Vancouver Love, Oh the Love!

Vancouver, October 3rd 2013!!

Vancouver is, without a doubt, the city where I (and my cheap-wine-partners-in-crime) had THE MOST amazing moments (surreal moments if I may say so) with this band. Most of them will be left unsaid, but this one I have to share! Because the streets of beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia have never, ever been so stunning!

It was actually my birthday, and Cassia and I were driving around the city - funny thing is, when something like this is about to happen it's almost like the universe sends all these signs to prepare you for it, like you change radio stations and a Bon Jovi songs blasts off, I swear there's just something in the air! - anyway, so we were in the car when I suddenly looked out of the car window and saw Jon. Now I have no freaking clue how we managed to find a spot to park the car or even where it got parked - all I remember saying was "there! there! stop the car!" ha ha and on yet another blur of a moment I walked to Jon's direction (so calm I can't even believe) and said "Hi Joooon" and he looked at me and said "Hey, how you doing?" - Well who knows how I was doing, really! - I then asked for a picture in the most subtle way ever (no grabbing arms or anything - maybe I am growing up lol) "Can I please ask you for a picture" and he smiled so so (SO) gorgeous and said "Yes, sure!" and TA-DA! Here we are, on a beautiful Thursday afternoon with the man himself and a freakin' smile on his face!

Short after that we walked away to actually park the car properly and get a coffee (which was what we planned on doing in the first place) just to walk by our coffee shop and see everyone inside it, again! ha ha ha I wish I was kidding...Now come on! We thought it'd be best to just move along, and as we were walking out to the next coffee shop we bumped into Hugh, Bob and Rich Scanella (the drummer filling in for Tico in Vancouver) Either Vancouver was a village that day or we happened to be exactly where we were supposed to be at that moment in time! Personally, I choose to believe the second one! 

Now that's what I call a BIRTHDAY present!! Wink, Wink!

Vancouver Love, Canada October 2nd 2013 #BecauseWeCan

  "It's Vancouver for God's sake! It's great to be back!"

I don’t know what it is with home shows, you get a little extra excited, a little extra butterflies in your stomach and it’s like you feel magic in the air walking around town, maybe it was because it was my BIRTHDAY week! Or the fact I had never experience a birthday show in my life! But needless to say… it was ALL very, very special! The whole week was kind of a blur, how can one self concentrate and get anything done when BON JOVI is in town for a freaking week walking about?

I’d tell you my mind was in all places but thinking clear!

Now to the SHOW TIME, last tour when Bon Jovi hit Vancouver, not only we got two of the best shows in the tour (with amazing songs, requests being taken, hands being touched, flags getting on stage plus some extras better left unsaid!)

Read for yourself:
Vancouver March 25th 2011 Nite #1
And the ONE and ONLY best show of my life:
Vancouver March 26th 2011 Nite #2

That this time I was just NOT expecting amazing, being that not only Richie is not playing on tour but now also Tico was recovering from surgery. With only two band members on stage the show was actually better than I expected, you can totally feel Jon trying hard and harder, but still, not only the audience but also Jon knows and feels something is missing. Not that I wouldn't stand in the middle of the desert with only Jon on stage, because believe me, I freaking would! It was a pretty solid set list with many (almost too many) upbeat songs.

The circle songs were the best, at least for me, to actually hear one of my favorite songs from the new album “Thick as Thieves” as well as Bruce’s cover “Fire”. Lorenza Ponce on the violin did spice up things a bit! Check it out: 

Click on: Thick as Thieves  

 Click on: Fire

Jon walked around the circle a couple times touching everyone’s hand as much as he could and the smile (OH THE SMILE) I got from singing "Thick as Thieves" from the top of my lungs was PRICELESS! Probably the most gorgeous one that ever came my way!

The best moment for me though was during “Because We Can”, I had about one hundred small Canada Flags made with Vancouver “maples” Bon Jovi written on them and I took with me to give out around the pit area. Thanks to everyone that actually lifted up the flag during the song and to David Bergman who snapped a picture of the moment, now I have THIS! To always, always remember the smiles I got throughout the song! From left to right, that would be Cassia and I ! You can actually see the little flags being raised up throughout the video: Because We Can

Bad Medicine and Sleep When I’m Dead always get the best of Jon out! This time was no different, between two cover songs, little stories, odds and ends about the band and their Vancouver years (and I loooove it, or like Jon said: I like it, I like it and I like it a lot!), jackets being thrown to the ground, and a Bad Medicine with Shout! It was just the kind of trouble we were all looking for...! 

Click On: Sleep When I'm Dead

Click On: Bad Medicine + Shout!

The show ended with Livin' on a Prayer leaving the arena and especially the die-hard-fans wanting more. It's hard to see a Bon Jovi show without a killer encore, but some nights you win some nights you enjoy the show!

And then, there was the after-the-show ...
Rogers Arena, October 2nd 2013 - BON JOVI STAGE!

Setlist: Water Made Me / Bad Name / Raise Your Hands / Runaway / Lost Highway / Whole lot of Leavin' / It's My Life / Because We Can / What About Now / We Got it Goin' On/ Keep the Faith / Make a Memory / Saturday Night / Thick as Thieves / Fire / Captain Crash / Born to Follow / Who Says / Sleep When I'm Dead / Jumpin' Jack Flash / Start Me Up / Bad Medicine with Shout  Encore: Wanted Dead or Alive / Have a Nice Day / Livin' on a Prayer

                                           Once Upon a Time...Not so Long Ago!...

And I leave you with that! Another Bon Jovi Tour comes to an end for me! It's been a heck of a ride, amazing places and even more amazing people, from roadtrips with good friends, to singing in a car during a Canadian snowstorm, to dream-come-true songs being played in front of my eyes, to endless Summer nights and rainy Rock'n'Roll magic, to driving in the countryside of Ireland, to amazing audience energy, to song requests being granted, to Vancouver streets love (the one and only cheap wine), to guitar picks from your heroes, to new and old friends,to inside jokes and inner circles,I raise a glass...Hear Hear!