

My pick: Satellite

The song "Satellite" is from the boxed set - it was never released in any way, shape, or form otherwise. And I think it's a shame. It's an absolutely beautiful, haunting, tender song, and one of my undiscovered favorites.

Perhaps it's because I'm a deep romantic at heart, or because I have been in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend for four years, but the lyrics speak right to me.

Through the static
You're so close, so far away
Are you listening?
I'm desperate...

It's a mix of desperation and sadness - sometimes you can't tell if the song is aimed at a star-crossed lover or a lost loved one (an angel).

Are you watching over me tonight
I need to know you're out there

Regardless, I just love it. I can probably see why it never made it to an album - it's not the public's idea of a rockin' Bon Jovi song. But I would just DIE if they ever played this live for the diehard fans - and I BETTER be at that show!


(This is the only YT vid I could find, so enjoy the pictures if you want - but listen to the song too.)

Lyrics:
Are you out there?
Can you hear me?
Do you know my whereabouts?
Do you know what I'm all about?
Through the static
You're so close, so far away
Are you listening?
I'm desperate
Sendin' out an S.O.S.
'Cause I'm lost, I must confess
Throw a lifeline
I'm down here drownin'
In the deepest part of me

Satellite
Can you feel me?
Satellite
Come and heal me
Are you watchin' over me tonight?
I need to know you're out there
Satellite
Are your lines open and receiving?
You know I got so much to say
I just don't want to fade away
Keep on talkin' 'cause you're keeping' me alive

Satellite
Can you feel me?
Satellite
Come and heal me
Are you watchin' over me tonight
I need to know you're out there
Satellite

Everybody hurts
Everybody cries
Everybody needs someone
To save them sometimes
Everybody hurts
Everybody cries
Everybody needs someone
To save them sometimes

Satellite
Can you feel me?
Satellite
Come and heal me
Are you watchin' over me tonight
I need to know you're out there
Satellite
Satellite

I love it live.

As any Bon Jovi fan will attest to, there is something purely magical about the live gig. It's not just a show date, or just a stop at a particular city's venue - it's a thrilling, adrenaline-producing, fist-pumping, emotion-triggering performance.

The "live" component is what makes the experience of being a Bon Jovi fan complete. You simply have not lived until you have seen a Jovi gig, period. It is the staple of every fan's journey with the band, and reinforces our passionate devotion to those men. When you are inside those walls, whether arena or stadium, Bon Jovi blows the roof (or sky) away and rocks your heart out - and those 2-3 hours are indescribable. The experience is unlike any other; it can't be compared. You simply get lost in the atmosphere of rib-rattling music mixed with thousands of fellow screaming, singing fans - the emotion and adrenaline overtake you, and each song is a fresh start and fresh jolt to your energy, just when you thought you could stand on your feet no longer.

It's the reason we all count down the days to a concert, the reason I for one was uncontrollable and hyper as a teenager awaiting mine. I STILL get anxious, excited, impatient, jittery, and bouncy though, but mind you, I'm a naturally energetic person. LOL.

With all that said, I have been spending my evening watching the Live at MSG DVD - which can explain all this sudden reminiscing about the "live" experience. ;)

I'm house-sitting for the weekend, so I have the house - and 20-inch plasma screen w/ surround sound TV - all to myself. Even in this living room, with a snoring dog on the couch and two murderous cats chasing each other down the hall, I am transported to the 30,000-strong audience on the screen and find myself unable to sit still. I started out my doing my workout to the soundtrack of the DVD, but couldn't make myself stop after 45 minutes of cardio. I kept dancing, singing, jumping, acting like an idiot in this house with no one but the animals to stare at me.

Then "In These Arms" started. I couldn't dance to that, but it didn't mean it was rest time. ITA is one of my all-time favorite Jovi songs - it is special and meaningful in so many ways, as it is to my boyfriend (so you could say it is "our" song.) And I got to thinking how much I love that song live. It's beautiful on the studio recording, but it is just so much more raw, passionate, and haunting live. It's definitely one of my favorites - if not my top favorite - song to hear Bon Jovi play in person.

