« Have a Bon Jovi day | Main | HEATHER LOCKLEAR'S MARRIAGE CRISIS! »
November 11, 2005
Bon Jovi wants fans to 'Have a Nice Day'
Bon Jovi fans who attend Saturday's sold-out show at the Qwest Center Omaha should expect classic hits and songs from the group's new album, "Have a Nice Day."
Expect some surprises, too, say guitarist Richie Sambora and keyboardist David Bryan.
Both musicians said the shows can change from night to night.
"We're very spontaneous. I think that's the way we kept the lifeblood in this show for so many years. We played a song in the set yesterday, called 'Saturday Night,' that we haven't played probably for three years," Sambora said.
"There's such a vast library of stuff after 22 years that there's an arsenal of songs that you have sitting in the back of your mind," he added. "It's almost like Trivial Pursuit."
The group - named after frontman Jon Bon Jovi - was discovered when it won a radio station contest in New York City in the early 1980s. The winning song was "Runaway," now a classic hit. They're also known for rock anthems such as "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life."
Besides Bon Jovi, Sambora and Bryan, the group features drummer Hector "Tico" Torres.
"Have a Nice Day," released the last week in September, entered the Billboard 200 charts at No. 2, beating Bon Jovi's previous best debut, 2002's "Bounce."
After years of success, the band hasn't gotten complacent. There may be a dropped chord or two in those spur-of-the-moment songs, but ultimately the musicians offer a hard-charging concert experience, Bryan and Sambora said.
Sambora thinks musicians who are too comfortable sometimes give boring concerts.
"So what we do is throw those little things in there. You're going to see us maybe struggling to remember a song, but ultimately you're going to see a lot of heart and a lot of soul."
BY JOHN KEENAN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Posted by riesambo at November 11, 2005 05:07 PM