First day of our “new normal.”
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Bon Jovi THINFS Tour: Dublin Day Two: AKA The Best Day of My Life (So Far)
I want to preface this by saying that I attend a lot of concerts. I work at 5 venues and see at least 100 shows a year there in addition to the 50 or so I attend, and 5-25 shows I photograph. I’ve done this for the past 6 years. So when I say that this Bon Jovi show is the best concert I’ve ever attended, I certainly mean it with all the heart and soul in my body. Sometimes I can’t even gather words to explain why, my eyes just light up and I just feel it: everything was perfect.
The small little details are engraved into my soul. The little smirk JBJ made when he came out and recognized my friend and I. Phil X’s blue guitar with lightning bolt shredding away in the midst of a downpour. David Bryan wagging his fingers around during “all around the world, it’s a matter of fact” in Who Says. Tico’s booming drum fill during I’ll Be There For You. Sweet Huey and his trench coat being the cool cat and forgetting to run up the catwalk with JBJ and the boys. And of course, Shank’s trot down the cat walk.
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The second night of a show at the same venue is always a little easier because as a fan, you already have a sense of the venue layout, where to go, and know if the security is organized. Because queuing was still no longer allowed, fans continued with the list and roll calls. The only thing that was tricky about this show is that there was no fan club early entry, so there was only one line for everyone.
Our Crazy Confetti Crew
After making our way back to our hostel after the last show, it took us some time to calm down and relax after the show. Yes, the post concert high. Silly me stayed up to 3:30am watching and rewatching my videos from the show from pure excitement. Covered in confetti we tried the best we could to clean up before crashing. Poor Sophie stabbed herself in the eye with a comb trying to get the confetti off her face, brutal. You could follow our path of where we went because of the excessive amount of confetti that fell off of us — I LOVE IT.
After the long night we took our time to head over to the venue and got there a bit before 8. We already knew this would be a long and rainy day and for once in our lives, we were prepared with rain coats (and me, grocery bagged feet.) Because our hostel was a bit far from the venue we spent most of our day hanging around in the local shops and bakery, and just walking around town.
Come entry time, there was a sense of relief knowing that the staff would be able to get us all in the venue in order in a calm and orderly manner. Sophie and I loved our spot so much the night before, we went for the same space: the corner stage between JBJ and Phil X. It’s always a joy to look left and right and know everyone on a first name basis after traveling and hanging together for so long.
It wasn’t long before the rain came. Here’s us right before the show started…and then moments later.
This would be the last show for me of the European tour so I made sure that I took everything in. There’s something magical about the Irish crowds. Maybe because JBJ always says that he wishes he was Irish—or maybe because the fans know the new albums by heart. The introduction screen of the Bon Jovi car racing around and landing in the Dublin scenery. It really is pretty neat.
This show it rained and rained…and rained. And you know, it didn’t even matter. Immediately when the show started JBJ ran up his stairs and ran to the cat walk and with arms in the air, leaned back and let the rain cover his face and land in his mouth. It’s a great fuckin’ day for rock and roll.
The neat thing about the rain is that it also helped keep people off their phones. It made for such a different atmosphere because the crowd was all eyes on the band and less all on their phone.
I always wonder what the band is thinking when they look down at the front row and see all the fans from the previous night, the regular fans, the new faces, the united and bold fans who waited so long to see their favorite band. Whenever JBJ or Phil X looked down they were greeted with smiley fans (we all looked like wet dogs in rain coats) and the look of sincere joy and appreciation from the band warmed my heart. Sophie and I kept up with our super extra waving to David Bryan and it was neat to get a sense of recognition from him.
The setlist started out pretty standard, but there was still that sense of pure excitement surrounding the show. Rollercoaster made its way back into the set and fans jumped and sang along. Everyone around me knew all the words so I hope that it finds its way back into the setlist as a staple.
JBJ mentioned that he would be changing up the setlist tonight, throwing in some new and old songs! Boy did he deliver.
