Indy review

1980s band gives show a good name

By Shea Keesling
For the Palladium-Item

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- A mixed crowd ranging from 3-year-olds wearing overly large shirts bearing the name and face of Jon Bon Jovi to 50-year-old women wearing cut-off shorts and skin-tight tank tops with his name across their chests was treated to a stirring concert Wednesday night.

Instead of lights dimming, they shot to life as Bon Jovi rushed the stage. I felt a flash back to the '80s, although I never got to experience much of that decade. I still knew Bon Jovi was a driving force.

The band that no one first thought would make it clearly showed it still has power, playing an impressive 10-song acoustic set with some of their most famous songs such as "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Everyday" and "Misunderstood" at Verizon Wireless Music Center north of Indianapolis.

It was a special treat. The band has played this acoustic set only for select cities, and Indianapolis was added at the last minute.

Richie Sambora did an excellent job keeping up his reputation of a top guitarist, adding not only some rich tunes but also some soothing melodic value to the acoustic set. Sambora is definitely an asset to the band.

Drummer Tico Torres added some well-thought-through beats throughout and, as one of the only original members left, really got into some of the older stuff such as favorite "You Give Love a Bad Name."

Everything from the band's hair to the their clothes to even the chairs they sat on during the acoustic set sent the fans back to the days when big hair was in.

For the band that was never going to make it, Bon Jovi did a nice job pulling the crowd in, encouraging them to sing along. If you weren't a Bon Jovi fan going in, you were definitely one when you left.

Even I, a pop princess, had a new respect for this influential '80s hair band. Twenty years later, Jon Bon Jovi still is making a name for himself, and he doesn't look a year older doing it.

The Goo Goo Dolls, opening for Bon Jovi, put on an amazing show that made you just say, "wow."

As guest of Bon Jovi, the band only played for 50 minutes. Starting with "Dizzy" and gliding their way into "Slide," it was a great way to get the small, but appreciative crowd going. Their third big song of the night was "Black Balloon," a classic and still a favorite.

Changing guitars every song and playing an impressive acoustic set, front man for the band, Johnny Rzeznik, did an up-to-par job with the audience he was given. Even their keyboardist showed some Midwest spirit by sporting a John Deere hat while on stage. Rounding out the 50-minute set with "Broadway," "Sympathy" and Iris" was a nice touch, especially with the mandolin in "Iris." This was an interesting ploy into the night's main act: Bon Jovi.

Shea Keesling is a Richmond resident and student at Taylor University.

That's quite an absurd statement considering 4 out of 5 were in the original line-up...and Hugh can hardly be seen as a new member.....not new--just newer

Cheers,

Mikey D

Gee - Do you think she made her point? I had no idea that they were such underdogs.

Kathleen

Not a bad review and it's always nice to learn that they weren't supposed to make it and that Tico is still one of the originals.. so where does that leave David, Jon and Richie..

Tash

LOL

new kids on the block :P

(anyone remember them? LOL)

step one, we can have lots of fun...

Tash