28 April 2013 (gig)
29 April 2013
Watching Aerosmith perform live is akin to receiving a shot of adrenalin. For almost two hours the band gripped the audience and held them in a state of hysteria to the very end. It's hard to believe the band have been at it for over four decades and incredibly still have “it” today.
Opening for Aerosmith included the likes of Diva Demolition, Spiderbait, The Dead Daisies, Grinspoon, and Wolfmother. In 2007, Wolfmother won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. After several lineup changes, frontman Andrew Stockdale announced to the crowd that the band will be taking an indefinite hiatus. As a longtime fan of the band, I was thrilled to see them perform one last time.
It's been over 20 years since Aerosmith graced our shores and by the crowd’s reaction, it was clearly long overdue. The show opened with “Love In An Elevator” amidst a cloud of smoke at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Everyone was up on their feet before the band even hit the stage except for one moody individual seated near me. It appears he filtered into the wrong concert as he departed midway.
Aerosmith led the way with the MTV generation and continue to remain one of the powerhouses in rock music today. Current band members include: Steve Tyler (vocals, harmonica, piano), Joe Perry (lead guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Brad Whitford (guitar), Russ Irwin (keyboards), and Joey Kramer (drums). Tyler's ease with the band, especially Perry, is evident, and is reflected in their smooth interactions on stage.
At 65, Tyler looks like a true rockstar and even took a moment to proposition a young lady in the crowd. His interaction with the fans was natural and when he requested group participation to “Dude Looks Like A Lady”, the fans willingly obliged. He still has the sexy dance moves and knows how to hypnotize women, including me.
As Tyler performed “Walk This Way”, two young boys, Ryan and Jarryd, danced for the fans. Apparently, Tyler saw the boys dancing outside his hotel and asked them to join him. Not a bad gig for two kids freestyling on the streets.
Grammy award winning, “Janie’s Got A Gun” and Oscar nominated “I Don't Want To Miss A Thing” were crowd favorites. Another highlight of the evening was “Cryin” which Tyler performed beautifully, accompanied by the harmonica. At the end of the song he tossed out the harmonica to the audience, which was caught by one lucky fan.
Inducted into the The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001, the band’s longevity is undeniable. The show closed with an encore performance of “Dream on” with Tyler seated at the piano, followed by “Sweet Emotion” and “Train Kept A – Rollin'”. Although the boys said their goodbyes and the last piece of confetti already hit the floor, Perry insisted they still had 5 minutes to go and didn't want to waste a second. Not to disappoint, the fans were treated to another flawless song. Although Aerosmith have incredible accolades and have earned the right to retire as true rockstars, I can’t see them slowing down anytime soon.