Only a few minutes in JBJ dances on over toward Phil X and bumps in and notices something flew off his guitar. I looked and could hardly see what it was or even where it went but JBJ ran off chasing after it. As Phil X is killing it at his solo JBJ is aimlessly trying to put the little knob back on. The two’s cheesy grin made it all so hysterical.
I don’t particularly know much about guitar solos, so I judge them based on how they make me feel. The trio of solos during Keep The Faith this night made me feel on top of the friggin’ world. Excitement, love, passion and joy — it was pretty rad. It also was the perfect weather as the sky opened up for about 30 minutes of the most glorious golden hour sunset.
To our surprise, the twinkly white light background came on and Make A Memory was the first song within the acoustic set. I probably haven’t heard this song live in at least 3 years so that was a fun surprise. JBJ absolutely killed the big vocal note in that song and I excitedly gave him two thumbs up. I hope he appreciate my cheesy sense of humor, but I really wanted him to know he was doing a great job.
The elegant piano that we all know so well started for Bed of Roses. Go David Bryan, go!
In These Arms is such a huge hit in Europe, it’s really a fan favorite out here. I love the little jumps that JBJ and the crowd do.
Honestly, the perfect trifecta of songs in a row is In These Arms, It’s My Life, and We Don’t Run. If I could put Have A Nice Day after that my soul would be complete. It’s really nice having these three in a row because it’s like the natural progression of emotions, especially with IML and WDR. It’s going from living your best life and not taking crap from anyone to not backing down and moving forward with that momentum.
Wanted Dead or Alive is always that reality moment for me that I’m at a Bon Jovi show. Though it’s no surprise it’s in the setlist, something was special with it being played as the rain poured down. That will forever be engrained in me.
Round two of Captain Crash with our wedding confetti mix. Tonight we had people who were a lot less excited about us raining down our confetti—understandably so because of the rain…however, that doesn’t stop us. It’s funny because it’s usually whoever is to your right that gets rained down the hardest. In most cases, that’s either me covering Sophie or Sophie covering me. We really tried to throw it up this time but the wind would always catch it and triple the reach, ha.
Sleep When I’m Dead epitomizes what the entire touring process is like as a fan. That song is so much fun, especially with the “wooh’s.” It’s still weird not seeing JBJ playing guitar for this, but on the flip side, we now get him prancing all over the stage and doing the clappity claps.
The encore for this show absolutely blew my mind away. If there was like 15 minutes in my life that I could relive, I’d chose this and go back every day.
JBJ started the first chords to Someday I’ll Be A Saturday Night with a beautiful NYC skyline background and it was the most incredible performance of this song ever. JBJ added in an extra verse of lyrics that I have never ever heard before and it brought tears to my eyes. Watching it back still gives me goosebumps. The band (I filmed this awful vertical version of it on my phone and couldn’t even focus on the screen.)
If that wasn’t emotional enough, the band then started I’ll Be There For You, another tear jerker.
Livin On A Prayer started and the crowd, belted out the song that has been sang oh so many times at the dive bars in Dublin. I felt the sadness start to hit because I knew it’d be the last show for awhile for me. It’s that weird feeling where you’re so happy because you just had the best day ever, but also so sad because it’s the end of the best day ever.
The song ended and all the Bon Jovi boys were hugging each other on stage and doing their usual thing. But then the band just had that glimmer in their eyes where you knew, it wasn’t over yet!!!
JBJ called the huddle and all the boys circled together and planned A SECOND ENCORE twoah.
“They’re going to put me in jail for passing the curfew. Somebody’s gotta come and bail me out” - JBJ
My heart burst into a million pieces when David Bryan started These Days and JBJ laid out the most beautiful vocals to end the perfect night.
You got that right Bon Jovi, “There ain't nobody left but us these days…”
Bon Jovi THINFS Tour: Dublin Day One: What Time Did the Queue Start??
There’s magic in the air in Dublin. The kind where your heart just feels so happy—your hands tingle with joy, and for some reason you just can’t help but smile. It’s Bon Jovi and they’re ready to rock.
