{Photo Credit}Whenever I tell anyone I like Bon Jovi, I get shot a look where the person tells me (without ever speaking a word) that I have no taste in music. I don’t take things like that personally, because I know deep down that they’re underrated and there is far more to Bon Jovi than meets the eye. For a quarter of a century, they have defied everyone’s expectations by merely surviving. Anyone betting on their chances of survival five, ten, fifteen or twenty-five years after “You Give Love A Bad Name” would have lost money, because no one believed in them; except themselves and their core fan base.
Last night, Bon Jovi performed at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. You don’t need to read newspapers or even watch the news with any regularity to know of the devastation this city has endured over the last four years. It’s astounding and the fact that parts of it are still as bad as the day the storms hit is a reminder of how badly our country screwed up the relief efforts and how many of us were horrified by the images we saw, but went back to our regular lives without really ever giving the city a second thought until we wanted to visit it only to realize that it’s not the city it used to be. One of the people I give credit for helping re-build it is Jon Bon Jovi. Now, I fully realize that he gave Oprah a cool million-dollars when he was on her show plugging a new album and some part of that left a bad taste in my mouth. That being said, they put their money in the hands of a woman who was able to get things done. Is it good PR they gained traction from? Yes. But, it’s hard to argue with results and a few hundred displaced New Orleans residents had a new home within a year of the tragedy because of the band’s generosity. That’s nothing to make light of.
So the band makes their way into New Orleans for their first show in the city in two decades and what do they do? They delivered a sh*ttastic set list that would appeal to very few. Now before you all start sending me hate mail, let me explain. I happen to believe Bon Jovi is more than a band whose only virtue is entertainment. I believe they have a gift to take a crowd and raise them to a higher power. However, as of late, Bon Jovi has been playing into the hands of the naysayers, those who doubt and love to put down. Last weekend in Vegas and now in New Orleans, the band delivered two limp and uninspired set lists. Now I will state that I did not attend either show, but to see such uninspired song choices makes me wonder, what do they want to be; artists or entertainers?
Webster’s defines an entertainer as “One who entertains”. The definition of an artist is as follows, “a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.” So which is Bon Jovi? I’d like to tell you somewhere in between, however, based on what I’ve seen as of late, I’d say they fall more in line with an entertainer than an artist. Why? The biggest issue comes from the unimaginative set lists and some truly dreadful songs that need to die a quick death and never are heard from again (“I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, “I Love This Town”, “We Got It Goin’ On”, anemic covers and a static set list order). In fact, I’d actually pay the band a few hundred dollars to never see or hear most of these songs ever again. Some of the songs aren’t horrid, but when you’re churning out a mere 20 songs, well, you have a hell of a lot better songs to choose from instead of craptastic numbers like “We Got It Goin’ On” (ummmm, no you don’t). Need I remind this band that in their arsenal of hits they have- “Blaze of Glory”, “Lay Your Hands On Me”, “Never Say Goodbye”, “Always”, “Something For The Pain” and numerous album cuts that would be welcomed by any crowd.
What frosts me about the New Orleans set list is that it’s a edited Lost Highway one with none of the pizzazz. I believe artists take their art and find a way to transform it to the times. Unlike painters of film artists, musicians can wield their vast catalogs nightly in ways no other artist can combine different periods. In Bon Jovi’s case, they have dozens of songs that could speak to the conditions of the city’s current situation; their nightmares, their hopes and their dreams. What does Bon Jovi do? They deliver a static, predictable and uninspired set that reads like the band slept through its delivery.
What should they have played? Here’s a smattering of songs that would have fit the occasion alongside their biggest hits ("Prayer", "Keep The Faith", etc.) and would have proven there is more to Bon Jovi than people believe. For the record, I do not feel all of these songs should have been performed, but the band easily could have knocked off songs like "I Love This Town" and "We Got It Goin' On" in favor of a few of the options below:
“Miracle”
A top-twenty hit for Jon Bon Jovi in 1990, the line of “Gonna take a miracle top save us this time and your savior has just left town” is fitting and appropriate.
“I Believe”
One of the best anthems the band has ever done and it would have fuel injected the set with optimism and could have pushed “Livin’ On A Prayer” towards to end of the set (opening with it at these non-tour shows has become old and tiresome).
“Dry County”
A soul searching epic rocker that showcases blazing guitar work from Richie Sambora; this was the flipside of "Miracle" and a person whose faith has been pushed to extreme ends.
“Hey God”
Get to the point and let the band rip through this one.
“These Days”
Optimistic and a song of communal healing would have been nice to hear and even Sambora could have taken over on lead vocals as he did on the last tour.
“Queen of New Orleans”
Yes, I know it’s a Jon Bon Jovi solo number, but it’s deafening guitar chords were made for occasions like this and the name of the city is name checked in the title. This was a no-brainer.
“Two Story Town”
Written about some of the towns in New Jersey, the lyrics would have been appropriate for New Orleans.
“Next 100 Years”
A astonishing statement of commitment and solitude, it’s frenzied finale always works in concert and why this has been sidelined is beyond me.
“Undivided”
Bounce is Bon Jovi’s weakest record, but this one would have been proven to be an empathetic number for the New Orleans residents and a tribute to those who didn’t survive the hurricane.
“House of the Rising Sun”
Bon Jovi used to do these creative covers and for the last decade, they have lost their groove in interpreting other’s work. Jon Bon Jovi is a self confessed fan of the Animals and what better way to pay tribute to them and New Orleans than by performing one of the definitive songs about the city? The band has played this once before at a Christmas charity show in December 1995 and that rendition even showed up on the b-side of their “Hey God” UK single from 1996. This was a lost opportunity to perform this song again.
I believe Bon Jovi is better than the set they performed and could have truly inspired people who saw the show rather than merely entertaining them. On this night, they chose to be entertainers over artists…and that’s sad because not only do the people of New Orleans deserve better, but so does Bon Jovi’s reputation and legacy.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