Other particular live favorites that are even better live than their studio counterparts include Blood On Blood, Hallelujah, Captain Crash, Raise Your Hands, and Keep the Faith. I think I'd prefer to hear any song live over the CD, but these are just so much more alive when they play it right in front of you.

On the other hand, I'd love for them to branch out and play other songs they either never - or hardly ever - play live. I'd love to hear Satellite (from the box set), Richie's If I Can't Have Your Love, David's Memphis Lives In Me, Stick To Your Guns, Love Me Back To Life, Lie To Me, Something to Believe In, If That's What It Takes, Wild In the Streets...

But then there are some - like These Days, Dry County, Hey God, etc. that really can't be played live anymore since Jon can't reach those notes. He already strains on Always and Dry County, which is a shame, because those are two beautiful and incredible songs. Luckily, they've given Richie the spotlight to do These Days and Homebound Train lately, which I LOVE.

So my question for you all is - what's your favorite song to hear live? And which would you rather hear on CD in the clean, polished recording? I'm thinking about making this a poll question too, but in the meantime I'd love to hear your opinions!

And I will love you...always.

I just got back from the One Night Only event - from seat-dancing, waving my arms in the air, singing at the top of my lungs, screaming and laughing with my dear friends - and reliving the three most incredible nights of my life in May.

I also fell in love with Bon Jovi all over again.

There's something so deeply powerful about that band, and the effect they have on me. I've been going through hell the last few weeks, and tonight was a shining beacon of excitement amid a slump of depression and lack of energy. I was looking forward to getting away, even though academic and money stress plagued me up until the minute I left for the theater. But the second I walked through those doors and saw my friends, all women I've been to many a Jovi show with, smiling and yelling my name, I forgot all about my worries. Just for a minute.

And when Jon, Richie, Tico, and Dave took the stage (on screen), big and beautiful and larger than life, and swung into Blood On Blood, I literally had to choke back tears.

I was attacked by a rush of emotions - overwhelming joy, comfort, and relief, which Bon Jovi has the uncanny ability to bring me, as well as a POWERFUL sense of deja vu that took me back to the emotions I felt on May 26th, 27th, and 29th, when I saw them play New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey for the first time.


Then, I had been recovering from an equally exhausting and stressful year that had literally weakened me to the point of illness. When I was standing in that enormous hometown crowd within the walls of NMS, the open summer night sky above me, and those beloved men playing their hearts out onstage, my heart was flooded. I was in a sphere of safety and sheer happiness, excitement, energy, and euphoria for the next three hours -- nothing could touch me. I was living a longtime dream, with the words and beat of songs that have been the soundtrack of my life pounding through my veins. They inspired me. They encouraged me. They comforted me and lifted me up and told me: YOU CAN DO IT. You've done it. You made it through a challenging year, learned and grew a hell of a lot, and suffered - but you're stronger for it.

NOTHING can describe that feeling. It's something you feel so deeply within your soul that your body doesn't know how to react to it - the emotions are so powerful that you can do nothing but simply break down and cry. And I did.

Each of their live shows takes me away to a place I can never attain elsewhere - I surrender completely to them, and for 2 or 3 hours my feet are not on the ground. I am happy, carefree - not a worry in the world, not a thing on my mind except the music and the men. My heart literally expands as they play each song, the melodies and the lyrics and the fist-punching adrenaline traveling through the venue and beating into your veins. The whole atmosphere makes me smile, laugh, sing at the top of my lungs, wave my arms in the air, throw back my head, and breathe everything in. It is PHENOMENAL how they do that, and it is for that reason that they put on the best show on Earth.

A part of me will truly die when they cease touring and performing, because their live act is so sacred. I can't even imagine how I will feel when that day comes, to look back on a lifetime of memories and the feelings that I crave during a tour or a show, and know I will never have it again...I deeply dread it.


