Maryann's travel adventures

Day 3, Friday March 25th 2011
I got up knowing that THIS WAS THE DAY!!! Yes the day I'd get to see Bon Jovi live in concert, IN Vancouver, IN the city where they recorded 3 of their biggest albums...Slippery When Wet, New Jersey and Keep The Faith.

So I got up, had some breakfast somewhere and then my friend Mel contacted me and we met up and spent some time talking. Then later I met up with some ladies from Backstage With Jon Bon Jovi before the show, Tonja and her daughter, Freeda and her friend Jodie (hope I got her name right) who wasn't a fan but just went to the show. I bet she is a fan NOW!!

We had a blast talking, time flew by, I tried to find my other friend Lynn to join us but poor woman had a hard time finding a place to park! Jodie said that "I don't think you have a friend, you just got someone txting ya.." LMAO.

Then it was time to get our tickets..I was a lil nervous at this point cos have had some concerns if BWJBJ or concertmaps would mess up my fanclub ticket, no neeed to worry though, I checked it and it was there in it's glory, Row 7, seat 2 and my gate entry was gate 3. After picking up my ticket I had to go BACK to my hotel and charge my camera as I discovered it was running out of "juice" grrr...luckily my hotel is literally like 5 - 10 walk from the venue, depending on where from the venue you walked from lol. Yes I managed to get THE closest hotel not knowing I did. Happy me!

So while the camera was charging I sat in the Moxies bar and Grill, bar counter and had a couple of HUGE Coronas..at CAD 6.99 + taxes each..same price for the smaller bottles so the Norwegian in me got the big ones! STILL cheaper than home!!! Even with a pretty strong CAD currency rate.

And then it was time to head to my gate where I finally met my friends Lynn and Marnie. We didn't get to chat long cos I was heading into the venue, Jon was going there too but he was also in the upper level so didn't see him. We did text before the show though.

And well inside I saw my seat..I was VERY happy! I was at the edge of row 7, a Japanese girl who now lives in Vancouver was in seat 1. So I was on the corner of the circle stage on Richie's side. Yep I love that side! I asked the security guy how far down seat 14 was (my seat for Saturday's show) and he said at the aisle there and that is like 3 ROWS from the circle stage on that side..Me SUPER happy again!!

And then it was time for the opener, Ryan Star, he did sound pretty good really but the sound wasn't that clear as is usually the case with openers. It was good enough to think he sounded pretty good!

Tonja and her daughter were big fans of Ryan Star so they REALLY did enjoy this opening act :-D

Then after some potty breaks...and getting a soft drink to last me thru Bon Jovi if I got thirsty..then it was showtime!! Me getting my camera ready and my iPhone 3G ready which is what I use here in Vancouver as it is unlocked so I got a Rogers pay as you go sim card with a cool data plan on it.

Then it was time...and boy that crowd was loud..and even if they did lose some of it in places it came back in full force. My only complaint is that the venue security let some buddies of them get into the row in front of me cos they knew them and the ppl there mysteriously had moved elsewhere. I guess row/seat jumping isn't that carefully watched at the Rogers Arena? But that didn't put a damper on my excitement as they were there only for like 4 songs. The crowd was still LOUD and I LOVE the Vancouver crowd for NOT sitting down or leaving to get drinks, food or whatever when Richie sang Lay Your Hands On Me. They cheered happily with him, sang along and so on. BIG plus for me! BIG!

No idea who the dude filming is but..LOL

and I kept tweeting seeing my phone was slowly but surely dying but it did it's job like a hero and lasted thru the entire show. It will be FULLY charged for Saturday for sure.

After the show I headed back to the hotel, dropped of my merchandise I got at the show...and then headed back to the Moxies Bar and Grill to have some food, I got some huge chicken salad dish..a Mayan Chicken something..I couldn't eat it all! Then my plan on updating this blog went to bust as I was too tried to even LOOK at a computer as this jetlag was still bothereing me. Don't feel it too bad today cos I really did get a good night's sleep. I guess Bon Jovi was the right Bad Medicine for that hehe. Speaking of Bad Medicine, Richie did his lil dance discretely in the second chorus of that song..as well as he did the Have a Nice Day flipping the bird gesture on occasion during that song..but he holds it back more here it seems than he does in Europe..WHY is that? Are we Europeans more er...robust so we can take this? I doubt Vancoverians are that sensitive LOL. So just go for it Richie..let it all out in the open baby!