Official Houston Thread (2/21)
 

Bon Jovi
Toyota Center, Houston
Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Ticket Prices, including fees:
$109.10
$77.75
$61.85
$41.30

Negatives:
1. It’s a Tuesday night.

Positives:
1. Bon Jovi is off the two days before the event and the day after.
2. The band will be staying next door to the Toyota Center at the Hilton Americas.
3. New and very nice arena. Opened Oct 2003, concert capacity 18,500.
4. The Tundra parking garage is directly south of the Toyota Center for $8.00,
......with an overhead enclosed walkway directly into the arena.
5. Houston is a great party-rock city.
6. This is the last South-Central U.S. Bon Jovi concert on the second leg.
7. Easy hop fly-in/out. The downtown Houston venue is only a 15 minute cab ride
……from Houston Hobby Airport.
8. Concert pre-party at Cabo Grill downtown. 4 blocks from the Toyota Center.
……Trolley available to/from Cabo/Toyota Center.
..….Cabo - 419 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002 (713) 225-2060
9. The Toyota Center has fully stocked mixed-drink bars.

And most importantly, by doing this primo fly-in gig, it gets me out of having to take my new girlfriend to see Coldplay, lol. I don't want to see Coldplay. I already watched Billy Idol with Steve Stevens blow those kids off the stage 7 months ago, in front of 57,000 people, at the Baltimore HSFestival. After seeing Bon Jovi last Saturday night, they could do the same thing in their sleep.

Bon Jovi "Have a Nice Day" World Tour
Second Tour Leg, Opening Night
Ford Center, Oklahoma City
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Review By RockMusic - 01.15.06

Last night was my first time to see Bon Jovi live despite attending over 150 concerts. They did not disappoint. Ticket prices for the concert, including fees, were $98.85 for the floor, first, and second level, and $58.85 for the third level. To my surprise, I had great seats just three rows off stage left-front, purchased the day before the concert.

The Oklahoma City Ford Center is a 1st class arena and a top 10 U.S. booking venue, as to revenue, per Pollstar. It opened June 2002 at a cost of $89 million and, for end-stage concerts, holds 19,200. After a good local opening act named Hollow, Bon Jovi hit the stage at 8:35 p.m. to a deafening roar by the sold out crowd. Bon Jovi’s sold out concert attendance was one of the largest, for a veteran rock act, since the Center opened. World legendary superstar rock acts like Motley Crue, Billy Idol with Steve Stevens, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, and ZZ Top, all paled in attendance comparison.

I was extremely impressed with the quality of the concert that Bon Jovi delivered. Alright, I was jaw hit the floor shocked. Without exception, Bon Jovi are world-class musicians that proved they can still deliver a premier rock concert product, and greatly care about their fans. All members looked fantastic, sounded great, had great synergistic chemistry, all performed songs were tight, and the band did a super job working the crowd into a full-blown frenzy.

Bon Jovi’s stage setup was also great. It had a clean Vegas techno look to it. The moveable overhead-stage high definition video screen was the largest I’ve ever seen at a concert. The clarity, quality, and numerous camera angles shooting the entire live concert were incredible. Without question, Bon Jovi set the standard for other National touring acts, when it comes to a big screen live concert production. It elevated the enjoyment of attending a large venue concert to a whole new level.

Bon Jovi played a diverse mix of both new material from their “Have a Nice Day” album, along with time honored classics spanning their 22 year career. The huge crowd in attendance soaked up the massive energy that Bon Jovi delivered for 2+ hours and threw it right back at them in a thunderous wave of support and non-stop enthusiasm. Even after the concert, when everyone was walking out of the arena, the enthusiasm and roar of the crowd was deafening. The huge crowd spilled out into the closed traffic street in front of the Ford Center, lined with waiting limos, and just keep partying. No one wanted to leave after such a high energy and incredible concert. Luckily, just two blocks from the Ford Center is a large number of clubs and eateries that the massive crowd descended upon and partied until the wee hours of the morning.

