That's Why I Love This Town

I am pleased to report that I was one of the select few (OK 50-something thousand few) who were able to attend the Bon Jovi concert in Central Park last night (that's me in the New York Times photo towards the left between JBJ and the tall structure). Now I know that Bon Jovi isn't the most musically deep band around - they err on the side of cheesy and Jon never met a shirt he wanted to button up. However, the music is still catchy (and even you serious music-types know the lyrics to Livin' on a Prayer) and the mood at their concerts is always infectious. My sister and I were lucky enough to end up fairly close in towards the stage but with enough room around us for jumping and dancing. I cheered until I lost my voice. And they played all my favorite songs so who could ask for more!

The best thing about going to a concert like that in Central Park is it reminds me of my sense of patriotism. My patriotism towards New York that is - my home and the true love of my life. I know it may sound crazy but standing in the dark on the Great Lawn screaming my head off with 50,000 other Yankee/Bon Jovi fans inspires a great sense of loyalty and community within me - it reminds me why I live here and why I love everything about it. I even got a little misty when Jon talked about how much it meant to him to play in the park and how much he loved New York. They even iced the cake by playing my national anthem (Frank's New York, New York that is) on our way out. People can say New York is too fast, too expensive, too rude, too crazy but those people simply don't get it - to paraphrase the movie Keeping the Faith, a true New Yorker knows that anyone who lives anywhere else is in a sense kidding and the concert last night it proved it for me.

P.S. I promised my friend Alex that I would turn in her review of the concert as well - she thinks JBJ is hot.