February 27, 2011

Holly Montreal Round # 2 "Si Merveilleux"

Montreal, Quebec CANADA February 19th 2011

"I like it I like it I like it!"

So welcome the one of the best nights of your life! The best band and one of the best shows…ever! To begin with a ninja move ha! when you end up at the first row outside the circle and the best seat of the four shows that week! Amaaaaaaaazing close and basically no one in front of you… that’s what I am saying!

I have a theory, if I may, when the show opens with “Happy Now” you can expect a pretty awesome show! Jon’s speech on “Radio” was to leave any diehard fan with teary eyes, I know I did… it was so passionate and real. As a friend of mine says… “It’s for things like that we can stop loving this band” Indeed.

Well the energy was intense, the crowd was again going insane and you could feel every note… when the band was in the circle with “Living In Sin and Chapel of Love”, I can’t believe how wonderful it is to be so close you can touch them… I swear they are worth every penny I’ve ever spent on them (which was countless may I add) and can I get an Amen for Blood on Blood Acoustic in front of my eyes?

Now, “Love’s the Only Rule” is not only one of the best songs every written but Jon going down to the audience makes my heart (literally) skip a beat. I’ve witnessed it a couple times this tour, but we somehow keep missing each other… being when I am in the circle he’s not! But just to see the contact with the fans and coming out on the other side so close to us again…sigh…who’s got a heart? I believe mine is still in Montreal!

The band leaves the stage leaving a breathless yet screaming audience begging for more…and they come with “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” with three, I said three… cover songs in the middle! One after the other before our eyes…holly holly Quebec, Canada!

Well, as wonderful as the show was, it got me wanting more… and all I can say is that maybe Jon and I will meet inside the circle in the city I’ve been expecting to see them my whole fan life… and I’ll be the one asking, begging and pleading for more These Days songs…


Click On: Chapel Of Love


Setlist: Happy Now / You Give Love a Bad Name / Born to Be My Baby / We Weren't Born to Follow / The Radio Saved My Life Tonight / Lost Highway / The More Things Change / It's My Life / We Got It Goin' On / Bad Medicine / Hot Legs / Lay Your Hands on Me [Richie Sambora on lead vocals] / Living in Sin / Chapel of Love [The Dixie Cups cover] / I'll Be There For You / Blood on Blood [acoustic] / Someday I'll Be Saturday Night [acoustic] / Who Says You Can't Go Home / Work for the Working Man / Runaway / Have a Nice Day / Love's the Only Rule

Encore: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Start Me Up [Rolling Stones cover] / Jumpin' Jack Flash [Rolling Stones cover] / Dancing in the Street [Martha and the Vandellas cover] / Wanted Dead or Alive / Livin' on a Prayer

Encore #2: Keep the Faith

Let me just send some love to my awesome rocking friends, Cassia, Sacha and Bryan. THANK YOU for an amazing week, for flying with me and touching the sky! This road trip, the encounters, the tattoo, the laughter, good times and the awesome shows would never be the same without you guys! We really are the Fantastic Four and I'm glad we all have the same love! We are truly blessed and I am, especially, for having friends like YOU! See you on the Road!

Oh and I can forget to mention meeting Anne my fellow Canuck from the Capital City and Jen Nagel (finally)!

Bon Jovi in Vancouver…I might need to start a how-not-to-die-of-happiness program!!!!!!
Woooooo freakin hoooo!!!

February 25, 2011

Holly Montreal Round # 1

Montreal, Quebec CANADA February 18th 2011
“I only wish the crowds in New Jersey were as good as Montreal!"


So, when you’re a fan hunting down good shows… you get to experience crowds in many different places! I have my particular favorites, and I also believe it has to do with how much you like the city you’re in. I mean, shows in London will always be one of my tops because I absolutely love it there and if you take a look at set lists… so does Bon Jovi! And don’t even get me started on how much I’ll flip out in Vancouver!

That being said, I’ve never, ever seen an audience like Montreal! Which by the way was the very first place I’ve seen a Bon Jovi show in my life, maybe that’s why I got hooked? That among others, they dance, they scream their hearts out and the band can totally feel it! And so you get… longer shows, amazing set lists and endless fun! So if you’re a fan… you might want to schedule a little visit to the Great White North!
Back to what matters, the show had no opening act (yay) considering that this tour the opening bands kinda sucked! It was so great that by a chance of faith we were all sitting together, the four of us! The show started with “Last Man Standing” from the back of the arena and it was pretty amazing yet again, they were on a roll up to “Bad Medicine”! Then Richie got the stage for “Lay Your Hands”…

Click On : Squeeze Box

Click On: Dry County Solo

But the best part, in my opinion, after “What Do You Got” they came back with “Squeeze Box”, it was so beautiful and it got everyone back on their toes…as my friend said it was pure adrenaline, followed by Something for the Pain Acoustic and Saturday Night… with the whole band standing in the circle!

