Minneapolis, MN - EXCEL Center
February 25, 2003

From: GooMeBaby

Initially, when the Bon Jovi/Goo tickets went on sale, we were disappointed. Mainly, because we wanted to only see Goo, but also because the venue is so large and we've heard that Bon Jovi fans can be rabid. We were also concerned about the reports we had heard previously about different cities not being Goo-friendly. Well, our experience couldn't be further from the truth! Our seats were close to the stage on main floor. We were surrounded by excited and friendly fans--both of Bon Jovi and Goo. The boys took the stage precisely at 7:30, without a big fanfare or a dropped cutain, but we were amazed that the house (20,000 in attendance!) was practically full and the crowd excited. Main floor shot to their feet, dancing and mouthing every word as Johnny sang. We were pleasantly surprised at how the audience received the Goo's--a much warmer reception than anticipated. Johnny, too, seemed to have noticed since he said, "Thank you for this. I really needed it today". Although the set was short, Johnny was in top form vocally and Robby was pounding his bass like never before. They both seemed to really enjoy themselves and were feeding off the crowd, Johnny even motioning for more applause at one point. The rock show ended all too soon and Bon Jovi taking the stage was not an exciting prospect for us. Boy, were we wrong! Although we are children of the 80's and routinely heard Bon Jovi tunes screaming from the radio, neither of us was especially fond of the sound. Man, were we shocked at the scene we experienced last night! Professional and well-oiled, those boys can rock! The light and video show was impressive, as were the groups of fans they pulled on stage from the audience (one of our entourage included). Jon, with his painted-on pants, shook his booty unlike any rock star I've seen, even doing the Twist with a lucky concert goer! But, ultimately, it was Jon's raindance and maraca rendition that captivated us and turned us into fans. Although, Goo is still squarely situated on our pedastal, we were amazed at the performance we witnessed. We may have spent the last couple weeks complaining about the $100.00 price tag for each ticket, but little did we know how well-spent that money would be!