Aerosmith, along with Lenny Kravitz, recently played at the local Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on November 23, 2005. I attended along with some clients of mine in our company box seats. Once you sit in the suite you never want to sit in regular seating again. Catering including wine & beer, in-room bathrooms and televisions, couches and love seats all create a perfect viewing environment!!

The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., but anyone who has ever been to a live performance knows they never start on time. This one wasn’t so bad, Lenny Kravitz opened at 7:45 and rocked with a set list of about 10-12 songs including “Where We Are Runnin’”, “American Woman”, “Fly Away” and “Lady” which is rumored to be about his once-upon-a-time squeeze, Nicole Kidman. Dressed casually, he looked as tall and lean as he does in all the magazines. Good-looking character he is. Great concert as he had everyone worked up and ready for the main act by the end of his hour and 15 minutes set.

Around 9:00 p.m. Steven Tyler and the rest of the Aerosmith band came onstage to some of the loudest cheering I have ever heard at a concert. In addition to the main stage, there were two extensions that reached far out into the crowd allowing more interaction between the entertainment and the fans. At certain times during the concert the walkways lit up into different colors making for a more interesting showcase. At strategic places you could see teleprompters with the words of the songs rolling along.

This crowd is definitely a little rowdier than some that I have previously seen. Women periodically made it past the numerous security guards that surrounded the area and jumped onstage. Steven Tyler was cool enough to keep on singing with his arm around them for a while before sending each of them on their way back to their seats. Bras were thrown along with flowers and some of the fans near the front of the stage were actually topless by the end. Somehow I get the feeling they are quite used to this type of behavior.

They played for about an hour and a half to an hour and forty-five minutes, extremely loud and really entertaining. Some of the play list included “Love in an Elevator”, “Walk This Way” and “Dude Looks Like A Lady”. Numerous other songs were played, but I did not know the titles as I am not a follower of this group other than what plays on the radio. Either way, this was what a rock concert should be like; now, if only my hearing would come back!!!