Bon Jovi Performs in Central Park

Bon Jovi put on a show Saturday and rocked Central Park. The rock group gave a free concert in the Great Lawn, making tens of thousands of fans ecstatic and singing along with the lyrics on the summer evening, reported the Associated Press.

The group from New Jersey started with "Livin' on a Prayer," and played other songs like "Born to Be My Baby," "Lost Highway," and "Runaway." A total of 60,000 tickets were given away for the concert by New York City officials who expected some 50,000 people to show up. The tickets were reportedly sold on eBay for as much as $1,500 per pair, according to AP.

Many lined up, even six hours before the show's 8 p.m. opening. The band joined other greats like Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand and Pope John Paul II. Garth Brooks ended up playing on the park's North Meadow as well, reported AP. The show was a family affair as well for some. Josephine Ribaudo-McGrane, 34, from Queens, came at 1 p.m. She came with her mother, son, and daughter as well as her sister and her best friend. "They've gotten me through a lot of rough times," she told AP. "I don't think there's a song I don't like."

Bon Jovi is to perform at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday as part of its "Lost Highway" tour. Those shows, however, are paid admission as well. The band has been around for more than 20 years and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.