2010 Year in Review

As 2010 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on all things, good and bad that would define the year of 2010. The Dogg and Lovely BLT have many things to be thankful for. We have our health, good careers, loving family and friends, awesome pets, and "Living in the epicenter of Rock & Roll". There is no performer worth their salt that would consider bypassing the Detroit area. This year, we were again blessed with many spectaculer events.

This year Brenda and her Dogg actually cut down a lot on the number of shows we attended. Our best count is 44-45 shows thyat we've seen live this year. Below are what I feel were the shows of the year:

1. ROGER WATERS- THE WALL 10/24/10: We have been huge fans of Pink Floyd and in particular The Wall since its release. With the impossible reunion of Pink Floyd due to political in-fighting, deaths, and lack of desire, we never thought we’d have a chance to see the Wall played in its full majesty. This was one show to cross off my bucket list. Spectacular in all facets: sound, lighting, performance, integrity to original, staging, and atmosphere. Certainly not the most fun show of the season, just the most fulfilling.

2. J. GIELS BAND & THE ROCKETS 8/21/10: When we saw the J. Giels reunion show at the Fillmore back in October, we all were in agreement that the sound and feel was spot on their heyday. When the show at Pine Knob was announced, with the added bonus of The Rockets on the bill, we knew we would have the entire gang together for the show. This show surpassed all expectations by our entire posse. As ususual their were no special effects, explosions, lasers, or anything that would take away from the high powered and non-stop energy of this concert. Near perfect in nearly every way. In my opinion it was the most fun of the year!

3. SANTANA & STEVE WINWOOD 7/10/10: 3 time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Stevie Winwood was the perfect opening act for a highly polished and professional Carlos Santana Band. Winwood by himself could have sold out Pine Knob and kept the fans jammin for 3 hours. The songs from the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic eras were played flawlessly and showcasing Stevie’s virtuosity. His solo works were the icing on the cake. When Santana hit the stage, I told all around us that in my opinion, we had just witnessed rock and roll royalty. Santana had his work cut out for him. Well…… Sanatana came, rocked the house some, then rocked us somemore! All I can say is; “Carlos you are a GOD”! What a show!

4. KID ROCK 8/14/10: Our absolute love of all things Kid Rock makes any show he does a guaranteed top 2 in my book. How the hell did this show end up at number 4 you ask? Weak warm up acts and the expectation of a Detroit style party! All ingredients were there to make the top two. Great weather, great crowd, great sound, effects, and nothing but fun. In short, nothing but great things to say about our man Bob Ritchie. This year however, the three listed above did just that bit more. Awesome show and a can’t miss.

5. GREEN DAY: We’ve never seen Green Day but have been long time fans. Fate always conspired to keep us away, but this year we bought early and had great seats. This show was so good it easily could have taken the top spot. The reason for the #5 slot is simple; Billy Joe, tone down your filthy and at times stupid banter. When you pulled the 3-year-old kid on stage and asked him if he was a virgin and dropped at least 8 F bombs on him was too much! Memo to all performers today: YOU CAN BE FUNNY AND MAKE YOUR POINT WITHOUT GRATUITOUS USE OF THE WORK FUCK!!! Not that we are prudes, you all know we are not. Just tone it down boys. Other than that, this show had it all! Great songs, great pace, great energy, strong sound, lighting, staging. Once again, we LOVED this show!

6. GOGOL BORDELLO & DEVOTCHKA 4/24/10: This was the surprize show of the year for me! My Dogg junior, Lindsay insisted I see this show. As a rule, Romanian/Russian Gypsy Punk rock is not on my radar. Personally, this was almost too much fun! The ppeople watching, the energy was just incredible! I’d see this show again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Lindsay and Brent for taking me to this spectacle. Well done.

7. AEROSMITH & SAMMY HAGAR 8/31/10: How can a double billing of two of our favorite bands of all time slip to number seven on this list? It is simple; Sammy got too little love from the crowd and Aerosmith was pretty much the same as always. Factor in the strong shows and circumstances listed above and you can see why they were placed at #7. Sammy and his band played great. They kept my party up and rocking from the first note. Too bad the rest of the crowd sat on their asses, unheard of at a Sammy party! Aerosmith played fantastic and Tyler was in near perfect form. A great show and a ton of fun for all that attended.