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Bon Jovi THINFS tour blog: Nijmegen Trains, Planes and Bon Jovi
New merch—best. hoodie. ever.
From one small town to another for the next round of Bon Jovi. It took two planes, one train and a walk to make it to the next town. Unfortunately we arrived quite late so we didn’t get to explore Nijmegen much This town looked super fun, but we only had one night to sightsee.
We walked downtown, took a peek at the river and had “snacks” at an authentic Holland bar. In the spirit of trying new things, we placed an order of Dutch bitterballen. It may be a fan favorite, but for me, I’ll stick to Italian meatballs.
The venue, Goffertpark was conveniently set up in a large park, thankfully near toilets, local food trucks and a gas station. The queue here started especially early compared to other shows. Fans arrived between 6-7 and my friends and I stumbled into line around 10. We woke, had a nice breakfast, checked the weather and headed out for the venue.
We arrived and got number 52, but were pleased to still make it up front. Due to weird timing and the fan club line suddenly moving, we missed our lunch break and rushed into the venue. The VIP barricade was set up on Shanks’ side this time so we made it 2nd row in front of Phil X.
In between roll calls we stopped to get the new THINFS hoodie. It’s super cozy and has a cute new logo on it. Thank goodness for this last minute decision because it surely saved us come show time.
Taking cover from the rain.
Welcome to the Netherlands where it’s nice all day and rains the moment the show starts. Boy did it pour. “0% chance of rain,” I thought to myself as I scoffed. A kind fan leant us a trash bag and the remnants of a ripped poncho as we took cover as the opening act took the stage. I feel like every single person in the venue except me, Sophie and Luca were prepared for rain!
About halfway through the openers I started to get super dizzy and get foggy vision. We forgot about lunch. I stumbled out of the crowd with a handful of money and pushed my way to a vendor line. They don’t take cash or card, go figure. The staff shouted that I needed tokens and said it was toward the back of the venue. I looked behind me and saw a sea of what felt like a bajillion people and decided to take my chances and just get back to my spot.
This is when I met my miracle friend who was the most prepared and eloquent woman I’ve met. She not only had a bag of snacks, but has glucose tablets for her and all her new friends. Blessing. We chatted about NJ and the band and exchanged info. Shout out to @LSHarteveld you’re awesome and saved me this show.
The show started at 8:13 with big smiles from JBJ! Phil X debuted his sunglasses and black bucket hat. The crowd ate it up!
My favorite thing to do from this spot is to wave ferociously to David Bryan. Give that boy some love. It’s also fun to make silly faces at him. Too many people in that section have tunnel vision for that crazy frontman, so be sure to give the other boys a holler.
At the end of We Weren’t Born to Follow Phil X tried to change guitars and got all tangled up in his scarf. JBJ’s reaction to Phil’s struggle was hysterical. Definitely reminded me why the Incredibles don’t wear capes.
About an hour into the show, JBJ joked about the impending storm that was behind the crowd, seemingly coming our way. The band had the best introductions this night out of all of the shows.
“ [Tico] is proof that thunder and lightning answer to him. You didn’t see it but we did. These big, black clouds were comin’ toward the stage for like the first 45 minutes. He just looked at them and pointed his stick, and they went that way. The heart and the soul of this band—Tico Torres.” - JBJ
Shout out to Tico for scaring the storm away.
Sweet glorious sunshine.
There must have been an inside joke with David Bryan for this. After introducing half of the band, JBJ joked, “No that’s all. That’s all you get.” The crowd roared!
“On the keys if you please. You know him! Do I even have to say his name?! *DAVID* I don’t even have to say his name. I bet his name, his face is on the currency here in the Netherlands. What’s his name?! *DAVID*. We must have shouted his name 5 times! David Bryan on the keyboards.
Captain Crash strikes again!
The first beats of I’ll Be There For You starts and you can hear the crowd excitedly cheer along. Under gorgeous skies JBJ passionately stomped down the catwalk adding in extra lyrics. The massive crowd, sang back the words so loudly that even watching the video gives me goosebumps.