Tonight, I was transported back in time to those supernatural feelings that took over me on those warm May nights. This time, I was in a crowded, hot theater with a roof over my head - but I was surrounded by friends and the same words from the same band were strumming through my heart.

I can attribute certain moments in my life to those words and songs. "It's My Life" was the song that introduced me to the band and grabbed hold of my heart when I was 11 years old. As a teenager, my nickname was Billie Jean - thus, "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" became "my" song. "Lay Your Hands On Me" was the song I played the second I got home from my high school graduation; Richie's "Rosie" blasted in the background after I talked to my boyfriend (long-distance on the phone) on New Year's Eve the first year we met. "Whole Lot of Leavin'" was the song that broke my heart and healed it again when my boyfriend left after visiting the first time that summer; Richie's "Undiscovered Soul" gave me the strength I needed to move away from home for the first time, and "Love's the Only Rule" comforted me more deeply than I've ever been comforted when I was so homesick I could break down.

And each song in their extensive catalog - whether it's an anthem I can rock out to, an encouraging song I gain confidence from, or a ballad that brings tears to my eyes - each of them stirs memories and emotions.

I can never truly explain how the band has saved my life. Through the most tumultuous times of my life so far, they've been there to hurt me, heal me, and make me come alive. They've seen heartbreak, horror, anger, catastrophe, happiness, excitement, love, change, and new horizons. From hot, still summer nights as a teenager, locked up in my room, listening to New Jersey and writing in my journals - to the first time I ever saw them live and knew I would never miss another show again - they've been there.


They brought me the most amazing, wonderful, dearest women - whose friendships I will cherish until the day I die. They brought me a man who has captured my heart and utterly changed my life, who has loved me and made me into a far better person than I used to be.

When I was broken, they were there. When I was soaring above the clouds, they were there. Through many an important event in my life and every facet of who I am as a person, they were there.

I've tried to put this into words before, and I have never quite hit the nail on the head. I don't expect to tonight, either, but my heart is so full from emotional realizations that I have to try to give them credit once more.

How can you ever thank someone when they've changed your life and don't even know it? When their presence and the music they make has inspired so much emotion and change, and turned your world upside down (for the better)?

You can't. And I will never be able to communicate that to them. But I will hold them within my heart, and cherish their impact on my life until the day I stop breathing.


I made a pact with myself tonight, that I am going to try to separate Bon Jovi the Band from Bon Jovi the Politics: all the inner workings and technical underbelly are henceforth pushed aside. I had started to get jaded about them, finding the song "Work For the Working Man" hypocritical, turning to bitterness over the fan club's corruption and the ticket price fiasco. I had started to blame Jon, and see him as an arrogant rockstar ass in some ways.

I don't want that to happen. I don't want to tarnish the beautiful image they have in my heart with disillusions about power and greed. Until Jon comes outright and says that he doesn't care about the fans - and even then I would be in denial - he is the beautiful, smiling, kindhearted man that I fell in love with all those years ago. Because I know he truly is.

So from now on, my Bon Jovi is the Bon Jovi that so long ago courted me, pulled me close and danced so intimately with me that I fell head over heels almost instantaneously. It's the Bon Jovi who saw me through the roller coaster of growing up, gave me those indescribable live concerts that have left individual imprints on my heart, built me up when I was broken, and rejoiced with me when I was whole. And there are a million more memories to be made, broken hearts to mend, and joys to share - because they are so intertwined in my heart and soul that I can never let them go.

My Bon Jovi is my Superman Tonight, and always - always - will be.

I'm taking each day and night at a time...

Do you ever feel like no matter what you did, no matter what you said,
no matter how hard you tried, nothing ever seems to work out right for you?
Do you ever feel like your get up and and go has got up and went?
Yeah, I do too. I feel like that sometimes, it's true.
But when I feel like that, I say, self, you gotta just dust yourself off.
And I say, self, you gotta put on the gloves, jump in the ring, and go in there for one more fight.
And I say, self, we ain't gonna back down this time, ain't nobody gonna come and throw in the towel this time, ain't nobody gonna tell me they're gonna save my ass this time - no!

