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.

Dave Matthew Band, Kenny Chesney and Bon Jovi top the confirmed performers list for a new outdoor festival spanning multiple days that is scheduled for next July. The festival will take place at Churchill Downs, home of the legendary Kentucky Derby.

HullabaLOU Music Festival will take place in Louisville, KY at the racetrack on July 23-25 and feature over 65 bands.

Performers will represent the musical genres of Bluegrass, adult contemporary, country and classic rock. They will be performing on five stages over the course of the event. The event is being designed by its organizers to be an event held on an annual basis.

Other performers and acts scheduled to play at the festival include Dwight Yoakam, Michael McDonald, Joan Osborne, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes, Loretta Lynn, Colbie Caillat and Jason Aldean along with many others.

Quint Davis, consulting producer as well as the director and producer of New Orleans’ Jazz Fest said, the performers who are scheduled to play at the HullabaLOU festival will put the event instantly on the map for the country’s major music festivals.

The price for tickets for the festival will range from $60 covering a general admission pass for one day, up to $975 covering VIP admission for the entire three days. On December 4 tickets will go on sale starting at noon Kentucky time.

The Bergen Record is reporting that it is Bon Jovi and not the closer Bruce Springsteen who will open the new New York Jets and Giants stadium next spring.

It is quite fitting that Jon Bon Jovi, Springsteen and the Jersey Boys all be part of the Meadowlands’ history.

On October 9, Bruce Springsteen was at Giants Stadium for the final concert performance at the stadium, which will be demolished following this year’s NFL season.

The Boss last night finished a four night series at the Spectrum in South Philadelphia, which is also set to be demolished.

The new $1.6 billion facility in North Jersey is currently under construction and it is expected that it will be completed in the spring ahead of schedule.

The Bergen Record said the sources had informed the newspaper that the Bon Jovi concert’s official announcement would be tomorrow.

The Bon Jovi band has been getting lots of publicity recently.

On Monday Jon Bon Jovi lead singer, dedicated a new playground in Camden.

On Saturday When We Were Beautiful, the first ever documentary of the band, will make its debut on Showtime at 9 p.m.

On November 10, Bon Jovi will release The Circle, their latest album.

Jon Bon Jovi owned the AFL team the Philadelphia Soul. In 2008 the team won the 2008 Arena Football League championship before it suspended operations last year.

It is doubtful there will be a 2010 season. Last month a new arena league with 16 teams was announced but there was no entry from Philadelphia.

The new stadium is currently named Meadowlands Stadium. A naming right deal could possibly be struck to change that.

The X Factor continues to bring top acts to their line up to perform on the show. Next month JLS and Bon Jovi will hit the stage in order to promote their latest singles.

On Sunday November 1 both groups will be playing live as both the public as well as judges will decide which of the X Factor acts are going to make it through the sing-off elimination.

Bon Jovi, multi Grammy award winners, will be performing their hit song “We Weren’t Born to Follow,” before the November 2 launch of The Circle, the band’s new album.

Last month Jon Bon Jovi revealed he is a Susan Boyle fan and would like to sing a duet together with her.

Bon Jovi hasn’t kept his affection for Boyle a secret after she awed the entire world through her performances on the show Britain’s Got Talent. However, it doesn’t seem very likely that the two will connect on the show the X Factor.

Worldwide the band Bon Jovi has sold over 120 million albums as well as performed in over 2,600 concerts in more than 50 countries in front of over 34 million fans.

JLS, meanwhile, will be performing their song, “Everybody in Love,” before the November 2 release of their much anticipated debut album entitled JLS.

Aston Merrygold, JLS band member, confessed that he does have a fancy for Cheryl Cole, X Factor judge. Lat year, the boy band were the runners-up on The X Factor, with Louis Walsh as their mentor.

Bon Jovi is going to be the first artist to appear over NBC Universal’s many brands in their unique partnership they are calling an Artist in Residence. According to the exclusive agreement, the performances, appearances, and music of Bon Jovi will be widely heard and seen across many of NBC Universal’s platforms and brands. The announcement came from Jeff Gaspin, who is the chairman for Universal Television Entertainment at NBC.

The project for Artists in Residence is coinciding with the launch on November 10th of The Circle, the new studio album from Bon Jovi.

The project will offer NBCU a unique opportunity for working with the band as well as Jon Bon Jovi, through guest starring roles, musical guest appearances, and interviews to help bring compelling and exclusive content across the many brands of NBC Universal, including cable information and news platforms, broadcast network, cable network and their other digital assets. It will also provide Bon Jovi with a unique opportunity for promoting their album The Circle to a more diverse and broader audience.

Gaspin said, assembling such a unique mix of different appearances across the NBC Universal brands would provide Bon Jovi with the opportunity for reaching a wider audience in many different compelling ways and simultaneously provide exclusive and interesting content to NBCU’s properties.

As part of their participation in the program Artists in Residence, the band has confirmed a number of appearances on different NBCU platforms, including the “Bon Jovi Month” special on NBC’s Today show during the month of November where they will be appearing live on the show during each of the four Wednesdays of November, capping the month off with a concert performance Wednesday November 25th on the plaza.