“No Apologies” was so special, with the four of us standing together, hand in hand across this land our voices shouting out!... I believe we were the ones jumping and singing this song the most on that arena!

The band left and came back for a long encore… “Dry County” is always a treat and so will always be “Livin’on a Prayer”



Setlist: Last Man Standing / You Give Love a Bad Name / Born to Be My Baby / We Weren't Born to Follow / Lost Highway / Whole Lot of Leavin' / When We Were Beautiful / It's My Life / Runaway / We Got It Goin' On / Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Lay Your Hands on Me / You Want To) Make a Memory / What Do You Got? / Squeeze Box [The Who cover/acoustic] / Something for the Pain [acoustic] / Someday I'll Be Saturday Night [acoustic] / Who Says You Can't Go Home / I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / No Apologies / Have a Nice Day / Keep the Faith

Encore: Dry County / Wanted Dead or Alive / I Love This Town / The More Things Change / Livin' on a Prayer

February 24, 2011

Who Says You Can't... Get a Tattoo?

Toronto (where awesome things happen), Canada! February 16th 2011

So one day you wake up, hangover from awesome shows… and you start talking to your friend over breakfast and decide to get a tattoo! Just like that ha ha even though “someone” told you not to… For all it’s worth I am pretty sure my grandkids will think I’m a funky Rock’n’Roll grandma with lots of stories to tell!

So here it is! Ta Da! After forty minutes of pain… pretty eh?!

ps. Thanks Sachinha for giving me the final push! I love that we have the same tattoo, at the same time on the best week ever!

February 22, 2011

Toronto ACC Second Night!

Toronto, Ontario CANADA February 15th 2011


Click On: Good Evening Toronto!

On Fire! Was what this band was this show… starting with Last Man Standing with Jon on the back of the arena brought back good memories and put the crowd over the edge! The sight of Jon walking among everyone high fiving and smiling was the bet thrill to start the night!

It was a good show, but nothing to beat up night number one, “I’d die for you” was one of the highlights and I love seeing Jon doing more guitar solos…although Richie solo of “Dry County” just blew everyone away, yet again!
I absolutely loved having “What Do You Got” played for the very first time before my eyes… my favorite one from the new songs! There were a lot of Lost Highway songs, thank you very much for “Whole lot of Leaving” and the band, especially Jon seemed very happy, those past shows he’s been thanking the crowd a lot for the 27 years of friendship and how he appreciates everyone’s love for the band, even more so than ever… I hope that’s not a goodbye for the so-called two years break that I doubt and hope will not happen!
Jon was talking and talking in between songs, just the way I looooove him! And when he was introducing Richie for “Lay Your Hands on Me” (which may I just suggest, for anyone out there reading this to pretty please broad the song choices for Richie because to hear Lay Your Hands 11 times is not-so-much a charm!) anyway…so Jon started to sing the song and I almost hit my head on the floor of excitement thinking I’d actually hear him sing this song… but then he left, well tease…

I believe this was the day that the crowd went insane on “It’s my Life” and by the end of the song Jon said: “Maybe I should play this song again? Now that’d be history making! Nah…not doing that” ha!

So thanks Toronto! It's always good to come back to you!
Here was our hope that the Montreal shows would be as awesome as the picture below! Hear Hear!

Setlist: Last Man Standing / You Give Love a Bad Name / Born to Be My Baby / We Weren't Born to Follow / Lost Highway / Whole Lot of Leavin' / When We Were Beautiful / It's My Life / I'd Die For You / We Got It Goin' On / Bad Medicine / Hot Legs / Lay Your Hands on Me [Richie Sambora on lead vocals] / What Do You Got? / Diamond Ring / I'll Be There For You / Who Says You Can't Go Home / I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Have a Nice Day / Keep the Faith

Encore: Dry County / Wanted Dead or Alive / I Love This Town / The More Things Change / Livin' on a Prayer

ps. Thanks to http://www.blameitonthelove.com/ for always proving the setlists!

February 21, 2011

Toronto ACC First Night! A Night for Valentine's!

Toronto, Ontario CANADA February 14th 2011

Happy Valentine's Day Toronto!!!
"Well Good Evening Toronto! Thank You for spending Valentine's Night with us!" - Anytime babe...anytime!
Hello Hello! After a sleepless night (if you don’t know why, you might want to scroll down the page a bit to the last post), here we were going to the show with our Soul Package Seat, it’s kinda hard for me to go to a Bon Jovi show not knowing where my seats are... pretty much a wave of anxiety hits me until I find my spot. If you’re a fan you understand… ha!

We got to the arena to find pretty good center stage seats, with a big maple puck hanging up above our heads, pretty much my two favorite things going on at the same time! Ha! I was expecting the show to be pretty amazing, as it always is in Toronto… but also because it was Valentine’s Day and it’d bring a hint of romantic in the air… indeed.

