Bon Jovi’s new lineup filled Xcel Energy Center Monday night, although the band didn’t look that much different from the last time we saw them in St. Paul.

Weeks before that 2013 show, guitarist Richie Sambora had abruptly quit the tour and, eventually, the band. At the time, the group hastily drafted Phil X to fill Sambora’s spot, but kept him largely in the shadows in St. Paul. If anything, that concert focused so tightly on lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, it felt more like a trial run for his solo career.

Monday, however, was all about re-establishing Bon Jovi as a Real Band. While recording last year’s “This House Is Not for Sale,” JBJ promoted Phil X to full-band status and did the same for bassist Hugh McDonald, some 22 years after he started playing with the group. While the tight-panted, expertly coiffed JBJ remained the focal point Monday, both Phil X and touring guitarist John Shanks (who has also acted as Bon Jovi’s primary producer for the past dozen years) stood up front with him, with the video cameras giving the audience some facetime with grizzled drummer Tico Torres and eternally permed keyboardist David Bryan.

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St. Paul Chamber Orchestra adds six fall concerts that will be streamed live for free The show also felt designed to drive home the idea that Bon Jovi is very much a contemporary act, not a mere nostalgia trip. A full 13 of the first 15 songs performed date from the ’00s to present, with the crowd giving “It’s My Life,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and the title track of the new record each a huge response. JBJ then announced the rest of the night was “hits, just hits,” and he delivered with all the big ones, from “Lay Your Hands on Me” to “Keep the Faith” to “Livin’ on a Prayer.” He even dedicated “Wanted Dead or Alive” to “all the cowboys out there in Minnesota.”

Was Sambora missed? Yeah, I think so. He often seemed to play the Keith Richards (freewheeling, boozy) to JBJ’s Mick Jagger (professional, focused on money) and while Phil X can certainly tear his way through a solo, he’s never going to be in the position to question the guy whose last name is on all the records and t-shirts. (It’s also worth noting that, prior to the concert, the big screens advertised Bon Jovi’s smartphone app, online merch store and the pasta sauce line run by JBJ’s dad. It’s available at Target, in case you were wondering.)

A few notable early power ballads didn’t make the set list Monday, including “Bed of Roses” and “Always,” although JBJ went out of his way to talk up the new songs — from the tender “Scars on This Guitar” to the wannabe anthem “God Bless This Mess” — presumably to establish them as new Bon Jovi classics. It’s a smart move. With about 18,000 in the crowd Monday, plenty of people still love Bon Jovi, with or without Richie Sambora.