Was Bon Jovi A Hair Band?

This Thursday night Bon Jovi will be playing AT&T Center in Dallas and I'm planning on being there.  During the 1980's I saw just about every hair band there was from Poison, to Winger, to Ratt, and what many consider the last hair band, Firehouse.  I saw Def Leppard, Warrant, and Night Ranger.  But I've never seen one of America's most successful bands--Bon Jovi--so I'm picking up my son-in-law in Tyler Thursday afternoon and we're takin' a road trip.

Which got me to thinking.  Was Bon Jovi a true hair band?  They certainly had the perfect hair and a ridiculously good looking lead singer.  (Hey, I've been married 34 years and don't think of guys that way; but you gotta admit, when it comes to looks and charisma, Jon Bongiovi's got it all.  Plus, I've met him a couple of times and there's not a nicer rock star on the planet.)  But Bon Jovi wasn't built around glitz, glamour, and non-stop partying.  They're a bunch of guys from Jersey who write songs about that longing-for-something-better just like their fellow New Jerseyite Bruce Springsteen and Midwesterner John Mellencamp.  If you think about it "Livin' On A Prayer" is basically "Born To Run" or "Jack And Diane" with more electric guitars and higher-pitched singing.

I suppose we could debate all day long about the whole hair-band-or-not-hair-band thing.  But what isn't up for debate is that almost all of the bands mentioned above are now defunct (with the one notable exception being Def Leppard) and Bon Jovi is still packing arenas.  They just broke the attendance record at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena where they drew 18, 514 screaming fans.  Their last three albums debuted at #1.  And those songs from the 80's and early 90's have stood the test of time.

So, I'll be in Dallas Thursday night reliving some old memories and making new ones.  And aren't those the best concerts?