8. GOO GOO DOLLS & SWITHCHFOOT 7/18/10: We have always felt the Goo Goo’s were an under appreciated band in Detroit. All of their albums go instant platinum, shows are well attended and received, and they always schedule a strong warm up act. As usual, all of this applied to this show. Switchfoot kicked some serious ass and the crowd was very receptive. Goo Goo Dolls then exceeded expectations by playing a hit heavy 18 song set. The 3-4 new songs played were typically rocking odes to youth and partying. We partyied long and strong, left hoarse and happy. What more can a Dogg ask for?

9. THE MUSIC OF QUEEN 6/13/10: As long time supporters of “The Music of Led Zeppelin” tour for the past 6 years, we were looking forward to the Music of Queen with full Sympony Orchestra performance. The one thing that held us back was who the hell could play Freddies part? Suffice to say, the Las Vegas lounge singer “Brody” had 95% of Freddies vocals, 85% of his showmanship, and likely 100% of his musical talent. This show was spectacular for the entire 18 song set. A must see for any true fans of Queen!

10. THE ROCKETS 11/27/10: Our local homeboys make a triumphant return to the Filmore, showcasing new lead singer, Jim Edwards, and 4 new songs. Other than a weak couple of opening acts, this show rocked the house. The old Rockets classics were enthusiastically performed and played to 1980’s standard. Jim Edwards gives Dave Gilbert a real run for his money. Throw in 4 Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels classics with the 4 new songs and you get a recipe for a rockin good time.

The Rockets 11/27/10 Filmore Detroit

After pigging out on turkey, ham, and venison on Thanksgiving, a post partum triptophan experience was happening to the Dogg. What better solution than a good old fashioned "Detroit Rock Party" at the Filmore. Then Rockets were just the tonic needed to ensure a fun filled night.

When the Rockets played Pine Knob this summer, on the J. Geils bill, they truly kicked some Detroit ass! I had a chance to meet and speak with the new lead singer, Jim Edwards over a couple of beers in the VIP. He assured me the Rockets were back and had new music in the pipeline. Jimmy also shared that the Rockets were done playing the bar scene. He was true to his word.

The Dogg pound consisted of 18 friends that met up at Hockeytown for pre-concert food and drink. Despite a mix up over reservations, the Hockeytown staff quickly accomidated our crowd, despite being packed to the rafters. Kudo's to Jason for the hook up. Now it's on to the show.

Saturday nights show was a triple bill. Black Irish opened the show at 7:30. Never had heard them before and we all came away favorably impressed. Solid rythem section, strong guitars, and decent vocals complimented their hard driving style. Salem Witchcraft came on next and frankly were the most boring act I've seen this year. Virtually everyone I spoke with echoed the same sentiment.

The rockets hit the stage at 9:45 to a crowd of approx. 3,000 Rock Doggs. The very lively set consited of 8-10 Rockets standards, 4-5 new songs, of which 3 were steller, radio friendly rock that I believe will return the Rockets to our airwaves again real soon. 4-5 Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels classics payed homage to Jonny B and McCarty's early roots. the encore was Segers "Get out of Denver", played at a blisstering pace. Jimmy Edwards was an excellent frontman, channeling Dave Gilbert through his strong vocal chops. Jim McCarty was on fire with his guitar work and Jonny B., kicked out a steady, strong beat all set long. Hard to beleive that Jonny and McCarty are in their mid-sixties, yet jam like they are 30 years younger. Keep it up guys, Classic Rock needs its heros!

All in all, and excellent show by the Rockets. Can't wait for the next one.

Crowd B+
Venue A
Sound B+
Lighting C+
Effects C
Line up C
Song selection A
Atmosphere B+

Overall, I give the Rockets a strong B+.

Roger Waters- The Wall 10/24/10

As a 51 year old man (that's 357 in Dogg years), there are few major Rock shows that I've missed through the years. In my minds eye, the most meaningful album of my life was The Wall. Starting out with it on vinyl, moving to cassette, then to CD, VHS, and of course CD, I've burned out many a copy of the 1979 masterpiece. Truly never expected to see if performed life in all its glory. Well.... tonight is my night!

There will be the purist's in the audience that will maintain that The Wall was Pink Floyd, and should never be played without the full original band. I totally disagree; The Wall was primarily Roger Waters, with a little input from David Gilmore and Nick Mason. Since Mason has departed our earth, and Gilmore/Waters are still fighting, this show was a close as we'll ever come.

