My interview originally appeared at ocregister.com.
Photos by David Bergman/courtesy of Scoop Marketing
A strong sense of optimism pervades Bon Jovi’s latest album, What About Now.
The lyrics to anthems like “Because We Can,” “Army of One,” “With These Two Hands” (on the deluxe version) and the title track were inspired by social activism and the economy.
Those sentiments are far removed from the New Jersey group’s hedonistic hair metal days in the ‘80s. Yet they remain consistent with singer Jon Bon Jovi’s modern knack for crafting rock songs with more mature, widespread appeal.
“Everybody constantly evolves in this band,” says keyboardist/backing vocalist David Bryan, 51, from Vancouver, where Bon Jovi just began the final North American leg of its latest world tour.
“You keep trying to take all your outside sources, bring them into the band and constantly keep pushing. To me, that’s the fun part. All my other projects, like the Broadway musical stuff – every time I learn stuff out of that world, it leaks into this world.”
Bryan snagged two Tony Awards in 2010 for co-writing the music, lyrics and orchestrations to Memphis. The production won a total of four trophies and ran almost three years at the Shubert Theatre in New York City.
“Walking down that aisle and winning more Tonys than anyone in the history of rock with an original musical, not based on a movie? I’m very proud of that,” he recalls.
“Before me, it was Elton (John, Tony winner in 2000 for Aida). At the time, I was one of the few (rock) guys in there. I didn’t look at it as entertainment for entertainment’s sake; it was entertainment with a message. … I’m proud to know that 12,000 people a week at the Shubert walked out maybe hating each other a little less and understanding that we’re all different. That’s a good thing.”
Next spring, Memphis opens in London’s West End, and a return to the Great White Way for Bryan could happen again in 2014 with Chasing the Song, his follow-up musical about Brill Building songwriters during the '60s, written alongside Memphis partner Joe DiPietro.
On the solid What About Now, Bon Jovi reteamed with longtime
producer/collaborator John Shanks, not to mention Desmond Child, the
hit-maker partly responsible for classics “You Give Love a Bad Name” and
“Living on a Prayer.” So far, the handful of new songs the band plays
live have gone down well.
“The special thing about Bon Jovi is that we’re current-classic – we’re on the current charts and the classic charts. Our goal has always been to put a new record out so we can have new material. You want fans to take that ride with you.”
After 30 years, they still do – in droves. Bon Jovi regularly places among the top five concert draws worldwide.
Yet this latest tour has been one of their most difficult. It began last February in Washington, D.C., right before the new album’s release, but two months later founding guitarist Richie Sambora left, citing “personal issues.” No other details have emerged.
His onstage replacement is Phil Xenidis, whose credits include a stint in Triumph as well as session work or performances with Alice Cooper, Aldo Nova, Tommy Lee, Rob Zombie, Sick Puppies and most of the rock-leaning “American Idol” finalists. He held similar duties for a dozen Bon Jovi gigs in 2011 while Sambora finished rehab.
Last month, while performing in South America, original drummer Tico Torres underwent an emergency appendectomy and gall bladder surgery. Some dates were rescheduled and Rich Scanella has filled in since then.
“It’s been a tough year,” admits Bryan. “There’s nothing you can do” when serious health issues arise. “Tico’s in hell right now. We’re just forging forward. He’s resting up, and when he’s cleared by the doctors, he’ll come back.”
The keyboardist and Bon Jovi’s leader first played together in a band
called Atlantic City Expressway. “I’ve been together with Jon since I
was a junior in high school and had my driver’s permit. It was 1978.
It’s been a long journey.”
Bryan started playing piano at age 7 and initially studied medicine in college. Then he decided to pursue a career in music and got accepted to the prestigious Julliard School.
Photos by David Bergman/courtesy of Scoop Marketing
The lyrics to anthems like “Because We Can,” “Army of One,” “With These Two Hands” (on the deluxe version) and the title track were inspired by social activism and the economy.
Those sentiments are far removed from the New Jersey group’s hedonistic hair metal days in the ‘80s. Yet they remain consistent with singer Jon Bon Jovi’s modern knack for crafting rock songs with more mature, widespread appeal.
“Everybody constantly evolves in this band,” says keyboardist/backing vocalist David Bryan, 51, from Vancouver, where Bon Jovi just began the final North American leg of its latest world tour.
