Folks, it’s not just another show.
“It’s going to be the ultimate Bon Jovi experience,” said Bon Jovi fan Denise Balestracci, 51, of Colonia. “It’s literally on the boardwalk. It’s so Jersey .”
Bon Jovi — Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres plus touring members Bobby Bandiera and Hugh McDonald — are set to close this year’s edition of the Bamboozle festival, which moved back to Asbury Park after a several year absence, on Sunday evening. The stage, located on the north end of the boardwalk, will span the boardwalk and the beach.
“Bon Jovi is an iconic New Jersey performer so it made a lot of sense to have him come play for us this year,’ said Christian McKnight, talent buyer for Live Nation who has worked on Bamboozle since its inception.
If you’re wondering why Bon Jovi is playing the Bamboozle, well, the festival has moved away from the pop-punk it built its name on in the mid ’00s. The fest has featured former Bon Jovi contemporaries like Bret Michaels of Poison and Motely Crue in the past.
“What happened is when the festival grew and got bigger, the kind of people who would come to the festival changed — it wasn’t just emo kids or pop-punk kids, it became all facets of life,” McKnight said. “We wanted to give kids a chance to see a band they wouldn’t normally see ... a fan of Linkin Park wouldn’t normally see a Bret Michaels or MC Hammer, that’s kind of been the purpose of the Bamboozle, it’s always unexpected — you never know what you’re going to see.”
Yet, a Bon Jovi show on the boardwalk makes sense in a way. The staging evokes memories of the city’s WNEW radio station concerts, formerly held next to the casino through the late ’80s and early ’90s. In 1985, Bon Jovi filmed the video for the song “In and Out of Love” on another Jersey boardwalk — the one in Seaside Heights.
Sunday’s show takes place, of course, in Asbury Park, where Jon Bon Jovi and his bandmates from Bon Jovi and pre-Bon Jovi bands bands like the Atlantic City Expressway, or ACE, played gigs at the Stone Pony and Fast Lane. The guys are from towns just north of the city: Sayreville, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy and Edison.
“He was relatively an outsider in Asbury Park ,” said former Asbury Park Press music writer Matty Karas. “The city was all about (Bruce) Springsteen, Southside Johnny and John Eddie, and that old ‘60s soul rock. Bon Jovi was not a part of that — they were metal and they’ weren’t thought of as part of the Asbury Park scene.”
Yet, over time, the Bon Jovi sound has moved more toward the bluesy Sound of Asbury Park and the definition of the city’s music has become less rigid. Now, Bon Jovi is as synonymous with Asbury Park as Springsteen. Off stage, members of the band have shown themselves to be talented beyond rock ‘n’ roll. Bryan won a couple of Tony Awards for the musical Memphis , which he co-wrote, and Jon Bon Jovi works toward the eradication of hunger and homelessness through his Soul Foundation and Soul Kitchen restaurant in Red Bank. He’s also a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions.
With the hair metal days far away in the rear view mirror, Bon Jovi has assumed a new role in the culture. The band is a not-so-guilty-pleasure to fans across the musical spectrum. So much so that the words “Bon Jovi” have become a perpetual meme on Twitter, with references to the band popping up every minute or so.
“Awesomeness is your best friend calling you from the Vegas Bon Jovi concert so you can hear the man you’ve been in love w/ since age 2 sing,” reads one tweet.
“Bon Jovi hurts my head BUT I DON’T CARE!!” says another.
See you in the sand at sundown.
“It’s going to be a true Jersey experience,” Balestracci said. “Classic music and the beach go hand in hand.”
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