Blaze of glory
When I
added #40 to my Lofty Life List, I wrote the entry as a lighthearted wish. I
had zero expectations of ever brushing shoulders with one of my three larger-than-life
heartthrobs: Hugh Jackman, Jon Bon Jovi and Lenny Kravitz.
Jon Bon
Jovi co-wrote "Lay Your Hands on Me," so last night I obliged. (Apologies
for my sweaty palms, Jon.) The blurry photo in the lower right-hand corner of my collage shows me, Jon and a security guard just seconds before our meeting.
My pictures are complemented by some of Cindy's photos. Thanks to her for capturing the photo with me as well as ones of the band's good-night bow and Jon pinpointed by all the spotlights.
Lucky
for me, Bon Jovi's 2013 “Because We Can” tour afforded me the closest chance I
think I'll ever get to meet one of the three guys on my list.
Yesterday evening, Jon
and I shook hands as he headed up from the stage pit to the outer stage.
 |
| Bon Jovi set list and ticket |
Serendipity
played a part in the meeting, but I was also determined to make the trek to see
Jon and his crew from New Jersey. With no stops in Atlantic Canada for the Bon
Jovi tour, I decided to drive to the nearest venue, either Montréal or Ottawa. A
road trip crossing thousands of kilometres in winter, why not?
After
picking up decent 200-level tickets for the Ottawa show, I figured that was as close
as I would get to Jon. This was an instance when I was glad to be wrong.
The day
before the concert, a colleague hooked me up with tickets for the centre aisle
in the pit, the seating area within the Bon Jovi stage, frequented by hard-core fans and VIPs. I had a brief window of opportunity to obtain those primo
tickets, and with positive persuasion from
Liz, I followed my gut. No regrets.
End result: an unforgettable evening of rocking out with Bon Jovi.
Last
night, instead of my fortysomething self, I felt like an 18-year-old groupie at
heart. Although admittedly, as I danced the night away, my middle-aged knees gave
away that my youth is far behind me.
I’m not
the only one getting old. Jon looked beat by the time the ballads and encores
rolled around, but throughout the evening his vocals sounded like recording
quality. And, despite being 50 years old, he has aged well in the looks
department. Somehow Jon’s even easier on the eyes today than he was in his twenties
or thirties.
The
band’s hits, whether old or new, are just as much fun. The music drove us
concert-goers to our feet, flailing our arms and belting out the tunes.
Overall,
the evening exceeded my expectations. Getting to share it with loved ones was a
tremendous bonus. My Jon encounter (and checking #40 off my Life List) was nothing short of
a blaze of glory!
My pictures are complemented by some of Cindy's photos. Thanks to her for capturing the photo with me as well as ones of the band's good-night bow and Jon pinpointed by all the spotlights.
You're amazing Lise (from the other Lise)
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