Aerosmith News

The Arizona Republic

Aerosmith performs at Cricket Wireless Pavilion Monday, July 27, 2009 in Phoenix.

Despite health problems that have affected four members, Aerosmith proved themselves road warriors with a strong set in Phoenix on Monday, July 27.

Co-headliners ZZ Top continued to churn like the rock-and-roll machine they have been for nearly four decades in the concertat Cricket Wireless Pavilion.

With bassist Tom Hamilton sidelined again and singer Steven Tyler recovering from a muscle tear in his leg, Aerosmith still managed to stage an entertaining, old-school rock show that ran about 90 minutes.

Guitarist Joe Perry was his old raging self onstage, showing no ill effects from two knee surgeries.

While the pavilion and lawn were nowhere near full as ZZ Top played their 60-minute opening set, things got more crowded as it came time for Aerosmith to hit the stage.

Some critics may say that Aerosmith has jumped the shark in recent years as they've struggled to score new radio hits, but the vocal Phoenix crowd would have no doubt begged to differ.

Tyler and Perry continue to define what rock stars should look and act like onstage, and that still connects with younger music fans.

Scores of fans in their late 20s and 30s danced and screamed as the pair performed such classics as "Sweet Emotion," "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Train Kept a Rollin' ."

Few rock bands do as good a job of mixing a touch of funk and soul into their musicas Aerosmith did on "Rag Doll" and the show-opening "Eat the Rich."

Tylerremains in great shape and was decked out in tight gold slacks, sleeveless black-patterned top and a scarf or two. He ventured out onto a long runway to flirt with female fans, some half his age, several times.

Perry was more understated in white shirt, vest and scarf, with his main accessories being a non-stop series of guitars, including a famous ax bearing the image of his glamorous wife, Billie Paulette Montgomery.

Perry wasted no time in throwing down a series of fiery leads, starting with "Eat the Rich" and climaxing with stints on guitar, vocoder ("talk box") and theremin, a spacey gadget popularized by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, during "Sweet Emotion."

At 61, Tyler can still scream, although he skipped a few high notes during the evening.

Brad Whitford, who has recovered from surgery after hitting his head, continues to play some of the best rhythm guitar in rock, and he did a nice job of stepping into the lead-guitar spotlight during "Last Child."

Bassist David Hull did a good job filling in for Hamilton, laying down an impressive solo before the band played "Sweet Emotion."

Perry said before the show that Tyler's recent injury might force the band to abandon its plans to play its classic 1975 album "Toys in the Attic" in its entirety, and that was the case in Phoenix.

Another highlight came when ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons joined Aerosmith for "Rattlesnake Shake," with the three guitarists lined up at one point a la Lynyrd Skynyrd.

ZZ Top delivered the type of set their longtime fans have come to expect, full of nothing-fancy classics like "Cheap Sunglasses," "Sharp Dressed Man," Gimme All Your Lovin' " and "Tush."

The Texas trio pulled out some of the '80s MTV videos that made them famous, drawing howls and smiles from the crowd.

The bearded Gibbons made his guitar work look effortless, playing with just one hand during the bluesy "I Need You Tonight."

Perhaps due to the desert heat, Gibbons and the other band member with a long beard, bassist Dusty Hill, didn't do much of the shuffling and knee-wobbling that they sometimes engage in onstage. (Despite the temperature, the pair wore their usual modified biker gear, including jackets.)

Gibbons excelled on slide guitar during "Just Got Paid" and channeled Jimi Hendrix on a cover of "Foxey Lady."

An extended version of the band's mega-hit, "La Grange," powered by Frank Beard's drumming and boogieing guitar, was one of the biggest crowd-pleasers as ZZ Top's set wound down.

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