Bon Jovi maintains world-class status for 2 decades


By George Lang
The Oklahoman

Bon Jovi fooled us all: Two decades ago, when it was nearly impossible to pass a radio without hearing "You Give Love a Bad Name" or "Livin' on a Prayer," the New Jersey pop-metal band looked like the kind of guys that everyone's little sister would love for two summers, then ditch for someone more mysterious or threatening.

But Bon Jovi would not go away. Most of the "hair bands" that filled spandex pants and stadiums in the wake of Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" success are gone now, as are most of the grunge acts that replaced them on the radio and the teen-pop groups that followed. Bon Jovi outlived them all and can still sell out a basketball arena in just a few hours -- stronger than fashion, impervious to fads and filling the Ford Center on Saturday night.

To hear guitarist Richie Sambora tell the story, Bon Jovi survived and thrived because the group only worked harder once the trend it spawned turned to dust. When Pearl Jam and Nirvana took over rock radio playlists in the United States, Bon Jovi continued to play its populist anthems globally as though Seattle was just a rainy spot on the weather map. They packed stadiums in Europe and Asia, and the crowds never tired of "Wanted Dead or Alive" and happily asked for another dose of "Bad Medicine."

"We've been playing stadiums all over the world outside this country, much like the Rolling Stones and much like U2," said Sambora, speaking during a teleconference call in November. "You know, the great part about this band is ... the camaraderie of what we have together, you know? And I think that, you know, we're a band of brothers, we're out there, we're still doing it. People want to see people stay together -- they want to be entertained by people that are staying together. I mean, we still like each other. It's pretty unbelievable after 22 years."

"We never really lost our following, and we really never became a grunge band," keyboardist David Bryan said. "We became what we were, you know? We just kept evolving what we were -- into a better us."

Bon Jovi began in 1983 when Jon Bongiovi, a janitor at his uncle Tony Bongiovi's legendary New York recording studio, The Power Station, recorded a demo song called "Runaway." It became a hit on local New Jersey rock stations, and he put together a band to promote the song featuring childhood friend David Bryan on keyboards, bassist Alec John Such, future Skid Row guitarist Dave Sabo and former Frankie and the Knockouts drummer Tico Torres. Sambora owned one of the bars where Bon Jovi played. He recognized the singer's star quality and introduced himself.

"And I just went, 'Wow -- This is something real special.' I mean, I thought that Jon was a big star, and the band was great. And I thought I could fill the void that was going to make something happen."

Bongiovi changed the spelling of his last name, and the rest is a blaze of glory. "Runaway" became a Top 40 hit nationwide in 1984, but the tipping point came two years later with "Slippery When Wet." That album and its successor, 1988's "New Jersey," made Bon Jovi one of the most popular American bands in the world, combining the flash of pop-metal with a working-class lyrical bent.

That formula has undergone only minor tweaking since then. Recent hits such as 2000's "It's My Life" and last year's title track to "Have a Nice Day" are simply polished variations on the successful Bon Jovi theme.

Sambora said he knew "Have a Nice Day" would resonate because recently he has been hearing elements of his band's pomp and circumstance in newer, younger groups. Sambora and Bryan both spend time absorbing new bands and occasionally find common ground with those groups.

"I like to listen to satellite radio, and there's a station I listen to often called 'Alternative Nation,' and there's a bunch of young new bands that are coming out with great new stuff now," he said. "They're great songwriters. And the music is a bit more powerful, it's a bit more aggressive, and it's something that, you know, I guess kind of just happened, you know, naturally for us. What's going on in today's music world is definitely a part of what we do.

"God, there's a bunch of great new bands, obviously, and ... there's bands that have been perennials also, but they're not perennials like us. Like Green Day, obviously. I dig this new band out of San Diego called Louis XIV.

"Yeah ... the Killers is a really good record," Bryan said. "Snow Patrol, you know, is really good, and Kasabian -- I like those two bands."

Beyond the gracious shout-outs to young 'uns, Sambora firmly believes in Bon Jovi's ability to wipe the floor with all comers.

"After you come see this band play live, you're going to be converted," Sambora said. "After all these years, if we haven't learned how to be a great rock 'n' roll band, well then something's messed up. And you remember, you know, we put out that boxed set, '100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong'? Well, they can't."