"Tico give me a beat..."
Yesterday was the second best day of my life. And I bet you can guess why! p.s. you DO NOT have to read any of this...this is strictly so I can hold onto all the details of this amazing memory.
DECEMBER 3rd 2005. Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day concert in Philadelphia.
The night before I couldn't sleep...and it didn't help that I had hurt my leg while ice skating...or falling with a bit of ice skating on the side lol. All I kept thinking of was what the concert was going to be like...what songs they were going to play...and was I going to be ready for it? Bon Jovi concerts don't come around every so often so when they do...I have to get myself prepared.
Flash forward to the day of the concert. I wake up instantly, knowing what day it is. My sister calls me at 12 o'clock and asks me if I will be ready to go soon. Of course the answer is yes...I'm already fidgety as I put on the outfit I had set aside the night before: jeans, a black t-shirt, and a sparkly bracelet. After grabbing a bagel, I run( no joke I ran)outside to meet my sister, pop in the Have a Nice Day CD in her CD player and we begin the drive home. Once I get home I can't relax...I try to watch TV, read People magazine, and spend time with Robert. By the time dinner rolls around I make myself a quesadilla and scarf it down...go to my room and pack what I'll need for the concert...by this time I'm really anxious.
6 O'CLOCK
my sister prints the directions to the Wachovia Center off of mapquest...confiding in me that she neither trusts mom or dad with the directions...and with good reason. at 6:15 we say goodbye to the family and head out the door-my mom yelling behind us "have a great time!".
THE OBSTACLES
While going to get gas, we realize that the gas station by safeway is no longer a gas station...plan B go to the one near Jo-Anne Fabrics...but this one is waay to crowded...Plan C backtrack to the Exxon Station.
Then we almost get hit (no lie) by a swerving SUV...at this point my sister notes that she can't talk anymore because when she is too excited she can't concentrate...I then imagine myself if I were driving LOL
After Carolyn gets a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts we're cooking with gas. A little new school Bon Jovi, a little old school, a few just released tracks from the Today Show...we're soaking it all in...Carolyn more than I, but I help her along the way...helping to familiarize with what songs go with what album...and what they will most likely play. I'm making sure I know all the words...just to be on the safe side.
We get off the exit and hit MAJOR traffic...but it's nothing we can't handle. With the heat on full blast and the windows down we start officially blasting the radio. An old woman leans allll the way out of her window to raise her hands to Livin' On a Prayer. We roll into the parking lot blasting that very song and are greeted by tailgaters, army people, new jersey natives, and fringe-wearers alike. This is it. We run inside the center and hand in our tickets. Next: we scope out the T-shirts because the opening act was a local band that we had never heard of (Snoozebox) and come on, we're here to see Bon Jovi. It's sooo cool because they could have ANY band they want to open...but they pick a local band each time to give them a chance-they remember what it was like. we fall in love with a vintage-looking basball style shirt and we buy them and put them on for the concert.
THE CONCERT
We find our seats...the last row from the top. BUT we have an amazing view of the stage (better than last time) and there's NO time to be down...we're at fricking BON JOVI and wherever you sit it just doen't matter...the feeling is still the same. We make friends with the rowdy group of alcohol drinking adults behind us.
THE LIGHTS GO OUT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AND HERE IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
You forget everything and all you know is BON JOVI.
The opening song: Last man standing. David, Tico, Richie, Hugh and the other new bassist are onstage...but where's Jon? He's standing on a platform in the middle of the crowd as the "last man standing"! I LOVE THIS BAND! They sound incredible...even better than I had remembered. He makes his way to the stage and there they are...all together...the best band alive.
THE SET LIST (all that I can remember and in random order...)
Last man standing
I'll be there for you
Have a nice day
Complicated
Story of my life
Runaway
Who says you can't go home
Blaze of glory
Always
Livin on a Prayer
Born to be my baby
The radio saved my life tonight
Captain Crash
It's my life
Someday I'll be Saturady Night
I'll sleep when I'm dead
Bad Medicine
You give love a bad name
THE ENCORE
Keep the Faith...which is ALWAYS played with moraccas
A cover of "you make me wanna shout"
cover of some "boogie" song
Raise your hands
Wanted dead or alive
Just Older-changes lyrics to "I've still got my hair"
COOL STUFF
-A cover of Tom Petty's "won't back down" and then they launch into it's my life
-A cover of part of the Rolling Stones' "hope you guess my name" during keep the faith
-One of the songs off their acoustic album
-during blaze of glory there was an AWESOME guitar solo and Jon was on a platform again in another section of the audience, it was so powerful-the lights faded from black to red to black
-I'll be there for you was a duet between Jon and Richie, they shared one mic and Carolyn and I almost cried...sooo touching
-During one song the entire band all crouched down and moved forward while playing...very 80s esque
-They said "all rise for our national anthem" and played wanted dead or alive
-A random woman jumps onstage and hugs Jon...he says..."when they come to see Bono they want peace, when they come to see me they want to take pieces home"
-during one point Jon says something like..."is it okay if we just have one fling-my wife's 1 and a half hours away...you won't tell her will you? and then he laughingly says all of you guys in the front row are full of shit"
-Jon says he's "preaching from the pulpit" during livin on a prayer
-and of course he says that he's come to the realization that "women rule the world" and launches into an adam and eve comparison...corny but I LOVE IT
-"don't get tired on me philly!"