This night, we came prepared for Captain Crash. We passed our baggie of confetti around and gleefully tossed into into the air. The aftermath of Captain Crash and I hear the guy next to me, “It’s like a unicorn threw up on me.”
Another silly moment was shortly after JBJ put his black hat on and danced, making the hat fly off!
Talk about a rad ending, ALWAYS. Watch this video- then stop, process and watch it again. JBJ is singing his heart out and laying it all out on the line for us. He belted out the song with all of his effort and it was wonderful. Between the absolutely passionate vocals, beautifully executed guitar solo on the catwalk and the excitement in the air... it was the perfect way to end the night.
Of course for Sophie and I, the night wasn’t over. I finally found the token station and we got three orders of fries with this mayonnaise on it. After what felt like the longest walk ever…in the wrong direction, a police officer directed us to the train station we were trying to find. Except we ended up on a bus (honestly had no idea where it was going) and somehow ended back up in the center of town. The universe looks out for me, ha.
Don’t miss the band live, they’re on fire and headed to a town near you.
Bon Jovi THINFS Tour: Sønderborg, Denmark: What An Epic Lineup
“If you ever asked me if I’d ever think Bon Jovi and Def Leppard would tour together, I probably would have laughed. Dreams do come true.”
Denmark = So Much Rain.
There’s nothing more of a bummer than dying of thirst after a show and accidentally ordering a sparkling water instead of a still water. It’s funny to discover the small nuances within English in different countries.
Sønderborg is a quiet, quaint town on the waterfront about 16 miles away from Germany. It’s a very small town that’s had a ton of history of battles during war time. The place where the stage was set up was an original location of a battle.
It seemed like a very odd place to host a brilliant 80’s lineup of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, but boy did fans show up in droves. I have to say, I was disappointed by the disorganization of the venue. Between the language barrier and a lack of a liaison between the different lines and venue, it was a crazy trying to organize the queue. Thank goodness for the JBJ fan club last minute taking over and taking great care of the fan club ticket holders—unfortunately that wasn’t me this show.
The queue started bright and early and Sophie and I joined the non-fan club line with numbers 5&6. It wasn’t too chilly, but boy did it rain during the queue. Despite an umbrella and rain coat, my shoes and jeans got soaked. Pro tip and lesson learned: always bring extra socks and never wear jeans—the get tighter when they’re wet. Thank goodness I had a rain coat from Stavanger.
The only place nearby to take shelter during the queue was a Burger King. I found myself there trying to dry off before gate opens. Shout out to this Bon Jovi fan who had an extra pair of socks and spared me from a miserable night with wet feet. Sophie and I got Burger King crowns and crossed off Burger and wrote Beauty. I thought it was brilliant. Unfortunately, the rain got to our crowns and made the melt and flatten.
We lined up at the gates and after what felt like the longest wait ever, the gates were open. ALL OF THEM. The fan club ticket holders got in first, but then the security staff opened at least 30 shoots at the same exact time. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins as I full off sprinted toward the gold circle. I felt like a horse in a race because all the vendors on the sides were hooting and hollering as we ran. Thankfully I’m a runner so I was able to make it to the wristband station and onto the catwalk barricade without any issues. Under gorgeous skies, it was show time.
Def Leppard always puts on a high energy set full of hits. This time around they nearly played the entire Hysteria album in its entirety. Joe Elliot came out in sparkly sneakers, a shiny star button up and looked like an absolute rock star. Him and the band engaged with the crowd all night and certainly warmed the crowd up for Bon Jovi.
I really think both shows were so great because both bands wanted to look good in front of the other. It was an amazing performance by both.
Bon Jovi time, baby. A sea of people as far as the eye could see.
Something is different this tour with Bon Jovi and the band. There is an awe-inspiring energy surrounding them and a sense of sincere happiness that you just can’t help but smile when you’re there. It’s a weird sense of being proud of the band—for keep on keeping on despite all the chaos erupting around them.
