Two days after Bon Jovi announced that guitarist Richie Sambora would take a break, allegedly to return to rehab, the group started a new tour by headlining at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Saturday (April 30).
And the veteran band did so without missing a beat. Filling in for Sambora was the extremely proficient Phil "X" Xenidis, who comes complete with his own set of rock star hair and great moves, though his playing excludes Sambora's nuanced, often bluesy touch.
In what is considered blazing heat anywhere but New Orleans, Bon Jovi took the stage around 5 p.m. with the lesser known 'Blood on Blood' before starting the non-stop hit machine with the very next song, 'You Give Love A Bad Name,' segueing into 'Born to Be My Baby.'
They kept the tempo upbeat throughout, knocking out one arena-rock anthem after the next with a polished precision.
Not that Jon Bon Jovi -- dressed in a black sleeveless vest that became increasingly unsnapped as the show wore on -- needs an apologist, but critics have seldom given him the credit he deserves as a tremendously compelling and commanding frontman who has only gotten better with age. Like U2's Bono or Bruce Springsteen, he works the crowd ceaselessly, constantly taking their collective pulse to see how to take them higher. And while some of the rock star moves may seem rote, the sheer amount of work he puts into making sure the fans have fun deserves far more respect than he's gotten.
But achieving longevity has its own reward, especially when it's been done on the nearly unparalleled worldwide level of success that Bon Jovi has attained and almost all of the groups born out of the same hairband movement of the mid-'80s have long faded away or grown bald.
During 'The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same,' a new song featured on last fall's greatest hits set, Jon Bon Jovi playfully delivered a little speech that more than made his point: "Look around and you've got Justin Bieber. Honey, I remember when there was a Justin Timberlake." He then name checked Jay-Z, noting that he recalled when Ice Cube and N.W.A. ruled the rap world. Then it was Lady Gaga's turn. "Hell, I was there before there was a Madonna... Things change, but there's only one constant... You're looking at it."
Yes, there's a reason almost 30 years since the release of the band's debut album, they remain one of the biggest touring attractions the world over. The Jazz Fest show was prime proof, with Jon Bon Jovi doing whatever it took, whether it was spreading his arms wide open, messianic style; pumping his fists into the air, jumping up and down or even doing a very funny and credible imitation of Mick Jagger's rooster walk during 'Start Me Up' to keep the energy high. And it worked, as it has thousands of times before, like a charm. With his million-watt smile and mirrored shades, he had the 50,000-plus audience eating out of his hand, as they sang loudly to all the hits.
None of this would matter much if his voice wasn't still vital. Even though he started off a little reedy at the Jazz Fest show, Jon Bon Jovi's pipes remain tremendously powerful and gained strength as the two-hour show wore on. Plus, he delivers the rockers, even sub-par ones such as 'Have A Nice Day' and 'We Got It Going On,' bolstered by drummer Tico Torres's relentless pounding, with the same verve as Bon Jovi classics like 'Bad Medicine.'
Oddly, during the main show Jon Bon Jovi never addressed the pink elephant in the room -- that his partner-in-crime for many years was not beside him on stage -- other than to coyly say to the audience, "And what's been going on in your life?," several songs in.
For the encore, Jon Bon Jovi smartly trotted out in a New Orleans Saints jersey, screaming "Who dat," before launching into 'Dead or Alive.' As well as Xenidis played, it was one of the times that Sambora's absence was palpable. To close the show, Bon Jovi performed 'Living on a Prayer,' with the lead singer kicking it off with an a capella verse, his voice having only gained momentum as the night progressed. In the only clear acknowledgement that Sambora wasn't present, Jon Bon Jovi said, "I'm sending this out to our brother Richie." Then, though visibly ragged around the edges from the heat, he went back to bouncing around on stage, with an almost superhuman determination to end the show with as much, if not more, energy that when the band started.
http://www.popeater.com/2011/05/02/bon-jovi-new-orleans-jazz-fest
And the veteran band did so without missing a beat. Filling in for Sambora was the extremely proficient Phil "X" Xenidis, who comes complete with his own set of rock star hair and great moves, though his playing excludes Sambora's nuanced, often bluesy touch.
They kept the tempo upbeat throughout, knocking out one arena-rock anthem after the next with a polished precision.
But achieving longevity has its own reward, especially when it's been done on the nearly unparalleled worldwide level of success that Bon Jovi has attained and almost all of the groups born out of the same hairband movement of the mid-'80s have long faded away or grown bald.
During 'The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same,' a new song featured on last fall's greatest hits set, Jon Bon Jovi playfully delivered a little speech that more than made his point: "Look around and you've got Justin Bieber. Honey, I remember when there was a Justin Timberlake." He then name checked Jay-Z, noting that he recalled when Ice Cube and N.W.A. ruled the rap world. Then it was Lady Gaga's turn. "Hell, I was there before there was a Madonna... Things change, but there's only one constant... You're looking at it."
Yes, there's a reason almost 30 years since the release of the band's debut album, they remain one of the biggest touring attractions the world over. The Jazz Fest show was prime proof, with Jon Bon Jovi doing whatever it took, whether it was spreading his arms wide open, messianic style; pumping his fists into the air, jumping up and down or even doing a very funny and credible imitation of Mick Jagger's rooster walk during 'Start Me Up' to keep the energy high. And it worked, as it has thousands of times before, like a charm. With his million-watt smile and mirrored shades, he had the 50,000-plus audience eating out of his hand, as they sang loudly to all the hits.
None of this would matter much if his voice wasn't still vital. Even though he started off a little reedy at the Jazz Fest show, Jon Bon Jovi's pipes remain tremendously powerful and gained strength as the two-hour show wore on. Plus, he delivers the rockers, even sub-par ones such as 'Have A Nice Day' and 'We Got It Going On,' bolstered by drummer Tico Torres's relentless pounding, with the same verve as Bon Jovi classics like 'Bad Medicine.'
Oddly, during the main show Jon Bon Jovi never addressed the pink elephant in the room -- that his partner-in-crime for many years was not beside him on stage -- other than to coyly say to the audience, "And what's been going on in your life?," several songs in.
For the encore, Jon Bon Jovi smartly trotted out in a New Orleans Saints jersey, screaming "Who dat," before launching into 'Dead or Alive.' As well as Xenidis played, it was one of the times that Sambora's absence was palpable. To close the show, Bon Jovi performed 'Living on a Prayer,' with the lead singer kicking it off with an a capella verse, his voice having only gained momentum as the night progressed. In the only clear acknowledgement that Sambora wasn't present, Jon Bon Jovi said, "I'm sending this out to our brother Richie." Then, though visibly ragged around the edges from the heat, he went back to bouncing around on stage, with an almost superhuman determination to end the show with as much, if not more, energy that when the band started.
http://www.popeater.com/2011/05/02/bon-jovi-new-orleans-jazz-fest
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