Aerosmith fans won’t want to miss this thing

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands are expected to descend upon the Mall of Asia Arena on May 8 — 5 days before Election Day 2013 — for the first ever Southeast Asia concert of the US band Aerosmith. 

Conversely, there are numerous reasons why people of the Philippines will show up this Wednesday night. 

For one thing, this is the first time the so-called “Bad Boys of Boston” will play in the country. The tenacity of organizer Pulp Live World aside, Filipino members of the band’s “Blue Army” fandom never thought this could still happen. 

Lead vocalist Steven Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer have been jamming since 1970 — give or take professional and personal distractions — and a good chunk of the weeknight gig’s attendees would be purists who have dug the dudes since their ’70s albums such as “Toys in the Attic” and “Rocks.”

There are those who know the band better from their late ’80s to mid-’90s resurgence, starting with Run-DMC’s 1986 remake of the 1977 Aero-hit “Walk This Way,” down to a slew of hook-laden Aerosmith singles that were hits on FM radio and MTV alike.  

Rap trio Run-DMC’s memorable remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” with joint cameos by Tyler and Perry, introduced the A band to Generation X: 

Another cluster of the Aero-concert’s expected spectators would be ardent followers of “American Idol,” they who would be curious to see Tyler in his true, rock star element and witness what is coincidentally the latest Philippine performance by a former “Idol” judge.

And there are those who, all things being equal, would like to blow hard-earned pesos on what promises to be a kick-ass hard rock concert. After all, it will come with Perry’s blistering, Slash-inspiring licks and solos, the solid backing of Hamilton, Whitford, and Kramer, and Tyler’s rock jester strutting, mike stand swinging, and mouth-agape singing-screaming. (“Bunganga rock,” as former Jingle chordbook artist Romeo Buen would quip about Tyler’s bigmouth stance.)

Whatever the reason for catching Aerosmith this week, it would not just be an occasion for drowning one’s ears in deafening, “dirty” rock or in the audience’s own singing and cheering. That is, their show should double as a toast to longevity.

To wit: This band is already 43 years old and its members are now in their early 60s (Tyler is the eldest at 65). They have been through unexpected or self-inflicted hell (i.e., drugs, injuries, breakups) and have outlasted not just an array of peer bands but also disco, the cassette tape, and other pop culture confections. 

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry invite Pinoy fans to their Philippine show: 

While Aerosmith had released its 15th album, “Music From Another Dimension,” just last November, their ongoing “Global Warming World Tour” has turned out to be less a straight-up means to play their newest tracks and more of a way to please their generations of hit-seeking fans. 

As such, the band has been dishing out crowd-pleasing setlists since June last year, their “Global Warming” shows featuring many of their smash tunes across the decades. 

If their most recent gig is any indication, it’s only the Perry-composed “Oh Yeah,” arguably “Dimension’s” best track, that gets played in favor of older stuff — from “Sweet Emotion” and “Dream On” to “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and, here it comes, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” (They could throw in covers of The Beatles’ “Come Together” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Stop Messin’ Around,” too.)

The making of the new Aerosmith tune “Oh Yeah” is tackled here:

All told, visible, audible, and critical wrinkles in the band notwithstanding, Aerosmith’s May day gig should be a musical blast for the ages. 

Indeed, local concertgoers eager to behold “America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” no longer need to dream on, dream on, dream on. – Rappler.com 

The Philippine stop of Aerosmith’s Global Warming World Tour, with Rivermaya as the opening act, takes place on May 8 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. Tickets are available via SM Tickets. ‘Music from Another Dimension’ is available locally via Ivory Music & Video.