Bon Jovi

Well, we just wrapped up the North American Stadium leg of the tour and man was is it challenging! Stadium shows are a whole different ball game. Just the vast size of these venues make everything more difficult and time consuming. Keep in mind, it takes several days to build a stadium show, so there are guys out there who are working through the night in torrential downpours harnessed 100ft above the air trying to get it ready for show day (thankfully, that’s not my gig)!

Many of these shows we had to set up the offices outside in trailers. When we are lucky, we get golf carts to transport the band and guests around…when we aren’t so lucky, you need to change shoes every 6 hours. Something about being outside while the sun is setting hearing 50,000 sing bon jovi is pretty powerful though. Some people say that stadium shows are less intimate, and although I can see their point, I also believe that they have a different type of energy, maybe even more powerful than smaller arenas. When you have so many people all experiencing the same thing at the same moment and being outdoors, there is something special about that.

The majority of the past few weeks were spent in beautiful Canada. We did some interesting markets like Regina, Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton. A few of these cities are quite remote, so to have such a strong fan base and dedicated fans “off the beaten path” is pretty exciting. One of the more interesting shows for me was the Calgary “Stampede” show. We played in the middle of a 10 day long celebration on these massive fair grounds. It was kind of like a Canadian style country mardi gras/running of the bulls/bbq/carnival. A few of us bought some cowboy hats and went to a ho-down on the night off and had a few of the local delicacies: beef on a stick, beef on a bun, beef sundae, and beef fingers (delicious). It was a good time!

Now that it’s August, many of the crew are home with their families or out on other tours until we start up again in the fall. Many of us can’t sit till and will be going out for a few weeks with other musicians. Currently, I am just getting back from the New Jersey shore and a BBQ, so life is good!

P.S. Regarding Jon’s calf, it was in great shape by the end of the run. He never sat in a chair, or put out less effort. If anything, he gave more. I’m sure he will enjoy this time off to rest up and let things heal!