Jon spoke those words during the ad-lib segment in Someday I'll Be Saturday Night at a performance in Osaka, Japan several years ago. I remember coming across the MP3 and literally being moved to tears at his little speech: the one thing that remains so strongly embedded in my heart with this band is their uncanny way to lift my spirits no matter WHAT happens to me. Their inexplicable comfort in the direst of times has been my saving grace, their very understanding of being human provides an instant friend. Someone who can relate to you. Someone who is, more or less, going through the same thing as you. Sometimes just knowing you're not alone can work wonders.

I've posted before that I've had an immensely rough year since moving away from home, and I don't want to turn this into another sappy sob story. I recently got to go home for spring break, got to spend time with the people I love more than life itself - my family, my friends, my wonderful boyfriend. And I had a beautiful birthday celebration, traveling and sightseeing and enjoying the sunshine. I was lucky, blessed, spoiled, and so grateful for the fun. The good times after so many bad. The "light" after a rather dark period. And I did NOT want to go back to reality - work, school, and this godforsaken town where I do both - and leave my beloved home. But I knew I had to. Life is not about fun, it's not about pleasure and no work. I had to be strong.

But the last two days since coming back have been a nightmare. Aside from the heavy heart, the sorrow after saying goodbye to those I love again, the reluctance at just being back here, I had to endure several things happening at once that just kicked me to the curb again. I won't go into too much detail here, but I was involved in an accident yesterday that shook my nerves to the core (physically, I'm okay, but the legal process following it is beyond taxing), my boyfriend was sent off to Shanghai literally the day he got back home from his trip here (which means no communication whatsoever for 2-3 weeks, making a long-distance relationship about 100x harder), my school's admissions department is ONCE AGAIN screwing me over in terms of units and a timely graduation next May...it just never ends.

So, naturally, I've been slugging around the place in a funk - heart even heavier, mind foggy and depressed, moody and tired, withdrawn, and nerves rattled so that all I want is a quiet beach in the corner of the world where no one can find me.

Then this song came on my iTunes. And the shell I had retreated into, the selfish, self-enclosed funk I had fallen into, both opened up a bit.

Do you ever feel like no matter what you did, no matter what you said, no matter how hard you tried, nothing ever seems to work out right for you?

Martyr-ish, yes. But damn it, it's human. And Jon gets it. He understands. And I started to cry uncontrollably, just because it meant so much to, in essence, not be alone anymore. I felt instantly comforted, instantly befriended. Someone else was sharing that shell, huddled and homesick and feeling sorry for themselves but trying to find the strength to be happy and stand up and say, "World, here I come!"

I know I'll find that strength, but sometimes I wonder when. I know every experience is a trying one, an opportunity to build that strength up. I know. But when you're weary and tired, and so far from every source of support you've always counted on, alone and scared and facing alien territory completely unarmed, it's damn hard.

But this band - and their music - has always been there for me. They may not be my sword in the battle, they may not be my sideline spectators, but they're the invisible friends on my shoulder in the battle ring, ever-constant sources of support and comfort. Just because they're there, and they understand.

Sometimes, that's all you need to find the strength you're looking for.

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.

Musings on 'Everybody's Broken'

"Everybody's looking for something, and the answers are harder to find every day. And although nobody's perfect, everybody's got the little chinks in their armor. Everybody's got the little crack around the edges. And everybody's broken."
- JBJ, Chicago, July 30, 2007
______________________________________

Part of the reason - or perhaps most of the reason - I love Bon Jovi is because their music, quite simply, speaks to you. The lyrics are completely relevant; fans can find "their story" in nearly any of the songs.

Today, not for the first time, but for a time that felt new and refreshing, I was listening to Everybody's Broken in my car on the way home from work. I remember the first time I heard it, I wasn't too keen on it - I didn't mind it, but certainly didn't love it. I felt that it spoke more to older fans (older than me, at least) who had experienced their share of hardships, troubles, trials, obstacles, and had tried to mend themselves again unsuccessfully.

