16 years later, I can still remember

07/31/2011

I got 3 entries going lol but I had to write this.

There are very few people who have passion for something as I have with Bon Jovi and baseball.
It acurred to me that 16 years ago from this date, I went to my very first Bon Jovi concert ever.

I went with my cousin Felicia, my twin Justin, my sister Amanda and the love of my life, Lisa.
A close friend of Justin's, his name was Jarad (RIP), was supose to go but backed out and I was able to ask Lisa to go.

I dont remember much about the concert. I remember Amanda wanted to sit next to Lisa and she did. I was mad until the music started. I recall 3 songs they played.

"blood on blood" because of the sound effects at the beginning of the song.
"wanted dead or alive" because it was just John, Richy and their guitars...what an amazing version.
"living on a prayer" because, well, it was living on a prayer

I have now seen him 18 times, hmm or was it 19? lol I have to go back and look it up.
I have seen him play in front of 80,000 people and I have seen him in front of 2000 people.
I saw him open the new Medowlands (aka Giant's stadium) and I saw him do a fund raiser for a politicle time.
I saw him in NJ, NY, MA, CT and RI.
I have seen him with family members, with friends, with my mom, I have seen him with a classmate and even with my sister's friend, because my cousin Felicia back out once. The last time was with my sis in law and one of her friends. I seen him at all day radeo concerts and I've seen him at casinos.

Thanks to a fellow blooper, not only do I have all his regular cds, but I now have a lot of live cds and unreleased cds. I have something like 57 Bon Jovi cds all together.

Why do I love Bon Jovi?

This answer is borderline sickly romantic but it's everything about Bon Jovi.
It's the lyrics to his songs and the meaning within them. They teach about love and life and the highs and lows of life. He sings about the simple little things in life and the big dreams. He sings about life time friendships and about one night stands. He sings about a stocker, and about a kid in his neighborhood who is "slow". He sings about motivation, about dreams, hopes, passion and about sex, drugs and rock and role. He sings about being a movie star and about being a cowboy. He questions god and he question's politics and where we, as a world, are heading.

Now, I am sure that everyone sings about these things so it's more than just lyrics.

It's the music as well. The drums, the keyboard-piano, and of course the guitars.
It's how they sound and how the sound's volume go up -down depending on verse and what is trying to be conveyed in that verse.

But every band has instriments so it's more than just these

It's John's voice. He has the right pitch, rate, tone and volume, it seems to me, on every song. You can hear his love, his passion, his sadness and his depression in his voice as he sings. You can hear the love he has for not only the fans but his band members. If you have ever seen him in concert, you will have noticed the little boy awe he shows (my mom points it out to me when ever she goes) when he stops singing in the middle of the song and the entire croud just continues on. He also gives Richie these "looks" and they are returned, almost as disbelief that they have "made it for the first time" as the band is in it's 18th year. ... it's beautiful.

But you know, I love Bon Jovi for all these reasons and as the old saying goes, the hole is even greater then the sum of it's parts.

As long as Bon Jovi keeps rocking, I will continue to buy their music and see them in concert.

Favorite by CDS

runaway (1984)
in and out of love (1985)
Never say goodbye (1986)
Born to be my baby * blood on blood (1988
Blood Money * bang a drum (1990)
Bed of roses (1992)
Someday I'll be Saturday night 1994
My guitar lies bleeding in my arms (1995)
August 7th, 4:15 (1997)
Just older (2000)
Joey (2002)
Who says you can't go home (2005)
Everybody's broken (2007)
Live before you die (2009)
What do you got (2010