Aerosmith News

(Photo Gallery at  Primera Hora)


The San Juan Star, PR
November 28, 2006

Vintage photos of Boston's bad boys and an image of a revving speedometer cast on the white curtains got the hearts of many in the capacity crowd racing in anticipation and provided a peek at what lay ahead -- an emotion-filled rollercoaster ride on the wings of a band that shows no sign of slowing down.

Aerosmith opened their Sunday night show at the Puerto Rico Coliseum with the title cut of their classic 1975 album "Toys in the Attic." With the band bathed in a purple light show, frenetic frontman Steven Tyler pranced down a catwalk that extended 70-feet out from the front of the stage and formed a T at the end in the heart of the arena-floor crowd.

Clad in his trademark leggings, leopard-print gypsy rags and plenty of purple finery, Tyler was a wiry whirl of energy as he stalked around with microphone in hand and left his heart on the stage.

After three decades in the rock n’ roll business, Tyler remains one of the genre's great frontmen -- a consummate showman with the power to keep the crowd in the palm of his while making sure to spread his charms around the arena.Partner in crime Joe Perry delivered a host of impressive solos throughout the show while seemingly picking up a new guitar from his collection for each song. Rooting deep into his considerable bag of tricks, Tyler sang a bit of a capella during 'What it Takes' and then kneeling before Perry as the fretman did his thing and the rest of the band waited on stage awash in a blue sky of light-play.

Tyler’s breathe was heavy with suggestion as the band jumped into a cover of the seminal blues standard “Baby Please Don’t Go,” by which time he had already stripped his shirt off to reveal the word "muerdeme" scrawled colorfully below his bellow button. Tyler whipped out his harmonica to duel with Perry’s guitar and bass player David Hall, who was filling in for founding member Tom Hamilton as he continues to battle cancer.

Not to be outdone, Perry took over lead singing duties on Fleetwod Mac's ''Stop Messing Around,” which he dedicated to the ailing Hamilton.

Perry, a once notorious carouser who looks like he currently spends more time in the gym than in barrooms, mentioned his visit to Puerto Rico in 1981 when his offshoot group, the Joe Perry Project, played “on a beach somewhere.”

In perhaps the night’s most intimate number, Perry picked up a beautiful black acoustic guitar and sat with Tyler at the end of the catwalk for a reading of “Seasons” as blue lights flickered and confetti fell like snow.

That scene segued into “Dream On,” one of the all-time fan favorites of a band that has continued to rack up hits since cutting their first albums in the early 1970s.
Although some fans were left wishing that they had run through more of their more recent hits, few could argue the fact that Aerosmith packed a powerful punch in their relatively short show.

With the stage configuration and the band’s accessibility, many in the enthusiastic crowd got to see, take pictures and even touch this motley group of rock royalty up close and in living color and Tyler passed out some of his harmonicas and bandannas from his microphone stand to some lucky fans. Their performance was expansive and passionate performance throughout. Tyler made sure of that -- making it clear that he was having fun and making it impossible for the crowd -- which ran the gamut from the young to not-so-young -- to not follow suit.

Before the encore, images were projected of 1970s-style cartoon cowboys and cars cartoons, a radio moving through stations with their hits and a large sign that read: "Route to all evil, next stop P.R, no exit.” That set the stage for the closing classics "Love in an Elevator" and “Walk this Way.”

Rather than leaving the stage immediately, Aerosmith remained on-stage, saying good-bye to and humbly thanking the appreciative and clearly pumped up crowd.

After calling for applause for his bandmates, Tyler left fans with a final
message: “The most important person here tonight is you.”


Additional photo gallery:  El Nuevo Dia

Thanks to:  (Mauri3480)