Bon Jovi Kicks Off Comeback Tour With Beatles Cover At Madison Square Garden

Bon Jovi returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to launch their Forever Tour with the first of nine shows at the legendary New York City venue. The outing marks the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ first extended run of shows since frontman Jon Bon Jovi underwent major vocal cord surgery in 2022.

Before taking the stage, Jon Bon Jovi appeared in a pre-recorded message thanking his bandmates — fellow original members Tico Torres and David Bryan, along with Everett Bradley, Hugh McDonald, Phil X and John Shanks — for supporting him through his lengthy recovery process. The first public Bon Jovi performance in four years began with a cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.”

Bon Jovi last played the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band classic in 2008, with the cover shelved for 12 years before that. The New Jersey-bred rockers based their version of “With A Little Help From My Friends” on Joe Cocker’s famed 1968 rework. Jon Bon Jovi confidently attacked the high notes, while his bandmates provided soaring vocal harmonies.

Rather than leaning immediately on the band’s biggest hits, Bon Jovi spent much of the opening stretch spotlighting post-2000 material including “Beautiful Drug” from 2020, “We Weren’t Born To Follow” off 2009’s “The Circle” and aughts standouts “Lost Highway” and “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.” The band then reeled off beloved favorites “You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Born To Be My Baby” before looking to their latest album, Forever, for “Legendary.”

The remainder of the main set mixed material from various points of their four-decade career, including singalong versions of “It’s My Life,” “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Lay Your Hands On Me.” Forever was also represented by “Living Proof,” while title track “This House Is Not For Sale” was the lone entry from the band’s 2016 album.

Bon Jovi ended the 19-song set with the fitting “Keep The Faith.” A three-song encore of classics “I’ll Be There For You,” “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and “Bad Medicine” brought the emotional night to a close.

Bon Jovi returns to Madison Square Garden on Thursday before completing a nine-show residency through July 26. The Forever Tour then heads to the United Kingdom and Ireland in August and September.

Watch a video of Bon Jovi’s full tour opener at Madison Square Garden compiling footage from multiple sources: