Jon Bon Jovi had a surprise opening act at Friday’s MusiCares Person of the Year concert in his honor: Jon Bon Jovi.
It was only the second time in memory at the 33-year-old fundraising event — an annual prelude to the Grammy Awards — that the Person of the Year honoree was also the first performer of the evening. (The first came when Paul McCartney was honored in 2012.)
But Bon Jovi, backed by the band that bears his name, had another trick up his sleeve at the start of the two-hour-plus show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
After kicking off the night with his rousing new single, “Legendary” — whose lyrics name-check both Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl” — the 61-year-old New Jersey native introduced a fellow New Jersey native: Bruce Springsteen.
Before he did that, though, Bon Jovi addressed the audience of several thousand, which included McCartney, Nile Rodgers, actress/singer Rita Wilson, David Foster, Katherine McPhee and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who later took to the stage to sing the praises of the event’s honoree.
“Thank you and welcome to MusiCares 2024,” Bon Jovi said, after he finished singing “Legendary.”
“As I look out at all you tuxedoed music executives that are here, I want to remind you this is a Bon Jovi concert — we don’t sit down! Let me bring out my mentor, my hero, my friend, my mentor: Bruce Springsteen.”
Shouts of “Bruce!” filled the sprawling ballroom as Springsteen — the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree — took the stage. He looked and sounded fit and vital, after a bout of peptic ulcer disease in September had forced him to postpone his remaining 2023 tour dates, including a Dec. 2 Pechanga Arena San Diego show that has been rescheduled for March 25.
“Bruce’s mom passed two days ago, and when I first got the news he was already on the airplane here,” Bon Jovi told the audience Friday. “I certainly would’ve understood if he’d said he couldn’t make it. But he wanted to be here tonight for MusiCares and he wanted to be here tonight for me, and I am forever grateful to you for everything.”
With his trusty Fender Telecaster electric guitar in hand, The Boss was clearly eager to flex his musical muscles anew and pay heartfelt tribute to his longtime musical pal. Together, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees performed two songs, Bon Jovi’s “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and Springsteen’s “The Promised Land.” They seamlessly shifted from one number to the other with poise, panache and a palpable degree of musical propulsion.
The fact that both songs are fueled by a sense of yearning and restlessness made them ideal counterparts for back-to-back readings. And the fact that Bon Jovi and his group so adeptly essayed “The Promised Land” suggested they could step in for Springsteen’s E Street Band on other concert stages, should the need ever arise.
It was such a potent opening salvo that one wondered if the other artists who followed, all of whom performed songs by Bon Jovi, would prove anti-climactic.
Shania Twain performs during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Jon Bon Jovi on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
(Chris Pizzello / Chris Pizzello/invision/ap)
But with only a few exceptions, the other featured artists were up for the challenge, starting with a sizzling version of “Blaze of Glory” by Melissa Etheridge, sister duo Larkin Poe and the well-drilled house band that backed most of the night’s other artists. The lineup ranged from Shania Twain, Sammy Hagar and Goo Goo Dolls to Lainey Wilson, Jason Isbell and show-stealing husband-and-wife singers Michael and Tanya Trotter, who perform as The War & Treaty and are vying for Best New Artist honors at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Wilson, Jelly Roll and Marcus King brought a winning southern-rock flavor to, respectively, the Bon Jovi songs “We Weren’t Born to Folllow,” “Bad Medicine” and “Born to be My Baby.”
Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar belted out “You Give Love a Bad Name” just two songs after Mammoth WVH, the hard-rocking band led by Wolfgang Van Halen — the son of the late Eddie Van Halen — had ripped through “It’s My Life.” Not having the two collaborate side by side seemed like a missed opportunity.
Brandy Clark, accompanied by a cellist and pianist, brought an earthy yet graceful tone to the ballad “(You Want To) Make A Memory,” one of Bon Jovi’s most tender and reflective songs.
Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty were a highlight of the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year gala concert Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
(MICHAEL TRAN / AFP via Getty Images)
But one of the biggest highlights of the night came when The War & Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter delivered an intensely soulful take on “I’ll Be There For You.” Injecting blues and gospel fervor into each note they sang, the couple evoked such fabled singers as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas as they made Bon Jovi’s song indelibly their own. Arguably the least known act to perform, they earned one of the most enthusiastic ovations.
All were on hand to pay tribute to Bon Jovi for his music and philanthropic achievements — and to MusiCares, a branch of the Recording Academy, under whose auspices the Grammy Awards are presented.
In the four decades since its inception, MusiCares has raised more than $100 million to provide assistance to musicians and other music-industry workers facing financial, medical and personal hardships, including addiction recovery and disaster relief.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason proudly noted just how big an impact MusiCares has had. In the four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began,he noted, MusiCares has distributed more than $35 million to tens of thousands of recipients in need.
Bon Jovi himself sang the praises of the nonprofit organization near the conclusion of the concert.
“Music moves us. It comforts us when we’re sad,” he said. “Another thing I’ve come to know is that every time that I strum my guitar, I’m reminded that I have a best friend for life. That instrument will never let you down. It doesn’t matter if you’re eight or if you’re 80, if you’re playing in a bedroom or a local stadium. Tonight, and every night, I know how blessed I’ve been.
“There are millions of other musicians who set out on this same journey, but — for whatever reason — their paths took them in different directions. Some of them may have played professionally, some as a hobby, and some may have needed help along the way. As musicians, we don’t have safety nets. When the song’s over, it’s over…
“Some maybe need some basic assistance, and that is where MusiCares does. Thank you for helping our people. I love what they do, not just financially but what service-providing becomes available. That is proof that music saves lives.”
After thanking Springsteen, Bon Jovi added: “I have to give a shout-out to a past recipient of this award, Sir Paul McCartney. I think it’s fair to say that the reason most, if not all of us, are in this room tonight, it’s because of you, so thank you very much for being Beatle Paul.”
Friday’s show was very ably hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan.
“This is a night to celebrate Jon,” Gaffigan said. “This is not a night to roast Jon Bon Jovi, or his hairstyles, or those ridiculous outfits he wore in the 1980s which were, frankly, frightening.”
Gaffigan also noted that: “Jon’s dad was his hair dresser and exposed himself to toxic levels of hairspray.”
After pointing out that the evening’s honoree and Springsteen were seated side by side at a table with McCartney, Gaffigan quipped: “Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are responsible for some of the greatest songs of all time. But they’re also responsible for giving New Jersey-ites an irrational level of confidence. Chris Christie actually ran for president, twice. Talk about livin’ on a prayer!”
Jon Bon Jovi MusiCares Person of the Year setlist
Jon Bon Jovi: “Legendary”
Bruce Springsteen & Jon Bon Jovi: “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” “The Promised Land”
Melissa Etheridge & Larkin Poe: “Blaze of Glory”
Jelly Roll: “Bad Medicine”
Lainey Wilson: “We Weren’t Born To Follow”
Pat Monahan of Train: “It’s My Life”
Shania Twain: “Bed of Roses”
Jason Isbell: “Wanted Dead or Alive”
Damiano David of Maneskin: “Keep the Faith”
Goo Goo Dolls: “This House Is Not For Sale”
The War And Treaty: “I’ll Be There for You”
Mammoth WVH, featuring Wolfgang Van Halen: “Have a Nice Day”
Marcus King: “Born To Be My Baby”
Sammy Hagar & Orianthi: “You Give Love a Bad Name”
Brandy Clark: “(You Want To) Make A Memory”
Grand finale, with Bon Jovi and most of the concert’s perfomers: “Livin’ on a Prayer”