It was awesome to hear the two new songs from the Greatest Hits, “No Apologies” and “The More Things Change” that always comes with a critic of the new Biebers and Gagas around *applause* and Jon holding the guitar saying “This is magic” and how they are getting better with time, just like wine! True Story.

Well now, I am so completely happy to be there for the most stunning version of “Superman Tonite” acoustic with Jon and Richie on the background, I can’t stop listening to it over and over and over… and “My Funny Valentine” was so beautiful and something I never thought I’d listen to live, and for everyone in the arena surprise and delight… “Thank You for Loving Me” after years and years played again! (even sweeter to know it was on our setlist we've given Jon the night before the show! Not saying anything...but just saying ;)  And I simply LOVED to watch Jon singing the entire "Pretty Woman" all by himself, he was so playful with the audience all night, but I guess you can’t always have the best seats in the house eh?




During the show there was the Kiss Camera going around and they would spot a couple and they had to kiss, it was pretty cute… my friends Bryan and Sacha are always on the big screen ;) and this time it couldn’t be different! They are the last couple to kiss followed by Jon’s comment “Bon Jovi is like Viagra for women!” It's priceless to see Jon asking for some smooches and even more to make out in front of him! Lordy Lordy!...


It was the first of our set-of-six Canadian shows, and as usual, Toronto always strikes with awesome Bon Jovi shows! The energy was amazing and you could tell the band was very happy, it was a very special Valentine's Day! Hard to top this one of!

Setlist: Blood on Blood / You Give Love a Bad Name / Born to Be My Baby / We Weren't Born to Follow / In These Arms / Lost Highway / The More Things Change / It's My Life / Runaway / We Got It Goin' On / Oh, Pretty Woman  / Bad Medicine / Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) / Lay Your Hands on Me [Richie Sambora on lead vocals] / My Funny Valentine Bed of Roses / Superman Tonight [acoustic] / I'll Be There For You / Who Says You Can't Go Home / No Apologies / I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Keep the Faith

Encore: Thank You For Loving Me / Wanted Dead or Alive / Someday I'll Be Saturday Night /
Just Older / Livin' on a Prayer

February 14, 2011

Toronto Streets - The Come Back!

Toronto, Ontario CANADA February 13th 2011

Oh to be on the road again with good friends... back to Toronto, where I saw the band last, and waiting for a Valentine’s concert tonight that is certainly going to be special! But, while the show isn’t here...what about some Jon’s moments? What? Yeeeeeeeessss Please!!!!

Sometimes things happen or let me rephrase that, most of the times things happen, when you least expect them to...like last night, sigh... when you literally, by a chance of faith, you see Jon Bon Jovi walking on the cold streets of Toronto with a smile on his face!

So, on another blur moment of mine...I was standing next to Jon, grabbing his arm (because that’s just what I do ha ha) debating whether I should or not have a tattoo on my arm, whaaaat? I know, my very same reaction!

I walked to his direction, a bit more subtle this time...*cough* and said “Hi Jon, can I ask you something?” as someone cut me off for a picture, he looked at me and said “It’s okay honey you’ll have your chance to talk” – Yeah....I know, he’s just THAT amazing!

When whoever was beside him was gone, I was left wondering what I wanted to say in the first place, so I asked him to write on my arm, because I wanted to get a tattoo with his handwriting... and with the most gorgeous smile he said “Noooo! No tattoo!...You’ll regret it when you’re a grandma, No No No!” A.d.o.r.a.b.l.e. much? Yes... but I still wanted my tattoo...so I asked again, pulling my sleeve up and he reached out to put my sleeve down and saying “No tattoooos!” So there I was with nothing on my arm, while everyone else was getting autographs on their books and getting their names spelled ;) giving him presents...

But, after an awesome smile for a group picture... where he could just have walked away...

Jon turned to me and said, “I’ll sign a paper for you” and I had nothing to give to him to sign and was already noticing he was anxy to get out of there, so he turned to my friend and got a book he was giving him as a present ...“Gimme that!” he opened the book, looked at me and said “what’s your name?” *had to think what my name was for a bit there* and he signed on the set list of songs we wanted to give him and tear down the autograph saying “I’ll keep the set list” and I... the completely-in-love-out-of-my-mind-self, was still holding his arm for dear life, looked up to him and said “You’re awesome” ha! So that’s two things I always wanted to tell him :) along came a little smirk smile with a corner of his eyes look and a head wiggle... Holly Blank!

Well, awesome is something that he is... I wouldn’t love him just because... he was nice, adorable, flirty and did things he didn’t have to do for all of us. And for everything that he is... I’ll just keep coming back for more!

Now let's hope our set list wishes are granted by the Master eh?

Ps. In the Picture: Sacha (overwhelmed with happiness), Me, JON, Cassie and Bryan! The fanstastic four and the reason for it all in the middle! ha!