Show Caption
NEW YORK – Spread the word around – the boys are back in town.After four years of waiting. Four years of vocal cord surgeries for frontman Jon Bon Jovi. Four years of not knowing if intense vocal rehab would one day mean a return to live performances, Bon Jovi and his bandmates slowly walked from the back of the stage into the spotlight and smiled.The sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted in rapturous response at the sight of the beaming rock icon and fellow original members Tico Torres and David Bryan, along with Hugh McDonald, John Shanks, Phil X and Everett Bradley. The band, in return, wore expressions of joy that wouldn't decrease for two-plus hours as they romped through a 21-song setlist packed with everlasting rock anthems, fulfilling album tracks from a 40-year catalog and a couple of songs from their most recent release, 2024's "Forever."How does Jon Bon Jovi sound in concert?But of course the question of the night was, did Bon Jovi reclaim his voice?That answer is an emphatic yes.While it took a couple of songs, starting with the Joe Cocker arrangement of The Beatles classic "With a Little Help From My Friends" that opened the show with that on-the-nose message, Bon Jovi's vocals hit familiar terrain by the easy-swinging "Lost Highway."But even as he eased his voice into the band's first public live appearance since 2022 at the July 7 show in New York, Bon Jovi the Rock Star was back immediately. Fans thrilled at the recognizable poses: clutching the mic with two hands, doing his patented leg-extending bounce move, throwing fists in the air and pursing his lips in a pout of concentration while playing guitar.Bon Jovi at 64 might be grayer than those glorious '80s years of possessing an enviable mane, and he may have taken on the additional title of grandpa. But the man can still work a room like few of his peers on the strength of his charisma.On this night – the first of nine dates Bon Jovi will play at MSG before heading to the United Kingdom for a limited run of shows – emotions were apparent and gratitude was in massive supply.Bon Jovi setlist: What songs did they sing at their MSG concert return?As Bon Jovi and the band dug into "Who Says You Can't Go Home," you could tell it hit different. Between Bon Jovi being home-ish from the band's Sayreville, New Jersey, roots and also back home on stage, the resonance of the lyrics were apparent on his face.Several times during the show, Bon Jovi thanked fans for their loyalty – the chief mandate in the Bon Jovi code, emphasized on the treasured "Blood on Blood" and more recent first-pumper, "Legendary" – and took many lingering looks around the arena, as if he still couldn't quite believe he was back hearing "the roar of the crowd.""I was grateful and humbled by this whole ordeal," he told fans. "20,000 people are here to give love and support us … thank you for letting me have this."The band sounded taut and crisp as they rumbled through the hits parade of "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Born to Be My Baby," the sturdy cruncher, "It's My Life" and tart kiss off "Have a Nice Day."Making an early appearance was the Bon Jovi national anthem, "Livin' on a Prayer," which, 40 years after topping the charts, has proven everlasting from World Cup stadium stands to pool halls in Poughkeepsie.Though Bon Jovi left the highest-register parts of the song to his bandmates on backing vocals, he still injected his signature inflections and led the eager crowd in a singalong of the chorus, at one point asking, "One more time … for me."Get Bon Jovi ticketsBon Jovi reminded how potent they are as a bandThe show production was simple yet effective with a trio of screens, zippy graphics and a blitzkrieg of colored lights – and in this band, every note is live.While Bon Jovi usually commands the attention, the musical prowess of the rest of the band shouldn't be overlooked. The percussive feast the opened "Lay Your Hands on Me," with Torres and Bradley pounding through clouds of dry ice, and the set-closing "Keep the Faith," with spotlight moments for Bryan sandwiched between his bank of keyboards and Phil X as he tore through a guitar solo, reminded just how mighty a unit they've been for decades.Even as the show wound down with a lovely, soft version of "I'll Be There For You" and the steel-horse-riding "Wanted Dead or Alive," the band sounded robust and spirited.Bon Jovi memorably sings in "Wanted" that, "I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all."He might not hit another million in his lifetime, but let's be grateful he and the band are back – and still rocking,
