He's out of quarantine and recently celebrated the JBJ Soul Kitchen's 10th birthday. (There's an upcoming virtual event dubbed the 5-10-15 Anniversary Celebration to mark the 15th anniversary of the JBJ Soul Foundation, 10th anniversary of the Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, and 5th anniversary of the Soul Kitchen in Toms River.) He was also presented with the Intrepid Museum's Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in this space.
And... at the famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, Jon joined Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers on stage. Here they are performing "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding":
Jon Bon Jovi recently phoned into the Rich Eisen Show, where he talked about NFL, the 2020 album, the Soul Foundation and Soul Kitchens, and the late great Eddie Van Halen:
Rich Eisen is a sports broadcaster, in case you're wondering why so much of the interview is dedicated to Jon's relationship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. American football happens to be my least favourite football code (sorry not sorry ðĪŠ), but the interview was cool.
Bon Jovi's 2020 album promo continued on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, with Jon chatting to Colbert via video.
Jon talked about working the JBJ Soul Kitchens and food pantries during COVID, being mentored by Sister Mary Scullion, his Catholic upbringing, and quarantining with his family:
And of course, they discussed about the new album:
The band then socially distanced to perform "Do What You Can", with Greg Mayo again filling in for David Bryan:
I really enjoyed the interview, actually. It seemed fun, relaxed. And in "Do What You Can", Jon appeared more animated than he has in some of other performances where the band has been playing to no one.
From his home studio, Jon Bon Jovi performed "Do What You Can" in its entirety for the first time as part of Jersey 4 Jersey on April 22 -- a night of Jersey stars coming together to benefit the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund:
Inspired by life in COVID-19 lockdown, "Do What You Can" has had an intriguing journey. It kicked off in March when a photo of Jon washing dishes at the JBJ Soul Kitchen was posted to Instagram with the caption, "If you can't do what you do... do what you can."
That became the hook of a new song that Jon debuted a few days later. He sang a verse and chorus and invited fans to add their own verses telling their own stories:
Selected fans' verses have been played by Jon and shared on Bon Jovi's social media channels in the weeks since.
Here's Jon singing verses by Adriana, Geoffrey, and Bryce:
And Jon at the keyboard singing verses by Kristen, Maritza, Tanya, and Luca:
Jon also showcased video performances from Clint, Eleven, and Andre:
Others have contributed their own verses, and at a time when we need the world to come together (but not physically), it's pretty cool to see the power of music, social media and technology at work.
Even though I didn't immediately rush over here to blog about it, I felt a sense of pride in Jon that I hadn't felt in a while. Not that I was ashamed of him or anything. But just like Bon Jovi has changed, so I have I. I still love them (and by extension Jon) and I'm sure I always will, but they're not the singular focus/obsession they were when I started this blog as a teenager.
Anyway, the pride I felt was because there was something raw and honest about "Do What You Can". At least I thought so, and it's my blog. ð
We've previously heard two songs from Bon Jovi 2020 -- "Unbroken" and "Limitless" -- and I haven't loved them. I've kind of felt like they were trying too hard and not really hitting the mark. (Both the original and the Invictus Games Choir version of "Unbroken" are supporting good causes though.)
But "Do What You Can" feels real to me. It feels like a guy from New Jersey, looking at what's happening around him, and expressing himself through song. It may not be the greatest song ever written. And sure, his voice isn't what it was. It didn't matter. It was the right song at the right time, when I was looking for a spark of hope amidst the confusion and uncertainty. And that's ultimately why I keep coming back to Bon Jovi -- when I've needed them, they've had the right songs for me.
Speaking of the power of music... my last few posts have alluded to the fact that I'm playing catch-up on this blog, and one thing I didn't post at the time was this Chicago singalong of "Livin' on a Prayer" in March, inspired by Italians in isolation singing on their balconies:
It's testament to the endurance of that song. And who doesn't feel better when they're cranking up or belting out "Livin' on a Prayer"?
