The ultimate 80s band, Bon Jovi, continues to draw in a massive following since 1983. On Feb. 23, 24 and 26 at the United Center, Jon Bon Jovi (lead singer, guitar), Richie Sambora (guitar, vocals), David Bryan (keyboards, vocals) and Tico Torres (drums) rocked several thousand pairs of ears of all ages. The band pushes the barrier of living the rock and roll dream into the 21st Century on their world tour, Lost Highway.
The stage set up awed the packed United Center. Moving projectors, an oversized backdrop, a laser light show and an illuminated staircase enhanced an electrifying two-hour performance. The band’s set consisted of 25 years of amazing hits including solo projects from the band members. The stadium was filled to capacity with people sporting studded jeans and big hair.
Sambora tore up the stage with his amazing guitar solos and classy smile. Bon Jovi’s voice, talent and funky dance moves remain timeless after 25 years in the spotlight. David Bryan’s dynamic keyboarding stunned the crowd next to Torres’ dominant and powerful beats on drums. One of the first 1980s hits, “You Give Love a Bad Name,” was performed at the beginning of the show. Bon Jovi performed a flirtatious cover of “Shout” after an enticing and smooth performance of their 1988 No. 1 hit, “Bad Medicine.” The finale of Bon Jovi’s set, “Livin’ on a Prayer,” left women screaming for more. Additionally, the band performed recent mainstream tunes – “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and “Have a Nice Day.” Numerous hits were played, mirroring the band’s success.
Jealous fans envied two of the luckiest women that night. A forty-year-old woman fainted in the front row as Bon Jovi sang directly into her ear in the middle of the show. Additionally, the lead sang a solo act to the right of the audience on the ground floor. Toward the end of his performance, he swung a middle-aged woman on the small stage and danced with her for nearly 30 seconds. The hysterical fan cried in Bon Jovi’s arms as surrounding cameras flashed repeatedly under the heart-shaped spotlight. The image was magnified one hundred times larger on an onstage projector.
Since high school, I’ve seen dozens of bands perform live: Coldplay, From First to Last and many no-name local bands. Without a doubt, Bon Jovi’s electrifying performance tops my list of the best performances I’ve seen. The All-American Rejects (AAR), an Oklahoma-based band, continues to adopt Bon Jovi’s characteristics during onstage performances as well as music techniques. After seeing AAR nine times in the past two years, I can truly differentiate Bon Jovi’s style and the band’s originality. In all cases, Bon Jovi continues to remain the original forefathers of modern rock and roll, inspiring the new bands of today.