Bon Jovi kicks off tour

Bon Jovi's U.S. tour got underway on Monday (February 18th) in Omaha, Nebraska. But the band didn't get to do much prep work for the show because of last week's shootings on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where Bon Jovi had been scheduled to rehearse in the town's Convocation Center in days leading up to the first show. The Center was in close proximity to where Steve Kazmierczak went on a shooting rampage, forcing the band to change their plans.

Singer Jon Bon Jovi told us his band was about to land near DeKalb just as the shootings were happening: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "We were in the air at the time and so we didn't get any further than the airport. But our crew and the stage and everything was there, you know, just 400 feet away. You know, we were right at that back door. So when we landed we were just told to get back on the plane and go home."

Bon Jovi added his thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families.

A film crew will join Bon Jovi on the road to capture footage for a band documentary.

The U.S. tour wraps May 1st in Atlanta. The band will then head to Europe and might line up a few big stadium shows. Bon Jovi said he currently has large stadiums on hold for the summer, adding, "All these (arena) shows are sold out, but the July dates, I'm not sure where the economy's going to be, so I don't know yet."

Bon Jovi will headline the World Stage on May 31st, the second day of the Rock in Rio-Lisbon 2008 festival.

Bon Jovi is out behind its latest album, Lost Highway.
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