Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes right? From start to finish, top to bottom, it’s just a good day. There are no traffic jams are bullies. No spilled food or drink or broken glass. No arguments or tears. Just a great day.
Even better is when you are aware of its greatness as it’s happening. It’s one of those times when you take literal and mental photos and cherish as many memories as you can because you know days like that are fleeting and few and far between.
I had one of those days a couple weeks ago at Joe Louis Arena when Mom and I went to see Bon Jovi.
There were some jitters since we hadn’t driven there in a long time and were trying to find the best route, but once we got ready, ate dinner, and even cleaned up without having to rush around, a calm washed over me. I couldn’t remember feeling like that in a long time.
We hit the road on a chilly but rather nice late March day and found no traffic issues. Seriously, you guys, none. When was the last time you went to an event of any kind and did not encounter a line of traffic? Um, never. We breezed right into our parking lot and had a fair amount of time to kill before Bon Jovi would take the stage.
If you don’t live in the Detroit area, you have probably never heard of Joe Louis Arena. It’s a pretty big deal around here. The Red Wings play there and have won quite a few Stanley Cups, and this was the final year for them to play there.
It’s a bit sad, even if the Arena is rather run down, and has us all feeling rather nostalgic. I fondly remember going to see hockey games in a suite many, many years ago. After snapping some pics in front of the famous stairs outside, we headed inside and explored.
The corridor leading to the floor has logos and Wings murals where we snapped a couple pics, and the Olympia Club was open to the public. Because we had so much time, we took the elevator up to the main concourse (the Joe Louis workers were kind enough to let us skip the stairs that have no rail – scary!) and walked around the entire arena.
It was super fun to see The Joe one last time, even if it was packed and we even ran into Jay Towers. I used to listen to him on the radio all the time and now I watch him on Fox 2 news every morning. I’m still hoping he can get me on to make some recipes 🙂
We made our way to our seats after the walk, very nice aisle seats on the main floor so we could see all of the action. The show started before long and the whole Arena was jamming all night.
Bon Jovi played a lot of new songs, which I loved, as I have been listening to them a lot lately and really enjoy the new music, but he made sure to work in all those old hits. He kept the talking to a minimum and just played great music, working from This House is Not for Sale to open the show to You Give Love a Bad Name, always a crowd favorite.
When he worked Old Time Rock and Roll into I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead the whole crowd went wild. It’s so fun when performers sing an old, well known song, that is special just for that crowd. It’s My Life came shortly after. That’s my favorite Bon Jovi song and one of my favorite songs of all time. I think it was one of my first iTunes downloads all those years ago. I sang and danced so hard I broke into a sweat!
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Bon Jovi himself is very talented, singing, dancing, and playing guitar, but the rest of the band is awesome as well. They all really add something to the performance, along with the light show. The set is pretty bare bones and the only thing that draws your attention are the moving and color changing lights. Some confetti would have been appreciated though 😉
Something I don’t think enough people realize is the wonderful positive message that permeates Bon Jovi’s music. The songs talk about standing up for yourself and ignoring haters and being you. It’s something we can all relate to, particularly me. Those empowering words and beats are something I treasure.
The only break the band took was before the encore and it was well worth the wait. I barely saw anyone leave because we all knew some of the best songs were yet to come. Raise Your Hands was followed by two all-time classics: Wanted Dead or Alive and Livin’ on a Prayer. The whole crowd singing along was electric. I wish I could have bottled that energy and saved it for another day.
When all the singing was done, as the crowd was leaving, Bon Jovi had one last surprise. Understanding the history of The Joe, he pulled out a Red Wings jersey with his name on it and put it on. It was really special to see that he took pride in performing there and this wasn’t just another tour stop.
After two and a half hours of music, I was beat. My ears rang, my voice had disappeared, and my feet hurt. I don’t know how Bon Jovi stayed so energetic for so long, because I wanted to immediately sit down and relax for a few moments.
It one of the best shows I’ve seen (only behind Katy Perry) and was one of the best days of my life. I didn’t want it to end. But it did, and though that makes me sad, we have the memories to keep us company.
ahhhh I’m so glad that day went so amazingly for you!! Michael and I almost went and saw him when he was here but it didn’t pan out, now I’m really regretting it!
Oh, such a bummer you weren’t able to go. Hopefully you’ll catch him another time. This was my second time seeing him and he just puts on an amazing show.
I do love Bon Jovi and his songs with their messages. So glad it was a great concert for your and your mom to enjoy! And the day was so special and that’s always a good thing!