Probably my 30 something Aerosmith show. I got a heads up from a very reliable source going into it show that their wouldn't be any changes to set. The fill in drummer isn't comfortable with switching anything up. I think that is kind of sad for the professional drum tech for fucking Aerosmith but it is what it is. Like I said in another thread, a 5 year old could play Walkin' The Dog. I just took some solace in the fact that it wasn't the actual bands fault and tried to enjoy it as much as I could. It is what it is.
I was in section 27 in the side loge and the sound was pretty shitty from there. We couldn't really hear any of the pre-show movie. Some of my friends were sitting in another section in the back upper level. I went up to talk to them for a few during the movie and you could hear it loud and clear. I can only assume the music sounded much better from their section as well.
Finally got to meet
4bits4licks76 right before the show. We didn't have time to have a beer but we did get to chat for a couple minutes.
8:10 the movie started. I hadn't really heard anything good about it but for some reason I still thought I was going to enjoy it. As others have said, it wasn't anything special at all. Plus, as I mentioned you could hardly hear it from my section.
The band were good.. Brad and Joe were fucking awesome. Tom was Tom... You can tell Steven can't hit all the notes anymore he but still a great showman and better than most out there.. The drummer was meh...
The setlist was what it was. They could have done a lot better for the hometown crowd. Songs like Saddle, Kings and Queens, Movin Out, Walkin' The Dog, Thighs, Chip Away that were played in Vegas would have been greatly appreciated but were ignored.
Here goes..
Train - Good opener and they rocked it.. I still prefer the GYW version instead of this abbreviated version but it is good opener either way.
Eat The Rich - I know people consider this one of the better Geffen songs but it was kind of boring but it seems kind of flat to me and I didn't think the crowd seemed super into it.
Rag Doll - This seems to be one of the most dreaded songs around here but surprisingly enough I always liked it. There are a million other songs I would rather hear but I still like it and enjoyed it last night.
Last Child - Finally some of the old shit that the crowd didn't get enough of. When Steven asked if we liked the new or old shit the response was convincingly loud in favor of the old shit, I would be surprised if one person in the crowd said new shit.. So why not play more old shit??? Anyway Last Child is one of my very favorite Aerosmith songs and it kicked ass as always. I still would have preferred Kings and Queens because I have seen Last Child at every Aerosmith show I've been to but one. Why not play both?
Sweet Emotion - This is one song that is always awesome but it didn't have as much luster for me last night. Maybe it was the sound from my section or something I dunno. Still enjoyed it though.
Hangman Jury - This was my treat for the show as I had never seen them perform the whole song before and I loved every second of it. I think the MTV unplugged version might be my all time favorite live Aerosmith performance. It didn't compare to that but amazing none the less.
Seasons - Another one of my very favorites and it was phenomenal. I heard people say people were sitting down during this song in Vegas but I didn't see anyone sitting last night. It isn't the type of song you rock out to, it is the type of song you absorb. The crowd roared in appreciation and approval when it ended. This is the shit we love in Boston. I actually just got of the phone with a lawyer for a refinance who knew I was going. She asked how it was and asked me if they played "Seasons Of Wither". She then said she isn't even a big Aerosmith fan but loves that song.
Stop Messin' Around - Another song that doesn't look good on paper and it has been played to death but I still always love it live. Joe sounds good on it, lots of bluesy guitars and gives Steven a chance to rock the harmonica. Closest thing to a real jam we got last night.
Cryin' - piss and beer break
Living On The Edge - Patiently waited for this one to end.
Same old Song and Dance - Another one of my all time favorites. It kicked ass and saved the second half of the show.. The jam part seemed a little sloppy and abbreviated. Tom kicked ass on this one. I think this is second greatest song behind Sweet Emotion.. Love those outro licks.
What It Takes - I cannot change this song fast enough when it comes on the radio but I really enjoyed it last night. It was awesome actually .. Go figure. I was also pretty fucked up by this point so maybe that was part of it
The crowd certainly loves it and everyone was singing along which helped. The crowd was great in general last night if I didn't already mention that. At times due to the sound in my section the crowd seemed louder than the band.
Elevator - Another meh song for me but Joe always makes it salvageable with those guitar solos.. They really are great.
Dude - Dude is Dude. I do like it and it also has a great solo but it is pretty stock. The whole second half of the set is pretty stock actually.
Toys - Classic but again kind of stock... Still would never complain about seeing it in the set. I obviously still rocked out to it but I may have been going through the motions just a little bit.
Dream On - Always awesome. One of the best songs ever written. Steven came out looking like a complete weirdo for the encore.. He definitely marches by his own beat. He did his little piano intro medley and played a bit of "One Way Street" which may have been the highlight of the night for me haha. I was singing so loud and almost convinced myself that they were going to play the whole thing. I loved the whole medley but again maybe I was just fucked up because I just watched the clip of "Hole in My Soul" that Coop posted and it was terrible. I don't really like the song anyway and to be honest I had no idea what song it was til I saw Coops video today. I would like to see a video of the whole medley if anyone has it.
No surprise in the encore - I was still hopeful but nothing.
Walk This Way - Good song but such a generic closer. The balloons were actually the best part of it haha. Legit, they were cool. They all had the Joe Perry wings on them and looked bad ass when the light shined through them just right.
That was it.. They stayed out on the stage for like 5 minutes after. The crowd begging for more the whole time. They all still had their instruments, Steven was talking. Again, I absolutely convinced myself they were going to play one more. They seemed like they were thinking about it. The time they spent out there, they certainly could have played a 3 minute Walkin' The Dog or something.
The setlist was weak especially after seeing such good ones all along in Vegas. That was definitely a let down but I still had a good time. Their have been worse ones though. Hangman and Seasons saved it for me. It wasn't the best of Aerosmith shows but it wasn't a bad one at all. Compared to all the Aerosmith shows I have seen I would give it a 7/10. They still have it for sure. I guess Joey is more important than I give him credit for. I wonder if we will ever see him play with the band again.
I went with 5 other people and everyone had a good time. One of my buddy's did go off on a little tirade after about them not playing a little more 70's stuff for the hometown crowd but he still enjoyed it. We were all hoping for more 70's stuff but again, I knew going into it what we were gonna get. I just don't and will never think that less than half of the set being from the 70's is an acceptable ratio.
They were better last time I saw them when they played Rats, Kings and Queens and Mama Kin with Slash. Who knows, this could be the last time I ever see them and I am grateful it wasn't a bad show like Fenway, Cryin' 3 times or Foxwoods.
Was it all I hoped for? Again, after consistently seeing them kick with the setlists in Vegas this was kind of a bummer. I am definitely glad I didn't buy tickets for more than one show as I initially planned to. One show was enough.
Till next time.. Hopefully there is one. ^^(A)^^