Date: Friday, July 25, 2014
City: Chicago, IL
Venue: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Opening act(s): Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators
Headlining act: Aerosmith
Slash Setlist:
You’re A Lie
Nightrain
Standing In The Sun
Back From Cali
You Could Be Mine
World On Fire
Anastasia
By The Sword
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Slither
Paradise City
Aerosmith Setlist:
Back In The Saddle
Eat The Rich
Love In An Elevator
Cryin’
Livin’ On The Edge
Monkey On My Back
Kings And Queens
Toys In The Attic
Rag Doll
Freedom Fighter
Big Ten Inch Record
Rats In The Cellar
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
No More No More
Dude (Looks Like A Lady)
Walk This Way
———————
Home Tonight/Dream On
Sweet Emotion
Notes:
- First time seeing “Eat The Rich,” “Kings And Queens,” “Freedom Fighter,” “Rats In The Cellar,” and a snippet of “Home Tonight” live.
- First open for “Back In The Saddle.” Fifth opener total.
- First show missing “Draw The Line.” Number of songs present every show drops to six.
- First close for “Sweet Emotion.” Third closer total.
- Show #6 at this venue; first since July 28, 2011.
Videos:
Review:
Tonight marked my seventh time seeing Aerosmith. I had avoided sets for the first five shows of the tour, so I wasn’t sure what to expect setlist wise. I just hoped to see some things I had never seen before, which they have consistently delivered. In fact, in each of the last two Aerosmith shows I had seen (2010 and 2012), they included four songs that I hadn’t yet seem live.
We arrived at the venue around 5:30. Gates didn’t open till 6:30, so we sat in the car and waited.
Once the line was moving, we headed up, and for some dumbass reason, the clip I have my keys on wasn’t allowed… So I had to walk all the way back to my car to leave it there. How stupid…
Anyway, we headed in, I got a snack, and we took our seats in the second row on the right side facing the stage. Not too shabby for waiting until a couple weeks before the show to get tickets.
Another thing Aerosmith has a history of is good openers. Many of them have become some of my favorite bands, such as Fuel (2001), Stone Temple Pilots (2002), and Cheap Trick (2004/2012). While I’m not a huge fan of Three Doors Down (2009) or Buckcherry (2010), both have a lot of good songs and put on a really good show.
Tonight’s opener was Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. They took the stage at 7:30, opening with “You’re A Lie,” the big single from the band’s 2012 album Apocalyptic Love. That was followed by GNR’s “Nightrain” before two more of Slash’s own tunes, “Standing In The Sun” and “Back From Cali.”
I was already enjoying the hell out of the show when a familiar drum beat started. Sure enough, the band launched into GNR’s “You Could Be Mine,” which is my favorite song of theirs. They sounded absolutely amazing on the song and Myles’ voice was perfectly suited for the GNR material.
The lead single & title track from the band’s upcoming new album “World On Fire” followed. Then came “Anastasia,” which features some classic Slash riffs, and “By The Sword.”
Naturally they saved the three biggest songs for the end of their hour long set. First came GNR’s “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” a song I’d be fine with never hearing again in terms of the studio recording… But hearing it played live by Slash’s band gave it a new life and I loved it.
They shifted gears and played Velvet Revolver’s biggest single “Slither” next. While it was nice to hear live, I don’t think Myles’ voice suits the VR material as well as it does GNR. Replacing Axl’s harsh, annoying screeches with a good singing voice is one thing, but replacing Scott Weiland’s vocals is another.
The set came to a close with a fast paced version of GNR’s “Paradise City” that had the crowd really going.
I think I’ll definitely be picking up Slash’s recent albums after that show.
Changeover took about a half hour and Aerosmith snuck onto the stage around 9:08. No big curtain intro this time, just a piped in spoken intro before drummer Joey Kramer started the slow beat that built into “Back In The Saddle.” It was only my second time seeing this tune live, the first being way back in my second Aerosmith show on October 2, 2002.
The next song had an extended intro since Steven Tyler dislodged his mic pack, but eventually they blasted into “Eat The Rich,” a song I had never seen live before.
The classic “Love In An Elevator” followed and really got the crowd into the show.
For me, the show hit a lull after that, as “Cryin'” and “Livin’ On The Edge” were played. Those two have been played at every show I’ve seen, and I had even mentioned in my review for the last time I saw Aerosmith (in 2012) that I was sick of these two. That hasn’t changed.
