"It's My Life!"

July 21, 2010-

Legs cramping from the 5 hour drive to Chicago from the 'Ville...listened to JBJ all the way on the iPod....just me and Sissy about to embark on the most incredible night of our lives.....

Made it to the hotel, Fairmont Chicago Millenium Park, extremely nice, but seriously, we would've slept in the car for a chance to meet the original Boys From Jersey! No problems at the front desk, Obie has made sure that our reservations are in order, we head up to our room (one room, gonna be up all night anyway just like giddy teenagers again!) Throw our luggage on the bed (we of coarse brought all the essentials for big 80's hair, but we know in the end, curly blond locks will be tamed back to accommodate the heat, such is life and humidity:) Open a great bottle of Shiraz we brought...didn't want to assume the room would be stocked...and proceed to ponder tank top or sundress? I go with tank and skirt, Sissy opts for sundress, all major decisions made, onto hair and make up.......With a chuckle we think back on the amazing lady we saw just last week at Hullabalou, she was totally ready for a rockin' rewind....BIG (and I mean BIG) blond hair, black tank, lycra black stretch jeans, and the piece de resistance....wait for it.....thigh high 5" heel black leather boots! Did I mention last Friday at Hullabalou was over 100* with the heat index. You gotta give it to her, she has dedication. We elect a more low profile approach, minimal make-up and waterproof mascara 'cause we know it's all gonna sweat off....

The phone rings just as we finish our primping and wine, it's the front desk, The bus is here...HOLD THE PHONE....the bus? Had know idea, Obie has arranged for us to ride to the Stadium with BON JOVI! Wants us to meet the guys before they pull us onstage for the finale just to get the initial jitters out. Holy Guacamole! What to say, we are a mess! Don't want to appear as idiots although we know we're going to. Do I tell Jon that I admire his work with the Soul Foundation, because I honestly think it's the most wonderful thing about him? Do I liken him to Jimmy Carter because he is? Do we tell them that they kept us sane throughout our tumultuous teenage years, that we thought their songs were written especially for us...no everyone tells them that...Do we tell Tico that he is by far the coolest guy in the universe if not a bit intimidating (like he was the guy in high school that was so untouchable he sat at a lunchroom table solo while everyone just stared?) Makes us sound crazy.....

We make it to the bus without fainting...huge achievement! The guys are warm, welcoming. They make us feel completely comfortable and at ease. Conversation is easy, at one point it centers around Richie's unexpected choice of cranium covers, a fedora...."something different for the last show," he confesses. I must confess that I am a fan and hope to see it reappear frequently.

A quick (too quick) trip to Soldier Field and we part ways with the MEGA BAND. We are escorted down to the front row in the Pit, A3 or A4, honestly can't remember and definitely wasn't paying attention. Sissy and I are too busy taking it all in. Not only are we having an experience of a lifetime with Bon Jovi, we are standing in the middle of Soldier Field, home of the Bears! Inconceivable! Okay, get ready, here it goes....

Lights are all off, stage is obsidian black, big screens blank.....softly, slowly....the music begins, "The world is cracked, the sky is torn...." at the same time images of the band, the guys, and the fans from 25 years ago begin to stream across the big screens while the stage remains shrouded in darkness.......Jon and Richie with big hair, Jon flying across stage during "Prayer," Tico's mullet, Dave's afro, leather and lace, dedicated fans in ripped jeans and tube tops....I am speechless at the beauty of it all! Every picture is choreographed perfectly with the music that is seeming to play all on it's own......"living in the shadows of the love we made....." With each beat of Tico's drum the lights begin to pound dim to light, growing stronger until suddenly "BACK when we were beautiful..." the lights flash full on the guys, fireworks erupt from behind the stage, and the crowd goes WILD! Historic! Epic! Images commence to change with the years coming full CIRCLE to today!

Without missing a beat Bon Jovi plays straight into "This ain't a song about the broken hearted..." I wipe an imaginary tear from my eye as Sissy looks on because we know this is my 10 year old's favorite song and he is going to be uber jealous! I love my life, this is it, and it only gets better with time!

Crowd is on their feet, no laying down for these die hard followers, just when you think Chicago can't get any more excited, Jon rips his top shirt off only to reveal a Bears tee shirt with sleeves cut off and the neck v'd out....only in rock n roll, baby!

Reality becomes a blur.....stadium gets quit.....Jon pulls up a stool and straps on an acoustic guitar..."This Romeo is bleeding but you can't see his blood..." Always...I will love you guys ALWAYS!

The concert continues with notable crown pleasers, some oldies but goodies, recently released, and one of my personal favorites, Superman Tonight....I am so moved...Jon looks so sincere while singing....I think of how Never Say Goodbye made me feel the same way oh so many moons ago....Ahhh, to feel so passionately and have it expressed so effortlessly...this is my life!

Time for the finale....Sissy and I are on pins and needles, waiting for the intro to "Prayer," just as we hear......"This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles...." I am dripping excitement, I absolutely love this song and everything it stands for....Do the guys have a direct line into my heart? Yes, they must! Dancing, jumping, singing at the top of our lungs, Richie points right at us, "this one's about the one who cusses and spits..." We might have dropped the f-bomb a few times in the bus...too many years in the restaurant business, guess they noticed..oops! We are exhilarated, renewed, revived.....Final chorus, Jon and Richie pull us up on stage...they know we can't carry a tune (we warned them all earlier) and they don't seem to care! Sissy and I sing our hearts out, laughing, dancing, crying, this is my life!

Song finishes up, Jon thanks everyone for coming out and we all walk off stage............wait for it...wait for it.........................The guys rush back out in full Bon Jovi style and greet the crowd with, "Tommy used to work on the docks......" Making the people happy, it's what they do, what they've always done!!!!!

Show wraps up, we think we'll just get taxied back to the hotel, I mean, come on, could it get any better? Of coarse.......We ALL get on the bus and head over to Carmine's on Rush Street where they've kept a private room open for Bon Jovi to have dinner after the performance....Italian food, did you expect anything else....Also, the best place to eat in Chicago! Dinner is phenomenal, wine is exceptional, conversation is surprisingly familiar, and the company is remarkable! This IS my life!

The bus drops us off at the Fairmont, hugs and kisses goodbye to all that made this a night to "live before we die!"

We get up to the room and fully expect to stay up until dawn discussing the days activities when exhaustion overtakes us and Sissy and I sleep like babies dreaming of a group of guys from Jersey that set out to make a difference in the world and succeeded! We love you!