-the usual Jon sings you sing
-"You just have to believe"
-spirit fingers always!
-a navy person throws their white hat onstage and Jon wears it...sooo hot
-Jon shows a little getting older-laughs "awww I never miss a beat...let's do this again"
-calls philly his second home and says "I'll see you for baseball season!"
-During the encore WE GOT CLOSER because stupid people thought the show was over and left! their loss...Bon jovi ALWAYS does like a 30 min encore!
THE OUTFITS
Jon:
-sparkly bronze pants, white tee, necklace, and jean jacket
-then black long sleeve shirt w/ pulls
-then vintage brown cross tank
-then soul jersey tee
Rich:
-long black coat and leather pants
-then black vest w/ leopard hat (Oh Richie)
-then long brown coat
David:
-paisley long sleeved shirt
-then sparkly black tank
Tico:
-black cap w/ black skull tank
-he never changes and I love him for it!
I HAVE NEVER SEEN such a great show! It was better than last time and each concert is once in a lifetime because they are never the same! I have never seen a band with sooo much energy...and raising my hands and punching the air has never been so much fun...or socially acceptable LOL. They are truly timeless and Carolyn and I cannot WAIT until we both have kids of our own and tell them about the concerts and be those women that go when they're forty and tailgate...maybe not the ones with fringe...but hey who knows?
I can't believe that it's over...but then again I can't believe that I even went. My life would not be the same if I weren't a part of this celebration.
My anthem:
"Oh if there's one thing I hang onto that gets me through the night, I aint gonna do what I don't want to, I'm gonna live my life!"
DECEMBER 3rd 2005. Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day concert in Philadelphia.
The night before I couldn't sleep...and it didn't help that I had hurt my leg while ice skating...or falling with a bit of ice skating on the side lol. All I kept thinking of was what the concert was going to be like...what songs they were going to play...and was I going to be ready for it? Bon Jovi concerts don't come around every so often so when they do...I have to get myself prepared.
Flash forward to the day of the concert. I wake up instantly, knowing what day it is. My sister calls me at 12 o'clock and asks me if I will be ready to go soon. Of course the answer is yes...I'm already fidgety as I put on the outfit I had set aside the night before: jeans, a black t-shirt, and a sparkly bracelet. After grabbing a bagel, I run( no joke I ran)outside to meet my sister, pop in the Have a Nice Day CD in her CD player and we begin the drive home. Once I get home I can't relax...I try to watch TV, read People magazine, and spend time with Robert. By the time dinner rolls around I make myself a quesadilla and scarf it down...go to my room and pack what I'll need for the concert...by this time I'm really anxious.
6 O'CLOCK
my sister prints the directions to the Wachovia Center off of mapquest...confiding in me that she neither trusts mom or dad with the directions...and with good reason. at 6:15 we say goodbye to the family and head out the door-my mom yelling behind us "have a great time!".
THE OBSTACLES
While going to get gas, we realize that the gas station by safeway is no longer a gas station...plan B go to the one near Jo-Anne Fabrics...but this one is waay to crowded...Plan C backtrack to the Exxon Station.
Then we almost get hit (no lie) by a swerving SUV...at this point my sister notes that she can't talk anymore because when she is too excited she can't concentrate...I then imagine myself if I were driving LOL
After Carolyn gets a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts we're cooking with gas. A little new school Bon Jovi, a little old school, a few just released tracks from the Today Show...we're soaking it all in...Carolyn more than I, but I help her along the way...helping to familiarize with what songs go with what album...and what they will most likely play. I'm making sure I know all the words...just to be on the safe side.