Steven Tyler snuck off the stage and went into the crowd near the end of “Edge” and created utter chaos, but it was entertaining.
Things picked back up after that, as Steven introduced “Monkey On My Back” from the Pump album. I love this song and was happy to hear it again. They opened with it at the show I went to in 2009 and I thought it made a great opener.
Steven once again started to introduce the next song, mentioning “Draw The Line,” so I was expecting the title track to be played… But much to my surprise, the band launched into “Kings And Queens,” a song that has only been played a handful of times in recent years and hadn’t been played in the US since 2006.
That song led directly into “Toys In The Attic,” which was followed by “Rag Doll.” I took a short video of “Rag Doll” and sent it to Brittany, since it’s one of her favorites. I could have done without it in the set since it’s been played at the last two shows I’ve seen, but oh well.
Joe took center stage for the next tune. The band performed a great rendition of “Freedom Fighter” with the lyrics popping up on the big screen as the song went along. Sadly it was the only ‘new’ tune from 2012’s Music From Another Dimension! album to be featured in the set.
From there, they went back to the old school, with Steven Tyler performing his slightly extended harmonica intro to “Big Ten Inch Record.” As the song was drawing to a close, the night’s most pleasant surprise was spoiled by a camera accidentally catching one of the on stage monitors, revealing the next song…
But that still didn’t take away from my excitement.
None other than “RATS IN THE CELLAR” followed. This is one of my top five favorite Aerosmith tunes (probably number three, actually) and I have been dying to see it live since I got into the band way back in 2001. I missed it by ONE SHOW in 2002. To finally see it was amazing. It was everything I had hoped for and so much more as the band tore through the song and extended the end jam, bringing the total length to at least eight minutes.
It was the fourth tune I had never seen live in the set, so the band hit their quota. Plus that makes four Rocks tunes I’ve seen live, which is great since that is my favorite Aerosmith album.
Seeing “Rats” made the turd that followed acceptable, even though I still tuned out during “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.”
Thankfully, another one of my favorite Aerosmith tunes followed, being “No More No More.” This one used to be quite rare but has become more and more common over recent years. In fact, it has been played at four of my seven shows now.
Another surprise followed, this one being one of the bands biggest hits: “Dude (Looks Like A Lady).” Only my second time seeing this one and once again, hadn’t seen it since 2002.
“Walk This Way” came next and closed out the main set.
Roadies constructed the piano on the catwalk during the encore (far less dramatic than having it rise from the catwalk like in 2012), and the band returned.
Steven Tyler sat down and played a bit of “Home Tonight,” yet another Rocks tune, before starting “Dream On,” one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
Not surprisingly, “Sweet Emotion” came next and closed out the show. I was hoping for “Mama Kin” to be played with Slash joining the band, but sadly it was not to be.
Just like that, my seventh Aerosmith show had come to a close. Four more tunes were seen for the first time, bringing their total up to 51 (plus a few other snippets). It was amazing as always. This band never disappoints.
Media Reviews:
That’s Steven F’n Tyler! : Aerosmith at the World (Tinley Park’s First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)
That’s Steven F’n Tyler and that’s Joe F’n Perry were pretty much the lines of the night. Traffic was bad on the way. A few accidents and a burning semi followed by a gas spill (I hope everyone is okay) delayed our arrival at the World. Yes- It’s still The World to me. I don’t like change. There’s the Sears Tower, Comiskey and The World.
I arrived at about 7:15. I paid for $30 parking online. I apparently did not know that you get free parking at the theatre with tickets. Oh well. I headed straight for a beer stand that had anything other than bud light. As my new favorite bartender would say, I’m hipster when it comes to my beers. Sadly the stand I stopped at had Bud light and Founders and the Founders IPA was “too foamy.” Bud it was. At $10 a cup, I’m not sure it was worth it!
We headed to the lawn to meet up with some friends. Thanks to the previously mentioned bad traffic, the lawn was pretty packed already. We ended up sitting about 3/4ths of the way up to the side of the stage.
Slash opened with Myles Kennedy on lead vocals. It was good but I have never been much of a Slash/Guns N’ Roses fan so like everyone in the stadium I only got excited for two songs: Sweet Child O’Mine and Paradise City.
A long 45 minute or so break followed. We used the time to refill our cups and use the restroom. To the women in front of me: No it is NOT okay to not wash your hands to keep the line moving. Wash your damn hands! To the ladies teasing their hair and reapplying your makeup, it’s 9pm and super dark, NO ONE can see your face. Just get out.
