Bon Jovi Enthralls Fargo

While waiting in line to enter the Fargodome on April 19th, I saw hundreds of eager faces. Party buses flocked with screaming women jamming to the screamer hit, “Livin’ On a Prayer”, blazing from the bus speakers. Young children yelping high-pitched sounds with Bon Jovi-inspired face paint. Last but not least, an old woman in her wheel chair, leather Bon Jovi cowboy hat, with jacket to match, was humming the melody to “I’ll Be There for You”. All ages gathered for an unforgettable evening with Jon Bon Jovi.

Chris Daughtry hit the stage hard, opening for Jovi. He sang almost every song from his self-titled freshman knockout. His stage presence gives a new meaning to the iconic “power stance”. Singing every song with legs spread and anchored to the stage. He sings squatting very low to the ground, hanging on every note like it was his last. Daughtry asked the crowd for help singing his radio hit “Over You”, and within seconds, over 25,000 people sang in unison. Impressed by our Midwest enthusiasm he screamed, “I love you Fargooooo!”

Then he ordered the crowd to turn on their cameras and stated, “At the count of 3 take a picture.” Thousands of camera lights flashing simultaneously was the ultimate example of the power held within that very large room. A capella he started singing Motley Crew’s, “Home Sweet Home,” gradually coming into the opening chords of the power ballad, “Home”. I’m guessing Motley Crew has played an inspiring role with the young starlet; not just the obvious reason of the titles being similar, but the stories are very much the same as well. From front to back, ceiling to floor, there was either a cell phone lit or a lighter for the entirety of this song. At the end of his hour-long set he screamed, “Are you ready for Jon Bon Jovi?” The crowd yelled crazily in excitement, and he exited the stage.

Minutes passed and the crowd was still yelling in anticipation. Finally, about 30 minutes later, Bon Jovi and the guys ran on stage and busted into their album titled, “Lost Highway.” Jon wore a paisley leather v-neck vest, Richie in long leather-studded coat. Their energy was undiminished, the entire two-and-a-half hours on stage.

They rolled into a jukebox montage starting with “Saturday Night”, and gracefully entering the beautiful melody of “‘Til We Ain’t Strangers Anymore”. This is performed with LeAnn Rimes on the album, but was replaced with a backup singer in concert. The audience was quickly awakened with classic party hit “Bad Medicine.”

Giant interactive shades like windows moved behind as well as to the side, rotating, flipping open and shut, with hot women dancing in tall red boots. Halfway through the song the band broke into a snippet of The Temptations classic tune, “Shout”. Jon jumped up and down pacing back and forth working the audience with everything he had. The crowd looked like a giant tidal wave jumping up and down, back and forth to the fast-paced jam.

The lighting titillated with the beat, while the stage props moved in sync with the virtual dancing girls. For a few moments I thought I was in Vegas. They brought back “Bad Medicine”, and finished the Rock-n-Roll medley. Pausing for a few moments we heard “Start Me Up,” and the crowd was quiet. “Start me up, and when you start me up I’ll never stop.”

“You make a grown man cryyyy, you make a grown man cryyyyy,” bellowed 25,000 fans.

Chris Daughtry joined Jon to sing a two-way rendition of “Blaze of Glory”. They sounded so much alike it was hard to tell which one was singing. After the women calmed down and the music stopped, Jon exited the stage, and the Dome got quiet. A spotlight shone on Richie Sambora at center stage. He played the guitar riff we all know and love from “I’ll Be There for you.” Again, the cell phone lights come out and the crowd swayed back and forth, holding their loved ones. Sambora sang the song perfectly, ending in a beautiful applause from the audience as well as the band.

The final leg of the concert consisted of classics like “Keep the Faith”, “Livin On a Prayer”, and the beautifully western encore “Wanted Dead or Alive”. The band played, “Love This Town” and projected pictures of the Fargo Dome, Fargo Theater, and the Roger Maris wing in West Acres Mall on the oversized HD mega-screen. People cheered when seeing themselves or their favorite Fargo hotspots on the screen.

I think all would agree with me in saying, the most memorable part of the night was the stripped-down acoustic performance of “Bed Of Roses.” In a small spotlight, Jon and his guitar appeared on a small podium on the north side of the arena. Usually in a large place you lose the intimacy of a smaller club. Jon made every person in the Dome feel like his best friend, throughout the duration of “Bed Of Roses”. He sang with his eyes closed and his heart on his sleeve. Towards the end of the ballad he walked up the side of the arena slapping hands, and flashing his beautiful grin to the ladies.

From the mouth of Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker, April 19th is recognized as Jon Bon Jovi day in Fargo, North Dakota. Jon seemed very excited about this feat talking about it on stage. He also commented on the wonderful hospitality the band received upon their arrival to the FargoDome. He praised the staff and stage crew that made the unforgettable event possible. Needless to say, we all made a great impression on the band, and I’m sure he will be back on his next tour. Stay tuned…