We get off the exit and hit MAJOR traffic...but it's nothing we can't handle. With the heat on full blast and the windows down we start officially blasting the radio. An old woman leans allll the way out of her window to raise her hands to Livin' On a Prayer. We roll into the parking lot blasting that very song and are greeted by tailgaters, army people, new jersey natives, and fringe-wearers alike. This is it. We run inside the center and hand in our tickets. Next: we scope out the T-shirts because the opening act was a local band that we had never heard of (Snoozebox) and come on, we're here to see Bon Jovi. It's sooo cool because they could have ANY band they want to open...but they pick a local band each time to give them a chance-they remember what it was like. we fall in love with a vintage-looking basball style shirt and we buy them and put them on for the concert.
THE CONCERT
We find our seats...the last row from the top. BUT we have an amazing view of the stage (better than last time) and there's NO time to be down...we're at fricking BON JOVI and wherever you sit it just doen't matter...the feeling is still the same. We make friends with the rowdy group of alcohol drinking adults behind us.
THE LIGHTS GO OUT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AND HERE IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
You forget everything and all you know is BON JOVI.
The opening song: Last man standing. David, Tico, Richie, Hugh and the other new bassist are onstage...but where's Jon? He's standing on a platform in the middle of the crowd as the "last man standing"! I LOVE THIS BAND! They sound incredible...even better than I had remembered. He makes his way to the stage and there they are...all together...the best band alive.
THE SET LIST (all that I can remember and in random order...)
Last man standing
I'll be there for you
Have a nice day
Complicated
Story of my life
Runaway
Who says you can't go home
Blaze of glory
Always
Livin on a Prayer
Born to be my baby
The radio saved my life tonight
Captain Crash
It's my life
Someday I'll be Saturady Night
I'll sleep when I'm dead
Bad Medicine
You give love a bad name
THE ENCORE
Keep the Faith...which is ALWAYS played with moraccas
A cover of "you make me wanna shout"
cover of some "boogie" song
Raise your hands
Wanted dead or alive
Just Older-changes lyrics to "I've still got my hair"
COOL STUFF
-A cover of Tom Petty's "won't back down" and then they launch into it's my life
-A cover of part of the Rolling Stones' "hope you guess my name" during keep the faith
-One of the songs off their acoustic album
-during blaze of glory there was an AWESOME guitar solo and Jon was on a platform again in another section of the audience, it was so powerful-the lights faded from black to red to black
-I'll be there for you was a duet between Jon and Richie, they shared one mic and Carolyn and I almost cried...sooo touching
-During one song the entire band all crouched down and moved forward while playing...very 80s esque
-They said "all rise for our national anthem" and played wanted dead or alive
-A random woman jumps onstage and hugs Jon...he says..."when they come to see Bono they want peace, when they come to see me they want to take pieces home"
-during one point Jon says something like..."is it okay if we just have one fling-my wife's 1 and a half hours away...you won't tell her will you? and then he laughingly says all of you guys in the front row are full of shit"
-Jon says he's "preaching from the pulpit" during livin on a prayer
-and of course he says that he's come to the realization that "women rule the world" and launches into an adam and eve comparison...corny but I LOVE IT
-"don't get tired on me philly!"
-the usual Jon sings you sing
-"You just have to believe"
-spirit fingers always!
-a navy person throws their white hat onstage and Jon wears it...sooo hot
-Jon shows a little getting older-laughs "awww I never miss a beat...let's do this again"
-calls philly his second home and says "I'll see you for baseball season!"
-During the encore WE GOT CLOSER because stupid people thought the show was over and left! their loss...Bon jovi ALWAYS does like a 30 min encore!
THE OUTFITS
Jon:
-sparkly bronze pants, white tee, necklace, and jean jacket
-then black long sleeve shirt w/ pulls
-then vintage brown cross tank
-then soul jersey tee
Rich:
-long black coat and leather pants
-then black vest w/ leopard hat (Oh Richie)
-then long brown coat
David:
-paisley long sleeved shirt
-then sparkly black tank
Tico:
-black cap w/ black skull tank
-he never changes and I love him for it!
I HAVE NEVER SEEN such a great show! It was better than last time and each concert is once in a lifetime because they are never the same! I have never seen a band with sooo much energy...and raising my hands and punching the air has never been so much fun...or socially acceptable LOL. They are truly timeless and Carolyn and I cannot WAIT until we both have kids of our own and tell them about the concerts and be those women that go when they're forty and tailgate...maybe not the ones with fringe...but hey who knows?
I can't believe that it's over...but then again I can't believe that I even went. My life would not be the same if I weren't a part of this celebration.
My anthem:
"Oh if there's one thing I hang onto that gets me through the night, I aint gonna do what I don't want to, I'm gonna live my life!"