Does Attending a Bon Jovi Concert Give Your Bragging Rights?

The Rolling Stones.  Paul McCartney.  Bruce Springsteen.  U2.  Phish.  Madonna. 

Seeing those acts in concert gives you bragging rights.  They also allow you to check an item off your rock and roll bucket list.

Those acts are legendary.  They’re historical.  They are so entertaining live that just being in the same gigantic arena, or massive stadium, at the same time they are performing gives you a story to tell your grandkids.

No offense to your tastes, or any of the following artists, but no future generation is going to care one bit that you saw Skrillex push a space bar, Eric Church squint, or Twenty-One Pilots bounce around a stage.

Now, the above list is not complete nor is it definitive.  A lot of names were omitted. 

Nonetheless, a question does arise when thinking about concerts you must attend before you die.  Is a Bon Jovi concert a bucket list item for the average rock fan?  Does seeing Bon Jovi live give you bragging rights? 

Will your grandkids care that you saw Bon Jovi in Dallas or Phoenix or Chicago or any other city?

I started thinking about this question after learning of the band’s upcoming U.S. tour.  Bon Jovi departs on their “This House Is Not for Sale Tour” on Feb. 8 in Greenville, South Carolina.

The tour is in support of their latest LP, This House Is Not for Sale.

Bon Jovi have 13 studio albums and 2,700 concerts under their proverbial belts.  They’ve sold 130 million albums and performed to more than 34 million fans. 

The band, or its members, are in two halls of fame.  They were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006.  The band’s principal songwriters, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.

Beyond the numbers, Bon Jovi’s songs, like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and “Keep the Faith” have inspired generations.  Their music speaks to a lot of people.

Even though their contemporary albums lack the relevancy of Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, their songs still connect with millions.  Bon Jovi sings about love, heartbreak, goodbyes, and hellos; their fans really relate to what they say.

There is one caveat to this question. 

This upcoming U.S. trek will be launched and completed without the aforementioned Richie Sambora.  He left the fray in 2013 and was officially replaced by Phil X in 2016. 

I don’t think seeing Bon Jovi without Richie Sambora is like seeing Journey without Steve Perry.

Journey without Steve Perry is a Journey tribute band.  A Bon Jovi show without Richie Sambora is Jon Bon Jovi concert.

David Bryan and Tico Torres are still in the mix and technically they were in Bon Jovi before Sambora.  Both have been members since 1983.

Hugh McDonald replaced Alec John Such in 1994 but was only recently made an official member.  So, there is a lot of continuity with the band.  It’s not just Jon and a bunch of session musicians who have no connection to the band’s early days.

Ultimately, the current incarnation of Bon Jovi is on the bubble as far as being on a rock fan’s bucket list.  Attending any of their upcoming shows only gives you partial bragging rights. 

Bon Jovi with Richie Sambora (which we’ll probably never see again) definitely gives you bragging rights.  Bon Jovi without Richie Sambora is a just one heck of a good concert.

DETROIT TIGERS OFFSEASON COULD BE A BUSY ONE

As we head into the “Hot Stove” part of the baseball year it appears that one team that could be particularly active are the Detroit Tigers. 

After finishing just out of a wild-card berth last season, General Manager Al Avila has made it known that the team will be looking to cut payroll.

The Tigers have been one of the biggest spending teams in recent years as Owner Mike Ilitch has spent a lot of money to try and bring a championship to Detroit. 

During the 2016 season the team’s payroll was over $173 million which was third in all of baseball behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

But those days seem to be over for the Tigers. Avila will be looking for buyers for some of his high-priced talent while also looking to stock the team with a fresh crop of young talent. It’s no secret that the Tigers farm system has been one of the leanest in baseball going back to the Dave Dombrowski era.

Dombrowski’s method of using his young talent was to dangle them as trade bait in order to acquire veteran talent. And that method worked as the team has been extremely competitive during his tenure. Unfortunately it drained the farm system at the same time.

Even before he left, Dombrowski did make a few moves for the future as in 2015 the Tigers became sellers at the trade deadline. They dealt David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria and acquired young players such as Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and JaCoby Jones.

Fulmer has paid immediate dividends as he was named American League Rookie of the Year for 2016. Norris and Boyd will most likely be a part of the team’s starting rotation in 2017 while Jones will challenge for playing time in centerfield.

So what’s ahead for this offseason? Avila has let it be known that no offer or player is off the table. Most likely to go is outfielder J.D. Martinez. Not because he isn’t a good player but because he is entering the last year of his contract and will be owed much more in his next one.

Another player likely to be dealt is second baseman Ian Kinsler. Even at age 34, Kinsler is coming off of one of his best seasons and is a veteran presence and strong competitor. He does have a no-trade clause for 10 teams but Avila will need to try and work around that.

The Tigers would also like to find a buyer for designated hitter Victor Martinez. However he does have a high salary and physically he is not much use in the field or on the basepaths. But he still has that bat which could make him attractive at next year's trade deadline to a contending team.

And don’t forget about Detroit’s two best players, Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. Sure they have big contracts and are getting up there in age, but name me one team that wouldn’t think they were better with either player on their roster. If the right deal came along, I’m pretty sure Avila would pull the trigger.

So to say the Tigers offseason may be a busy one could be an understatement. Only time will tell.