Aerosmith
Rockin' the Joint

The spirit of '70s classic and '80s hard rock were alive and well at the Oakland Arena Wednesday night as fans of rock icons Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz dusted off their black concert shirts and let their hair down. Some women in the audience even broke out the classic groupie garb, or at least I hope this isn't in their regular wardrobe rotation!

It was a simplistic stage for Kravitz, despite his always rocking eight-piece band, compared to his church revival-like setup at the Bill Graham Civic last spring where fans went completely crazy for him. Many concert goers were still straggling in as he took the stage in fringe and denim around 7:45.

The set list was like a best of album, tailor-made for any Kravitz fans. It included "Dig In," "Believe," "Can't Get You Off My Mind," and "Always on the Run."

The crowd in Oakland was euphoric when the Bad Boys from Boston hit the stage playing The Beatles' "Helter Skelter." Guitar God Joe Perry rocked an the arena as Tyler, in a see-through shirt and jeans that looked almost painted on, worked the crowd from the 2 L shaped catwalks that extended three-quarters of the way into the crowd.

At 57, Tyler still appears the ever energetic frontman, running and jumping around stage. Although he's no longer performing his patented front handsprings on stage, he continues to personify what Rock is all about. Unlike 90% of today’s one hit wonder, bubble gum rock, self proclaimed Rock Stars half his age.

Although fans clapped and cheered for some of their new tunes, the oldies were the ones that received the deafening response. "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way” keep the crowd pumped and brought everyone on their feet.

With illness plaguing the West Coast leg of the tour and the rescheduling of Denver, Oakland and Sacramento, Kravitz fans found themselves disappointed to hear that Cheap Trick will be one the second leg but for the true Aerosmith fanatic it’s worth the wait.

Submitted by: Paul Fischer