50th Anniversary Show At Fenway Park

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All Photos By Travis Failey/Rocket Sports And Entertainment

As many of you that have read my show reviews in the past know that I consider some concerts to be considered an event. For example, THE ROLLING STONES and IRON MAIDEN due to limited touring dates or in regard to MAIDEN, the fans will travel from all over the world to see them in certain locations like Miami or Los Angeles. Fans look forward to these dates and have them circled on their calendar way ahead of time.

Well AEROSMITH playing Fenway Park for their 50th anniversary show in my opinion was definitely an event that was three years in the making. The concert was originally scheduled for 2020 but we all know why it was delayed and the wait was well worth it.

I’ve traveled all over the country covering shows in the past and I’ve experienced communities that were buzzing for a certain band or festival, but I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the anticipation that the fans had prior to the show last Thursday night in Bean Town.

From my travels from Tampa to a quick layover in Baltimore to finally landing at Logan airport, the fans from all over the country and the locals were in the bars and restaurants getting their drink on and fired up for the show the next day. Well, that anticipation carried over to Thursday afternoon around Fenway Park and as I walked up to the stadium and from a mile away you could hear Steven Tyler singing “Remember (Walking in the Sand)”. I thought damn, someone is cranking that up, but it was the band doing their pregame soundcheck. For the thousands in the area, it was a bonus for the people who got there early and hung out at the bars and in the streets. There were also plenty of people buying t-shirts and other merchandise with most of the shirts going for $50 and some even higher, but they were going like hotcakes. Only at MAIDEN or METALLICA shows do I see the lines this long, but whoever set up the merch for did a great job as there were stands all over the stadium.

Security was ridiculously easy to get through in this day and age and being a baseball fan since I was a young boy, you couldn’t help but get a bit emotional standing where second base usually is and looking out at the Green Monster. Fenway is a baseball mecca whether you’re a BoSox fan or not and after a few minutes passed and with the stadium about half full, Nuno Bettencourt from EXTREME took the stage and played the National Anthem with Old Glory on the huge video screen in the background.

Also residing from Boston, EXTREME was fantastic during their full set and their sound guy did an amazing job. They opened with “Decadence Dance” and played all the hits that they are known for. These included “Am I Ever Going To Change”, “Hole Hearted” and of course “More Than Words”. Nuno and Gary Cherone sat on stools for the latter and started it off with a bit from “Stairway To Heaven” by ZEPPELIN. Cherone was a madman on stage and crushed it from a vocal standpoint. I can understand why VAN HALEN had him play in the band after watching him perform for the first time as his crowd engagement and exuberance was top notch.

EXTREME also knew how to read the room as the crowd loved it when they did a rendition of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. They closed out their set with “Get The Funk Out” and afterwards Nuno asked the crowd to take a picture with the band and said “If I don’t get the picture my mom will never believe I played Fenway Park.“

After a 30-minute changeover and with Fenway Park now packed to the gills, comedian Bill Burr’s face lit up the video screen and introduced AEROSMITH to the stage. Burr stated that whenever he was down in the dumps back in the day, AEROSMITH always lifted him up and thanked them for the music and making him live a happier life which got a huge pop from the crowd. The screen faded then pictures and videos of AEROSMITH from days long gone by played, then arguably the greatest American Rock-N-Roll band opened their set with Perry and Tyler on the catwalk with Tyler screaming “I’m Back’ as “Back In The Saddle” commenced.

Tyler swung his bandana wrapped mic stand like a madman all night long and split time during the set out in front and the sides of the catwalk with the fans. Early on, Tyler seemed a bit winded but got better for most of the beginning and middle of the set but you couldn’t help but notice that he was agitated numerous times throughout the night. Whether it was issues with the sound, the monitors or the wind blowing fans, (which took some hits from the mic stand) Tyler expects things to be right and when they aren’t, its noticeable and audible, that he gets pissed.

None of these little flaws took away from what was happening with the band and the music that was being performed. AEROSMITH had multiple additional musicians on the stage with horns, piano/keys and backup singers who also played maracas. It was a full ensemble that joined Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joe Perry and drummer John Douglas on stage who was filling in for Joey Kramer. It did surprise many that Kramer didn’t join the band for at least a song or two but only the band and Joey himself know all the reasons for his hiatus and I won’t speculate on any of them.

After “Rag Doll” and “Mama Kin” AEROSMITH played the aforementioned “Remember (Walking In The Sand)". This is a cover of the old SHANGRA-LA’s song that they have only played 7 times live since 1980. Talk about breaking out a deep track for a special occasion. There were others mixed in like “Stop Messin' Around” by FLEETWOOD MAC where Joe Perry took his turn on lead vocals with Tyler do backups and playing the harmonica.

After “Cryin'”, Tyler and Perry came out to the center of the catwalk, sat down on bar stools, and played a bluesy acoustic rendition of “Hangman Jury” from Permanent Vacation. Tyler showed off his harmonica skills and then AEROSMITH went back in the time machine to 1974 for a deep track favorite in “Seasons of Wither” that included a beautiful blue wintery video backdrop.

AEROSMITH then took the pace back up with “Toys In The Attic”, “Livin’ On The Edge” and then “The Other Side”. Steven Tyler went back out to the front of the catwalk and gave an emotional rendition of “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” from the Armageddon soundtrack. The song that was written by Diane Warren has never been a favorite of mine but damn, multiple days later and I still can’t get it out of my head. During its performance, I noticed couples embracing and that tears were being shed by many in the crowd.

The crowd continued to sing their asses off throughout the night especially during “Love In An Elevator” and “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” which finished off the main set prior to the encore and what an encore it was.

The band took the usual break backstage while to the crowd’s surprise, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler appeared on top of the Green Monster with Tyler taking a seat on a beautiful white grand piano for “Dream On”. From the opening notes to the dramatic conclusion with Perry playing a lit-up rainbow guitar, everyone’s eyes were peeled to the top of the stadium and into the night sky. Other than a few select people, no one had a clue about the setup which turned into a moment that no AEROSMITH fan could ever forget. It was that special.

As Perry and Tyler made their way back down to the main stage, the undeniable bass track from “Sweet Emotion” rang out as Tom Hamilton strolled up to the front of the catwalk under a full moonlit sky. Hamilton played his four-string bass with its body and neck producing radiating colors that lit up the stage.

Everyone knew that this show wouldn’t be complete without the song that helped revitalize AEROSMITH’s career when they teamed up with RUN DMC in the 80’s in “Walk This Way”. The whole band joined Tyler on the catwalk as Joe Perry slayed the solo with Tyler adding in some “Way Down Inside” from ZEPPELIN’s “Whole Lotta Love”.

The air fans took another beating from Tyler’s mic stand as someone said, “Boston Loves You Guys” with Tyler responding with “We Love You Too” and pointed up and said “Blame it on the Moon". Joe Perry said thanks and acknowledged that they broke an attendance record for Fenway Park and as the band took a bow, Fenway Park exploded with pyro all throughout the stadium.

It seemed like a half hour before people started leaving Fenway to depart into the streets in amazement due to what we all witnessed. I know that may seem like an exaggeration, but it’s not. The smell of sulfur and smoke from the pyro was everywhere as the celebration of a 52-year career for the Bad Boys from Boston and their fans continued late into the night. Patrons at the bars stated that this was one of their favorite and memorable concerts of their lives and will always "Remember".

For a complete show setlist, click HERE

Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By Travis Failey/Rocket Sports And Entertainment