Step into the deep end
Make yourself at home
When you wonder why you're breathing
Know you're not alone

I remember listening to it, more closely, a few months later on the train ride up to the Anaheim show that tour, and it suddenly struck a chord with me. Since then, I've grown fonder of it, and as life takes me down its crazy and unexpected path (now a full two years later on that path), I have a far deeper appreciation for it.

Now, it speaks to me.

Life is not easy. That's the understatement of the year. And while I'm young, and have most of my life ahead of me (I hope), I realized that it's okay to say that I am broken. It's not a bad thing. I've dealt with my own hardships, my own trials, my own obstacles, and I've fallen on my ass many a time. It doesn't mean that I'm having a mid-life crisis at 20, nor does it mean that I can't handle the obstacles yet to come in my life. Because I know they're waiting. Being broken doesn't mean you lack the ability to handle them. It actually means that you've learned. You've fallen and gotten up, slipped and straightened out, struggled and won in each instance. You're still alive.

It's so hard to believe
It's easier to doubt
You're trying to hold in
But you're dying to scream out

I don't believe you can ever be "whole" again - after all, what is whole? From the moment you are born, you are going to be stripped down, opened up, turned inside out, and stitched back together in this life, that's what it's all about. Only then can you truly learn and become the best YOU that you can be. So it's okay to admit that you're scared, that you're unsure of yourself, that you're broken...the point is to always take a look around, and ask if who you think you are is who you want to be. And then take sweet comfort in the company of the rest of the world. You will get through it.

And that's what I love about Bon Jovi - whether it's the anthem songs with the polished lyrics we all know in our sleep, or the new fresh material that you find yourself tapping your foot to...or the songs that wrap themselves around your heart, squeeze tightly, and don't let go. They all tie you to the band. You feel like they were written just for you, with you in mind. Like Jon's voice is singing straight to YOU through those speakers in your car, in your house, in the grocery store, in the mall. You can stop and listen, and smile softly, and it feels like he's smiling back and winking. It's okay. We're all in this together.

After all -

Everybody's broken
You're all right
It's just life.

Create your own: Greatest Hits II

I'm bringing back a post I did in May last year, where I listed my choice track list for a second greatest hits album. Now that everyone has had a chance to listen to and get to know The Circle, I'm curious what everyone else holds to be their favorite tracks of all-time - Bon Jovi's greatest hits in your eyes.

Mine would be a two-disc set featuring every hit from 1983-2008, plus some special bonus collector's material, including off-album tracks, singles, etc.

Sample:

Disc 1 (1983-1995)
1. Runaway
2. In & Out of Love
3. Wanted Dead Or Alive
4. You Give Love A Bad Name
5. Raise Your Hands
6. Livin' On A Prayer
7. Born To Be My Baby
8. Lay Your Hands On Me
9. Livin' In Sin
10. Blood On Blood
11. I'll Be There For You
12. Keep the Faith
13. In These Arms
14. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
15. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
16. These Days
17. Something To Believe In


Disc 2 (1996-2010)
1. Radio Saved My Life Tonight
2. It's My Life
3. Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars (I am one of the few that LOVES this song!)
4. Thank You For Loving Me
5. One Wild Night
6. Bounce
7. Everyday
8. Have A Nice Day
9. Last Man Standing
10. Who Says You Can't Go Home
11. Lost Highway
12. Whole Lots of Leavin'
13. (You Want To) Make A Memory (okay, actually not that fond of the song, but it WAS a top single)
14. I Love This Town
15. We Weren't Born To Follow
16. Superman Tonight
17. Happy Now


Collector's Bonus Disc:
1. Hallelujah (live)
2. Mister Sambo (hey, Richie should get a spot since Jon's got Always and Blaze all over the place)
3. Tumblin' Dice (as should David...)
4. Waltzing Matilda (did you forget Teek?)
5. Twist & Shout live (again, LOVE this one)
6. IBTFY or These Days (live w/ Richie on vocals)
7. Memphis Lives In Me (David)
8. Last Man Standing (original version from boxset)
9. I Get A Rush (live)
10. If I Can't Have Your Love (Richie)


What would you pick? You don't have to create a 2-disc set or collector's edition, just list whatever you'd like to see on a second greatest hits album.

