Legendary rock band lands on the Strip
If you were to fire up the ol’ time machine, travel back to the spring of 1979 and tell the five members of Aerosmith, “Guess what, guys—40 years from now, you’ll be performing on the Las Vegas Strip,” they likely would’ve responded with two very Aerosmith-ian words: “Dream on!”
Not because the thought of a hard rock band ever landing a Strip residency would’ve seemed absurd in 1979. Rather, because no member of Aerosmith in 1979 would’ve wagered so much as a dollar that they’d still be upright in 40 years, let alone a functioning band. At the time, the three-ingredient Molotov cocktail that blows up most rock bands—drugs, booze and infighting—was turning “the Bad Boys from Boston” into yet another cautionary tale.
The cracks in Aerosmith’s foundation began in July 1979, when lead guitarist Joe Perry left the band. The following year, lead singer Steven Tyler collapsed onstage during a concert after reportedly ingesting copious amounts of drugs, followed soon after by a serious motorcycle accident that resulted in a lengthy hospital stay. Then in 1981, rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford called it quits. By 1984, Perry and Whitford had returned, only to be part of the band’s revolving door in and out of rehab.
So, yeah, an Aerosmith residency … on the Las Vegas Strip … in 2019 … involving all five original members ranging in age from 67 to 71—dream on, indeed. And yet, here they are, still upright, still fully functioning and—most importantly—still rocking with the kind of passion, precision and power that long ago earned them the nickname “America’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band.” And that reputation seems untarnished as the years go by.
So what can that fan base expect during the Deuces Are Wild residency? A never-before-seen combination of vintage Aerosmith and modern-day technology, along with up-close-and-personal performances of classics like “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” and, yes, “Dream On.”
It’s Aerosmith like you’ve never seen—or heard—them before, and at a time and place nobody 40 years ago would’ve ever imagined they’d see them.
Park Theater at Park MGM, 8 p.m. April 16, 18, 21, 23 & 26, starting at $75 plus tax and fee. 844.600.7275
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