As always, the dogg was with his bride of 28 years, the ever lovely BLT. Also on hand were two of the biggest Wall fans I know, James and Virgie. Ralph and Christine rounded out our trio of couples. After a nice pre-show bar-b-que at the Townespeoples and a few cocktails in the Comcast Pavilion, it is on to the show. By 7:50 we are settled into our lower level seats in eager anticipation.


It was a rock production unlike any Detroit has seen in recent memory. An incredible and unrelenting spray of pyrotechnics blew us away to get the show started, as Waters and his band launched into “In the Flesh,” first in a nearly 2-1/2 hour set of songs. From there it was a wow-inducing onslaught of stunning visuals, massive inflatable characters and crystalline/perfect audio delivered through a precisely calibrated surround sound setup.

We were most impressed by the wall itself — a 250' long stack of “bricks” placed and layered by stagehands, one by one, through the shows opening half. It was half built when Waters’ vocal quartet unfurled the rich harmonies of “Goodbye Blue Sky.” By the time he reached his show’s intermission to the sounds of “Goodbye Cruel World,” the 40-foot-tall wall imposed itself across the entire stage vista.

The evening closely followed the album almost to the tee, although some songs were enhanced with instrumental breaks. Singing all night long, the Palace crowd was locked in with Waters and the familiar “Wall” story. When the question was sung in “Mother” — “Should I trust the government?” — the crowd broke out with a resounding “No!”


The 67-year-old Waters was in excellent form all night long. the story of the Wall unfolds before us in intricate layers. Could the Wall be based loosely on Syd Barrett's slip into madness in the early Pink Floyd days, or a trip into Water's mind?

There was little crowd interplay between songs, and only Waters’ speaking to the crowd during “Comfortably Numb” pulled the performance away from the story. The concert’s second half found him donning sunglasses and trench coat, his crisply uniformed band behind him as the show pulsed to its climax.

No Pink Floyd work belongs to Waters more than “The Wall.” But there’s no denying the album’s debt to David Gilmour, whose distinct vocals and guitar work are part of the record’s fabric, including a “Comfortably Numb” solo widely regarded as one of rock’s all-time best. Waters’ touring band was up to the task: That song, in particular, featured classy performances from singer Robbie Wyckoff and guitarist Dave Kilminster, appearing atop the wall.

Surround sound effects were absolutely awesome across the arena. Multicolored tears streaked down the wall. Pink Floyd’s old airborne pig, painted black now, floated overhead and at times looked as if it might make impact with the crowd in section 104. Video shown all night on the wall was quite emotional and stirring — scenes of soldiers greeting their families — and stark, including photos of children starved by hunger and war.

The sensory crush made for potent storytelling, the stuff of thrill and surprise even for those familiar with every nook and cranny of the album, who knew the twists and turns ahead. The show’s most-awaited visual moment — the massive wall crashing down into a heap just feet away from the front row — was as jarring as it was magnificent.

It’s rare that a concert is so perfect as this one was. a great crowd that really knew the album, Perfect sound, great visually, intellectually,and believe me, emotionally. This was one of the most intense and riveting rock spectacles we’ve ever experienced.

Crowd A+
Atmosphere A+
Sound A++
Effects A++
Lighting A++
Weather B


Overall A++ and a new show of the year, if not my lifetime!

KISS 9/11/10 Pine Knob

The summer outdoor concert season is rapidly coming to a close, so the lovely BLT and I decided to make KISS likely our closing show of the season. Joined by friends, Jane & Paul and Debbie & Steve, the night started with dinner and drinks in the VIP. As usual, Rebecca took great care of all of us. This lady is the real deal! Our drinks never are empty and her smiles always present, despite the weather, crowd, or problems. Rebecca, you are the BEST!

Another cloudy, wet and miserable day in Detroit, could not diminish the sold out crowds enthusiasm for KISS. As usual, there were hundreds of youngsters in full KISS make up, and the usual couple of dozen grown ups trying to relive their youth. With the members of KISS approaching retirement age, it might be hard to remember that Kiss invented most rock ‘n’ roll clichés that we all remember so well.

