When a typical college student is asked about an ideal concert, he or she will inevitably answer by naming an obscure, local band that played in some hole-in-the-wall venue that nobody but “the true fans” could find. Or, if they are really clueless, yet still trying to maintain some credibility, resort to the last Dave Matthews Band show in town as a musical milestone.
Roughly thirty years have passed since Aerosmith could claim local band status, and in those thirty years, they’ve grown into a live act too grandiose to be accommodated by the confines of a dive bar. Music critics have bashed Aerosmith’s radio-friendly style for the duration of their career, yet sometimes it is just fun to go to a concert where you know the words to every song and people are dancing on the lawn instead of gazing in stoned wonderment at the acoustic guitar work of the latest indie-rock hero. Aerosmith provided a fine opportunity for its audience to do exactly that.
The bad boys from Boston may be stretching the definition of the word “boys” a bit at this point in their careers, but they tried hard to live up to the glory days of their illustrious past. Clearly some slowing down has occurred, as their total stage time clocked in at barely over two hours including the encore: downright short considering some of the marathon sets they have played before. The set catered towards the casual fan, and perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The release of O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits marks the band’s eighth “greatest hits”-themed album, and the set list was taken nearly song for song from it.
Highlights included the rarely performed “Back in the Saddle,” which features some of lead guitar Joe Perry’s most incendiary playing as the backdrop to Steven Tyler’s screeching vocal assault. The band also revealed its bluesy roots by jamming out a previously unheard opening to “Pink,” followed by two old blues songs, “Steppin’ Out” and “Stop Messin’ Around.” Old standbys such as “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” also made their customary appearances to great roars of approval by the crowd.
The younger members of the audience received opening act Stone Temple Pilots with great fanfare, although the old guard, as usual, chose to offer the sage advice only brought about by inebriation, such as “These guys suck,” and “Where the #$@& is Aerosmith?” STP gave a rocking performance, seamlessly integrating material from its five albums, especially its early ’90s hit Core.
Overall, the show was a bit predictable compared to previous concerts, but an average Aerosmith concert is better than some bands on their best nights. Very few bands have managed to move through the years with such staying power. By keeping their basic sound, yet tweaking it with the times, they have become a band with fans forty years apart in age, which everyone would testify that they had “a good time” at the concert’s conclusion. For an entertainer, that ought to be all that matters.
