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.