Boasting a larger than life stage show, and pulling out every trick in the book, KISS delivered the musical equivalent of a "the big game" on Saturday at the Knob. Yes, there were more explosions than a Fourth of July finale, there was a top-notch light show, and band members flew across the crowd. The night got off to a promising start, with a frenzied pyrotechnics display giving way to the band, in full makeup, rising on a platform from behind the stage as they played the opening riff to “Modern Day Delilah,” off their newest effort. The rock ‘n’ roll icons then worked through a solid mix of songs from their iconic back catalogue,including “Cold Gin”, “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N Roll,” “Deuce,” and “Firehouse,” which featured guitarist Paul Stanley comically putting on a toy fire helmet and prancing around the stage with it. Unfortunately, singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley had a lackluster vocal performance! Most songs his voice was below sub-par. We've seen over 20 shows, and this was his worst vocal performance we've heard. He did make up for it by interacting with the crowd and appearing genuinely happy to be on stage. The band shuffled back and forth between their older material and songs from their newest, playing newer cuts such as “I’m an Animal” and “Say Yeah.” Despite some questionable choices in regards to their set list, the band still delivered a memorable stage show full of excess.

The band still manages to outperform all of rock’s younger acts on the massive stage, which featured numerous microphones and platforms that the Gene & Paul played on and from.

As he’s done thousands of times, bassist Simmons capped off his signature bass solo by spitting out blood and being hoisted to the ceiling to deliver lead vocals for “I Love It Loud”. For those of you that think KISS stands for "Knights in Satans Service", this part of the show almost gives it credence

The band ended the show with what Stanley described as “The longest encore you’ll ever hear,” poking fun at the band’s tendency to sometimes play multiple encores. If my count was correct, 5-6 songs played as encores.

Weather D-
Atmosphere A
Crowd A
Sound C+
Lighting A+
Staging/effects A
Line up C
Set list C+

Overall, I'll have to give it a C+ or B- due to Paul's bad voice. Still a fun night out and man we do not want summer to end, but oh well.

Rocky Horror Picture Show- Live Meadowbrook 9/10/10

While not a concert or a play, this performance nonetheless intrigued us to relive our past. For those of you familiar with the "right of passage" ritual of midnight screenings of Rocky Horror during our youth, the live performance blows it away!

Friday was a damp, cold and dreary night. What a perfect setting for Rocky Horror. Upon arrival, you could purchase "participation" bags containing a hat, folded newspaper, toast, rice, squirt gun, bottle of water, flashlight and a noise maker. All for only $5.00! This ensured that the crowd of approximately 3,000 would be having the time of their lives.

The Dogg, ever lovely BLT and daughter Lindsay (recently returned from her research mission to Malawi, Africa) settled into our 7th row seats about 20 minutes prior to show time. Great people watching due to 400-600 people decked out in Rocky horror finery. The band was on a scaffold approx. 12' above the stage. They played quite well and kept the show moving at a brisk pace. The casting was spot on. Brad and Janet were the perfect foils to Dr. Franknfurter. The poor narrator (BORING) was squirted in the face by hundreds of guns everytime he tried to speak. F***ing hysterical. The yells of "SLUT" for Janet and "ASSHOLE" for Brad grew louder and more raucsous throughout the night. So much rice was thrown, we could have fed a small third world nation with it.

After the first acts, a 20 minute intermission, then on for the final acts. We have not seen a crowd have more fun at an event, ever! When they return next September, by the best seats you can (only about $20.00 for the Pit) and have a totally awesome time! Best money you'll ever spend! Great job by all!

Weather D+
Atmosphere A
Sound B
Staging B
Lighting/effects B
Casting A

Overall A

Heart 9/3/10 Pine Knob

With all the musical choices in the "D" this weekend, we decided to start off with Heart at Pine Knob, accompanied with friends, Lou and Carla. Friday was an unseasonably chilly evening, with night time lows of around 50 degrees, with a howling wind, gusting to over 30 knots! Not perfect weather to say the least. At least its not raining!

Rather than face the chill and breeze in the VIP, we elected to dine at Mesquite Creek and then head to the show. As usual, Mesquite Creek served up exemplary food and drink, at a price not too much higher than the VIP Starlight. Good decision to start the night.

Upon arrival at Pine Knob, we were greeted by a 2/3 full house of approx 11,000 fans. Pavilion is 2/3 full and hill likely about 3/4 full. Blankets and jackets are the order of the day for the "hill people"!

