Live in Louisville: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Band Live

I went to see the band in Louisville last night at the first-ever Hullabalou Festival at Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby). After waffling on buying tickets for the longest time, I decided to go since it was only 80 minutes or so from my home (and I usually see them in Nashville - 3.5 hours away - I live in southern Indiana). One of my worries was that, since this was a festival, the band would play a strictly 'hits' show and I wouldn't get anything rare. I've seen them three times before in Nashville (Sept. 1995, April 2008 and April 2010). The 1995 was epic (at least in my memories). I was disappointed by the 2008 show and, somewhat, by the 2010 show (where my upper-tier section sat down for about half of the show).

All that being said, last night in Louisville was the best show I've seen since 1995 even though I heard nothing but hits and they opened with bleeding "Lost Highway."

I made an effort about 10 days before the show to not listen to any Bon Jovi music and limit my blog reading to articles I looked at no set lists and I stayed away from most posts here.

Doing that brought me more surprises in that I didn't have the set list memorized and I enjoyed the actual MUSIC more after "fasting" for a week or so. Even though the set, on paper, looks "boring," it was great fun. The crowd ate it up and the band, from my point of view next to the sound tent, seemed to be having a lot of fun. Richie's playing was spot on and Jon sounded great, even though they both had sweat pouring off of them (it was very, very hot out there). Only Tico seemed to be suffering (he had a pained expression on his face quite a bit) but I can see why.

I read this board and blogs fairly often and I realized, after last night, that we miss the point a lot (me included) by moaning about the set lists. The guys are playing for the audience in front of them and if it works there, maybe we should let it be. Would I love to hear These Days in its entirety? Abso-freakin'-loutely! Would it work in front of an arena or stadium crowd? Not a chance. The band isn't playing for me watching on YouTube, they're playing for the people in the building and that should be all that matters. Maybe, one day, they would do a rarities tour where they play theaters (yeah, right).

This "boring" show re-affirmed my love for the band and what they are capable of live. My wife, who does not like Bon Jovi in the least even had a great time and sang along quite a bit (something she didn't do when I dragged her along in 200. THAT is saying something about Jon's and the band's ability to put on a killer live show (even at 50 years old).

I see your point, but... they say if you fast long enough, even Liver and Onions will taste good. That's a nice thought, but bottom-line: it's still Liver and Onions.

Aloha !

I'm glad you enjoyed your show and I'm sure it was good, however;

No one is expecting that to happen. We all realize they have to please the majority of the audience instead of the minority. The point however many of us make or have tried to make is that it wouldn't hurt if Sleep would be taken out of the set and be replaced by Little Bit Of Soul. It wouldn't hurt if Raise Your Hands would be dropped and replaced by 99 In The Shade. Both are unknown songs to the majority of the audience yet both would go over just as well. That's the whole problem with it. We, or I, can live with the hits we have to hear over and over again. It's the b selection of the setlist that is getting old, predictable and overplayed.

Just look at this;

1. I Believe
2. We Weren't Born to Follow
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Superman Tonight
6. It's My Life
7. Little Bit Of Soul
8. We Got It Going On
9. Garageland
10. Bad Medicine
~ Pretty Woman
11. Lay You Hands on Me (Richie Sambora on lead vocals)
12. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
13. I'll Be There For You
14. Runaway
15. Have A Nice Day
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. Keep The Faith

Encore:
18. Wanted Dead Or Alive
19. Livin' On A Prayer

That's the same setlist as the one you got there, yet the b-selection is changed to other songs that have the same vibe any American festival audience would like. Do you honestly believe a crowd would like this setlist any less than what you got?

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Liver and onions are quite tasty
I see the point, next tour I may avoid the setlists all together before my show and be more surprised than this time around.

I see your point and I tend to agree. I was more or less surprised with myself as to how much I enjoyed the show despite the set list being stale (on paper). I mean, I could never hear "Sleep" again and be OK, but it was FUN last night (and I wasn't drinking).

Amen! Honestly, not too sure I want to continue following reviews and pbp's here as the mood of certain people totally spoils what probably was a great show. I'm so excited for the December Melbourne shows as it's been 8 years too long since I last saw the band, but sometimes I come to JT and read all the negativity and it spoils my mood. I understand you all have your opinions on what is a great show or setlist but I think you delve way too much into it and are generally never happy about anything the band does. there i said it! lol