Aerosmith News

Suzanne Kayian
LiveDaily

It may have been a court-ordered show, but Tuesday's (10/20) Aerosmith [ tickets ] concert at the War Memorial Stadium in Maui definitely did not seem like a "settlement." From the opening drum beats to the extended encore, The Bad Boys of Boston gave it their all and lived up to the "do not suck" clause in the lawsuit agreement that stemmed from a canceled 2007 show on the Hawaiian island.

The band's set opened with a gathering of percussionists pounding a very Hawaiian-sounding beat as a troupe from a local hula halau (school) shimmied and shook in a manner worthy of Steven Tyler's notorious stage gyrations. As the Hawaiian drums gave way to Joey Kramer's driving intro to "Eat The Rich," there was no doubt this audience was in for a treat.

After blasting through several songs that kept the crowd on their feet, Tyler brought out a ukulele, telling the crowd he was going to play something he learned while on the island in 1974. As he started to strum the tiny instrument, the band playfully overpowered him, breaking into the opening notes of "Dream On."

The flamboyant frontman went with the flow and gave the audience what they had been waiting for: a performance that members of the Blue Army would proudly call kick-ass, far-out, tight, sick or most-excellent, depending on the generation. Tyler's voice was in great form and he didn't disappoint as he hit those ultra-high notes that have made him often-imitated but not often-duplicated.

Peppering his between-song stage banter with local phrases including "Maui No Ka Oi" (Maui is the best), Tyler brought the ukulele out again, strumming a bit of the Hawaiian classic "Little Grass Shack."

It quickly became apparent that this show was special for both the fans and the band. At one point, Perry stood under the starry sky, telling the crowd how much the band has wanted to play on the island since visiting in 1974. He practically took back his recent comments about Aerosmith being on "indefinite hiatus," saying the band wouldn't take that long for a return appearance.

The first all-out sing-along of the night came during "Cryin'," as Tyler's trademark scarves dangled from his mic stand while he twirled it like a weightless baton. After more than 30 years as a performer, his stage presence remains captivating.

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