Heart takes the stage around 8:50 and the crowd is on its feet from the first note on. Ann & Nancy were in fine form tonight and the band was rock steady. All the hits were played, from Dream Boat Annie, Magic Man, Barraccuda, Dog & Butterfly, Dreams, etc. Most surprizing was the new music from a recently released new album. It was classic Heart, with driving beats, hard guitar chops, and as always, Ann's incredible voice. To this Dogg's ears, Ann has had and likely always will have the best female lead voice in the history of Rock-n-Roll!

After the show, a few more drinks and dancing in the VIP. Very good show, great company, and overall a strong start to the last weekend of summer.

Weather C-
Atmosphere B
Sound B+
Lighting B
Staging C+
Set List A
Line up C

Overall, a strong B show and worth the money.

Eminem & JayZ 9/3/10 comerica Park

Due to a scheduling conflict, The Dogg and Lovely BLT, had to miss Thursday's show. Even though we were not there in person, all reveiws have been consistently strong. This was the concert event of the Labor Day Weekend! Between Eminem/JayZ at Comerica for two nights, we have major National acts at Pine Knob, Royal Oak Theater, Arts, Beats & Eats, Detroit Jazz Festival, Hamtramck Music Festival & Meadowbrook!. Detroit is truly the epicenter of music this weekend (as we are most weeks).

You wanted history? They gave you history.

Detroit was the undisputed center of the hip-hop universe Thursday night, at the first of Eminem and Jay-Z's back-to-back concerts at Comerica Park. In addition to the evening's megawatt headliners, a small army of hip-hop superstars -- including Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Drake and Young Jeezy -- graced the stage before a sold-out audience of 42,000-plus.

The majority of the guests came out during Eminem's 100-minute headlining set, which followed Jay-Z's meaty opening performance. Before long, the cameos were piling up like the junker cars that lined Em's set: Drake joined him for "Forever," returning a favor for when Em appeared at the Toronto rapper's hometown performance earlier this summer; 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks came on for mini-set of 50 Cent songs, including "Patiently Waiting" and "In Da Club"; and Dr. Dre appeared -- wearing a Proof shirt, no less -- and did a small set of songs with Em, including "Nuthin' But a G Thang" and "Still D.R.E." Em got the crowd to chant for Dre's long-delayed "Detox" LP as Dre left the stage, and the reclusive star promised, "I'm comin!"

The guests considerably picked up the energy of Em's set, which began to wane during a mini-set of D12 songs. Earlier, the stadium literally shook as fans jumped in unison during Em classics like "The Way I Am" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet."

"Detroit, I'm back. Did you miss me or what?" Em bellowed from the stage as cheers erupted from the audience.

Em took the stage to a dramatic intro video that laid out the backstory that lead into the concerts: The years of inactivity that followed his last Comerica Park concert in 2005, and his subsequent trip to rehab for drug abuse. When he appeared on stage, wearing a ballcap and a hoodie with a large Olde English D, he tore into the "Recovery" track "Won't Back Down" like it was a fresh piece of meat.

He was soon joined on stage by his Detroit pals Trick Trick (for an amped-up "Welcome 2 Detroit") and D12. Opener B.o.B joined Em on stage for a run through of "Airplanes Pt. II." Jay-Z also joined Em for a run-through of their 2001 pairing, "Renegade."

Near the end of his set, an emotional Eminem nearly teared up while introducing "Not Afraid." He dedicated the song to fans who stuck with him through years of career turbulence, and dedicated the song to his hometown. He closed the show with "Lose Yourself," toying with his live band during the extended outro before a flurry of fireworks marked the close of the show.

The stadium's spectacular production was fitting for the two rap icons: A gargantuan football-shaped stage backed by a truly dazzling array of lights and video screens.

Earlier in the evening, Jay-Z was visibly taken aback by the scene laid out before him.

"Before I start, I gotta take this all in," he said, ordering lights to be shined on the stadium's upper deck so he could see fans up top. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is hip-hop music and this is how far we've come... to rockin' stadiums!" he beamed. "Everybody make some noise!"

He didn't have to ask twice. The crowd was a sea of waving hands and nodding heads during his set, as fans were shook to their core by the absolutely deafening sound system. This felt like one of the most decibel-shaking concerts this city has ever seen; don't be surprised if nearby neighbors in Windsor were complaining about the noise.

Over the last year, Jay-Z has earned his stadium status. The rapper headlined several massive U.S. rock festivals already this year and has proved his ability to manipulate large crowds with ease. Thursday night he was riveting, coolly commanding the stage in his customary all black attire, his eyes hidden underneath a pair of black wayfarer sunglasses. Unlike Eminem, he didn't seem to be relying on pre-recorded tracks to bolster his vocals.

