The Big Bon Jovi Rip-Off?
Bon Jovi rolled into town to play the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs on Monday night (July 22). Or did they?
Earlier in the day on Monday, Live Nation Saratoga posted on its Facebook page, “Tonight, it’s all Bon Jovi, all night.”
But apparently that wasn’t the case, and a whole lotta folks left the concert feeling like they got ripped off, including die-hard Bon Jovi fans who felt that they paid big bucks for what was essentially a bar band playing a lot of classic rock covers.
And consider that the inside amphitheater tickets were priced at a whopping $95, $125 & $175 (?!?)… even before any of the multitude of service and handling charges were piled on to the cost.
You can read Scott Hudy’s review of the concert in The Saratogian, but the really interesting part is the string of comments – ranging from disappointed to outraged – that follows the review.
Here’s the set list for the concert according to Setlist.fm:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles cover) (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
(Ain’t Nothin’ But A) Houseparty (The J. Geils Band cover)
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
It’s My Life
Because We Can
Under Pressure (Queen cover)
I’m Your Man (Leonard Cohen cover)
Amen
Not Running Anymore (Jon Bon Jovi song)
The Fighter
Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover) (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
The Letter (The Box Tops cover)
We Weren’t Born to Follow
Who Says You Can’t Go Home
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover) (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Bad Medicine
ENCORES
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin’ on a Prayer
634-5789 (Wilson Pickett cover)
Old Time Rock & Roll (Bob Seger cover)
NOTE: Jon Bon Jovi’s solo band Kings of Suburbia on stage the whole night
Show sucked. I want my money back.
Why am I so confused about who the bass player was ? Jack Daly ? That’s not what Bon says when he is introducing the band. Did they have two bass players switching off ? I’m sure glad I was not there.
The video is labeled wrong. This is a previous show. Not SPAC.
Here are my notes to the setlist:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles cover) no one from Bon Jovi on stage for this one
(Ain’t Nothin’ But A) Houseparty (The J. Geils Band cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
It’s My Life
Because We Can
Under Pressure (Queen cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members
I’m Your Man (Leonard Cohen cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members
Amen – Jon solo acoustic
Not Running Anymore (Jon Bon Jovi song) – Jon solo acoustic
The Fighter – Jon solo acoustic
Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover) no one from Bon Jovi on stage for this one
The Letter (The Box Tops cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members
We Weren’t Born to Follow
Who Says You Can’t Go Home
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover) Jon on guitar but didnt sing, no other Bon Jovi members on stage
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Bad Medicine
ENCORES
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin’ on a Prayer
634-5789 (Wilson Pickett cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members
Old Time Rock & Roll (Bob Seger cover) Jon sang, no other Bon Jovi band members