To be honest, other than legendary guitarist Richie Sambora, I wasn’t a big Bon Jovi fan before seeing them live last night. Wow, did they change my mind in 2 short hours. As a 15+ year professional rock/blues-rock touring musician, I must state that there is so much more to delivering a highly memorable concert experience, to the fans, than being a great band. It also requires a comfortable, pleasurable, and well managed venue; a great stage setup, sound, and visual experience; and most importantly, the ability of each band member to connect with the audience at an inner level, both individually and synergistically as a group. The defining factor is, great musicians’ don’t play their instrument(s), or even think about it - they channel from their soul. Bon Jovi’s concert at the Ford Center delivered all this and more.

Thanks guys, don’t ever let rock 'n' roll die. ~ ~

Set List - 2:05 Hours
Ford Center, OKC, 01.14.06
---------------------------
01. Last Man Standing
02. You Give Love A Bad Name
03. Complicated
04. Born To Be My Baby
05. Story Of My Life
06. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
07. Runaway
08. The Radio Saved My Life Tonight
09. Novocaine
10. I Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty Cover)
11. Have A Nice Day
12. Who Says You Can't Go Home
13. It's My Life
14. I'll Be There For You
15. Blaze Of Glory
16. Bed Of Roses
17. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
18. Bad Medicine
19. Raise Your Hands
20. Livin' On A Prayer
1st Encore:
21. Welcome To Wherever You Are
22. One Last Cigarette
23. Treat Her Right
2nd Encore:
24. Wanted Dead or Alive

I understand that Houston is not selling out like Dallas did. There are alot of 100 section seats still available. Is it usually slow selling out for Houston shows?

Why do you keep posting your OKC review? I've seen it at least 15 different times now.

Ryan

My advice is the same I give myself. If you can afford it, money and timewise, go for it.

Kathleen

Houston is a very different market than Dallas and has the most diverse ethnicity in the U.S. Hell, Clear Channel flipped Houston's legendary FM rock station, KLOL - 101.1, to hip-hop Latino in late 04. Dallas-Ft.Worth still has 93.3 The Bone, and they are a great rock station and local rock sponsor.

Further, I have had BJovi Houston staked out for a month to purchase good stage front tickets for myself and three people, to fly in for the gig, with no luck. For example, the BJovi Nashville gig is very difficult to get good ticket for, but I got two stage front tickets two weeks ago for my girlfriend and I to fly in for the Feb 14th Valentine's Day Concert. Same for L.A., I got a pair of stage front tickets for that BJovi gig last month, and that supposedly is an almost sold out/or sold out gig.

When you say there are alot of 100 level seats available in Houston, they are either in the very back of the arena, (recently released fill-in seats) or in like Sec 104 and are not good seats based on where the stage will be set in the Toyota Center. Good Houston tickets stage front floor or lower rows in Sec 105 and 122 have been non-existent to-date.

You may also notice that Houston is four-tier pricing, with Dallas and most other BJovi U.S. gigs two-tier pricing. Tells me the promoters, AEG Live and the venue, thought the Houston market would be soft going into this gig. However, the market sure isn't soft for good seats at the Toyota Center.

I know, me too.
It's kinda weir, I mean it's perfectly ok to be proud of something you've written but, ain't this maybe just a bit to much??

ROCKMUSIC, wonderful review & thx for sharing your tixs info. me and my friend have tried to get good tixs for this concert ever since they went on sale with no results. we really want to go but don’t want to sit in the nosebleed , back arena, or behind the stage sections. do you think all the good seats are gone? you have any connections for good seats? are you and your group still going if you cannot get good tixs? sorry for all the ? but we are getting nervous and wondering if we should make a decision and take what we can get, if we really want to go. thx for your reply in advance.

02.13.06 - Thanks for your post and thoughts, I appreciate it. I sent you a pm with my email addy and my 1-800 #. I am 95% confident I can get you two stage front tickets, within 6 rows of the stage, at face value, (total cost with all the ticketbastard fees of $109.10 each), for the Houston Bon Jovi gig on Tuesday, 2/21. I’ll get all our tickets this Thursday and will need to pay for your two tickets at that time. Please confirm this is what you want, and then we need to speak on the telephone before this Thursday. Have a great week, Steve S.