Aerosmith rocks Boston with Global Warming Tour - Enterprise News (blog)

Steven Tyler on stage. (aeronewsdaily.com)

Aerosmith is back and hotter than ever, as their Global Warming Tour proved last night at a soldout TD Garden in Boston. The venerable quintet all looked healthier than they have in quite a while, and the energy level never flagged during a 110-minute show that mixed classic hits, back catalog surprises, and a couple of new tunes from their forthcoming album, which is due in November.

Lead singer Steven Tyler's two-year stint on American Idol had initially caused some friction with his bandmates, but ultimately it served to expand the group's audience to a couple generations who may have previously dismissed them as mom-and-dad's music. Tuesday night's crowd was among the most diverse age ranges we've ever seen, and fans of all ages and descriptions were singing along lustily to the biggest hits.

The band has been shuffling tunes around in its setlist on this tour, which was on its 12th date (of 23 total) at Boston (with a second Beantown show slated for Thursday). But as usual with Aerosmith, the production values are topnotch, and the dynamic music is delivered with pinpoint precision by the performers as well as the support crew. This year's stage set features a center catwalk that extends halfway out onto the floor of the arena, with two wing/catwalks on either side of the stage. Two large rectangular video screens behind the stage were devoted to closeups of the band playing, while a third, circular screen above the stage carried either imagery like flames and explosions, or music videos connected to the songs.

The night began with a nifty bit of misdirection, as three of the musicans strode out onstage and began tentatively warming up. Meanwhile, dry ice began to rise from the end of the center catwalk, which is only about five feet high. With an explosion of smoke, as well as Joey Kramer's drums, Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry materialized from the end of the catwalk, wailing away on a blistering "Draw the Line.'  On this tour Aeromsith is augmented by keyboardist Russ Irwin, percussionist Jesse Sky Kramer (Joey's son), saxophonist/backup singer Mindi Abair, and a second backup vocalist. 

But the first impressions were about how physically fit the band members appeared, Tyler in a floor-length silver coat/robe and a black leather hat, over white pants, while Perry wore a gold jacket over his black jeans. Tyler's sunglasses and hat were tossed aside by the second tune, a gritty and lowdown "Love in an Elevator," and that robe was gone by the next song, the pulsating "Back in the Saddle." But with both principals stripped to sleeveless tees by then, it was obvious Perry, 61, and Tyler, 64, have been taking care of themselves and most likely working out. 

A slowly grinding "Livin' On the Edge"--a new arrangement--was interesting, and Tyler's vocal on "Cryin'" was spectacularly on point, even as he raced up the side catwalks to linger over female fans while singing. The dynamic shifts in "Jaded" made that familiar hit sound fresh, and the brand new song "Oh Yeah" was the kind of torrid blues-rocker that is instantly identifiable as Aerosmith.

There seemed to be an effort to showcase each band member, with guitarist Brad Whitford given the spotlight on the 1976 classic "Last Child." Kramer's drum solo segment--which also gave the other guys a nice long break--featured Abair striding out front with brief but fiery sax solo, and then evolved into the drummer tossing his drumsticks into the crowd..and continuing his solo with his bare hands, elbows, and head. Rousing the crowd like a professional wrestler, Kramer turned that rock concert staple into silly fun, but his solo was actually seriously galvanizing.

Perry took over pedal steel guitar for a sizzling "Rag Doll," before launching into his own segment, with a rowdy reading of the "Theme from Peter Gunn" leading into his own instrumental "Boogie Man." Right after that, the band did Perry's seldom heard "Combination," with the guitarist on lead vocal and Tyler singing with the backup vocalists.  Irwin helped Tyler kick off "What It takes," which began almost a capella, again demonstrating Tyler's impressive pipes, before the band came up to push that power ballad into rock territory.

The new single "Legendary Child" starts by referencing the band's past, but extends into an intricate arrangement that might suggest latter-day Beatles with a touch of T-Rex, but ends with some truly marvelous soaring guitars. "No More, No More"--"my favorite song" said Tyler started the homestretch, followed by "Sweet Emotion" and a rowdy "Walk This Way." For the first encore, Tyler and his white piano appeared from beneath that center catwalk, for an inspiring version that had Perry, and then the singer atop the piano, before it all ended in a flash of four jets shooting dry ice skyward.  A rollicking "Train Kept-A-Rollin'" finished the whole night, amid pulverizing guitar chords and frenetic solos from both Perry and Whitford.  On possibly the hottest night of the year, Aerosmith sent the rockin' mercury out of sight.

Cheap Trick's generous hour-long opening set featured lots of their more recent material, and singer Robin Zander's black-and-red soldier/cop outfit was surely unique, but it was their classic numbers like "Surrender," "I Want You to Want Me" and "Dream Police" that really connected with this crowd.