Blows on stage?
No mere Idol fight: Aerosmith brings its simmering internal feud to Houston
Aerosmith at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sammy Hagar opens for Aerosmith on ThursdaySammy Hagar/Facebook
Following a year of infighting, ultimatums, threats of separation and rumors of a replacement singer coming out of the Aerosmith camp (and now group discord over Steven Tyler's potential American Idol judgeship), it's high time the die-hard fans relay a message to Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the rest of the band: Quite dinkin' around and get back playing the music that you care about again.
Since late last year when Tyler put the brakes on an Aerosmith South America tour so he could concentrate on solo pursuits and the penning of his autobiography, the public feud between Aerosmith and its singer is enough to make Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's relationship seem stable by comparison.
Perry said Aerosmith was prepared to find a new lead singer while rumors that Tyler had checked into rehab swirled around the blogosphere. When Tyler heard about Aerosmith's plans to move on without him he sent a "cease and desist" letter to his bandmates of 40 years.
C'mon guys. Haven't we been down this rock 'n' roll cliche before?
By summer Perry, Tyler and rest of band appeared to have mended fences and put the lawyers back in their cages as they prepared for the current, "Cocked, Locked Ready to Rock Tour." Now, the Idol furor's hit — with Perry enraged that he found out about Tyler's Idol courting on the Internet.
All this squabbling has kept the band from making a quality studio album for more than a decade.
(And if some tunnel-visioned Aerosmith groupies write in to defend 2004's unfortunately titled Honkin' On Bobo as one of the great contributions to the Aerosmith catalog then they're delusional. It's the group's most recent album and only two songs from it have even been represented on this tour so far. Not even the band wants to be associated with that Boston steamer).
Even worse, Aerosmith has developed a serious case of Rolling Stone-itis on stage by playing the same tired 15-20 songs ad nauseam and rarely taking the time to reinvent the dozens of the other beloved songs in its vault.
The last time Tyler & Co. didn't seem to be running on muscle memory auto-pilot on stage was the "Just Push Play Tour" in 2001-2002.
So why, you might ask, do I choose this show as a Concert Pick of the Week?
Because, recent history excluded, Aerosmith is one of the greatest American rock 'n' roll bands ever and I have seen how they can ravage a stage when they actually give a damn.
Here's hoping that the band has once again figured it out and rips up the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion properly Thursday night.
Accept only the best from your rock 'n' roll heroes!
Aerosmith (with special guest Sammy Hagar), 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Tickets $29.50-$89.50
