If anyone thought Bon Jovi was a has-been, that idea was kicked, stomped and buried in the dust by the end of the band’s Friday night show at the Rosemont Horizon.
From the opening blasts of the pyrotechnics to the last note of the encore, the audience was on its feet and waving hands in time to both new and old offerings.
Opening with the sweeping anthem, “I Believe,” the band hit the stage at 9:20 p.m. with singer Jon Bon Jovi getting the expected response-sheer adoration.
It was no wonder, though.
For as much as he’s been painted as a pretty-boy popstar, the fact is Jon’s not only pretty (actually, he’s so model-perfect it’s almost scary) but he has a fun stage presence and a set of pipes so good one had to check the video closeups to make sure the whole thing wasn’t lip-synched.
Guitarist Richie Sambora received his kudos, as well, which were deserved for his sultry guitar riffs and strong backing vocals, if not for his fashion sense (what ugly flowered jeans, Richie!).
The show held its rocking tone for the first hour as Jon danced and pranced down the catwalks of the U-shaped stage for “Wild in the Streets,” “You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Born to Be My Baby.”
The singer alternated between a power stance, his arms outstretched dramatically, and a flirt mode-a whole section of girls went into near convulsions when he shook his leather-clad hips.
Even so, the heat stayed high when Jon moved on to a rather unusual choice: an a capella rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”
If his voice lacked the low richness of Elvis’, however, he more than made up for that when he hit the long, high notes of the single “Bed of Roses.”
And then it was back to the party as Jon picked up a set of maracas for the funky title track of the new album, “Keep The Faith.”
And though no one really wanted a break, the band slowed things down for a well-received rendition of Jon’s solo hit “Blaze of Glory,” followed by the Springsteenish recession tune “Dry County.”
Although the latter tune stretched on a bit long, things turned around when the band’s frontmen left the stage, leaving drummer Tico Torres and keyboardist Alec John Such enlocked in a bizarre duet that veered into Gary Glitter-land.
With Torres’ heavy hits and the “Hey!” chorus, the crowd was more than ready when Jon returned to sing “Lay Your Hands On Me.” Which is precisely what everyone then tried to do.