A highlight of the night for me was the Someday I’ll Be A Saturday night jam session. JBJ walked down the catwalk, guitar in hand, and waved for the boys to join them. It was the happiest moment I could have imagined.
A fan favorite for sure, Rollercoaster finally made its way back into the setlist. I love this record and think it’s one of the best Bon Jovi albums, ever. I’m thrilled to see the new songs in the setlist.
I forgot how much I loved Have A Nice Day until I saw it live again. (Spoiler alert, I impulse got it tattooed soon after this show.) The background animations are super cool and make for nice photos. The double guitar solos between Phil X and Shanks are insane.
Following HAND is Keep the Faith, which keeps the high energy rolling. I love that everyone gets a special part in this song. Guitar solos for the win!
Captain Crash time and yes, we had confetti. Shout out to the fellow American Bon Jovi fans: DeeDee, Kellene, and Pam, who shared the bag with us so we could bring the fun down our line. The sparkly confetti, ever so messy, shined in the air as the sun caught the edges.
I’d Die For You made it into the setlist and it was strong willed and powerful. The backing vocals beautifully supported JBJ and you could hear the crowd erupt with excitement with the start of the keyboards.
The most hysterical part of this show was leaving…because there was seemingly no official exit. Fans left in any way possible—for us, over a trampled bike rack, down a dark ditch under trees and crawling up a wet mound of grass. No kidding. With your right hand you had to hold this branch from hitting you in the face, and as you blindly took a step, you’d fall into a sea of water and…an unknown ditch. Then you had to crawl your way back up and stumble onto the road. I can’t make this shit up.
Poor Sophie punctured a hole in her hand on the slide down. I had to laugh, she popped her head up after crawling up the hill and announced, “There’s a hole in me hand!”
Rock and roll baby… onto Nijemgan Holland!
A local review of the show!
Bon Jovi THINFS Tour: Stavanger, Norway: 3 Miracles and Hiking Trip Gone Wrong
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones that go in unexpected ways.
After the incredibly lengthy drive to JFK airport I soon learned the trade off of flying on budget airlines.
10kg weight limit for the carry on AND personal item together. My bags clocked in at 15kg. With a determination to avoid checking a bag, I piled on 12 Bon Jovi tshirts, a hoodie and leather jacket. Well, I could hardly move my arms. I then stuffed my pockets with socks, toiletries and snacks and headed back to the weigh station. Still overweight. My camera was the offender. I went back to my bench and wrapped my camera around my neck and bumped into my new friend Bill, who helped me stuff everything on me.
I cleared the bag check, and 14 layers and all, made my way through security. I can only imagine what they thought of me, sweaty, unable to move my arms and stuff with everything.
After an eight and a half hour flight to Oslo, I connected to another plane for a short flight to Stavanger. On that flight I sat next to two rock and roll looking girls who, after chatting with, I learned were die hard Jovi fans who were also attending the show! I waved goodbye to my new friends and went to meet a Twitter friend.
I met Maryann @MaryStat at the airport who gleefully greeted me and said she was just waiting for her two other friends. Go figure, her two friends were the ladies who I just chatted with on the plane the whole time.
I started this trip with an adventure in mind and convinced Maryann to go hiking with me. Just the day before I found a close by mountain that had great reviews, great view and looked seemingly easy. Jet lagged and all, we set off to Preikestolen also known and Pulprit Rock. A walk, ferry and bus ride away and we were at the base of Pulpit Rock. Under gorgeous blue skies and sunshine we made our way up the grueling path to the mountain. Moderate difficulty it stated, but it was brutal.
Get your squat game on if you’re planning on going here. After arriving to the top, we realized it was almost 8pm, so we rushed down the mountain. After reaching the bottom we realized that there were no busses running and only a few cabs in town. In a desperate attempt to get back, I begged a local hotel to call a cab to take us to a ferry—that may or not be running. The most expensive cab ride later, we arrived to the ferry under dark skies. We waited for about an hour before taking the ferry back. 2 am the day before show day, jet lagged and all, it was time before bed. Miracle number one, I made it back to the hotel.
