When the Black and Red Kabuki of Aerosmith dropped at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow Virginia on Saturday June 21, 2009, as the sold out crowd was immediately steamrolled with the steaming pipes of Steven Tyler, the train track derailing shreds of Joe Perry, the thunderous pounds of Drummer Joey Kramer, along with the bass thumping sounds of Tom Hamilton, and filling in for the injured Brad Whitford was backup guitarist Bobby Schneck who can definitely handle his own on the guitar.
The show started hot and heavy when Steven Tyler came strutting on the stage with sunglasses on, long flowing trench coat, signature scarf wrapped microphone, black hat and tennis shoes, singing “Train Kept a Rollin”, which was appropriate enough being the fact they came out of the backstage area like a steam engine full of hot coal and ready to rock the house.
Next up was “Cryin” to which I know the crowd felt like doing after being floored by the awesome, and still sweet pipes, of Steven Tyler, as well as they needed to wipe the tears from their eyes because of all the shreds that Joe Perry was throwing from slaying the fret boards of the buxom blonde lady white guitar he started out with, and Joe can definitely shred more wood off of any guitar he puts his hands on.
After which they had the bottom of a makeshift looking elevator come from the ceiling of the Pavilion to which they rolled right into “Love in an Elevator”. During the song, Joe stepped center stage and either the steam from “Train Kept a Rollin” had backed up into the Pavilion or the gates of Hell opened up as this huge plume of white smoke came on stage and he ripped through it with a lime green B.C. Rich translucent green guitar which was an amazing site to watch live.
Next up was “Jaded” which sounded great and I know the crowd didn’t fell as if they were being “Jaded”, then at about midpoint of the show they played “Walk This Way” to which Steven strutted to the side of the stage and opened the curtains up and brought out a young fan to stage left, put his arm around her and let her sing the chorus with him, and to me was one of the many highlights of the night, At which point he had the sold out crowd start waving their hands in the air and it honestly looked like the waves of the Atlantic Ocean had hit the Pavilion it was so in unison.
After “Walk This Way”, Steven got on the Harmonica and did about a 5 minute solo to start off “Big Ten Inch Record” which sounded like the raunchy, bluesy song it is. Strait from there they went into “Sweet Emotion” and this is where I think either Steven lost a little of the steam form his pipes or maybe it was a combination of possible sound issues but his voice seemed to be a little scratchy on a few of the lines. But hey, with pipes that could break the inner sanctums of the White House some 45 miles away and putting on such an amped up show thus far, whose voice wouldn’t hit a few rough spots.
They then went right to one of Steven’s favorite songs according to him of “No More No More”, then straight into “Round and Round” with Steven spinning around the stage a few times that would make any sober man or woman drunk and dizzy.
After that set they slowed things down to one of their many power Ballads in “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from the soundtrack of the 1998 film Armageddon which I could still hear the crowd singing every word with them almost 2 blocks away as I was leaving.
All in all I will have to say that over the last 35 years of heartache’s and I am sure trials, troubles and tribulations that this band has gone through they can still pack in a crowd both young and old and still put on one hell of a concert with their bluesy Rock and Roll sound, amazing light show, the kick ass sounds that they are known for as well as a very pleasurable concert experience.
Keep the Train on the tracks and keep rolling cause in my opinion this band cannot and will not lose steam anytime soon.
