A review by SAM / morgansarah@netscape.net

When you come from New Jersey, certain things just "are." One, you *will* be a Bon Jovi fan. And two, you will be a tough sell on just about anything...it's in the blood.

Last night, I was just as pumped, just as thrilled to see and hear the guys in person as anyone else in the arena. I was dancing and listening, and overwhelmed with the sheer impact they have had on American pop culture -- imagine a stadium's worth of people singing Blaze of Glory without Jon even opening his mouth! It was an incredible night.

And yet, something was missing.

Compared to the CRUSH tour, which I saw in November, OWN was a slick and entertaining program, but it lacked the depth and authenticity of what some called the band's "come back tour." As one of my equally hard to impress friends pointed out, CRUSH was a thank you, a tribute to the good-old-days, and those of us who have never bent, or broken, or backed down. (To steal some of their lyrics.) It was a bunch of boys doing what they love to do, for those of us who have loved them so long. What Bon Jovi has meant to a generation who heard something about love, liberty, equality, freedom, faith, and struggle in their music was captured eloquently in the CRUSH tour. I was impressed.

Last night, I was entertained. I partied like the wild college student I almost am. But I didn't walk away with the respect for the band or with the sense of satisfaction that I did last November.

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