Aerosmith Rocks the Beach with Help from Slash f/Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

By SethM

 

Someone I know said, “Kicking off your US tour in NY is ballsy,” but when you have a place in rock history, an incredible catalog of songs, a great stage show and a band consisting of Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford and “Fucking Joe Perry,” you don’t have much to worry about.

I of course knew I wanted to cover the most talked-about show of the summer the second it was announced, but “wanting” and “being able to” are two different things ~ you’ll remember my battle trying to get press credentials to review and shoot the Foo Fighters.  Apparently, media creds for Aerosmith are being reserved for daily and weekly papers despite the fact that many other outlets, FW included, were asked numerous times to promote the shows and, at least in our case, happily obliged; it’s a policy that makes no sense to me at all. I mean, would you rather have press with a major full-color photo spread that everyone can (and is far more likely to) enjoy online or would you rather have a post-show review in a local paper with maybe one or two drab pix that will be read by people who either attended the show and on whom promotion is thus wasted or who didn’t go to because they don’t have any interest in the bands?  Just seems like an odd choice by The Powers that Be.

Anyway, I digress, and I only mentioned the issue surrounding not being able to secure media creds from the folks who should have been eager to have us cover the show because I wanted to thank a few people who, although they couldn’t get me a photo credential, stepped up, got me in, and took care of me. 

So, to Greg Howard and Brad Whitford of 3 Monkeys Amps (check out the cool amps, cases, and more here, as well as to Korg Artist Relations Specialist David Ungar, I offer my sincerest thanks for all that you did.  I also have to send a huge thanks to the entire Aerosmith crew for allowing me to hang out at their place of work, soak it all in, bring home a few guitar picks, and most of all, now have memories of an amazing experience I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Every single one of you guys who made this article possible ROCKS. Now I have to apologize to you, our readers, that we couldn’t bring you any shots of Slash and company (and Slash, Myles, and the rest of the guys, you know it’s nothing personal, I would have loved the chance to photograph you, but…and hell, come to think of it, we’ve got so many pix of you already, Myles…just giving you a hard time, man, but seriously, we do…), but I’ll get ‘em for you next time…whatever route I have to take!

Obviously there’s more story there, but we can save it for another time ~ Let’s get to the music! 

                   

The epic night was kicked off by none other than rock and roll hall of famer Slash as part of Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. By now, I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know who Slash is and what the man can do with a guitar ~ add in Myles’ (yes, the same Myles who fronts the super-successful Alter Bridge) voice and the chemistry between the two of them and it’s the perfect pairing.

The band came out and had the crowd rocking to some of their newer material as well as to some tunes from Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver. Ending their hour-long set with “Paradise City” (a great choice to get the energy just about as high as it could get for Aerosmith’s arrival) left the crowd wondering when this G-N-R reunion is going to happen (I imagine it isn’t far off), but the entire set left the same crowd wanting more of Slash f/ Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators:

Ghost

Nightrain

Back from Cali

World on Fire

You Could Be Mine

Anastasia

You’re a Lie

Sweet Child O’ Mine

Slither

By the Sword

Paradise City

Scheduled for a 9:00 start, Aerosmith took the stage about 10 minutes late but they were immediately “Back in the Saddle” as they jumped into about an hour and forty five minute, 18 song set; the stage featured a cat walk that stretched all the way to the second orchestra, giving the band plenty of space and a lot more access to the crowd…and vice versa. Having the different levels (including, as you’ll see, the top of the piano) to work with added a terrific dimension to the already impressive visuals of the show.

Tyler and Perry spent a good portion of the set out on the catwalk interacting with the crowd, and Tyler even got star-in-her-own-right daughter Liv involved in the show at one point by singing with her as she stood up from her spot in the audience. Each of the band members at one point or another made his way out onto the catwalk to get closer to the clamoring fans ~ that’s right, even Kramer stepped out from behind the kit at the end.

