Even unplugged, Bon Jovi rules!
BY JOHN NEMO
Special to the Pioneer Press

MUSIC REVIEW

As the house lights went down inside the Target Center on Tuesday, a crowd of 12,000 jumped to its feet, roaring as Bon Jovi took the stage.

But rather than starting off with the typical combination of blazing electric guitars and fist- pumping anthems his band is famous for, Jon Bon Jovi instead sat down in a chair and started whispering.

"Have a little faith in me," he sang, barely audible, as acoustic guitars accompanied his voice. "Have a little faith in me."

Bon Jovi fans have had plenty of faith over the years, and the New Jersey band, which is closing in on more than 100 million albums sold in its 20 year, tested it early Tuesday.

For the first time in its history, Bon Jovi opened a North American show with a one-hour acoustic set, sitting on chairs and turning the Target Center into a gigantic coffee shop.

"We love Minneapolis so much, and we were just here a few months ago," Jon Bon Jovi told the audience after a few songs. "We wanted to bring a totally different show this time."

As Richie Sambora galloped along on his acoustic guitar, Jon Bon Jovi led the crowd through some of the band's biggest hits, including "Dead or Alive" and "Livin' On a Prayer," which was a slow, understated version that had the audience leading the way on vocals.

Tuesday's unique beginning wasn't just a change of pace for Bon Jovi, which just came through town with a show at the Xcel Energy Center in February. It also served as a preview for an all-acoustic album of greatest hits the band plans to release this fall.

"If you've got requests, just shout them out," Jon Bon Jovi told the audience early on. "I'm in one of those three-hour-type moods."

Indeed, after spending an hour on acoustic guitars, the band transitioned into its usual electric show, using "Lay Your Hands On Me" to turn the Target Center into a full-blown rock venue once again. Then the string of hits (and fist-pumping) started up — "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Runaway," "It's My Life" and more. Jon Bon Jovi kept true to his word, taking the show, which started at 9 p.m., into the late hours.

The charismatic frontman's vocals were in fine form, emotional and crisp. And he didn't look too shabby in his black tank top and tight blue jeans either, as the thousands of screaming women could attest.

While it was obvious they enjoyed the acoustic set, Tuesday's crowd, which ranged in age from young children to 50-somethings, was at its loudest during the arm-waving, shout-along rock Bon Jovi has mastered over the years.

And Bon Jovi made it easy to enjoy, performing a polished, passionate show that started with a whisper and ended with more than a few shouts.