EDMONTON -- It has been said that when you're tired of Aerosmith, you're tired of rock 'n' roll.
OK, so maybe it hasn't been said - until now - but how can you do anything but admire these Boston bombers whose live concerts have become as predictable and dependable as AC/DC, no, better yet, as food from McDonald's?
Sure, the hamburger chain offers healthy food now - just as Aerosmith has recently added blues to its musical menu - but you don't go to a fast joint for your health.
And you don't attend an Aerosmith concert to be challenged with any of this newfangled "modern rock." You want the meat! The grease! The hits! And sharing your feelings in a hard-rock guise - that's kid stuff.
Singer Steven Tyler shared his feelings all right: "Love in an elevator, living it up when I'm going down," just after he used a spurting water bottle as a phallic prop. Later, girls took their tops off.
That's sharing your feelings Aerosmith-style.
Ask any of the more than 13,000 fans who turned up at Rexall Place last night. A lot of them would probably reply today, "What's that?! Can't hear you! This show was a hellaciously loud hit parade with equal parts of swagger, grit and soul. The sound quality was often wall of mud, some of the tunes dragged on and everyone but Tyler looked like they were going through the motions, at least on some of the big hits they must be tired of playing over and over and over again, but overall, with a solid opening set by Cheap Trick as a bonus, it was quite a delightful classic rock experience," although the average fan wouldn't put it quite like that.
What's clear is that these guys are the ultimate classic rockers. Despite some early flaws, the show rocked where it should - and that's the important thing. Best of all, I'm happy to report, the band really lit up when they performed selections from their new blues album, Honkin' On Bobo - the spiritual momentum from same spilling over into subsequent songs. The audience, too, responded in kind, on their feet most of the time.
It took the band a while to get up to ramming speed, so to speak. To start, from an odd parade led by a guy with a large umbrella that brought the entire band to a tiny stage in the centre of the arena, the opening song was a classic Aerosmith opener, Toys in the Attic.
The aforementioned Love in an Elevator followed and there was much rejoicing, though this was one of the draggy songs where it seemed the band was on autopilot.
Tyler, with this trademark scarf-laden microphone stand, deployed all the moves that made him famous - preening, crowing, strutting, generally acting like some sensuous rock 'n' roll animal.
This guy doesn't just sing the music, he feels it. And once he got warmed up, his voice was in amazing form, particularly on the power ballads, a style of song in which Aerosmith specializes.
What an incredible voice for a guy who's just a few steps behind Mick Jagger in the venerable rock frontman derby.
Back to Bobo: one of the highlights of the show was the downhome, Delta blues-steeped Back Back Train, with guitarist Joe Perry on guitar and vocals.
This was followed by a raucous rocking boogie number that banished any bad vibes accumulated up to that point, not that there were that many. The ante was upped a few tunes later with Shame, Shame, Shame, an even faster and more raucous boogie blast. And later came an insane version of Baby Please Don't Go from the new album - and more girls took their tops off.
On second thought, bring on the new McDonald's Atkins-friendly menu!
In The Seats: 13,500 in Rexall Place
Note Perfect: Blues turned to 11
Sour Note: Long warmup
JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5
