Livin' on a Prayer

It was the concert of a lifetime...

Bon Jovi in Central Park on July 12, 2008...The Rolling Stones and The Beatles didn't even have this privilege of being one of the few bands to play on the park's Great Lawn.  

It all started with the press release that Bon Jovi was going to play a 'free' concert, then scrambling to find the secret code to get tickets, then waiting for the weekend to physically have the tickets at hand, then planning what to bring and when to arrive, then waiting on the long line at 10:00AM to guarantee entrance on to the lawn from 68th Street (over 60,000 tickets were given out, but only 50,000 people were going to be allowed on the lawn), then the line started moving at 12:00PM up to 71st street, then 2:00PM came along (time of entrance into the Great Lawn), then we had our tickets scanned and bags checked...and as we walked toward the Great Lawn, there were barricades blocking everyone from the East and West side entrances from stepping on to the lawn...so we all waited...crickets chirped, people sneezed and coughed, pigeons made their nasty pigeon noises, my aunt scratched her arm, my eyes twitched (who was talking about me?!?!)...and then it's 2:30PM...

They open the gates from the East and West side and ALL hell breaks loose!  Everyone starts running towards the stage like it's the end of the world....people are cheering, running, laughing, screaming....definitely a sight to see!  Cameramen were all around filming the fans entering the Great Lawn, so I'm pretty sure that video will show up somewhere...I can't wait to see that craziness!

We gave Al and Rob our blankets and when the gates opened up, they sprinted across the lawn and passed every single person...it was like Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump...I'm not a good runner, especially in flip flops, so I helped out by cheering them on..haha!  Go, Go, Go!!! Run Forrest, Run!!! Luckily they were young and athletic...they ran around everyone (well, all the MILF's and such in Bon Jovi's generation, including my aunt and my mom) and laid our blankets down, front and center of the stage...Bon Jovi was totally going to sweat on us that night!

After the rush and excitement of actually getting a spot and being on the Great Lawn, it was more waiting...waiting for Bon Jovi to perform at 8:00PM...it was still only 3:00PM.  We played cards, ate, walked around, tried to nap, tried to read, played cards again, hit around some beach balls that were floating around in the crowd...then it was time...8:00PM rolled around and at 8:00PM on the dot, the music started...

 

And what better way for Bon Jovi to begin the concert of a lifetime, than to sing one of the best songs in his career...

Ooohh, we're half way there 

Wooah, Livin' on a Prayer!

Bon Jovi performing on the Great Lawn in Central Park...

It was certainly a night for the ages!