Jay-Z rose from beneath the stage and opened with his "Dynasty" intro, illuminated on the dark stage only by four spotlights. Then came the visual assault, as the stage came to full blinding life during the revved-up "Run This Town."

Jay-Z brought out Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy early in his set and joined him for a mini-set of songs, and was later joined by his hype man Memphis Bleek. He mixed hits from throughout his career and last year's "The Blueprint 3," rocking the crowd with hard-nosed anthems like "On to the Next One," "U Don't Know" and "99 Problems." Backed by a large band, he proved adept with or without them, and impressively rolled through several verses -- including an a capella portion of "Big Pimpin'" -- all by his lonesome.

Midway through his set, he paused to pay tribute to several fallen hip-hop figures, including the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E and Aaliyah. "And I need you to make the most noise you've made all evening for Proof one time tonight y'all," he said, referring to Eminem's best friend Deshaun "Proof" Holton, who was shot and killed in Detroit in 2006. The crowd responded by chanting "Proooooooooof" in unison.

During "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z's 2009 love letter to his hometown of New York, overhead shots of the Big Apple filled the huge video screens; it was a stunning visual, and the Detroit crowd sang along as if it was a tribute to Detroit. "I appreciate you singing 'New York' at the top of your lungs here in Tiger Stadium. I know where I'm at," Jay said. (Comerica may think differently about that statement.)

The love from the crowd was not lost on Jay, and he gave it right back at the end of his 82-minute set. "I wanna say I had an incredible time with y'all tonight, this is one of the best experiences of my entire life," he said. He closed with "Encore" and raised his arms in victory as he walked off the stage.

During B.o.B's 30-minute opening set, many fans were still shuffling in while the chart-topping Atlanta rapper was on stage. As they made their way to their seats, fans snatched up specialized merchandise, which included Eminem-branded University of Michigan and Michigan State University T-shirts and shirts commemorating the once-in-a-lifetime concerts.


By Adam Graham, The Detroit News

Aerosmith & Sammy Hagar- Palace 8/31/10

Before heading off to the Palace, a little pre-Sammy partying was completely necessary. Scott, Jamie and the Dogg were soon in fine fettle for the nights festivities. Tonight was a night shared with friends Ed and Maureen, Ralph and Christine, and the ever present Scott & Jamie. Of course the lovely BLT and your trusted Dogg were ready as ever.

Too bad this was being held indoors! We don't get enough summer, so why not do this at Pine Knob? For the first time likely in Detroit history, Aerosmith did not come close to a sell out. At least 8 sections of the upper deck were curtained off. My guess is around 14,000 fans, or just about enough to fill Pine Knob. Sammy or Aerosmith has always been a guaranteed sell out at Pine Knob. You'd think the two together could sell out Comerica.

Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas opened the show at 7:40 to at best a half full arena. Our seats were 3 sections from the stage, 10 rows up, yet nearly devoid of life when the show started. Too bad traffic, work, and other lame excuses made way too many people miss a strong performance by The Red Rocker! We heard the early stuff; Montrose, the early Sammy stuff, the Van Halan stuff, a Chickenfoot song, and finished with Mas Tequila. When Sammy flew into "Bad Motor Scooter", asses finally left their seats and air guitars were flailling around everywhere. A strong 70 minute set was played and was well received by the somewhat flaccid crowd. Onto more JaeggerBombs and then Aerosmith!

Aerosmith learned early in their careers, the need to place a supreme emphasis on dazzling audiences while onstage, and have been doing since their inception in the early 1970s. The band hasn’t lost that enviable skill; Detroit fans who were treated to a two-hour rockshow at the 2/3 sold-out Palace were rocking from the first note until the last.

Off to a rousing start at around 9 p.m., the band kicked things off by dipping into their early catalog for the opening songs. One great thing about Aerosmith is their strong album sales and radio play. This gave their set an instant air of familiarity and inspired the entire audience to stand and rock out. And rock they did … for the entire night! There were no instances when the rowdy crowd felt the need to take their seats. Hell, the majority of the house was still on foot during drummer Joey Kramer’s solo. Typical Detroit Rock Doggs!!!! And the band gladly obliged the loyal throng. Mixing up their setlist and touching on all stages of their recorded output, it was clear that they intended on pleasing everyone in the house from the old-timers to the teens who discovered the band via their more recent ballads.

