Seeing Shows with Deb Draper

Seeing Shows with Deb Draper

Live Music Reviews from Around Ontario

Bon Jovi – On A Night Like This.

December 31, 2020 Live Music No Comments

FYI. DID YOU KNOW that Jon Bon Jovi invited the fans back in 2020 to help in a session called Our Story, This would have fans contribute to the making of Bon Jovi’s hit, Do What You Can. Fans sent their lyrical verses to Jon and in just 2 days, there were an impressive 6, 000 submissions via Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Jon viewed each of them and took to Facebook as he strummed the song on acoustic guitar, sang, and shared fans’ lyrics worldwide. Now that is dedication and connection with your fans! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156666442247000&id=7220821999

On a Night Like This forged a deep connection with seas of Bon Jovi fans worldwide, who tuned in on November 27th, 2020 to catch Bon Jovi in action as they brought a delicious blend of new material, as they shared their art. It was filmed in Nashville and featured founding members Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres on drums, blending in bassist Hugh McDonald, guitarists Phil X and John Shanks, accompanied by percussionist Everett Bradley, & on keys Greg Mayo. The magical performance was a Captain Kid Production in association with Full Stop Management and Bon Jovi Productions that was presented by Island Records/Universal Music Group and was produced by Ruby Guidara, edited by Lou Morreale and Enver Perez, directed and produced by Alex Horwitz along with Exec. Producer Jon Bon Jovi .

The presentation of this album was created so profoundly that I could close my eyes and drift away, totally encapsulated, lost in the music as the melodies seeped deep into my brain. Filled with plenty of ballads with the perfect combination of love and passion, what a superb production, it totally makes for 1 very strong album. It blended the traditional BJ sound giving it a unique sense of time travel, a back to the future feel, and this record is in instant soon to be classic, Jon’s most compelling expression to date. Sweet beats that I grew up on and fell in love with, just like a kid on a trip to the old fashioned candy shop if you will. A sophisticated and super solid standout addition to their 22 in-depth studio, live and greatest hits album collection.

Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon Bon Jovi greeted us saying, “welcome to Nashburg by the Sea, one of my favorite places to be, and this is also where we recorded this new album, Bon Jovi 2020, here in Nashville Tennessee. We are doing the only rehearsals of the album in its entirety for film because there won’t be a tour. The album was meant to have been released in May, and Covid-19 hit, the world shut down, and everything changed. We had to delay it till October so we hadn’t been able to play like this, since we recorded the record, I don’t even know when, everything is a blur. Bon Jovi 2020, is a topical record with a wide array of topics. This is a year unlike any other, and these songs represent that. The stories are personal and yet they are universal, so as the narrator, I’m speaking to you watching it. These songs are mine but, they belong to everybody for living this experience together, this is an album of we the people,” says Jon Bon Jovi.

Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon continued, “this is weird! Welcome to blurzday, day #167 of our Covid-19 confinement. We are here because you are there, and we’re used to playing in front of a lot of happy smiling screaming faces, it’s the new normal I guess. But under the circumstances, I guess we’ll Do What We Can.” This hit kicked the night into overdrive with an extremely addictive tune, So inspiring, I actually grabbed my acoustic and jammed along. BJ has not missed a beat! They sound just like I remember like a pause button was just released.

Photo by Deb Draper.

“We are going to play a bunch of new songs for you, it’s an album that we called 2020, The one you just heard, Do What You Can, was written after the album was finished. One night when I was working washing dishes at the Soul Kitchen in New Jersey, my wife took a picture of me and she wanted to put it on social media. She asked me for a caption and at the moment I said if you can’t do what you, you do what you can. The next day, I realized hey, that’s a song! So I sat down to write it. We all experience this covid crisis together so that’s what this whole record is. These days it seems like we are sharing a lot of experiences and some of it is painful. I wrote this next song having gone to sleep hearing about a shooting in Dayton Ohio, and I woke up and there was another in El Peso Texas, this one’s called Lower The Flag,” expressed Jon.

Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon delivered hope as he said, “I can’t wait to come to your town where you are and play these songs for you live someday when the clouds clear until then, Let It Rain“

Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon continued to share, “We are doing this against the odds and several of our crew opted out and I completely understand as in this new world, with the exception where I’m talking to you right now, you are wearing a mask and I would normally too, but our crew are wearing masks, this is the New World Order. So until we find a vaccine, this is where we are at as they wove us in with an intimate piece entitled Story of Love.“

Photo by Deb Draper.
Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon took us on a quick tour, “hey welcome to Ocean Way, this is where we made the record, great studio, great room, yes its a church, I love this town, I’ve been coming here for a solid 25 years, maybe longer, I just have a love affair with the community, The album was already done. I had turned it in, the gear was packed up, but if you are gonna write a topical record and Covid19 comes along, you have to address it and I wrote Do What You Can, but then came the death of George Floyd. His story isn’t mine and I was a witness to history, and how could I not grieve for the injustices in the world,” Jon shared as he acoustically engaged us with American Reckoning, which switched from his solo in the church to the studio stage with the full band to envelope the beauty of this majestic tune.

Photo by Deb Draper.

Another intimate hit followed allowing Jon to wear his heart upon his sleeve and to share the vulnerability of the band’s talent, a true harmonic masterpiece. Bon Jovi flavor oozed from this song, goosebumps were plentiful and so wear watery eyes as Jon vocally perfected his Blood in The Water.

Photo by Deb Draper.

Jon was very candid as he shared, “you know throughout all this rotten turmoil of these last few months, what I’ve missed the most is getting together with the people that matter most to me, RIGHT? Amen! Being in the room with the band again, incredible, I missed all of y’all…….. Don’t get worried folks, David Bryan is home right now because he is in isolation with the cast and crew of his new Broadway play, as they prepare to film it for home audiences. There is nothing usual happening anywhere for anyone these days but we miss you my brother, well be back as a unit soon, this one’s called Brothers in Arms,” an upbeat typical Bon Jovi fun-filled flare, a get-up, and dance kinda get your blood pumping tune, laced with heavy guitar, you know it reminded we of why I fell in love with this act 38 years ago.

Photo by Deb Draper.

“Before the outbreak of the virus, I was asked to write a song for our veterans and soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD and as a son of not one but two marines, I wanted the challenge. I wrote this song about that universal theme, about men and women who go off to war, they come back and they are forever changed. It was important for me to say thank you on behalf of all of us who are at home every day, and this is called Unbroken,” stated Jon. I was blown away, stopped me in my tracks, totally captivating.

Jon was raw and real as he encouraged us saying, “we’ll get through this or not, as I’m not a scientist, I can’t find the cure. But until we find one, (they lead us to another explosive electrified and mesmerizing ditty called) Love Is a Beautiful Drug.”

The last song was introduced as a final message “be safe everybody. Be well, take care of yourselves, take care of each other, it’s a crazy world out there. Remember, we’re all in this together and life is Limitless.” This was the perfect song to close out the performance with, as it was filled with relevancy. for me. I have been so riddled with anxiety throughout this past year, low immune, and fear. Jon’s words rang of inspiration to me as he sang of hope, strength, and courage, stating, “wake up everybody, wake up …….mornings come and we do it all again….trying to keep your head above water…. on a night like this, 1 prayer 1 wish….step out on the edge, its worth the risk …life is limitless.“

“I think that music should be here to write down our history, as a people. I think that artists that choose to, should nurture their abilities to be the voice of those people and to mark moments in time, and this is just 1 of them. 2020 is the most interesting time in all of our lives and I was here to bear witness,” Jon Bon Jovi said with his final words of wisdom.

THE JBJ EXPERIENCE 2020 MEMBERSHIP – GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO JON BON JOVI’S WORLD. GET TO KNOW JON LIKE NEVER BEFORE WITH THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME FAN EXPERIENCE: TICKET PRESALES, SPECIAL MERCHANDISE, CURATED SEASONAL BOXES FULL OF JON’S FAVORITE THINGS, NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE AND SO MUCH MORE! https://www.bonjovi.com/pages/fan-club https://player.vimeo.com/video/475688324/share/facebook

FYI, the single Story of Love is strea,ing everywhere, listen on your favorite platforms https://bonjovi.lnk.to/StoryOfLove

Here’s some FYI Trivia – On January 21st, 37 years ago, Bon Jovi’s first album, Bon Jovi, was released. On it was a song titled Runaway that changed all of our lives. Do you remember the first time you heard it? https://open.spotify.com/track/0X1sqQ652p1sceKM2nJlIJ…

Also, New merch in their store. Get yours now! https://bonjovishop.com/

Stay in tune with Jon and BJ by visiting: https://www.bonjovi.com/pages/fan-club https://www.bonjovi.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BonJovi https://twitter.com/bonjovi https://www.youtube.com/user/bonjovi https://www.instagram.com/bonjovi/

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