Bon Jovi will also appear on several of NBC’s Entertainment programs and will be a featured guest on the Bravo show “Inside the Actors’ Studio.” On “USA Character Showcase” the philanthropic and artistic work of Jon Bon Jovi will be highlight in an online and on the air campaign. In addition he will appear as a featured panelist on the USA Network “Characters United National Town Hall,” sponsored by Tom Brokaw. The discussion on how to overcome social injustices will take place Wednesday December 2 in Washington DC. There will also be a feature of Jon with Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News, and “The More You Know,” their public service campaign, with spots airing on the broadcast networks and NBCU cable. The music of the band will be integrated quite heavily through the NCB cable and network programming.

“We Weren’t Born To Follow” the lead single from Bon Jovi’s new album The Circle was co-produced and written by Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi and the production was done by John Shanks. Shanks worked as well on Bon Jovi’s last two albums, Lost Highway (2007), debuting at #1 on Soundscan’s charts, and Have A Nice Day (2005), featuring “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” their Grammy award winning single.

Their “Lost Highway World Tour” that began in New Jersey for ten nights and closed out with a free historic concert in Central Park in New York City as well as two sold out Madison Square Garden concerts was, according to Billboard, the number one selling tour in all the world in 2008.

For over two decades Bon Jovi has been setting the standard for being one of the world’s most successful rock bands. Globally, Bon Jovi has sold over 120 million albums as well as performed in over 2,600 concerts in more than 50 different countries in front of over 34 million fans.

A world that doesn’t have at least one Bon Jovi documentary just doesn’t seem complete. That will be fixed by “When We Were Beautiful.” Showtime has acquired the documentary of Bon Jovi which will premiere on October 24. Phil Griffin, photographer and filmmaker, directed the documentary which was filmed behind the scenes on the 2008 Lost Highway World Tour for the band that ended with a big Central Park concert in New York City.

Phil Griffin said that throughout his process of working with the band Bon Jovi that he was amazed at the candor and humility of the band and Jon.

The end result isn’t a neat bundle of musical interludes and staged interviews. Instead it’s a series of sometimes difficult and open conversations that are explored against a musical backdrop which spans twenty five years.

The film is about Jon’s drive, Richie’s complexity, Dave’s brutal honest and Tico’s peace. The band members’ willingness to share their story provides us with a very human story that shows the band will stand the tests of time.

Lots of people gave up on the guys from Jersey around the time that “I’ll Be There for You,” got played for about the billionth time. Credit needs to be given to Jon Bon Jovi and Company who have stayed relevant and rolled with the punches, remaining successful and popular for all of these years.

The band’s first album was released in 1984 after all!

Bon Jovi has taken their fair share of knocks for following the arena rock clichéd template. But it’s okay sometimes. That is all we want at times.

“The Circle,” the band’s new studio album, has a release date of November 10th. In addition, Harper Collins is releasing a companion book entitled “When We Were Beautiful” on October 27th.

The promoters AEG Live are playing down speculation that the rock band Bon Jovi are returning to London’s O2 arena for a multiple date residency.

Rumors are being spread over the internet about a 20 night residency, but AEG hasn’t had much to say officially about the matter. An AEG spokesman said he didn’t have any word regarding the rumored deal.

However, there are other sources that do suggest that there might just be some truth to the story. After all Bon Jovi was the band who two years ago opened at the record setting arena. The band also does have a history of making booking residencies in the US.

A band spokesman said that Bon Jovi was currently working on The Circle, their new album, which will be released later this year. He added that they would be announcing the details for a tour of North America but said he didn’t know of any proposed London residency.

Rock star Jon Bon Jovi says that he completely understands why former members of Nirvana are protesting the use of an image of Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5, a popular video game.

Last week Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic stated that they were disappointed that an avatar of Cobain was being used in the game for playing songs from other acts.

Jon Bon Jovi said on BBC that he didn’t know if he would have wanted that either. He said that hearing another person’s voice coming from a cartoon version of me would sound a little forced.

Last weekend Guitar Hero 5 started number one on the UK game charts, beating The Beatles: Rock Band, their highly promoted rival.

The late front man for Nirvana appears in the game as an unlockable character which allows players to see Cobain’s image performing a variety of other musical tracks include “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.

In a statement released jointly by Novoselic and Grohl last week they stated that hadn’t known that the image of Cobain would used that way.

They said they were very disappointed and dismayed the way that the image of Kurt was being used in Guitar Hero 5.

The duo also encouraged Activision, the game maker, to do the right ting by re-locking the character Kurt.

Activision stated the the singer’s estate had granted their permission for using Cobain’s image. They said that Courtney Love, Cobain’s widow, had provided them with a written agreement allowing the likeness of the singer to appear as a completely playable character in Guitar Hero 5.

On Twitter, Love stated that she hadn’t ever signed a contract on Guitar Hero 5 and threatened Activision with legal action. She wrote that it was a breach of contract by a bully and that it would be properly addressed and be retracted.

Jon Bon Jovi, who is currently promoting the 11th studio album of his band, The Circle, stated that he had been offered to appear in Guitar Hero as a playable character and had declined.

He said he had the paperwork and that they had wanted him to be in the game but he had passed. Bon Jovi added that no one had ever mentioned that he would be singing other artist’s songs. I am not sure I would have wanted that or reacted to it.