I'm curious. :)

Ten things you could buy instead of a Bon Jovi tour ticket

It's no surprise that fans are less than thrilled with the skyrocketing prices of Bon Jovi's tour tickets - both from the Lost Highway tour, and now The Circle. For the first time since I joined the fan club, I actually bought tickets to their shows on Ticketmaster instead of through the FC. Why, you ask? Because Backstage was asking a good $10 MORE than Ticketmaster for a seat restricted to OUTSIDE the circle section (meaning higher than row 10)...put it this way: I could pay a total of $154.25 (including service charges and tax) and get a chance at anything row 1 and up, OR pay $164.50 (and put money in Matt Bongiovi's pocket) for anything behind row 10. Call me crazy, but I'll save the $10.25.

And that's not to mention INSIDE the circle section - the apparently now-coveted 10 rows within the catwalk's ring that cost a whopping $354 for ticket only. Or don't forget the 5 different VIP packages, all at varying prices as well.


In any case, prices are outrageous. So Bjorn and I composed a list of ten things you could buy with a standard ticket price, and a fan club ticket price. Mind you, I bought three tickets, so I am by no means shoving this in anyone's face.

It's just for perspective.

For the price of ONE $155.00 average Ticketmaster ticket:

1. Two tickets to see Nickelback or Bruce Springsteen on tour.

2. Two-day park hopper pass to Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
3. Two iPod shuffles.
4. Two Blackberries.

5. A multi-tool Leatherman pocket knife
6. A weekend's hotel stay on the Las Vegas Strip.

7. I could pay the monthly installment on my $10,000 car ($144), my car insurance ($126), or my cell phone bill for two months ($75/month).

8. Groceries for an average 4-person family for a week.

9. A Guitar Hero game pack.

10. All of Bon Jovi's studio albums...and have $$ left over.

These days are looong gone...

For the price of ONE $355 fan club Inside the Circle ticket:

1. An 8GB iPod touch with protection plan, black protective case, and headphones w/ remote and mic - or the 32GB iPod touch with protection plan.
2. An iPhone 3G 16GB

3. A Nintendo Wii console, plus a couple games.

4. A Palm TX PDA

5. A Coach designer purse

6. A brand new full set of all-season tires for your car or truck.

7. A standard 5 piece dinette set (4 chairs + 1 table) at Jerome's or Ikea.

8. Three nights at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

9. A round trip plane ticket from San Diego, CA to New York City, NY (that's cross-country, folks)

10. Ten days at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, with souvenir and food money left over; OR a 3-day vacation package including a hotel suite and dining plan.

Of course, there are a zillion things you could buy for a TOTAL of $155 or $355, but we tried to find things that were close to that price - things you could buy in exchange for a ticket.

So. Make ya think?

Five songs Bon Jovi could cut from their setlist...and we wouldn't complain.

So tonight, Bjorn (for those who don't know, my boyfriend) and I came across another Jovi blog that discussed five songs they could do without Jovi playing live. That got Bjorn and me thinking (because I disagreed with three of them, although he agreed with four), and we came up with our own list, as well as some thoughts on WHY they play some of those cookie-cutter tunes that have die-hard fans holding their ears.

First off, you have to give them some credit. As an enormously successful rock band with such a huge fan base, they - like it or not - have to play to the masses. The average fan probably doesn't know what Miss Fourth of July or Radio Saved My Life Tonight even sounds like, but they sure as hell can belt out every word to Bad Name and Prayer. And those are the classics that EVERY FAN - die-hard or average - will know. So, naturally, a band wants to hold the attention of its entire audience, and not isolate those who don't buy the box set or demos or B-sides....etc. However, that doesn't mean that every show should be full of the classics. I definitely want them to spice it up with some new stuff, some old stuff, some rare stuff, and a taste of everything in between; otherwise, the die-hard fans are then the ones isolated...and bored!

