Gary Sawning, manager and drummer of the Wasted Whiskey Band, joined Pellien’s ban. “People need to speak up,” he said. “This is the first time the town can take a stand and keep jobs here.”
Sawning said he prides himself on taking requests at events, but if a fan wants to hear a Bon Jovi song, he’ll politely say, “We’ll see what Bon Jovi does with the team first.”
And if that fan threatens to walk out?
“We’ll probably just let him leave,” Sawning said.
This isn’t directed against Bon Jovi himself. Sawning said he likes the music. It’s more a show of defiance by a fan base that feels like greater forces may swoop in and leave it without one of only two major sports teams in the area.