From 1990-1996 Bon Jovi played an annual Christmas benefit show (in the first 2 years even 2 shows on 1 day) at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey.
It first started out in 1990 as warm-up shows for their upcoming small tour through Japan but quickly established as an annual event for the years to come. These
shows always brought back Bon Jovi's bar band spirit with very special setlists that were far away from the usual (tour-setlist)structure, including great covers and rare songs from their own
back catalogue and the beginning of band members singing lead vocals on original or cover songs. Furthermore it were these intimate shows that inspired them to add a bar-like area on their tour
stage between 1995-2006 where fans were allowed to sit/stay for a couple of songs during the mainset.
However, in 1997 no Christmas show was announced due to scheduling problems, since Jon and Richie both were working on solo projects.
No Christmas show was to ever follow again.