Singer rocks with upbeat hits inspired by the times we live in

04/01/03

John Soeder
Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic


When Bruce Springsteen sang about Sept. 11, 2001, and its aftermath on his last tour, a hush tended to fall over the audience.

When Jon Bon Jovi tackled the same subject matter in concert last night at Gund Arena, fans sang along at the top of their lungs.

Talk about a study in contrasts.

Springsteen's recent hit "The Rising" notwithstanding, the tragedy of the terrorist attacks inspired a series of heart-wrenching ballads by the Boss. Bon Jovi, on the other hand, responded with one arena-rocking rallying cry after another.

For those in need of a shoulder to cry on, Springsteen fit the bill. But if you wanted a patriotic pick-me-up, New Jersey's second most famous rock 'n' roll son was your man.

Singer-guitarist Bon Jovi and his namesake band jump-started their performance with "Bounce," the upbeat title track of their latest album.

The aptly titled tune about the resiliency of the American spirit had concertgoers bouncing along as Bon Jovi sang: "Bounce, bounce, nothing's gonna keep me down!"

True, the song doubles as an ode to ex-Cleveland Browns coach Bill Belichick, who led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory in 2001. But the capacity Cleveland crowd didn't hold it against Belichick's pal Bon Jovi.

Two other new anthems, "Everyday" and "Undivided," dealt with living life to the fullest and standing tall in dangerous times. Another number, "The Distance," was dedicated to the troops abroad.

Bon Jovi was joined by Richie Sambora on guitar (and lead vocals for "I'll Be There for You"), David Bryan on keyboards, Hugh McDonald on bass and Tico Torres on drums.

The band's core unit has been together for 20 years - and these guys had the string of hits to prove it. Their experience showed as they effortlessly cranked out "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin' on a Prayer," "Runaway," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "It's My Life" and other favorites from the soundtracks to 20,000 lives.

"I'm extending the weekend here in Cleveland," Bon Jovi told the audience. The 41-year-old heartthrob wore a black leather shirt unbuttoned to his navel.

A dazzling laser light show heightened the drama, with video footage of the action onstage projected on three huge satellite dishes behind the band.

Apparently, the two-hour concert was simulcast on Pluto. Here's hoping they enjoyed it as much way out there as everybody did down here.

Up first were the Goo Goo Dolls. Led by modern-rock beefcake John Rzeznik on guitar, lead vocals and tattooed biceps, the Buffalo, N.Y., group combined post-punk influences and radio-friendly pop smarts.

Rzeznik strained to hit the high notes during "Iris," but crowd-stoking renditions of "Slide," "Name," "Here Is Gone" and other Goo-ey hits were right on target.


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