Bon Jovi concert review
By Whitney Sharp, Contributor
Jon Bon Jovi, the 51-year-old New Jersey rocker, was back in Vancouver last week for the first time since 2011, promoting his new album What About Now. He definitely impressed the local crowd, going as far as to say that “Canadian girls ain’t nothing but trouble”—and Bon Jovi definitely loves trouble.
The band kicked off a two-hour set with “That’s What the Water Made Me,” straight from the new album. I understand the need to feature the new, but let’s be honest: I was there to hear the classics of Slippery When Wet and New Jersey.
Bon Jovi must have heard my request because he quickly told everyone to stand up and jumped right into “You Give Love a Bad Name.” When Bon Jovi smiles and tells you to get up, you get off your lazy ass and stand.
The evening progressed with a mix of new and old, acoustic and electric. But, like any veteran performer, Bon Jovi didn’t let the crowd rest for too long.
After slowing things down to do a soft acoustic rendition of “(You Want To) Make A Memory,” he got the crowd on its feet with a loud, fast Rolling Stones medley, including “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Start Me Up.”
He rounded out the evening by asking if there was a doctor in the house and then got everyone singing “Bad Medicine,” before saying goodnight.
After clapping my hands raw for six minutes, he came back on stage for a three-song encore, including “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Have a Nice Day,” and the song everyone came to hear (and sing), “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
When he comes back in two years, I’ll be there. Maybe even in the front row—of the balcony.
