Review: AEROSMITH Rocked, KISS Handled Fireworks At Denver Gig

Matt Sebastian of The Daily Camera reports that the difference between KISS and AEROSMITH became strikingly clear by the fourth song of the latter band's set at Fiddler's Green in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday night (September 30),when the Boston rockers loosened up with a fierce rendition of "Let the Music Do the Talking".

Taking a relatively inconsequential song, AEROSMITH did just that, smoking the capacity audience with a twin slide-guitar attack by Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, a bit of raw musicality that came over the crowd like a breath of fresh air following KISS' stiff, gimmicky set.

And perhaps that's why AEROSMITH plays last on this co-headlining tour, which saw each band delivering 75-minute sets on a chilly fall night, the final show of another summer concert season. KISS' performance was textbook rock 'n' roll, a paint-by-numbers hard-rock show, right down to the fireworks and flashpots, fake blood, levitating drum kit, excessive tongue wagging and, particularly, Paul Stanley's shameless shout-outs to the "people of Denver."

AEROSMITH, in contrast, focused on its bluesy, riff-heavy rock, foregoing theatricality for an aural punch that KISS lacked. Steven Tyler and Co. were at their best grinding through chest-pumping rockers like the opening barrage of "Mama Kin" and "Toys in the Attic", or even moodier mid-tempo numbers like "Seasons of Wither", from 1974's "Get Your Wings". Tyler, who seemingly sang himself hoarse, was a dervish on stage, running far out into the audience on a ramp that extended well into Fiddler's seated area. Read more. A slightly different take on the same show can be read at the Rocky Mountain News web site at this location.