DANIA BEACH, Fla. – South Florida is buzzing about where exactly Bon Jovi performed during the primetime inauguration special Wednesday night.
It was billed to the tens of millions of TV viewers as coming from Miami, but which pier was the band on when it belted out the Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” with the ocean as the backdrop?
Permits were in fact pulled at multiple locations across South Florida, including at the Dania Beach Pier, where Local 10 News can confirm Bon Jovi filmed Jan. 15 at sunrise under the supervision of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
It is also possible that the video contained images shot from other places.
People who came out to Dania Beach Pier on Thursday were connecting the dots.
“Oh my God, I wish I was here!” said fan Luciana Azanha. “I love Bon Jovi and I’m always here. I come biking every day, so too bad I didn’t know. I’d love to see him.”
Perhaps blame COVID-19 for the mission being kept so secretive that the city of Dania Beach was also in the dark about Bon Jovi being in town.
The city posted a statement a short time ago saying it’s proud Dania Beach and the pier were chosen as one of the locations.
“The Dania Beach Pier is the gem of our city and we are very grateful to see it shine on such a monumentous day,” the city said.
We’ve learned that Gil Green, known for creating videos with Miami rapper Pitbull and the Miami Heat, directed the Bon Jovi shoot.
The permitting process actually goes through the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, aka Visit Lauderdale, which handles film permits for the county.
They say Jon Bon Jovi himself didn’t apply for the permit, but that a permit description included:
“Music video at Dania Beach Pier filming a performance; shot of a singer playing guitar at edge of pier as the sun is rising in the background. Minimal crew, less than 20 people.”