Music
Wanted: Bon Jovi Ticket Buyers (Dead or Alive)
Contributed by Louis Papa
At the announcement of an added 4th show recently for all the Bon Jovi lovers in Toronto, the ones apparently buying tickets faster than food stamps in some war torn eastern European countries - something in me died.
I asked myself, is this a joke? If it was/is, and people are doing this because it's like randomly going to play Bingo on a Saturday night for giggles because ha! wouldn't that be fun and funny, then my bad.
If it's not, and people have actually paid good money and called and had extra shows added because of strong demand, then I think it's time. It's time we, the 416, finally stood up and got out there and burned down the DVP, along with the 401, the 403, the 407 and pretty much every other 400 series highway that brings the 905 into the downtown core, allowing them to sell out the ACC and Bon Jovi four nights in a row.
This is unacceptable. The first show or two is no doubt allowed to have some 416'ers in the crowd, representing their youthful pasts, letting loose with some old school Bon Jovi for the night and loving it - but four full long nights?
Let there be no doubt, friends: this is the work of the 905. The same ones that will give Celion Dion a good and healthy dose of chest pumping self confidence when she decides to come around town, singing along to every word she sings and buying T-Shirts with her face on it.
Now, don't get me wrong: Young Guns II was awesome. Singing 'Blaze of Glory' down the hallways of my high school was the closest I ever got to being a cowboy. And I didn't even want to be a cowboy. The song just swept me away - that's how good it was.
But this is madness. If it were a Bon Jovi cover band down at the Horseshoe or the Mod Club, double-billing with a Poison cover band - I would say rock on. I would be the first in line to get wrist bands for all of us. (Good idea, by the way.) But as it stands, I cannot in good faith accept this! They wore tights and frilly headbands and lots of makeup like all the other cheese bands back in the 80's - which is fine. But then they cleaned up, started rocking soft and pretending to be all mature and stuff and that's where things went horribly wrong. (Though the Christmas tune and video with Cindy Crawford was awesome. I can't deny that.)
So there it is. I ask you then, are we really going to allow the 905'ers to turn Toronto into the palais royal of soft rock?
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I love Bon Jovi.
I grew up in the 905, but moved to Toronto when I was 20.
if I'm wrong, then I will gladly submit myself to the torture of back to back to back to back nickleback concerts.
For the record, I don't personally care about Bon Jovi either way, but if someone handed me a ticket I'd totally go for the nostalgia. I imagine that's why many others are going, too.
I don't think that any sane person is under the delusion that BJ (heh) has four sold-out shows because they're oh-so-talented. Obviously they appeal to a certain market... and Mr. Papa is making fun of that market. I say get off your high horse and learn to appreciate a joke - in the form of a funny, well-written article.
PS. I went to the Bon Jovi show last night and I'm going again in March and..... I LIVE IN THE 416!
btw, '...scalp tsunami' - awesome-ist line ever.
Having a Bon Jovi concert in Oakville actually hurts our city.
-Rick (my favourite comment).
But seriously, I know it's cool to bash 905ers cause they do all these terrible things like inject obscene sums of money in to our economy, but maybe give the classic and incredibly boring 'downtown vs. suburbs" thing a rest.
This message will never really get through because there is still going to be the occasional sneering downtown writer to pen a nasty article (whether it is in Blogto or in the Globe and Mail)
though, on a mildly serious note, I do hope the thousands and thousands of people that attended the 4 nights at the ACC are also hitting up the occasional sneaky dees or rivoli show and/or all the other smaller establishments and local indie bands around town. (whether they're 416'ers or 905'ers.)
and, of course, I still stand by the fact that I would see a bon jovi cover band any day of the week.