Rather than make some trite “the ’80s are back” commentary or attempt to belittle Bon Jovi’s performance at the Kohl Center Saturday, to say the group was great would suffice.

A brink-of-sellout crowd filled the Kohl Center not for the novelty of the situation, but for the love of the music, and Bon Jovi didn’t disappoint. The over-two-hour set was loaded with hits that induced multiple sing-alongs, but this was no karaoke act. The New Jersey brotherhood overpowered the audience with timeless tunes that felt just as relevant as the day they were released.

Able to endure the post-’80s humiliation that so many of its peers faced (ex. Poison, Motley Crue), Bon Jovi is an institution that has survived nearly two decades in the upper echelon of music’s elite.

The quintet has continually sold records, filled respectable arenas as opposed to state-fair coliseums, and kept a loyal, non-regressive audience throughout.

There were no tight-rolled jeans, bandanas or scrunchies in sight Saturday, a refreshing departure from the nostalgia-fest that was John Mellencamp’s performance at the Kohl Center some four months ago.

Backed by an iridescent network of tiny lights and three massive satellite dishes that acted as video monitors, Bon Jovi took the stage at 8:45 p.m. to thunderous applause and immediately kicked into “Bounce,” the title track from the group’s latest album.

The upbeat energy of the song paved the way for the remainder of the night, and the plastic chairs at the Kohl Center grew cool as not many fans sat down once the show started.

Dressed in a red overcoat reminiscent of George Harrison’s on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s, guitarist Richie Sambora owned the stage, continually proving why he is among the most technically sound and melodically inclined guitarists still playing today.

His squealing, frenetic solo on the show’s second song, “You Give Love a Bad Name,” was awe-inspiring, and from that point on he had the respect of all amateur guitarists and cynics in the audience. How could you not respect a guy who’s married to Heather Locklear?

Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, dressed in black jeans and a chest-revealing black leather shirt, bounced around the stage like an aerobics instructor on speed, somehow managing to keep his vocals in check and flirt with groups of women that were allowed to stand on the sides of the stage.

On more than one occasion, the singer was accosted as he made his way to the far ends of the stage, with female fans fetching after his ass like it was a glass of water in the desert. The singer shrugged these advances off, kissing the cheeks of the glowing ladies and even slow dancing with a contest winner on “Bed of Roses.”

“Let me get this straight. It’s a Saturday night in a college town, and there’s 12,000 women and the five of us. Those odds seem pretty even to me,” Jon Bon Jovi said.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was the strength of the new material on Bounce. One new song in particular, “The Distance,” dedicated to the safe return of our troops overseas, was a dense blast of melodicism with drop-D chords, swaying verses and head-bobbing breakdowns that captivated the attention of the attendees and proved itself a standout track.

Drummer Tico Torres was solid throughout the evening, keeping the ship afloat, while keyboardist David Bryan, although occasionally too gleeful (think Screech in the Zack Attack) added needed inflections to the setlist.

A spotless, crowd sing-along version of “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and a Richie Sambora solo, “I’ll Be There For You,” were among the more low-key highlights of the night.

“Are there any cowboys in the audience?” asked Jon Bon Jovi, seconds before Sambora began the slide guitar intro of “Blaze of Glory,” the megahit from the “Young Guns II” soundtrack. The wiry, sliding notes emanating from Sambora’s custom-made Stratocaster gave the tune a less glossy feeling than its recorded version.

Aside from the impressive stage, Sambora’s immaculate guitar work, and an impenetrable collection of hits that fill Bon Jovi’s back catalogue, the most impressive thing about Saturday night’s show was the fact that it happened. These guys have everything and more, and the fact that they still work for the appreciation of their fans and tour like a hungry band half their age is a testament to the niche that Bon Jovi have carved out for itself as one of America’s greatest bands.