Back to more recent history, Jon closed Jersey 4 Jersey with an acoustic rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" that felt appropriate:
I saw that Sunday morning, with [the] Dayton [shooting] and what had happened, and I just started strumming on the guitar, and it came and it came rather quickly over the course of maybe two days. I kept tweaking it, and I knew I had something. I was so proud of what I had but, I didn’t have a song title. I sat there and I said, “What the hell is the name of this song?” And I said, “It doesn’t really have a proper chorus,” and I was thinking of Neil Young’s “Ohio,” and telling a story. And I said, Okay well (singing) “Four dead in Ohio,” and then you go, “I guess that’s the name of this song.” And then, when you really sit with that song, there is no second verse. (singing) “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah” ... that might be a great hook, but it’s not a verse. And when I wrote this, I was playing it for a bunch of people, Shanks was one of them. And I said, “I don’t know why Neil, who’s so poetic and prolific, didn’t write a second verse and instead went for that.” And Shanks was like, “That’s a great hook.” I go, “Well, this song isn’t about hooks, it’s about telling this story.” And then I still had no title. That’s when I put the last line repeating what the first line did, and I said, “There’s the title, ‘Lower The Flag,’” because that’s exactly what the whole thing is about.
Even that bridge was just so different for me, (singing), “If there’s something we can talk about, let’s talk about it.” And the rhythm of that melody was something that I’d written, I got it, I did it and went in the studio with it. I had everything completely finished, and I went in with (bassist) Hughie (McDonald) and [drummer] Tico [Torres], me and Shanks. And I was playing guitar, and I’m playing the guitar on the record, and Tico starts playing, and we said, “[the drum] is not helping, it’s hindering the progress of the song.” We said, this isn’t a drum song, this isn’t what this should be. And so he flew all the way to California and didn’t play on it, because we knew what we had lyrically and just wanted to tell the story
The article mentions that Jon did a lot of writing on his own, and we've already heard that "Unbroken" sounds like solo Jon, but I do hope the album sounds like a band record. But I guess most of all I hope it's good. ð
Here's Jon performing "Unbroken" at the Rockefeller Center. He was joined on stage by men and women who have served in the military:
There seems to be an app for pretty much everything these days... Why not one to help homeless vets? Jon Bon Jovi, whose philanthropic credits include the Soul Foundation, Soul Kitchen and White House Council, has launched a contest calling for the development of precisely such an app:
Bon Jovi, along with Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs, unveiled a contest Monday called Project Reach, which calls for the development of a user-friendly application that provides real-time information about the availability of shelters, meals and care for homeless vets.
“We'll access veterans to — in instant and real time — medical, food, shelter and social services via the Internet and what a better way to do that than through the innovative minds of the technology community,” said Bon Jovi, speaking on the conference call from his Soul Kitchen restaurant on Monmouth Street in Red Bank.
The contest calls for techies to find an easy-to-use, mobile and Web app to connect users to service providers and real-time information about resources for the homeless and others in need.
The contest is using Monmouth County as its proving ground, and the first five entries that meet requirements will receive a $10,000 cash prize and the opportunity to test their app at Soul Kitchen.
This open letter from Jon about the JBJ Soul Kitchen was published on the Soul Foundation and Bon Jovi websites this week:
Dear all,
Sorry it has taken a minute to write this note, but we've all been very busy in the Kitchen.
The JBJ Soul Kitchen officially opened its doors in Red Bank, NJ on October 19th. The response has been even better than we could have hoped for. We at the JBJ Soul Kitchen are a Community Restaurant where there are no prices on our menus. As you may have heard you can either donate at least the minimum donation of $10.00 for your meal or donate your time to earn your meal. We have met many people from across the economic spectrum who are all ready, willing, and able to engage in our community.
At a time when 1 in 5 families are living at or below the poverty line and 1 in 6 children in NJ are food insecure, this is a restaurant whose time has come. The JBJ Soul Kitchen is also a model that can be replicated in your town.
I want to thank everyone who made this vision a reality, all of the staff, volunteers, contractors, those who have donated money, time and words of encouragement, those who have come to eat or just to check us out on the web.
If you are in the Red Bank area, come down and check us out, lend a hand, make a friend or two, and by the way, eat!
