Bon Jovi Rocks Dallas

There are a ton of rock bands that have come and gone through the years, but there have been very few true rock stars.  At last night's Bon Jovi concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas Jon Bongiovi was the very essence of a rock star.  Whether he's simply standing in one place, grasping the mic with two hands; or moving across the stage to raise his hands to the crowd, he commands the attention of an audience. And even though his voice is not what it once was, when Jon flashes that 100,000 watt smile, it's over--especially for the ladies.

As their ardent fans will tell you, when you buy a ticket to a Bon Jovi concert you can be assured you'll get your money's worth.  The band performed for 2-and-a-half hours and played a mixture of songs from their more than 30-year recording career.  The concert started with the title track from their new album, This House Is Not For Sale.  It's a serviceable track, as are the other cuts on the album, but most of the material from 2007 until today just doesn't stand up to the excellence of their prior output.

The post-2007 stuff is what dominated the first half of the show, so for most of that time the audience was attentive, but not thrilled.  But Jon Bongiovi is no dummy; he knows why people still flock to see the band.  It's those hits from the 80's and 90's that helped define that eras musical legacy, especially the songs from Slippery When Wet and New Jersey.

As I was watching the concert and singing along with those songs we all know and love, it occurred to me why many of the bands from the 70's and 80's are still touring today.  I mean, why don't they just retire and enjoy their money?  It's the feeling that you get when 15,000 people are singing back to you at the top of their voices a song that you wrote.  It's the rush that only comes when you're a rock star performing on stage in front of your adoring fans.  And women love them some Bon Jovi.