We got to our seats with only a few minutes to spare. Aerosmith came on at about 9:10 opening with Back in the Saddle Again. Perfect intro to a perfect night. From there it just got better and better. There were some songs I wasn’t too familiar with like Big Ten Inch Record (A Bull Moose Jackson cover) and No More No More. Even though I didn’t know every lyric, I couldn’t stop dancing. Downloading those now by the way!
Towards the end they played I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing. I’m pretty sure everyone knows this song. Aerosmith fans, kids in their 20’s, 40’s, 60’s, movie buffs etc. were all singing along, part of it without vocals from the great Steven Tyler.
They finished the night with Walk this Way and encored with Dream on and Sweet Emotion. Do you know that feeling when you enjoy something so much you don’t even sing along because you have to hear it? That’s me during Dream On. It was insane! One of my favorite songs, and I got to see it performed live. Amazing.
The disappointments? There was no Janie’s Got a Gun, Crazy or Jaded. We listened to them on the way home, however, and all was right with the world.
Highlight performances of the night? Back in the Saddle, Rag Doll, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Walk this Way, and of course, their Encore performances, Dream On and Sweet Emotion.
Bottom line: This was a surreal night for me as I grew up listening to Aerosmith. The music was on point. Joe Perry really makes me want to learn guitar so I can play 1/100th as good as him. Steven Tyler still has that voice. If this is how they sound in their 60’s, I wish I could have seen them live in the 70 or 80’s!
The guys still have it going on and oh yea- that was Steven F’n Tyler!
(Side note: Steven the ‘stache has got to go & Joe Perry- You’re hot for an old guy!)
By Katie Moler @ ChicagoNow.com, 2014
Aerosmith, Slash Take Tinley Park
This past Friday night, we found ourselves right back on the lawn at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, under a somewhat threatening sky waiting for Slash. You know, just a normal Friday.
He, along with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, set our night off right. Myles is a talented vocalist. That much was clear right away. Kennedy’s got a powerful tenor voice, and the band backing him, Slash or no Slash, had an impeccable way of laying into a groove with energy to match.
The band kicked off the show with You’re a Lie, then launched into some favorite Guns ‘N Roses and Slash charts like “Nightrain,” “By the Sword,” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to the thunderous applause of the crowd. Slash is absolutely the guitarist he always was—immensely talented and a great showman to boot. He’s one of those musicians who make the incredibly complex riffs look deceptively easy. The band also covered Slither by Velvet Revolver, and closed out the night with Guns n’ Roses classic Paradise City.
As we prayed there’d be no rain, it was time for the set switch to Aerosmith. The “Bad Boys From Boston” launched right into Back in the Saddle, and it seemed they were never away from it in the first place. Steven Tyler was as eccentric and energetic as we’ve come to expect, mic stand and scarves flying in the wind, sharing the occasional standard, yet somehow charming, homoerotic moment with Joe Perry.
Eat the Rich, one of our favorites, came next, and the rest of the show was a good sampling of old and new, back to Toys in the Attic, Monkey on My Back from 1989’s Pump, Big Ten Inch Record. and even a track from Music From Another Dimension- Joe Perry’s Freedom Fighter.
It is a track we tried to like, but the song just seems incongruent with the rest of the band’s catalog, and leans toward the repetitive. Still, Aerosmith puts on a wonderful show. Tyler is so at home at the helm of this band, and while he roams, jokes and dances, the band behind him keeps a’ rollin’. From Joe Perry’s oft-overlooked guitar riffs to Kramer’s drums, Hamilton’s solid bass (Tyler called him “Sweet Emotion himself”), this is a band that has it together, and on top of it still obviously enjoys playing. We don’t know what kind of alchemy keeps them together after 45 years, but we’re glad for it.
As Tyler sat down to close the night at the piano for Dream On, it was easier to see him as a songwriter and hear the way the song fit him. And while yes, he can still hit those notes in the stratosphere, it’s an introspective,even autobiographical, moment for him.
No matter how much time has passed, he seems truly grateful to be where he is, performing. After all those shows and all those years. That speaks to the passion and drive that both he and the band have. That, in any genre, is something beautiful. It takes a track, a vocalist, and a band beyond a one-hit-wonder, and makes them an institution. And even after seeing so many of their shows, it’s what keeps me coming back. Looking out on the crowd as the night ended, it seems I’m not alone.
By Marielle Shaw @ Chicagoist.com, 2014
TurnToDust86 