10am sharp, my eyes felt like they shattered as I opened them. Jet lag. Oof. I packed my bags and got ready for my first European show. Little did I know, it was rainy season. As I was waking out the door with my leather jacket and hoodie, Maryann offered her poncho and joked I’d probably need it. Boy was she right.
I met up with Sophie from Liverpool the first day and we caught the train to Stavanger. We stocked up on snacks and made our way to the venue. Miraculously, there was nobody in line!
#1 & #2 in the fan club early entry gold circle queue!
Thanks to an amazing fan who had an extra ticket, I got an upgrade to the fan club entry. I received number 2 in the fan club golden circle entry line and Sophie received number 6 in the golden circle entry line. Within an hour of being there, it started to rain...cold rain. We waited in line and had a quick lunch at Pasta Pasta (amazing food.) When we can back, another miracle. Another fan had an extra fan club golden circle ticket and gave his #1 spot to Sophie! We’d be the first people in line behind VIP. Miracle number two— bless Bon Jovi fans.
The venue was super organized and walked us into the venue in an orderly manner. Sophie and I’s gut instinct was to go dead center on the catwalk. It was perfect, really.
A Norwegian band opened and they were epically fun, but the rain dampened everything. Thankfully, Maryann’s rain poncho helped a bit, but it was still a cold wet day.
Dead center on the catwalk.
The stage is about 5-6 feet high and has the VIP section on one side. Tonight it was on Phil X’s side.
The screen has a live feed that pulls in #BonJoviMemories from Twitter so be sure to post at the show to be featured!
From the first few seconds of the opening screen you could tell this fan was a die hard group. During Raise Your Hands EVERYONE was participating. You never find anything like this in the US.
It’s My Life and We Don’t Run were back to back in the set and made for some awesome energy. The visuals to We Don’t Run are so brilliant, it’s exciting to see it in the setlist.
“The wetter the better,” says JBJ as the rain comes down even harder.
“Oh patron saint of lonely souls, tell this boy which way to go. Guide the car, you got the keys, farewell to mediocrity. Kicking off the cruise-control and turning up the radio. Got just enough religion and a half tank of gas come on, let’s gooooo!”
This was my only show seeing Keep the Faith from the center and boy, is it awesome. Phil X runs down the stage and starts the mega solo. Next up is Shanks who swaggerly glides down the walkway. Of course, we cannot forget David Bryan who gets a keyboard solo to end the jam session. My favorite part is at the end when Phil points to David as he jams!
Lay Your Hands On Me
It’s time to go to Johnny’s Church of Rock and Roll! First off, the visual for this are GORGEOUS. I love the stained glass look. Lay Your Hands On Me started and we could only hope that JBJ would run down into the crowd. At this point in the show, it was at the absolute worse weather conditions. Rain—coming down extra hard. The cat walk seemed flooded so it was no surprise that he didn’t come down. The whole crowd was doing the clapping though, which was neat.
Now, Captain Crash is always a joy, but even more so in Europe. Numb, wrinkly hands and all, we waved like a sea of people. Sadly we were fresh out of confetti this show, but we knew we’d stock up for the next few.
Bad Medicine kicked off and JBJ had that glimmer in his eye. He trotted down the catwalk and went off stage on stage left, which is unusual for him! Miracle number 3: right place, right time. JBJ walked around the barricade and actually stopped to grab and shake Sophie’s hand. It was a beautiful moment for sure. As he walked by he low-fived my hand and walked across the rest of the stage. Our first show and we got hand touches. Spoiler alert, he didn’t come down near us the other shows (or at all) so it really was perfect place perfect time!
Ending on a super high note, the band’s last song was These Days. It is sincerely one of my favorites live—up there with Saturday Night. Here in Europe, you don’t even have to bring a sign, it’s almost a staple in the setlist. Phil’s round orange guitar comes out and you KNOW it’s game time.
The show ended and we left completely soaked and cold, without a care in the world because we just got our faces rocked off by Bon Jovi. However, I’ll never make such a rookie mistake again—the day after I bought a Norwegian rain coat that saved me for the rest of the shows.
On the road again, next up, Sønderborg, Denmark!
Rock N’ Roll Leaders: ZouZou Mansour is Not Like Anybody Else
Name: Soraia (Zou) Mansour
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, and performer in Soraia
Family: My band, of course.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in English at St Joseph’s University but mostly the school of rock and roll.
Favorite Moments: Opening for Bon Jovi and Halloween in Auggen, Germany.
Quote: Learning to work in the music industry is difficult. “Everything that drowns me taught me how to swim.”
If you want to find Soraia Mansour, she’s likely hunkered down chasing down her dream with her band. The mastermind behind Philadelphia rock band Soraia is an absolute workaholic who is always juggling multiple roles.
Music is in Mansour’s soul and she learned that from an early age. “Since I was in second grade, I wanted to sing, but all the girls that I knew had a high pitched voice. Because my voice was different, I thought I wasn’t a singer,” Mansour says. “I remember being scared to death so I just pushed through, started pursuing music and kept doing it.”
“At heart I always knew I was a songwriter, singer, and performer,” she says.
She makes sure she oversees all the projects so she can ensure everything is going smoothly. She explains, “I play the role of the general manager, executive producer and a creative visioneer to make sure everything comes together at the end of the day.”
Her day-to-day responsibilities often include a lot of planning and business work, but it’s knowing that she could inspire people that keeps the fire burning in her.
“I want to write something that’s true and honest. I write for the impact on people who are going to hear the song, to positively change them in some way,” she explains.
Her fans often attend multiple shows, hanging around to talk with her afterward, asking about her history, how she got started and what her lyrics mean.
“Most people who are in my life are in my band or I met through music or a show,” Mansour explains. Even some of the band members were fans before joining and now they mean so much to her. “This band is a family and we all have to be here for each other,” she says.
The results of her work can be seen by her past. Her band has opened for Bon Jovi, worked with Steven Van Zandt and toured across the world. But most recently, Mansour’s latest album, Dead Reckoning, received national attention.
“When I just started doing open mics I remember sitting on the couch thinking, if I ever make Rolling Stone Magazine I’ll know I made it. It was never about money or being signed to a big label,” she explains.
“Here I am 16 years later, published in Rolling Stone. When I got the news I dropped the phone and started crying. I made it,” she says. Today, Mansour’s picture is featured front and center for the ‘Year of Rock, 2017’ story.
Mansour’s hard work is paid off by her success.
She explains, “Big labels had put their noses up at us, but our success reminds us that they really missed out.”
Mansour encourages artists to keep at their dreams and never give up, especially if it’s not a traditional job.
“No matter how difficult, you have to just go for it, for the music's sake, for your sake,” she says.
Want to meet Soraia? Catch them on tour:
Five Shows You Don’t Want to Miss this Summer
We all know concert season is just around the corner! It’s time to pack up your concerts bags to catch the latest artists as they hit the road this summer.
Start saving up and planning your concert calendar so this summer you don’t have to miss out on any of these acts.
Here’s five bands you don’t want to miss:
Todd Kerns performing in Alberta, Canada
Age of Electric
You may not have heard of these guys, yet! The Age Of Electric turned 28 years old in the past few days and are back on tour to celebrate. Born out of Calgary, Canada over 20 years ago, these guys reunited after going their separate ways in different bands. They are certainly bringing punk rock band to Canada and soon the States. Check outAge of Electric when they pass through your city. There are a few more dates left on the tour, including a newly announced show in Ottawa!
