By Joe Puccio

If you were one of the 19,000 or so Aerosmith fans packed into the UBS Arena on Saturday, September 9, consider yourself lucky.

After completing just three dates on their ‘Peace Out’ farewell jaunt, the band announced that lead singer extraordinaire Steven Tyler is being forced, per doctor’s orders, to rest his vocal cords for the next month – meaning the next six scheduled gigs have been postponed until early next year.

It’s “no surprize” that Tyler, affectionately (and accurately) known as The Demon of Screamin’, busted his pipes at the sold out Elmont, NY show. The septuagenarian belted out classics like “Love in an Elevator,” “Sweet Emotion,” and the laborious, stage-setting opener “Back in the Saddle,” with the fire and passion that the Manhattan-born frontman has personified for the past 50 years.

The seemingly ageless Joe Perry had no problem keeping up with his Toxic Twin bandmate, however, as the unassuming lead guitarist celebrated his almost-birthday (September 10) in style, effortlessly bringing the group’s vast catalogue to life.

Perry shined on the underappreciated “No More No More” and “Rats in the Cellar,” off of Toys in the Attic and Rocks, respectively, a pair of seminal records for the “Bad Boys from Boston.” But for hardcore followers, it was the Perry-penned “Bright Light Fright” that drew the most interest, as the rare tune hadn’t been performed live in almost 30 years.

The rhythm section of original bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer John Douglas, filling in for the absent Joey Kramer on the tour, didn’t suffer at all and was as tight as Aerosmith enthusiasts have come to expect, while fellow axe-man Brad Whitford’s playing blended beautifully with Perry’s.

It’s admittedly a negligible critique, but including at least one of Whitford’s impressive collection of co-written songs, such as “Last Child,” “Kings and Queens,” or “Nobody’s Fault,” would have been a nice touch.

Additionally, and this is undeniably a polarizing assessment, many long-standing devotees have been appealing for tracks like “Angel,” “Home Tonight,” and even deep cut “Ain’t That a Bitch,” an anguished masterpiece from 1997’s Nine Lives. Wishful thinking but could replacing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Walk This Way,” or “Rag Doll” with the aforementioned trifecta be a reality one day? Dream on.

Southern rock heavyweights the Black Crowes warmed the crowd up with their reliable brand of good, old fashioned, rock and roll. Barreling through gems such as “Twice as Hard,” “Remedy,” and “Hard to Handle,” the Otis Redding ditty that the band covered on their 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker, Chris and Rich Robinson thankfully displayed no signs of tension, an accomplishment not to be taken for granted considering the volatile past issues between the brothers from Georgia.

The hour-long set proved to be a satisfying appetizer, highlighted by the Rolling Stones-infused “Jealous Again” and the always-poignant ballad “She Talks to Angels.”

Aerosmith setlist:

1. Back in the Saddle
2. Walkin’ the Dog
3. Rag Doll
4. Livin’ on the Edge
5. Janie’s Got a Gun
6. No More No More
7. Cryin’
8. Adam’s Apple
9. Season of Wither
10. Movin’ Out
11. Love in an Elevator
12. Bright Light Fright
13. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
14. Rats in the Cellar
15. Sweet Emotion
16. Toys in the Attic
17. Dream On
18. Walk This Way
19. Happy Birthday to You (to Joe Perry)

The Black Crowes setlist:

1. No Speak No Slave
2. Sting Me
3. Twice as Hard
4. My Morning Song
5. Seeing Things
6. Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution
7. Hard to Handle
8. Thorn in My Pride
9. She Talks to Angels
10. Jealous Again
11. Remedy