In front of a rowing crowd of tens of thousands, rock band Bon Jovi came out to delight fans in Central Park, the group's first ever concert there.
The band performed on Saturday on the Great Lawn for almost two hours with a set list mostly filled with hits from past albums.
The group opened with "Livin' on a Prayer" and included other picks such as "Run away," "Blaze of Glory," "It's my life," "Keep the Faith" and "Always." Some songs also came from the group's latest album "Lost Highway."
"I love it, I Love it. I've seen [them] like eight times this year. I've been a fan for twenty years and I've loved it since they started," said fan Debbie Polito of New York, who was shouting in approval along with the crowd.
On stage the band performed with great energy, excited to be in Central Park, a venue previously used by artists such as Paul Simon, Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross and Elton John among others.
"We did something that the Beatles and the Stones never did," said lead singer Jon Bon Jovi who dressed in a black leather vest and later paid tribute to the Beatles, singing "Twist and shout."
The concert, which began at 8:00 p.m., ended after nightfall, even used special lighting reflected in nearby trees. In a giant screen behind the stage, the attending crowd seemed to have no end in sight.
About 60,000 tickets were planned for distribution for the free concert when it was announced nearly two weeks ago. However, later reports showed 67,500 tickets were given out in total. A spokesman from New York City's Mayor's office said 48,500 showed up.
The event was billed as a prelude to the Major League Baseball 2008 All-Star game in New York. Tickets were given away, two to each person at various locations. However some sellers were offering them on Ebay ranging from 99 cents to as much as $1,500.
"I wouldn't have paid. I would have done what I did. Get up at five o'clock in the morning and waited in line to get tickets," said Lori Ferreira, a fan at the concert.