Bon Jovi
The band recently released their newest album, This House is Not for Sale (#THINFS). The boys are back on the road playing all the hits, the new songs, and a couple of those rare gems. The newly revamped lineup now brings Bon Jovi to a total of 7 touring members ensuring a full sounding set. On stage you'll find a double bass drum, four keyboards, bongos, and wind chimes and the iconic white microphone: what else could you ask for? Of course new guitarist Phil X and John Shanks bring the rock edge back—expect the crazy guitar solo’s that Bon Jovi has missed since Sambora's departure.
Green Day
The punk rock band seems completely revitalized with a new attitude after having issues the past few years. Armstrong’s on stage antics are fun and fan-friendly. The band often invites young aspiring artists on stage to jam with them which encourages and inspires a new generation of musicians. Their set is two and a half hours of anything and everything.
Fan Plays Billie's Guitar on Stage , Green Day, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA; March 25th, 2017; Revolution Radio Tour
Joan Jett plays BB&T Pavillion 2016
Boston and Joan Jett
This dynamic duo paired up to bring the 70’s and 80’s rock scene back to life. Joan Jett recently toured the states with Cheap Trick so it’s only fitting that her band brings the same styled artist on the road. With both bands still going strong, these double headliners makes sure you get your money’s worth.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Celebrate fourth of July weekend with Tom Petty at the Wells Fargo Center! The setlist will be sure to include everything from the fan favorites to the hits. Plus, if you’re lucky Joe Walsh will appear as very special guest at your show! This show is almost sold out so grab your tickets fast.
Who do you most look forward to seeing this summer? Leave a comment below!
Whitford St. Holmes Plays Intimate Show in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
June 30, 2016
Whitford St. Holmes is a supergroup that you may not have never heard of, yet. The underrated heroes and musical extraordinaries that held together huge groups like Aerosmith and Ted Nugent’s band come together to form this group.
Fronted by Derek St. Holmes, ex-player of Ted Nugent’s band and supported by Brad Whitford of Aerosmith on guitar, the two make a dynamic team. For live shows they are joined by Brent Fitz of Slash’s band on drums and Buck Johnson of Aerosmith on keys.
This isn’t the first time the band have released or toured in support of an album. The classic rock duo of Whitford and Holmes are the root of this band and began with their debut self titled album in 1981. Their latest album, Reunion, is properly named as it is a celebration of the reunion and tour of the two.
The live show is nothing but excitement. The pure talent of the artists can be seen as almost every night they deviate from the setlist and go off playing requests and anything that pops into their heads. With just a look to each other the band can shoot off any song.
In the middle of their set they play a tribute to the bands that are their ‘day jobs." With a kick of a drum, Buck Johnson on keys takes the mic and sings along to Aerosmith’s “Last Child.” The jam continues with “Train Kept A Rollin.”
The show is filled with solos highlighting every member and playful stories involving the writing process of some of the songs.
If you missed them, there’s still time. The tour continues until the end of July.
http://www.whitfordstholmes.com/
Written Setlist:
Shapes
Rock All Day
Hells on Fire
Tender is the Night
Not for you
Keep On Movin’
Whiskey Woman
Sharp Shooter
Catch my Fall
Shy Away
Slow Blues
Shake It
Last Train
Hey Baby
Train
Stranglehold
Rock The Farm 2015:
Farmingdale, NJ: August 29th, 2015
Special guest David Bryan joined the Matt O'Ree Band on stage to headline Rock The Farm in New Jersey.
An entire day of live music, comedy, and fun activities came to an end with Bon Jovi's keyboardist, David Bryan who took the stage to perform a set of Bon Jovi songs. The performance included Runaway, Bad Medicine, Bed Of Roses, Wanted Dead Or Alive and a cover of Travelin Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The show raised money for the CFC Loud and Clear Foundation which helps bring awareness to the growing heroin problem in today's society. The community event raises money for the non-profit organization to continue to help combat addiction by providing help to individuals in need.
A sold out show at the Stone Pony celebrating the 40th anniversary of Born To Run raised $11,180 for the cause! In Farmingdale the large check was presented to the crowd.
For more information and to donate visit http://www.cfcloudnclear.org/