I could go on and on about this show but I’ll control my enthusiasm and cut to the chase: this may have been THE BEST Aerosmith set I have EVER seen. It was, as Gary Spivack (Right Arm Entertainment) would say, “All Killer, No Filler.” Are there songs I’d swap out, would I rather hear “Mama Kin” than “Love In An Elevator” or “Last Child” instead of “Rag Doll?” Absolutely ~ but they nailed every song they chose and proved that whatever they do, they do it the Aerosmith rock n roll style that leaves other bands in the dust.


Speaking of the set, it actually was perfectly crafted, with some of the old hits like “Toys in the Attic” and “Same Old Song and Dance” as well as the MTV-era hits I mentioned above, but it also had some fan favorites which took it over the top: “Kings and Queens,” “No More No More,” and “Chip Away At The Stone?”


C’mon!  What more is there to say than “Holy shit!,” and, in between singing each of these cherished classics at the top of our lungs,  I think that is precisely what the entire audience kept repeating in collective musical nirvana. 

Perry gave Tyler a break by singing “Freedom Fighter” from 2012’s Music from Another Dimension, but that which was pretty much the only song from recent years. Here’s the full set list ~ and if it doesn’t impress you and make you drop everything to listen to chunks of your Aerosmith collection, then my friend, you’re simply not an Aerosmith fan.

Back in the Saddle

Eat the Rich

Love in an Elevator

Cryin’

Livin’ on the Edge

Kings and Queens

Toys in the Attic

Rag Doll

Freedom Fighter (Joe Perry on vocals)

Same Old Song and Dance

Rats in the Cellar

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

No More No More

Chip Away the Stone

Dude (Looks Like a Lady)

Walk This Way

Encore:

Dream On

Sweet Emotion

And, although I didn’t have a photo credential, I was able to move to a prime spot for a bit, take some pictures with my cell phone, and, quite unexpectedly, get showered with water by Mr. Tyler. I honestly can’t say enough about positive things about the entire show ~ both bands sounded great, Aerosmith went above and beyond from performance to production value, and it ranks up there with, ironically, that Foo Fighters show.

I’ll keep working on getting clearance to shoot an Aerosmith concert (Foo Fighters, too) via the normal channels, but regardless of that, there is NO QUESTION I will be seeing them again in 2014. They are only 2 shows into the tour and if any show (including my next one) is half as good as this US tour opener, it’s still going to be incredible.

When I say DON’T MISS this one, I really mean it, so here are the dates (there are less than 2 dozen, but rumors abound that there are more TBA), here’s the link to LiveNation, here’s the link where you can purchase VIP Packages if you’d like, and here are your orders: GO BUY A TICKET! NOW!!!

Wed 07/16/14   Mansfield, MA  Xfinity Center

Sat 07/19/14   Cadott, WI  Chippewa Valley Festival Grounds

Tue 07/22/14   Cincinnati, OH  Riverbend Music Center

Fri 07/25/14   Tinley Park, IL  First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Wed 07/30/14   Inglewood, CA  The Forum

Sat 08/02/14   Las Vegas, NV  MGM Grand Garden Arena

Fri 08/08/14   Stateline, NV  Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harveys

Wed 08/13/14   Concord, CA  Concord Pavilion

Sat 08/16/14   Quincy, WA  Gorge Amphitheatre

Tue 08/19/14   Denver, CO  Pepsi Center

Fri 08/22/14   Dallas, TX  American Airlines Center

Mon 08/25/14   The Woodlands, TX  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Thu 08/28/14   Atlanta, GA  Philips Arena

Sun 08/31/14   Atlantic City, NJ  Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall

Wed 09/03/14   Newark, NJ  Prudential Center

Sat 09/06/14   Bristow, VA  Jiffy Lube Live

Tue 09/09/14   Clarkston, MI  DTE Energy Music Theatre

Fri 09/12/14   Sydney, NS  Open Hearth Park