February 22, 2013

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Round #2 #BecauseWeCan

Toronto, Ontario, Canada February 18th 2013
"The audience in Toronto is getting better and better than Jersey!"


If you're going to a Bon Jovi show in a city where there's a double, always, ALWAYS, choose the last one! It's almost like the band rewards the fans that go the extra mile... "Was anybody here last night?" o/ Gladly my answer is almost one hundred per cent a "Hell Yeah!"!
We get to the arena to find our pit seats - I never get tired to say Thank God for last minute tickets! The set list on this night was much, much better and here's a bit of the "That's What the Water Made Me" ending if you'd like to see! I know I haven't seen such a great ending to a song since "Any Other Day" sigh....

Water Made Me And here's another new one: What About Now

I love the whole acoustic set, the "Keep the Faith" ending with  Richie rocking that guitar and the lights going off! If you are in the pit it's a whole other deal of butterflies in your stomach, you never know where Jon is going to walk about and this time - thank Heavens - he walks right behind us! So close you could actually touch! And who wouldn't? 


"I'll be there for you" was the hit for me on this set, with the additional lyrics and the Ooooohhh Oooooohhh ending, you can't EVER get enough of it! I am not sure what got into me but I started crying... maybe it was because I was seeing the band back on tour for the first time after the surreal Vancouver shows, but I believe it was more like hitting a milestone, I started to remember the time when even just the thought of seeing Bon Jovi live was a like "neverland" on my mind and how far I have gotten so far, beyond anything I have ever, ever dreamed of! Just so thankful...

After incredible closeness, endless touches and smiles, Jon went back to the main stage while still playing the song! How I LOVE when he does that! sigh...By the time everyone makes their way back to their seat, if so, you get to have one or two empty rows in front of you, and that's when you get to blow a kiss and get a killer smile back! Oh Johnny! "Superman Tonight" was so, SO great to hear again and I simply love the energy of "Captain Crash", I am actually surprised they are playing it so much! Good surprised :)

One of the songs Jon usually walks around the stage a lot is "Bad Medicine", and he went all around the catwalk on this one, touching everyone's hand, I really, really hope they bring back the cover songs for this one, that quarter on the jukebox was full of awesome notes! The first encore brought "I'm With You" which is really beginning to grow on me! Most probably my second favorite live: I'm With You

"Those Oldies but Goodies baby!" Jon playing guitar... 
I like it, I like it, I like it!! Runaway

One of my favorite moments of this show was without a doubt on "I'll sleep when I'm dead", it's such a FUN song and I usually just dance away, at one point I was wiggling my head - kinda funny maybe from Jon's reaction - He looks at me, wiggles his head the same way and actually laughs! Oh come on, how cute is it? I actually found a video last night where it happens, here it is if you'd like to see! On 3:14 Sleep When I'm Dead! Thanks Toronto, I should be able to sit still now and wait for June!

Setlist: You Give Love A Bad Name / Lost Highway / Whole Lot Of Leavin' / Because We Can / That's What The Water Made Me / It's My Life / What About Now / Born To Be My Baby / We Got It Going On / Keep The Faith / (You Want To) Make A Memory / Amen / I'll Be There For You / Army Of One / We Weren't Born To Follow / Superman Tonight / Wanted Dead Or Alive / Who Says You Can't Go Home / Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars / Bad Medicine

Encore: I'm With You / Have A Nice Day / Runaway / I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Livin' On A Prayer

Can't leave without giving a shout out though, to my partners in crime Sacha and Bryan who got to meet Richie Sambora and have him not only sing their book but also "Wish them the best!" I love you guys, you deserve every little bit of goodness that come your way! And I also love our timing Saching, just about EVERY TIME! And since we are talking about Encounters, why not remember the BEST ONE yet?

Jon Bon Jovi Toronto Encounter!

"I woke up this morning and I said to myself: What a great f***ing day for Rock and Roll!"

February 12, 2013

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Round #1 #BecauseWeCan

Toronto, Ontario, Canada February 17th 2013
"I come back to Toronto for one reason and one reason only......I want to make this my new home!"

Well Hello Hello Toronto, so we meet again ! I had a feeling this tour would have a Canadian kick off for me! I wish I could say I am recovered from my last shows on The Greatest Hits tour, well NO, I ain't!
Okaaay, Toronto is known for their kick-ass Bon Jovi shows, it is officially the city I have seen the band live the most, TEN shows! And most of them, the best of my life! 

The band is opening the shows with Bad Name, which is a great change of pace! As usual the shows start rising and making everyone getting off their seats! The highlight of the first set of songs for me was one of the new ones though, "That's What the Water Made Me" was love at first listen for me and this song live is sure the promise of a classic! It is following the steps of another die-hard-fan killer "a little something from an album called New Jersey" - this sentence alone makes me fall to my knees on a show... Ladies and Gents,"Wild is the Wind"! Right there, in front of my eyes...under the same roof I've heard it first!  

Wild is the Wind

The show went on with a mixture of high and low songs, let's hope Jon can fit all the new songs, the most known ones and the classics in a single set list so everyone, including "The Big Guy" is happy! "What About Now" is a pretty cool song live and as well as "Because We Can" it's got a super production on the new stage! The same dynamic as last tour is happening now, but instead of singing, Richie is now doing an amaaaazing solo at the end of "Keep the Faith" while Jon gets ready to walk to the catwalk!



The acoustic set brought "Amen" which is much better live having Jon acting it than I thought it would be!It's actually very good for the eyes and ears! But my favorite of the acoustic set was "The Fighter", from the songs Jon wrote for the new Al Pacino movies, this one it's got the bast lyrics, in my opinion, plus Jon sings it with his - on his own words - "Wing Man Richie Sambora"! They closed the set with "Saturday Night" one of those that never, ever, gets old!




"Army of One" and "What's Left of Me" were also part of the set list, it is clear that the band is trying to show off the new album as much as they can! It did feel a bit off for me, not knowing how to sing couple songs by heart on a Bon Jovi show, couple more weeks till the new album is out and we all, including Jon, can loose  it up a bit more!

Setlist: You Give Love A Bad Name / Lost Highway / Whole Lot Of Leaving / Because We Can / That's What The Water Made Me / Wild Is The Wind / It's My Life / What About Now / When We Were Beautiful / We Got It Going On / Keep The Faith / Amen / The Fighter / Someday I'll Be Saturday Night (acoustic) / Army Of One / We Weren't Born To Follow / What's Left Of Me / Wanted Dead Or Alive / Who Says You Can't Go Home / Captain Crash / Bad Medicine 
Encore: Have A Nice Day / Born To Be My Baby /Livin' On A Prayer Encore 2: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead /I Love This Town


The best thing of following a band - besides the shows itself - is the people you meet along the way and the friends you make for life! Often I think about how friends from all over the world ended up in my life through the love we share for Bon Jovi! Most of them - ya'll know there's bad apples anywhere, yuck - are here to stay and I am so forever blessed to have them in my life!



Shout out to Sachinha, Bryan and Cassie - the Toronto Fantastic Four! Mel, Luca, Stefania and Steffi, it was so great seeing you all! Here's to the European Summer! Hear Hear! o/