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Bon Jovi Nothing But Rock 'n' Roll

By Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune

One look at Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres' massive drum set and it was clear that it was going to be an evening of bombastic rock 'n' roll. Handsomely paired with opening band the Goo Goo Dolls, Jon Bon Jovi & Co. delivered the kind of show Saturday night at the Delta Center that his fans have come to expect: big, loud and sincere.
"Tomorrow's daylight savings time and you lose an hour of sleep, but that's not going to be the reason that you're tired tomorrow," said Bon Jovi as he opened the show. "We've got a long night ahead of us."
Fortunately for Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora, their big hair has gone the way of cheap gasoline. But if the lack of trademark quaffs made them seem smaller on stage, three giant screens broadcast their image to the audience. The show was a constant serving of eye candy, complete with lasers, special lights and fog wafting around the monstrous screens behind the stage.
Unlike some younger bands, Bon Jovi and his crew were at ease on stage and sang with cheerful confidence.
Kids in the audience who were not born in 1986, when Bon Jovi had their first hit with "You Give Love a Bad Name," sang every word to it and continued to sing during the many times Bon Jovi prompted crowd singalongs.
Sambora broke free with his first wailing guitar solo of the evening in "Runaway," which followed hits "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Everyday." "Misunderstood" and "Dead or Alive" rounded out the first set.
Bon Jovi introduced "The Distance," the first song of the evening from their current release, "Bounce," as a dedication to the American soldiers, their families and those involved with the war in Iraq.
Keyboardist David Brian delivered a furious five-minute solo as an opening to "Right Side of Wrong," making the perfect segue for Sambora to sing "I'll be There for You."
Opening performances of the Goo Goo Dolls included "Broadway" and "Iris."