Aerosmith bounced through their repertoire and didn’t bat an eye when following up an FM radio rocker like 1976’s “Last Child” with 1993’s pop chart topper “Cryin’.” And no one seemed to notice. The band that came to prominence in the early 1970’s by combining the pomp and rocket fuel of Led Zeppelin and the naughty precociousness of The Rolling Stones has benefited from a long list of hit singles in the latter half of their existence. Old time Aerosmith fans will always bitch about missing the harder, earlier songs such as "Seasons of Wither". But the truth is, in terms of sales and success, Aerosmith’s post -1986 catalog has proved to be much more of a marketable and profitable venture, so it’s natural they’d focus on that era of their career. But not completely … the band never forgets the old faithfuls and always manages to please the diehards. Early gems like “Toys In The Attic,” “One Way Street” and “Walkin’ The Dog” nudged their way through the slew of 1990’s hit singles that were played. A great game plan for keeping both parents and the kids who they attended this show with content and satisfied.

Tyler, donning skintight white, black shirt, and a long tailed sequin jacket that seemed to shimmer in the lights like a Lake Michigan sunset, traditional painted nails and oodles of jewelry looked totally stoked and into his surroundings as he ran, pouted, posed and danced all over the huge stage. Vocally, he sounded strong and spot on. He was able to his reach his trademark yelps and screeches and sounded dynamic doing so. Perry took his well-known quiet but powerful stance as he let his guitar do the talking for the duration of the show. He took lead vocals on a rendition of “Stop Messin’ Around” that found Tyler wailing away at a harmonica while seated on the side of the stage. Perry looked particularly cool dressed in purple and black and donning a cropped hairstyle.

Regardless of the bashing and criticism the band has taken throughout their 40-year tenure, Aerosmith’s impact and influence is undeniable. Their mark has been left on scads of bands through imitation of clothing style, guitar riffs and attitude. Although the singer/guitarist dynamic of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry has often been likened to that of Stones duo Jagger and Richards, the difference is that the camaraderie between Tyler and Perry still seems active and healthy. Sure, they’ve traded barbs in the press lately: reports of Tyler threatening to pursue other avenues and his bouts with rehab and injuries has prompted Perry to voice his opinion. But the fact is, when both are onstage, doing what they do best, they are dynamic together and they seem to be right at home. A little more ragged and road-worn, the pair looked and sounded great.

Overall, this was a most excellent night of entertainment. The crowd was great for Aerosmith, my family and friends truly loved every moment. what more can a Dogg ask for? Sammy played with fire and passion. Aerosmith just did it all! Strong aural and visual grandeur. This makes about 5 great shows in a row.



August 31, 2010 songs in no particular order and shooting from memory:

Train Kept A Rollin’
Love In An Elevator
Falling In Love
Livin’ On The Edge
What It Takes
Pink
Last Child
Cryin’
drum solo
Come Together
guitar solo
Stop Messin’ Around
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
Sweet Emotion
Draw The Line
Dream On
Walk This Way


Weather B
Crowd B
Atmosphere B+
Sound A
Lighting A+
Staging A
Line up A+
Setlists A

Overall an A event.

This show was the show we really wanted to see this year. For over 15 years, BLT & The Dogg have been Green Day fans. However, fate, scheduling, etc. always screwed up our plans to see the. Well tonight is the night. GREEN DAY!!!

The Knob was packed to the brim with kids from 4-20 yrs. mixing well with the elders in the crowd (of which we were two) and overall, extremely festive mood permeated the entire place. Except the VIP area, which was real slow and only 1/2 full. Cool for us to chow and drink prior to showtime.

“Detroit Motherf**kers! F**k California I’m stayin’ here!” – Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong yelled at Pine Knob to open their 3 hour long, exausting set. After about 1 minute, Billie Jow halted the band and ordered the kids from the hill to rush the stage and party like they have never partied before! The overwhellmed ushers let another 1,500 or so to pack the aisle front to back. When the "blue shirts" tried to push them back, Billie Joe yelled "hey you in the blue fuckin shirt, let them alone"! The party was on BIG TIME!!!!

My feet hurt. My mouth was desperately in need of some beer. My body was ready for a five hour deep tissue massage. But the Detroit Rock Dogg sucked it up for this show.

