Tonight - BON JOVI, A DAY TO REMEMBER in St. Paul

He's far distanced from the metal scene now, but for what it's worth Bon Jovi is playing at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul tonight, Sunday, April 7. Tickets are still available for this all ages show, however, there's no opening act so be there for showtime at 7:30. There's been a lot of drama with Bon Jovi this week following the departure of guitarist Richie Sambora from the current tour due to "personal issues". TMZ reported on April 3 that Richie decided to leave with the headline that says it all - "Richie Sambora Bails on Bon Jovi -- Jon Treats Him Like Crap". According to a source for the New York Post as reported on April 5, however, Richie was given the boot because "Jon has been trying to get rid of him. He drinks constantly and has a stream of Hollywood bimbos around all the time." Playing guitar in Richie's absence is Canadian Theofilos Xenidis (Phil X), who has filled in for Richie previously in 2011.

Bon Jovi was featured in the From The Vault series of posts from my time seeing them open for Ratt back in 1985.

The official video for 1985's "In And Out Of Love" from Bon Jovi's hair metal days.

Also playing in St. Paul tonight at Myth is Victory Records recording artist A Day To Remember with support from Of Mice & Men and Issues. This show is completely SOLD OUT. It's all ages, and get under way at 7:30.

From The Vault - BON JOVI

I'll embarrass myself a little bit here by admitting that not only have I seen Bon Jovi but bought one of the tour shirts. In my defense this was back during the band's early hair metal days in support of their second album, 7800º Fahrenheit. Bon Jovi had a couple minor MTV and radio hits by this point, but their nearly 30-year hold as superstars didn't begin until the release of their next album, Slippery When Wet.

I caught Bon Jovi on September 19, 1985 at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as the opening band for Ratt. Bon Jovi was clearly on the ascendency as they got a huge crowd response. According to multiple online sources the band's setlist on this tour was "Tokyo Road", "Breakout", "Only Lonely", "In And Out Of Love", "Runaway", "I Don't Want To Go Home", and "Get Ready". I remember "Tokyo Road" being the opener and "In And Out Of Love", but I could swear they played "Silent Night" at this show, too.

Ratt, for their part, was awesome. There might not have been a better time to see Ratt than on the Invasion Of Your Privacy tour. This was one of the first few concerts I had been to so Ratt's huge stage with multiple ramps and bridges across the stage was impressive. Of course, all the band's best music was played - "You're In Love", "Lay It Down", "You Should Know By Now", "Wanted Man", "The Morning After", "Dangerous But Worth The Risk", "Back For More", "You Think You're Tough", "Round And Round", and a massive drum solo from Bobby Blotzer among others.

Bon Jovi performs tonight, Sunday, April 7 in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center.

In Concert This Week - April 4, 2013

Incredibly, there’s at least one show every single night this next week so there’s no excuse to not get out to something of interest.

Tomorrow, Friday, April 5, Screaming Mechanical Brain tops a local bill with A Boy And His Dog, The Number Seven, The Disaster Radius, and Trip System at the Forest Lake Teen Center in Forest Lake. This is an all ages show that gets underway early at 4:00. I reviewed the latest Screaming Mechanical Brain album The Policy Of Unilateral Hate here (9/10). Tonight also has American Youth and Burn Fetish playing at The Garage in Burnsville for an all ages show.

Noisy metal crew Today Is The Day brings their mayhem to the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis with support from Black Tusk, KEN Mode, and Fight Amp on Saturday, April 6.

On Sunday, April 7 metalcore/punk band A Day To Remember performs at Myth in St. Paul with Of Mice & Men and Issues. That same night Bon Jovi plays at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Sevendust and a reformed Coal Chamber play Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with Lacuna Coil and Candlelight Red on Monday, April 8. This is also a night of brutal death metal at Station 4 in St. Paul with Suffocation, Exhumed, Jungle Rot, Rings Of Saturn, and Adimiron.

Tuesday, April 9 is an evening of innovative metalcore with Within The Ruins and The Contortionist co-headlining a bill with I Declare War, Reflections, and City And The Sea at Station 4 in St. Paul. Read the review of the latest album from The Contortionist, Intrinsic here (10/10).

The mighty Clutch returns on Wednesday, April 10 for a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis with Orange Goblin, Lionize, and Scorpion Child. Local stoner/sludge band Witchden plays Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with Gar and Morality Crisis the same night. For those up north, The Contortionist, Within The Ruins, I Declare War, Reflections, and City And The Sea play at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth.

To cap off the week, 80s metal band Faster Pussycat plays Station 4 in St. Paul with local support from Rockfist, The Regenerators, and Mommy Sez No on Thursday, April 11.