Whatever the case, JBJ did warm up, slightly, for a run of acoustic songs midway through the show. He’s the only band member who writes songs (many with Shanks and other producers) and the cover of “2020” is a solo shot of Bon Jovi looking somber in shades. I guess it’s because he’s the boss and no one wants to cross him? He’s always been the face of the group and, in the time since Sambora left, he’s taken full control. Not to put too fine of a point on it, but one can’t help but wonder why no one in the Bon Jovi organization sat the guy down for an honest chat. Then again, in recent interviews, Bon Jovi has said the band spent three weeks in rehearsals, far longer than their typical warm-up time.
And JBJ himself caught COVID last fall, knocking out his voice for two weeks. Given the pandemic and the band’s time away from the road, it’s tempting to give them the benefit of the doubt. Quite frankly, it felt like he had forgotten how to sing. And weirdly enough, at times it sounded like he was trying (and failing) to emulate Axl Rose in his prime. He wasn’t just butchering the older stuff, which the band now plays in a lower key, but the fresh material as well. Nothing from his past suggested such a sudden decline was coming. But Bon Jovi didn’t just miss a note here or there, he struggled throughout the two-plus hour show. He’s never been a particularly technical singer and his voice has lost some power over the past decade. So far, so good, right? Sunday’s show delivered pretty much everything you’d want from a Bon Jovi concert with one major exception - some shockingly poor vocals from Jon Bon Jovi. The set list included a generous selection of songs from the group’s 15th album “2020” (“Limitless,” “Beautiful Drug,” “Let it Rain”), the smashes from their heyday (“Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “You Give Love a Bad Name”) and more recent songs that have become concert staples (“This House Is Not for Sale,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” “Have a Nice Day”). Musically speaking, the rest of the band - including the rhythm section of drummer Tico Torres and bassist Hugh McDonald - sounded tight on the second stop on their first tour since 2019. Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, who turned 60 a month ago, exploded with impressive youthful energy. Sambora’s replacement Phil X brought heft to both the anthems and the ballads and showed true musical chemistry with touring guitarist John Shanks (the band’s producer since 2005). Paul’s Xcel Energy Center looked a lot like the ’80s survivors’ other local shows in the time since guitarist Richie Sambora’s acrimonious departure from the band in the middle of a 2013 tour. At first glance, Bon Jovi’s concert Sunday night at St.
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