HAMILTON -- Aersomith has got the blues.
And, in the case of their sold-out show on Thursday night at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum with fellow '70s rock veterans Cheap Trick, that's a very good thing indeed.
After being turned off by the icky stage antics of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler the last time I caught the band at the Molson Amphitheatre, I was pleasantly surprised Thursday.
Aerosmith was definitely having an "on" night and I suspect their latest album of old blues covers, Honkin' On Bobo, has a lot to do with it.
Granted, the standout songs of the night were their own '70s chesnuts such as Back In The Saddle, Dream On, Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion and the dramatic '90s tune Livin' On The Edge.
"You are too much," Tyler said after the deafening response to Dream On. "We're not worthy."
The inspired Boston rockers seemed determined to connect with the audience as they made full use of three catwalks -- one on either side of the stage and one out front -- time and time again.
The group even entered via a side entrance on the floor, which sent the crowd into a frenzy after they remained at the front of the catwalk for the first two songs -- Toys In The Attic and Love In An Elevator.
Tyler and his bandmates -- supremely gifted lead guitarist Joe Perry (who wowed repeatedly), guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and a touring keyboardist -- did better justice to their new CD's blues covers in a live setting.
The group members, now all in their 50s, seemed jazzed about getting to play such dusty blues numbers as Road Runner, Never Loved A Girl, Baby Please Don't Go and Shame, Shame, Shame, with Tyler impressively wailing away on harmonica and Perry taking over on lead vocals for one song.
Helping to create a nice atmosphere for the blues songs was plenty of smoke and a neon-signed backdrop.
Sadly, Aerosmith chose the sappy ballad -- "from that space movie!" as someone behind me declared -- I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, as one of their encore songs.
As for the opening act, Cheap Trick never really stood much of a chance with horrible sound -- muddied and distorted -- that overpowered their first couple of tunes.
It seemed a little sad that applause was as generous for their TV/film compositions for The '70s Show and Joe Dirt as it was for their classics I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police and Surrender.
Guitarist Rick Nielsen said the first thing he did when he arrived in Steel Town was buy a new instrument -- one of several axes he played on Thursday night, including ones with two and five necks.
Cheap Trick's latest album -- 2003's Special One -- is finally getting Canadian distribution through Hamilton's own Sonic Unyon label, which will release it Tuesday.
JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5
