SamboraBlog

The prep began for Saturday even on Thursday. En route to the band's private plane, the band made a pitstop at Giants Stadium in the afternoon. Giants Stadium management had cleared all the cars in lots 10 & 12 so that photos could be taken of the band in front of Giants Stadium and the massive WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME banner the Stadium has had hanging from its east side for the past 3 weeks! Then, the band headed to Foxboro and rehearsed backstage for a while -- not something they usually do.

On Saturay, the band arrived at the venue at 5:15pm - and just as they did upon arrival at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro 2 days earlier, ensconced themselves in the dressing room for an hour or rehearsal. The plan was for a marathon show and a set list that was unpredictable and all over the place.

Prior to taking the stage, the band were joined in the dressing room by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine who came to take in the concert. BON JOVI took photos (as they've done with each an every opening act that won a chance to be on stage via the different variations of the Have A Nice Gig opening act contest) with THE YARDS, the Grand Prize Winner of the Saturn Have A Nice Gig contest... and then headed out to take the stage for the last night at Giants Stadium on this tour. John Phillp Sousa-esque marching band music flooded the PA system. Revisiting the band's arrival on the stage in Philly when there was the Soul team mascot, the Soul flag and the Soul cheerleaders... this time, a massive SMIRK flag was run across the stage and the Soul cheerleaders were in different uniforms: Bon Jovi Have A Nice Day smirk shorts and shirts. With their pompoms raised, BON JOVI took the stage at Giants. Mind you, the SET LIST was like nothing anyone had ever seen before -- it had some skeleton of a structure but the list of possible audibles (song's Jon calls from the stage) was longer than the set list itself. Clearly, no one knew what the set list would end up looking like and there were tons of options and permutations and you just never knew what was coming next...

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR RIGHTING (Elton John classic)
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
COMPLICATED
BORN TO BE MY BABY
STORY OF MY LIFE
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD (with "Dancing In The Streets" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" bits included)
RUNAWAY
THE RADIO SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT
CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS
IN THESE ARMS
WILDFLOWER (again -- only the 2nd time this has been performed live)
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (Richie on lead vocals for an incredible electric performance)
UNDIVIDED
HAVE A NICE DAY
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
BAD MEDICINE with full version of SHOUT
RAISE OUR HANDS
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

Encore 1:
I AM (this is the first and only time the band has performed this song off of Have A Nice Day -- fulfiling the promise to perform every track off the album on the tour)
IT'S MY LIFE
BLOOD ON BLOOD
SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT
THESE DAYS

Encore 2:
WILD IS THE WIND
I'D DIE FOR YOU
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

And then... it was all over. The band made their way off the stage into the backstage area where Jon Bon Jovi was surprised with a gift from the tour promoters & agents. With a handmade sign that read "From your very first ride to the greatest ride - congrats" Jon found himself staring at white Datsun 280ZX, the very first car Jon had ever owned. The band showered off and headed into the crowed aftershow hang that had a definite "you've earned a vacation" theme.

The backstage hospitality area was turned into "Tommy & Gina's Cantina" and the rules posted on massive signs read as follows:
No cell phones
No blackberries
No emails
No business talk
No watches (it's always 5 o'clock!)
No attitude
No shirt, no shoes, no problems!
Margaritas and mojitos were flowing. Fresh mexican food and mexican beers were to be had. A giant cake decorated with the Have A Nice Day smirk congratulated the band on the entire HAND run. Decorations looks like the entire backstage party area had been set up as a kitchsy Baja town. The band's friends, families, wives and children were all on site. But it was time to wrap the night and the tour up.

So now, on the Monday morning following an incredible end of the tour, the band members are all at home and officially "off duty." They've earned some vacation time as have you!

To all the Bon Jovi fans -- thank you for an incredible experience on the HAVE A NICE DAY tour everywhere the band went (and didn't.) Thank you for your support and for our loyalty and devotion to the band and to the HAVE A NICE DAY album and all the things that has encompassed this past year. We promise you, there's much more BON JOVI in the years to come! So enjoy the rest of your summer -- have a Corona and lie on the beach -- and before you know it, BON JOVI will have something great to share with you again. Hasta La Vista!