So, while a good taste of all their material spanning over the years should always be played, Bjorn and I agreed on five songs that we personally could do without hearing - and gave a few thoughts on why:

1. You Give Love A Bad Name

(Me) Seriously, it's old. Not that I don't like it, I'm just really tired of hearing it. The lyrics are almost monotonous at this point, and I don't get any of that 'oomph' when they launch into it anymore.

(Bjorn) There's something about that song that doesn't work live. It doesn't have the beef that the original recording does have - it sounds stripped when it's live. It's been the same version for 23 years...it's time for something new, I guess.

2. Who Says You Can't Go Home

(Me) I can explain this in one sentence: IT'S NOT ALL RIGHT!

(Bjorn) It's like a bastard child - it's not Bon Jovi! All of the Lost Highway album is a bastard child - all of it has to go. I don't even recognize it as a Bon Jovi album; it's never in my CD player.

3. I'll Be There For You (Jon version)

(Me) That sounds so mean, but I don't mean to bash Jon here. It's just that the song gets really overplayed and really overworked and really oversung...and when its played at practically every show you go to, you start to get sick of it, too. However, I thoroughly enjoy it when Richie performs it - mostly because he has a phenomenal voice that NAILS it. Besides, him taking center stage adds that new flavor and new kick to an otherwise very tired tune.

(Bjorn) I think Jon's voice is whining in that song. I like when Richie sings it, because he has the voice to do it.

4. Always

(Me) Now, I absolutely adore the version from Live From London, but those days are past. Jon can't hit those high notes anymore, which is the whole point of the song, so now it just sounds too melancholy and boring. Without that emotion and passion, the song is stripped.

(Bjorn) You expect this great performance that you see in the DVDs (like in the London one, for example), but it's just not going to happen anymore...so you'll always be disappointed.

5. Bad Medicine

(Me) Okay...as much as I like the "commercial breaks" and the goofing off, I'm really tired of this 10-minute performance. It drags on and on, and just takes up too much of the show. They've played it so many times (with the same standard inserted song) that it just needs to go now.

(Bjorn) It bugs me. I like the Osaka version with Richie in '98, because it has more guitar. I really enjoy playing the song, but I don't like listening to it live...which is weird to say. But it drags on, and it bugs me.

BJTV and thoughts...

OH MY GAH.

I finally found the BJTV video on bonjovi.com and almost fell out of my seat laughing. I swear to God one of my favorite things in the world is to see those guys candidly - when they're natural and relaxed and personable. They all have fantastic senses of humor and I simply adore when they're silly.

Richie was clearly the star in this episode - I was literally laughing OUT LOUD and my roommates thought I was insane. In a way, he's always reminded me of my uncle, who has a similar sense of humor. So I feel a closer "connection" to Richie, and I honestly would LOVE LOVE LOVE to meet him....for many true reasons, not just because he's the sexiest guitarist I know. ;)

It's times like these that restore my enthusiasm for the band, and rev me up for the next era of Bon Jovi mania. I'm brought back to the early days when I first fell head over heels in love with them, and all the excitement and hype reminiscent of a new crush. When I was a naive, bright-eyed tween with nothing to worry about except my history test the next day. When the world was still simple, but starting to turn.

Now, I've grown in leaps and bounds, seen and heard things I'd rather have not, had experiences that tried my faith and tested my character, and generally been thrust into this big, dark world on my own. Sent out to figure it out by trial and error, learning to trust and grow and spread my wings, and dealing with the monsters of a world that "don't give you nothin' it can't take away".

But through it all, Bon Jovi was there.

Those men will never know how much they mean to me - or how much of an impact they've had on my life. They've truly kept me sane, given me faith, heightened my joy and eased my sadness, consoled my anxieties and comforted my pain. And no one in the world except another Bon Jovi fan will ever understand what I mean.

So Jon, Rich, Dave, or Teek...if you're out there, I just want to say thanks.

From the bottom of my heart.