For the second time in a row, I have had a lengthy concert review lost by a computer crash and it’s quite infuriating. But I will press on and discuss summer concert #8, Aerosmith and KISS.

We’ll start with KISS since they came first. I was rather disappointed that we didn’t get more of a turnout from the KISS Army. The painted faces were few and far between. You know their fan base is aging when you see people in face paint and fanny packs. I’m thinking a lot of them were actually grateful that KISS opened so that they could leave and get home in time for the 10 o’clock news.

Anyway, not being very familiar with the music I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. But being the arena rock heroes that they are I figured they would at the very least be mildly entertaining. Well, I was right, but not in the manner I had expected. KISS were, in fact, entertaining, but only in how bad they really were. I could handle the lack of substance. (They made Jimmy Buffet sound like Bob Dylan.) But it was the complete lack of talent thinly covered by extended periods of jeering at the crowd (“You wanna hear more?” “You tired yet?”) that really got to me. Maybe I’m being a bit hard, but really, running around in 7” platform boots and touching one’s eyebrow with one’s tongue are usually only considered “talents” in the carnie world. I did manage to get onto my feet for “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night”. This was partly because this is a fun song and partly just because I knew that once it was done, KISS would be gone.

After all this, I was thinking, “Aerosmith better be really good to make up for that.” And they did not disappoint. We were treated to an amazing greatest hits collection performed with super-human energy, particularly on the parts of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. I’ve got a lot more yoga to do before I can perform the feats of agility that 55-year-old Tyler still does. My brother did point out that Tyler weighs all of about 92 pounds, but still… Anyway, as much as I hate to admit it, Tyler still has the looks and the stage presence to beat the pants off Mick Jagger any day. He just looked that good. I also enjoyed his harmonica chops which don’t normally get as much time on the albums. Concert highlight? Steven Tyler’s fedora. I’ve been wanting to buy myself a fedora for months and this cemented it. I think Tyler might also be partially to be blame for the love of pin-striped pants as well. I saw him in an over-sized pin-striped suit a few years ago and I haven’t been the same since. Second place? “Walk This Way”. Worst part? No encore! What’s up with that?!

Although it was short, Aerosmith put on a great show and I would highly recommend seeing them live.