On Saturday, July 22, 2001, more than 22,000 fans in attendance at
Pittsburgh’s Post-Gazette Pavilion proved that without a doubt that Bon Jovi
is Jon, Richie, David, and Tico. While the spandex and hairspray has since
departed from the mix, the songs remain the same. Mostly memorably
drawling from their New Jersey and Slippery When Wet albums, Bon Jovi recalled
classics like “Bad Medicine,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and even the
more obscure “Wild in the Streets.”
Surprisingly, the man behind the guitar took center stage for a rendition of the
title track from his first solo album, “Stranger in this Town,” showcasing
his tremendous pipes and blues roots, and when Mr. Bon Jovi wavered on the words
to “Lay Your Hands on Me,” David Bryan took the microphone, leaving his keyboards behind and taking one of few runs he’s even
taken across the band’s stage only to return so that the two could jam a
little on the ebony and ivory.
In addition, consistent with other legs of
this tour, “Blaze of Glory” from Jon Bon Jovi’s solo debut was also included, complete with video footage from the accompanying Young Guns II.
While bringing forth several tracks from "Crush" including the
seventies psychedelic-inspired “Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars,”
the introspective "Just Older," and the album’s first single “It’s My
Life,” it was pleasing to find that the band has not forgotten the songs
that put them on the map.
 Introduced as Bon Jovi's national
anthem, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" sounded like a timeless classic song which in
terms of sheer power has long outlasted many of the one hit wonders and suicide
bands of the 1990's. The band still has the ability to draw a younger
audience as the crowd ranged in age from pre-teens to grandparents, which is a
true testament to the songwriting ability of the band.
Still, Bon Jovi knows how to please a crowd, with Jon running with the energy of
a teenager, Tico bashing him drums with youthful exuberance, David making the
keyboard position fun to watch and Richie just being one of the great guitar
players of the hard rock era.
Bon Jovi's One Wild Night tour
wound up at New Jersey's Giants Stadium on July 28th and was broadcast on VH-1
the following evening. Also, Bon Jovi recently released a live CD and DVD which features a great mix from "Runaway"
to It's My Life". For more information on Bon Jovi, visit the band’s official Web site at
www.bonjovi.com. |
