A review by R. Thomas Behnke / r_thomas_behnke@hotmail.com

Instead of repeating the setlist, I want to tell you about the reactions to the songs being played.

After attending the Milwaukee show the previous night, I was wondering if the band would have any energy left over. The question was cleary answered after the first minute of the opening song. Watching this band is like seeing a modern day miracle. So much energy, so much passion, so much thankfulness. The relationship between Bon Jovi and their fans is one of the most unique things we see in music today. It is truely a mutual love affair.

After opening with the required, One Wild Night, Raise Your Hands sent the crowd into a frezny. With You Give Love A Bad Name, Jon made us feel so important when he says, "You Got It!" My God. The best part of Born To Be My Baby is when Jon holds on to the line "...deep inside" as we all waited with anticipation. Livin On A Prayer was absolute pandamonia (especially for those of us who didn't get it the previous night). The way Jon starts the song with his own little beat and no music makes it all the more special.

The incomparable Always followed Prayer and it was the best version I'd heard since the group performed it on Saturday Night Live. After the band rocked the rhythem, Jon turned back towards to the crowd to see if they wanted the chorus one more time. Of course they did. Immaculate.

Jon then tells us that "Sometimes we like to play songs that we didn't release to become hits." He's referring to Wild Is The Wind. This song touches us all on so many levels and is truely great. Because the concert was going so well, even I Got The Girl Sounded super. This was my least favorite song from the previous night, but now, today, I can't stop listening to it.

With Captain Crash...the group was telling us once again how much fun it is to make rock and roll music. This song is such a guilty pleasure. Just Older was up next and Jon once again proved his remarkable magnetism as he just smile at the crowd after "I still belive I'm just...." Is there a better smile out there?

Wild In The Streets is one of those "oldy, but goodies." A lot of people didn't know the song but it all came together. Up next was Blaze of Glory. With the song winding down, the video of the song shows Jon with his back turned towards us, his long hair blowing, and we all screamed as we remembered how far we've come and how much we have all stuck together.

Closing the show (but not really) with Lay Your Hands On Me, Sleep When I'm Dead and Bad Medicine (Shout) was so much fun. These songs are all about the crowd which again shows us how much the band cares about us.

For the encore, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night again "brought down the house." The song of the night though, had to go to I'll Be There For You. Here's why. When Jon goes off and starts seeing his speech about "...through the wind, through the rain, I'd crawl all the way home..." anyone with a heart began to get emotional. It is always so much fun to hear the "extras."

Wanted Dead Or Alive was mass karoke. So much fun. To close the show with Tequilla and Twist and Shout is still somewhat silly to me, but you know what? Why not. It's not like we didn't dance, didn't sing. No matter how they close the show we'll always want more and more and more.

That's why I'm going to get mine in Chicago.

See you there!

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