During next year’s Bon Jovi tour don’t expect that you will hear a show full of their greatest hits. Jon Bon Jovi said when the band heads out on the road in February the mix will include some rare tracks. He talked about having a conversation recently with a reporter suggesting that they break more of the obscure tracks out that Bon Jovi sometimes plays while in Europe or rarely performs. Bon Jovi says they will play their hits but will also mix the set list up. Yes we will always want to do those, but what if one night we don’t end up playing “Always?” It was a ballad and monster hit for us. What if one night you just aren’t in the mood to play ballads so you don’t. Personally I think that we have earned our right to have the freedom to do that.

Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi guitarist said, he is ready to play which ever tracks their frontman would like to play. Jon is our quarterback. He will call our set list. There will also be some audibles. It happens a lot. Sometimes we will be in our dressing room getting ready and Jon says, let’s pick up “Keep the Faith” or “These Days” or something we haven’t played for ten years. On the spot we will learn it. Then we take it to the stage that night and play it. It really depends on what we are feeling in terms of where we are at or what is going on.

The band will be out backing The Circle, their new album.

Who says that you can’t ever go home again? Newark HIV/AIDS patients finally can thanks to Jon Bon Jovi, the Jersey born rocker.

Today Bon Jovi officially helped to open the HELP Genesis JBJ Soul Homes. It’s a 51 unit affordable housing complex in the North ward of Newark. Fifteen of the units are solely dedicated to HIV/AIDS patients. It’s the first project for that in the state of New Jersey.

In front of a full lobby of the new building Bon Jovi said, today I think the sun is definitely shining brighter down on New Jersey. We have realized a dream today.

Approximately eighteen months ago, Bon Jovi and Maria Cuomo Cole, HELP USA chairwoman, approached Cory Booker, Newark Mayor, with the idea of providing affordable housing featuring community services along with state of the art construction and design. Despite poor economic conditions, Bon Jovi and Cole along with the political backing of Booker, got the $10.4 million project funded through tax abatements and charitable donations.

Following the event Booker said, a great deal of philanthropy was brought together in order to create New Jersey’s nicest affordable housing.

The project developer, HELP USA, was established in 1986. They have built approximately 30 housing projects and 2400 units all over the country. This is the group’s first New Jersey project. Cole gives Bon Jovi credit for bringing figures together from the political, fashion and music worlds in order to see the project to its fruition.

Cole said, Jon always emphasize how important the “we”is. This private/public partnership has been on of the most productive for HELP in 20 years.

Kenneth Cole, Cole’s husband, worked together with Bon Jovi. He created a jacket line along with a fragrance for generating revenue to fund the building. The JBJ Soul Foundation, Bon Jovi’s group, donated $1 million for the project.

The LEED certified building features three, two and one bedroom apartments. They come with hardwood cabinets, coriander counter tops and Energy Star appliances. The building also has two different homework labs furnished with computers for the children, along with a lab for job counseling, a fully stocked art studio complete with easels, as well as a dozen new Mac computers for community members and residents.

The fifteen apartments that have been dedicated for HIV/AIDS patients are furnished with tables and chairs, a dresser, a bed as well as grab bars and modified sinks for accommodating handicapped residents. Broadway House, which is a facility that provides long care services for adults with HIV/AIS will help residents with managing their medications as well as linking to addiction counseling and other outside services.

According to Hyacinth AIDS foundation officials, one of New Jersey’s first advocacy groups for AIDS, this project is crucial and also very unique.

Kim Hunter, who is Hyacinth’s correctional services manager, said this is very much needed. There is really an absence of projects of this kind in our area.

With the exception of health care, Hunter says that housing is the most important issues that affects HIV patients.

Hunter said, I specifically work with HIV-positive female and male offender populations. There is always a big barrier trying to find stable housing for them.

Vouchers are being provided by the Newark Housing Authority for the fifteen HIV-positive residents along with eight others. They were all taken from the Authority’s affordable housing waiting list.

A lottery with 500 income eligible Newark citizens was used to choose the remainder of the residents. The residential units are priced at a level for families that earn under 50 percent of the area’s median income. For a one bedroom the rent is $551 up to a three bedroom renting for $773.

The first official resident of the building, 37 year old Reuben Napper, was there to thank all of the groups who had helped to bring the project to its fruition.

Napper, an HIV patient who when he became sick lost his trucking job said, I am very excited that I get to transition into my very own apartment. Now I can work towards moving on in life. It really is a dream come true for me.

After taking a long break following the creation of “Alter the Ending,” the newest Dashboard Confessional album, front man for the band Chris Carraba is very happy to hit the road once again, and in particular is thrilled about opening up the first leg next year of Bon Jovi’s tour of North America.

Carraba said, I love the band. They are amazing. The songwriting prowess they possess has inspired me very much, although it probably isn’t obvious in my songwriting. They are also one of the archetypes in terms of live bands from the past thirty years. I am really looking forward to watching them play each night.

Carraba added, when I was just a young kid I heard something Bon Jovi said that has stuck with me. He said if a song couldn’t stand up with only an acoustic guitar that meant there really wasn’t a song there. I think that there is a lot of truth in that. That boils it down to the simplest equation. If it really is a good song it will be effective. It is a very good litmus test.

The dates for Bon Jovi start in Seattle on February 19 and will continue through until April. They are only part of the planned touring for Dashboard Confessional in 2010. Carraba along with John Lefler, guitarist, are playing acoustic dates currently in support of “Alter the Ending.” The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 19 in November.

The acoustic shows are being done instead of a tour of the full band. It was canceled abruptly due to a family emergency that was not disclosed. Carraba has continued to be discreet regarding the circumstances leading to the cancellation. He would only confirm it didn’t involve any of his family.

Carraba said, I really can’t say very much in order to respect the situation. Everyone is dong well. I think that we are through the thickest part.

Dashboard Confessional will be playing some headlining shows in between the Bon Jovi dates. They are also planning there own headlining North American tour as well as into other territories.

Carraba said, I hope to also do lots of shows with lots of my friends. It took us lots of time making this record as well as taking us off the road a lot. I am looking forward getting back out there to have the camp experience of touring life.

We probably will not be home too much next year. I am very happy about that.