8/25/10: What an amazing last night in NJ at PNC seeing Aerosmith and Sammy Hagar. Sammy was a great choice to warm up the crowd. The guy is a walking party these days complete with tequilla, hot bartenders on stage, and shooting streamers in the crowd. In his 60's Sammy still looks, and more importantly, sounds unreal as a singer. Still one of the most powerful voices in rock, he has lost nothing and is clearly doing it for fun at this stage. I mean the guy made multi millions in tequilla alone. It really shows he's just having fun opening a big rock show with his solo band. Sam did a solid set of over an hour that included solo stuff and VH stuff (no Chickenfoot). As much as l love Roth era VH I firmly believe one day there will be a demand for a Van Hagar reunion. Just to many great songs only he can sing, many played last night like Top Of The World, Right Now, Why Can't This Be Love and Best Of Both Worlds. This stuff was huge and you ain't getting it from Roth lineup, so I think that reunion one day will come also again. Highlight for me was a Montrose medley that featured Rock Candy, Bad Motor Scooter and Space Station #5 from the landmark first album. Hagar is a total freak and I mean that in the best of ways. Sounds exact to how he did almost 40 years ago.
With all sorts of drama and stories of inner band issues and Perry pushing Tyler off the stage (which I do not think was the case!), Aerosmith came on after 9PM to a packed house and opened with Back In The Saddle. Just awesome! Drugs must have preserved these guys because they look great for their age. Tom Hamilton could have walked off the cover of Draw The Line! Joe Perry is simply the coolest guitarist in rock and Steven Tyler it's greatest frontman and rock star. Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer two of the most underrated in rock. Simply put, Aerosmith are still the shit and live up to their billing as America's Greatest Rock Band. After almost 40 years it's the same five guys that started it, and if there is backstage drama you would never know it. So few if any bands still this good, still with the original guys, still showing no cracks in any area. Was the set my dream set? No. I am much more a fan of the 70's tracks. But the band created a great balance with a little something for all. The truth is that Aerosmith have so many legit hits that now the 80's stuff has a whole generation out there that grew up on Rag Doll and Love In An Elevator, and that is their classics, so I get that being in, and in all honesty if goes down best with the hit hungry crowd. They didn't even play mega hits like Janies Got A Gun and the two hours were just loaded with hits and classics. Incredible. For me the 70's stuff rules as much as I like some of the others so I was all about No More No More, Draw The Line, Train Kept A Rolling, Come Together, Saddle, and Lord Of The Thighs. Tyler was note perfect and seemed to be having a blast. They did have a keyboard player/backing singer, and unlike some bands that keep these guys hidden, he was out there and they made him part of the show. This is hard rock played by one of musics greatest bands ever, and they still do it so well. Let us hope that Aerosmith continue to make this work and produce a killer new album at some point. Also, just a note on the whole Joe pushed Steven bit. I was sitting 5 feet from the ramp in the audience and 10 feet from the stage (thanks to Aerosmith for the killer seats and passes!). That ramp is very narrow and Tyler and Perry were out there most of the show. Sitting that close it was very easy to see how anyone can fall off. I seriously doubt there was any intent from Joe regardless how it looks and they seemed to be having fun. Also, another cool moment was Joe bringing out a Theramin for Sweet Emotion, very cool touch. If I had to pick one thing to be critical of it would be to drop solos and the blues jam. We could get three more songs from Rocks in that time! But it was for the most part a very balanced set and they were just smokin. Long live one of the true origjnals and all time greats, Aerosmith! I didn't have a chance to see the guys post show since they split right after to go home to Boston, but the tour has a few more dates then the next decisions should be interesting. Killer photos from this show coming.