These were three complaints I had coming out of a Green Day concert that we got to witness at Pine Knob on Monday. But other than those three, you would be hard pressed to find any more for us, at least relating back to the concert that we had just witnessed. When Billie Joe, Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool and co. took the stage, I knew we were in for a great time. What I didn’t know was that I would be watching one of the best concerts we've ever been to. It definitely had the potential going in we thought, but we didn’t know it would happen.

I will note that this has been my first time seeing Green Day. An amazing band, who continue to thrill and wow audiences with their live performances. You can ask anyone who has seen Green Day; they give a show that is out of this world.

Following AFI, the traditional Green Day bunny hit the stage, drinking beers, goofing off, and having fun. At 8:00 p.m., the lights dimmed, the crowd erupted, and “Song of the Century” played, leading into “21st Century Breakdown.” The band then continued with tracks from their current album, “Know Your Enemy” and one of my personal favorites, “East Jesus Nowhere.”

At this point in time Billie Joe asks for a child from the audience to be “saved.” He pulled up one that made absolute sense; the child’s shirt read “Save Me.”

The band then blasted out “Holiday, ¡Viva la Gloria!, Give me Novocaine, Letterbomb (so glad they played this, another one of my personal favorites), Are we the Waiting, St. Jimmy, and Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”


Then Mr. Armstrong began the “old school” Green Day part of the set list. You could tell because not only did he announce it, but Billie Joe pulled out “Blue,” his signature guitar. Starting with “Burnout (the first track off “Dookie”) made my jaw drop; it was unexpected to say the least. They then broke out with “Nice Guys Finish Last” and “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield (at this point AFI lead singer Davey Havok came out to sing)?”

Hearing Billie Joe yell Michigan or Detroit whenever he could, singing “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, and “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen all added to the overall fun, and also the band did a medley of songs featuring “Iron Man, Highway to Hell, You’ve Really Got Me, Ain’t Talking About Love, Sweet Child of Mine,” sending the crowd into an uproar. In addition during the course of the evening the frontman invited a mass amount of people up on the stage with him, which was just awesome.

The boys then continued to blow the roof off Pine Knob with “2000 Light Years Away, Paper Lanterns, When I Come Around, and Brain Stew/Jaded (Tre Cool and Billie Joe squirted the audience with water gun while the two songs were transitioning).” When the band played “Longview” following that, they normally call people up to sing a verse of the song. What happened during “Longview” on this night, however, was something extraordinary. For this song, Billie asked a young chick in the 4th row if she really knew all the lyrics to the song. Once confirmed, she took the stage and did all proud with her stage antics, however her voice was beyond horrible. At the end of the song, Billie Joe proudly handed her his guitar saying she wanted her to have it, after telling the her that she was amazing.

Then the band proceeded on with “Basket Case, She,” the show stopping “King for a Day/Shout cover,” then a brief part from “Extraordinary Girl,” leading into “21 Guns,” and ending with their “hold that note” political anthem (Billie Joe belts out a musical note of a hard-to-estimate time, and asks the audience to do the same during this song) “Minority.”

The set list that Green Day just provided for us would’ve been enough; at that point we already realized we had just witnessed something amazing. But no, as Billie Joe said, he would play all night long, and while he didn’t really follow his own words, the band did continue for a two piece encore (to start), blasting “American Idiot” and the 9 minute epic “Jesus of Suburbia” out into the center. Then it was solo Billie Joe, armed only with an acoustic guitar, singing “When It’s Time,” a number from the American Idiot musical. He followed that up with “When September Ends,” getting joined again by his band mates as the crowd erupted for their re entry. When the song ended, the all of the band except for one promptly left, leaving Mr. Billie Joe Armstrong to end it all with the classic conclusion piece, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”

At this point I checked my cell phone for the time and just couldn’t believe it; it was 11:04, which means Green Day was THREE MINUTES over playing a THREE HOUR CONCERT. When Billie Joe said during the night’s events that the band was going to give the audience the best show they’ve ever been to, he meant it in sincerity. For the money we paid for this concert, we honestly would state that we got a bargain.

Weather A+
Atmosphere A+
Lighting A++
Staging A++
Crowd A+++
Sound A
Set List A+

Overall, shit I must give an A+! A new concert of the year! This has truly been an amazing summer season for the Dogg & The ever lovely, BLT