Bon Jovi delivered exactly what you’d expect him to. He included almost every song on his Greatest Hits album, played a few solid new ones, and got 20,000 people to first pump. (James, Meghan Rose, and I were among the fist pumpers.) He could not compare to Bruce Springsteen in terms of charisma, gravitas, or overall song quality, but who could? It was enough that he knew who he was and what his audience wanted. Consistency may not win you major awards or earn my highest grade, but it can certainly be satisfying. As Bon Jovi said during the show, to thunderous applause, “Things may change – Madonna may give way to Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake and even Justin Bieber. But you know who stays the same? This guy.”
Grade: B+
Endnotes:
(1) Before I link the Jovi standbys “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “It’s My Life,” and “Have a Nice Day,” I should mention “Work for the Working Man,” a newer song I heard for the first time at the concert. Listening to it at the show, I could hear how the song was relevant in today’s economy. I later found out just how relevant: former Obama Chief of Staff David Axelrod posted the lyrics in the White House!
(2) Which version of “You Give Love a Bad Name” do you think is better: the original or Blake Lewis’? Controversial as it may be, I have to go with Blake Lewis…
No comments:
Post a Comment