Bon Jovi Because We Can Tour: three encores!

Samantha Wexler for Curtains Up

My friend invited me to go with her and a couple of other friends to see Bon Jovi last night at the Bell Centre. Being a longtime Bon Jovi fan, I was excited to see them live again; I had seen them once back in 1995 and really enjoyed the show but that seems like a lifetime ago now. As we made our way to our seats through the thick crowd that was forming in the lobby area the energy was already quite high. As we sat down and took in the vastness of the venue and looked at the stage it was clear that it was going to be a fun show. The stage was offset toward the back of the Bell Centre with many areas where one could walk, climb, pass through and interact with the entire crowd and that is just what Jon Bon Jovi did. Last night was the last stop on the North American leg of the Because we Can tour. Bon Jovi himself said that he “left the best for last” meaning that he left the best city with the most energy for the last. Montreal Bon Jovi fans are known to be the loudest and most enthusiastic with several Bon Jovi concerts a year selling out at the Bell Centre… last night was no exception.

The concert was over an hour late getting started but that did not dampen the spirit of the crowd one bit, I think it (may have even heightened the excitement) made us even more excited and when the large screen that was placed strategically for people in the higher seats to see the show better flashed the ten minute countdown the crowd went nuts. When the show finally did start the crowd went wild for Jon, there is an energy in a Bon Jovi concert that I have not experienced in any other concert. There is a mutual affection that is felt between the spectator and the performer. The show opened up with “That is What the Water Gave Me” and went on to classics like “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Runaway.” Bon Jovi is big on audience participation, he seems to thrive on the love and excitement from the crowd. Through a mix of new and well known Bon Jovi songs as well as a mix of styles with a short acoustic set where Bon Jovi and a couple of his band members including Tico Torres performed on the outer part of the stage. A “jukebox” section where each member of the band performed a solo to a song of their choice showed the diversity in style and material that the band is capable of and was a lot of fun. Almost everyone in the crowd was up, dancing and participating. At one point Bon Jovi got everyone with a cell phone in the crowd to turn it on for “Dead or Alive” and it looked as if he was performing in a sky full of shining stars.

Jon Bon Jovi is a very generous and energetic performer who is like a fine wine that gets better with age. He thanked every single member of his band and even mentioned Ritchie Sambora who was conspicuously absent having taken some time off to spend with his daughter and said that he was still part of the Bon Jovi family wherever he may be. It is easy to see why Bon Jovi and Montreal have such a long lasting love affair.