My Memorial Day weekend, Featuring Bon Jovi Part 1

About a month ago I earned some OT and decided that since I had only seen Bon Jovi once so far this tour, I needed to see them again.

In many ways I felt the Bon Jovi magic was fading, the last couple of shows I went to were Vanilla, and not Haggen  Daas Vanilla but Imitation Vanilla out of one of those cups with the wood spoon.

I still love the band don't get me wrong, but did I want to spend $150 on tickets and be like, Meh, when I left.

So I decided I would go to NJ on Friday the 28th, and see the show on the 29th.  I was able to procure a ticket from Jen (aka Big Apple Jovi), then I had to make arrangements to stay with some family up there and everything was set.

I flew up on Friday a day in advance, my flight was SUPPOSED to leave at 8:30 AM, we didn't get off the ground until noon (Long story short the FAA requires 8 hours of sleep between flights the plane arrived at 3:30 AM, do the math).  I arrived in Newark at 3:30 headed to the Avis counter (home of the world's slowest rental car employees, average speed 30 minutes per person).  Around 4:45 I emerged from Newark in my bright red Chevy HHR (dubbed the CougarPussyFish wagon, that's a story for another time) and headed up the Parkway towards my aunts house in Paramus (the mall capitol of the world).

Saturday morning I headed up to visit my cousin who lives in Orange County, NY, or just East of Bing Bang north of Bum Fuck Egypt.  I got back to my Aunt's house after a brief stop at Best Buy & Harmon to jump in the shower before Andrea (aka @antihobag on twitter) and her friend co-worker Debbie arrived. 

Around 2:30 we headed out, after a stop at Stop N Shop on Rt 17 for supplies (i.e. Margaritas, another bottle of wine, some Grey Goose, cranberry juice, batteries, chips) we headed back down Rt 17 towards Patterson Plank Rd & the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

Did I mention cups?  Yeah I didn't, let's stop at Taco Bell and get some cups.  (classy, but at least I wasn't drinking coors light out of a bottle with a straw)

We finally arrive at the stadium Parking lot after taking the scenic tour of East Rutherford, which if you didn't know is a city of trees.  We drive around looking for our fellow Jovi addicts Maria (aka @filipinagal) and Lucy (aka @lucylovesjovi).  With the new stadium the parking lot people aren't sure which lots are open, and while they were very helpful I was afraid we would end up parking near my cousin's house in Orange County.

We pulled our chairs up and started talking Jovi, it was around 3:30, we had 5 hours of :

• Jon
• Richie
• another glass of wine
• more Jon
• More Richie
• MMM cheese
• Andrea met Richie and he wouldn't sit down by her but he would stare at the Cher look a like.
• Random drunk chicks
• Margaritas anyone?
• Debbie (not me) flashing one of the girls to show her her 'enhanced' boobs
• Debbie (not me) and the girl who she showed her boobs to flashing Rt 3
• Random Drunk chicks smoking pot (really???  it's Bon Jovi not Pink Floyd or Rush)
• Port-a-Potty Graffiti
• Picking up tickets from the Fan Club tent
• Leigh & Stacy arriving
• Random drunk chicks having there picture taken with us 
• Random drunk chicks so drunk/wasted they may not have been able to go to the show
• Debbie (not me) making out with some Random Guy who she met at the port-a-potty and grabbed his crotch (my Taco Bell cup is now classy)
• Multiple New Jersey State Police Fly Overs
• Waving and then Pointing at Debbie (not me) when they would fly over

Around 7:30 we decided to head into the massive building that is the New Giants Meadowlands Stadium, there were more women then men going in so we stood in line to get our bags searched and patted down.  You are allowed to bring a 20 oz bottle of water into the stadium, they remove the cap.  My cap didn't get removed.  Let's just say I was plotting to toss at the first sound of, "Now If I was to say, IT'S ALRIGHT...."  More on that in another post.  Oh security also didn't check the inside of my bag.  So we head inside.....  We're all on the floor so we head to the West Gate with the intention of meeting after the show under one of the Met Life signs to walk back to our cars together.

The stage is MAMMOTH.  It may not be as huge as U2's 360 stage but for being in the end zone it just is this giant shell.

*Architectural Critique* The stadium itself is very modern.  The steel bands on the outside, and the minimalist signage inside.  Everything is shades of silver and gray.  Whereas the old stadium was Blue & Red, this is gray.  I'm guessing because two teams play there they didn't want to make it all one color.  So I'm sure on the Sunday's that the Giant's are in residence the Stadium will be more blue, and when the Jets are home Gang green.

I found my seat and decided that maybe the restroom lines had dissipated (yeah right), OK but they moved quickly. I was back at my sit within 10 minutes.

Then This is Our House starts playing.... and it's time for a new post.