I hadn't seen Lenny Kravitz before, but his performance on Saturday night was simply great.
The sound quality was perfect, the stage was simple and he truly seemed to be having a good time.
Kravitz played for an hour and 10 minutes, and his set was basically a "greatest hits" compilation.
"Where Are We Running" kicked off the night as a jeans-clad Kravitz performed with a large lit-up LK in the background.
"Believe," "Lady" and "Fly Away" were among the other songs played.
"I didn't know Greensboro was a rock and roll town," he shouted before "Always On the Run."
One of the highlights of his set was an extended version of "Let Love Rule" that was heavy on crowd participation.
Toward the end of the song, Kravitz took the time to walk around the perimeter of the floor, shake hands with fans and wave to the upper deck.
Though Kravitz performs most of the music on his CDs, his touring band is packed with incredible musicians. Drum and trumpet solos got the crowd roaring.
Fun fact: Read your CD liner notes - on his albums, Kravitz usually plays all instruments on the recording - drums, bass, guitars, pianos, etc.
Kravitz also said, "I can't wait to come back on our next tour." If he does, I'll be in line for tickets.
After a brief intermission, a video montage of Aerosmith through the years was played on a large screen over the stage.
As the video ended, the band tore into "Helter Skelter."
While the band's 15-song set was heavy with hits, they also threw in some more obscure songs - "Seasons of Wither" and "No More No More" to name a couple.
The band was energetic, but they lacked some of the intensity I had seen when they performed in Greensboro with Kiss a few years back.
The band made a lot of use of their stage set up, which had a "U" of ramps jutting out from the stage for 70 feet. This enabled members to walk down the ramp and get closer to the crowd.
This is the second time I've seen Aerosmith - both times in Greensboro - and both times singer Steven Tyler has had problems with his ear monitors. No idea if it's the venue or the crew....
While the band still has plenty of energy left - Tyler looked like a kid again after putting on a purple hat he got from the audience - guitarist Brad Whitford seemed the most "rough" of the group. He simply looked drained and worn out.
However, the music still sounds good, Tyler still has his voice and the band is sure to keep on rockin' for years to come.
Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at January 22, 2006 6:00 PM
Comments
I saw aerosmith and lenny that night and they simply blew me away. It was my first Aerosmith concert, and I fully intend on using my AeroForce1 membership to score some of the $600 tickets next tour! :) I was a little upset that they didn't play "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Jaded," or "Janie's Got a Gun," but other than that, the concert was AMAZING!!!!
Posted by: kerry s. at January 23, 2006 5:27 PM
