LOS ANGELES
Steven Tyler is one of these 100-percenters. He runs full-throttle, and full-throated, at all times.
If Sammy Hagar can’t drive 55, Aerosmith’s legendary front man won’t fly unless he can break the sound barrier. It’s sonic boom or bust for the Demon of Screamin’.
That quality has served Tyler well over a 50-year career.
But Tyler is now 78. He picks his spots to shriek and shimmy. The band is as fierce as ever, but the performances are scarce and comparatively short.
That was the scene Thursday night at Hollywood Bowl for “California, Dream On, Aerosmith & Friends.” The grizzled, glitzy rockers played an airtight, 35-minute set in the first of two all-star shows. The second is Sunday. Among the friends the first night were Sully Erna of Godsmack, Billy Idol with Steven Smith, Sammy Hagar, Heart, Guns N’ Roses, Eric Church as the friends.
For Aerosmith, shows could be taken as a 50-year-celebration, a sendoff or a launch into a tour or Vegas residency. As it was, several cameras were trained on the stage and crowd. A documentary of these shows is a possibility.
The performance felt like a truncated version of of “Deuces are Wild” at Park MGM. The hot-selling residency ran from April 2019-February 2020 when the venue was under its original name, the Park Theater; and from September 2022-November 2022 after the room was rebranded Dolby Live.
Comedian Bill Burr, the show’s emcee, said at the top that performances would be “the final two shows in Aerosmith’s history.” But Burr was an unbilled participant, not working from prepared notes, and is not the band’s official spokesman. That revelation might have been an off-the-cuff comment.
An Aerosmith official, Tyler’s manager Larry Rudolph, says “never say never” about dates beyond this weekend.
It largely depends on Tyler, who doesn’t sing on back-to-back nights so he can air it out in every show.
That set, and list
Reinforced was Aerosmith’s still-stunning live show. Tyler has never sounded stronger, at least in our experience over the past two decades. The band churned out a half-dozen classics: “Toys In The Attic,” “Back In The Saddle,” “Sweet Emotion,” Dream On,” “Train Kept-A Rollin’,” and “Walk This Way” made up the entire set list.
Tyler shone on “Dream On,” wailing from (and then standing atop) the piano, and the “Walk This Way” show closer. Tyler’s pants, too, shone. He is still a flashy rocker.
The set was band’s “Deuces are Wild” set, replete with bouncing balls for “Walk This Way.” Tyler, Joe Perry, guitarist Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton performed. All date to the band’s 1973 origins.
‘Crazy’ introduction
Thursday’s intro was a coup. Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone, the two leads of the “Crazy” video, brought the band on together.
Sammy skelter
We didn’t expect Hagar to be anything less than stellar and he matched the moment again. He covered “Draw The Line,” then attacked “Helter Skelter.”
The latter song has a story: Hagar and Montrose covered “Helter Skelter” when opening for Aerosmith at Detroit’s famed Cobo Arena in Detroit in November 1974. They played the song only as an encore, “If we got one,” as Hagar says. Aerosmith then opened their set with the same song.
Hagar wore a custom Aerosmith/Montrose T-shirt as an inside reference to that night. A very limited edition item, just a dozen exist.
Heart feels it
Among several inspired calls on the set list, Ann and Nancy Wilson tackled “Janie’s Got a Gun” to roaring response. Part of the proceeds from the shows go to Tyler’s Janie’s Fund for abused young women.
Billy, Steven and ‘Edge’
Idol and Smith roared though “Livin’ On the Edge,” making their only song of the night count. Idol’s guttural baritone fit the song well.
Johnny shows up
Hollywood Vampires super group member and Captain Jack Sparrow inhabitant Johnny Depp dropped in for “Train Kept-A Rollin’.” Depp also joined the “Deuces Are Wild” show in October 2019. It was the same night a fan returned Tyler’s “Vegas Strong” Oct. 1 tribute T-shirt Tyler had wanted back after throwing it into the crowd a few nights earlier.
Drummer triumvirate
Unbilled rocker Dave Grohl was Aerosmith’s drummer through five of the six songs. Tyler said the Foo Fighters’ founder called and said he wanted to be part of the show. Tyler said he asked Grohl, “Do you want to play drums for Aerosmith?” Grohl responded, “No, I want to roadie.”
Founding member Joey Kramer, who actually named the band, was back for the first time in seven years. He had dropped from the band for health reasons in 2019. John Douglas, the drum tech who replaced him during the “Deuces Are Wild” residency, joined in for “Walk This Way.”
GNR powers through
Axl Rose’s voice is akin to a golfer who plays the whole course. Often unpredictable, but he uses every club. He joked, “This is no stress,” before delivering the nuanced, 1974 deep cut “Seasons Of Whither.” Slash was amazing as always, soaring through “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City.”
The Takeaway
The magic-wand feeling at the end was this lineup and production would be ideal for Sphere. Presenting these acts together a few shows over two months would be terrific, though unlikely. Sphere is already busy in ’27 and has never presented a festival-style show. We just say, “Dream on,” and hope for that documentary.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at