Bon Jovi MSG residency drew Springsteen, McCartney and more
Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Pink and more turned Bon Jovi’s nine-show MSG residency into a backstage parade.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The Bon Jovi MSG residency closed Sunday at Madison Square Garden with Bruce Springsteen onstage, capping a nine-show New York run that doubled as a celebrity magnet, Rolling Stone reported.
Springsteen joined Bon Jovi for two songs on the final night, singing and playing guitar on “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and his own “The Promised Land,” according to Rolling Stone. The War and Treaty also returned for the finale, with Michael and Tanya Trotter joining the band on “The People’s House.”
The Garden run was more than a comeback gig. It marked Jon Bon Jovi’s first tour in four years after vocal problems and surgery in 2022, Rolling Stone reported.
Who joined Bon Jovi at MSG?
The guest list stretched across rock, pop, film, radio and sports. Bon Jovi posted an Instagram photo from the July 9 show with Paul McCartney and wrote, “Did this really happen??? Yes, it did.”
Springsteen’s E Street Band bandmate Little Steven Van Zandt appeared later in the residency, Rolling Stone reported. The War and Treaty and Robbie Williams were also among the names spotted during the run.
Night 6 brought Ed Sheeran, Howard Stern and Forest Whitaker, according to Rolling Stone and Instagram posts from Jon Bon Jovi. Stern has history with the band: he inducted Bon Jovi into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The next night tilted toward sports. Rolling Stone reported that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and tennis great John McEnroe were backstage for Night 7. Pink was there as well and joined the band’s pre-show huddle, according to the report.
What happened during the shortened July 23 show?
The July 23 concert, the penultimate date of the residency, ended early because Jon Bon Jovi had a sinus infection, Rolling Stone reported. The night still included a guest turn from Train frontman Pat Monahan, who sang “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
Monahan performed the song again the following night with Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan during a Train stop in Holmdel, New Jersey, according to Rolling Stone.
What is a concert residency?
A residency is a run of multiple shows by the same artist at one venue, rather than a traditional tour that moves city to city. In Bon Jovi’s case, the band played nine dates at Madison Square Garden before heading overseas.
The MSG stand now gives way to the U.K. Rolling Stone reported that Bon Jovi is scheduled for five shows there next month, including three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.
For a band returning after a long break from touring, the New York run came with plenty of company. By the end, the backstage roll call included a Beatle, the Boss, a pop star with a guitar, a radio heavyweight, an Oscar winner and two sports fixtures, all orbiting one Garden residency.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.