Once again it's reused and recycled for Philadelphia.
By: ED CONDRAN
Burlington County Times
Bon Jovi has sold more than 120 million albums and it has no problem filling stadiums.
The group's 2010 "Circle" tour was the most popular jaunt of the year and the band is more celebrated now than during its 1980s heyday.
What's left for the mega-loved, New Jersey-based phenomenon to accomplish?
"We want to be the Rolling Stones," guitarist Richie Sambora says. "I know I do."
Well, if that's the case, expect to see Sambora and his bandmates - vocalist-guitarist Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres - to be rocking in the year 2033.
That's when the band will mark its half-century together. The Stones are planning for a tour next year, which will celebrate its own 50th anniversary.
What a drag it is getting old, indeed, but Bon Jovi has a way to go before it embarks on any "Steel Wheelchairs" tour.
The group, which will perform on Jon Bon Jovi's 49th birthday Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center, is hitting its stride at midlife. It still has energy to burn and the members of the act know how to bring it.
"We know how to give good stadium," says Sambora.
What Sambora means is that the group has taken a page from fellow Garden Stater Bruce Springsteen, who wrote the template on how to connect with every audience member inside stadiums.
The fans have responded to the band's interactive live performances, as well as myriad hits Bon Jovi has recorded over the years.
However, musical arbiters of taste haven't been so kind to the act - but that doesn't bother Sambora.
"You know what? We get the respect from the people," he says. "I don't read the reviews. It's all about the people. I think that's what our goal has always been and I think that's what's always been important to us - our fans and taking care of them. I think we've done a good job of that, I really do."
Love them or hate them, Bon Jovi is a hit machine. "Livin' On a Prayer," "I'll Be There For You," "It's My Life" and "Who Says You Can't Go Home" are just some of the tunes that never seem to leave radio playlists.
"We've been fortunate," Sambora says. "We've had a lot of hits and we have no problem playing them. Our fans made them hits. So you'll always get the hits from us. How do you get tired of playing the hits? When I see my favorite bands play, I love to experience the hits. Hits are great. It beats the alternative."
Bon Jovi appears Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia. Show time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $16.50, $26.50, $36.50, $52, $86.50 and $146.50. Information: 215-336-3600.
No comments:
Post a Comment