Bon Jovi is King of the "Zoo"Source: Asbury Park Press article by Chris Jordan, Staff Writer | 6/4/02
It was a New Jersey version of "Where's Waldo" at Sunday night's star studded Z100 Zootopia concert at Giant's Stadium in East Rutherford. But instead of the bespectacled Waldo ubiquitously popping up, it seemed the jersey of New Jersey Nets star guard Jason Kidd was everywhere.
Both Nick and Aaron Carter -teen idols for the Disney set- were wearing Kidd shirts during their performance, and Z100 DJ Paul "Cubby" Bryant also had one on.
Even hometown hero Jon Bon Jovi donned a glittery version of the Kidd jersey.
See what happens when you're a winner? Everyone wants a piece of ya. The Nets, who play their home games across the parking lot at the Continental Airlines Arena, are set to face the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship.
When the real Kidd finally did make an appearance, it was to introduce P. Diddy, a confirmed New York Knicks fan whose pre-set video montage showed him wearing the No. 34 shirt of the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal.
Ouch! Even in the finals, Jersey still doesn't get any respect. But it gets music, lots of it, to the tune of nearly seven hours worth at the concert, which is a promotional tool for Z100 (100.3 WHTZ FM). Shakira, Pink, Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige, Bon Jovi, Michelle Branch, Celine Dion, P. diddy, Goo Goo Dolls, alanis Morissette, Craig David, Vanessa Carlton, Outkast and Fat Joe each performed two to six songs in a revue style format, the pace somewhat quickened by a revolving stage.
Those who delivered included Anthony, who showed off his impressive lungs on songs such as "I Need to Know" and David, who performed several improv raps/skats while delivering stripped-down versions of hits from his album "Born to do It".
Dion, who continuously referred to the crowd as being from New York, came off like the big sister of the group. That is, her midriff wasn't exposed and she wasn't sporting any tattoos. Still, the singer led the crowd in several sing-alongs, including one for the "Titanic" smash, "My Heart Will Go On".
Later in the show, Mary J. Blige seemingly poured her heart out on stage, delivering a soulful, visceral version of "No More Drama" that captivated the mostly teen-age female audience.
The big winner? New Jersey's Bon Jovi, whose stadium anthems worked perfectly in a stadium. The band, introduced by members of the New York Yankees, was crisp and powerful, and every time member Richie Sambora was shown on the two video screens during a guitar solo, it was met by shrieks of joy.
Seems like there's a generation out there searching for a guitar hero.
Who didn't fare so well? Fat Joe and Ashanti, who had to follow Bon Jovi. Alanis Morissette, who battled sound problems and the nagging feeling that she's yesterday's flavor. Finally, P. Diddy, who briefly got the house rocking when Busta Rhymes joined him, but showed questionable taste when, while performing "I'll be missing you" showed images of Sept. 11 on the video screens. It was meant as a tribute to those lost in the attacks. It seemed more like a desperate attempt of an artistic mind out of ideas to reconnect with his audience.
From Left to Right: 1. Steve Frangadakis ("Richie" from CRUSH) and Richie Sambora [Photo: BonJoviCrush.com] 2. Steve Sage as JBJ in the Bon Jovi tribute band Bad Medicine. [Photo: BonJoviTribute.com]