“You keep trying to take all your outside sources, bring them into the band and constantly keep pushing. To me, that’s the fun part. All my other projects, like the Broadway musical stuff – every time I learn stuff out of that world, it leaks into this world.”
Bryan snagged two Tony Awards in 2010 for co-writing the music, lyrics and orchestrations to Memphis. The production won a total of four trophies and ran almost three years at the Shubert Theatre in New York City.
“Walking down that aisle and winning more Tonys than anyone in the history of rock with an original musical, not based on a movie? I’m very proud of that,” he recalls.
“Before me, it was Elton (John, Tony winner in 2000 for Aida). At the time, I was one of the few (rock) guys in there. I didn’t look at it as entertainment for entertainment’s sake; it was entertainment with a message. … I’m proud to know that 12,000 people a week at the Shubert walked out maybe hating each other a little less and understanding that we’re all different. That’s a good thing.”
Next spring, Memphis opens in London’s West End, and a return to the Great White Way for Bryan could happen again in 2014 with Chasing the Song, his follow-up musical about Brill Building songwriters during the '60s, written alongside Memphis partner Joe DiPietro.
“The special thing about Bon Jovi is that we’re current-classic – we’re on the current charts and the classic charts. Our goal has always been to put a new record out so we can have new material. You want fans to take that ride with you.”
After 30 years, they still do – in droves. Bon Jovi regularly places among the top five concert draws worldwide.
Yet this latest tour has been one of their most difficult. It began last February in Washington, D.C., right before the new album’s release, but two months later founding guitarist Richie Sambora left, citing “personal issues.” No other details have emerged.
His onstage replacement is Phil Xenidis, whose credits include a stint in Triumph as well as session work or performances with Alice Cooper, Aldo Nova, Tommy Lee, Rob Zombie, Sick Puppies and most of the rock-leaning “American Idol” finalists. He held similar duties for a dozen Bon Jovi gigs in 2011 while Sambora finished rehab.
Last month, while performing in South America, original drummer Tico Torres underwent an emergency appendectomy and gall bladder surgery. Some dates were rescheduled and Rich Scanella has filled in since then.
“It’s been a tough year,” admits Bryan. “There’s nothing you can do” when serious health issues arise. “Tico’s in hell right now. We’re just forging forward. He’s resting up, and when he’s cleared by the doctors, he’ll come back.”
Bryan started playing piano at age 7 and initially studied medicine in college. Then he decided to pursue a career in music and got accepted to the prestigious Julliard School.
When Jon’s demo song “Runaway” (originally recorded with current Bon
Jovi touring bassist Hugh McDonald) began getting radio airplay around
New York, he needed to form a new band. Bryan was among the first people
he called.
Soon after, Torres and bassist Alec John Such were recruited,
followed by Sambora. The group signed to Mercury Records and its first
two records made decent inroads. Bon Jovi’s O.C. concert debut came as
an opening act for Scorpions at Pacific Amphitheatre in 1984.
But the musicians really hit pay dirt with the release of 1986’s Slippery When Wet, which initiated a run of eight Top 10 singles over three years. In the interim, all of Bon Jovi’s later albums have been certified gold or platinum.
Why does Bryan think Slippery, which has now sold 12 million copies, resonated with so many people?
“I think it was our time. It’s funny: I’m sitting here in Vancouver
where that record started. Our first two records did good, but they
never captured what we were live. Then, with Slippery, it was
‘let’s capture what we do live.’ There wasn’t a ton of overdubs…Those
songs touched people. All the moons and planets lined up, thank God. It
really taught us about being honest. I think that’s why our career is
still going on so many years later.
“I still love hearing that on the radio. It still blows me away. You
can hear us fighting as hard as we could and it all came together. The
big thing was that live energy.”
Where: Honda Center in Anaheim (2695 E. Katella Ave.) and Staples Center in Los Angeles (1111 S. Figueroa St.)
When: 7:30 Wednesday in O.C., 7:30 Friday in L.A.
How much: $50-$650.55 for Honda, $27-$621 for Staples
Call: 800-745-3000 or 888-929-7849
Online: ticketmaster.com, axs.com
How much: $50-$650.55 for Honda, $27-$621 for Staples
Call: 800-745-3000 or 888-929-7849
Online: ticketmaster.com, axs.com
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