Concerts: Dream on with Aerosmith (05.08.2013)

Last year when Tyler was a judge in AI, there were rumours about them having a concert here in Manila. There were no promotions that time so we thought that was just a rumour. Until of course, they started selling.

The most expensive tickets we usually reserve buying are for our favorites. Aero wasn't a favorite of mine nor Reagan's so it's heartbreaking to learn that the tickets are too expensive!! 15k is just too much that even if they're my favorite band, I would pass! So we settled on an Upper Box seating worth 5k each. I can't remember where we sat back in Saltimbanco (most concerts we liked are in Araneta) so I've no idea how far that may be.

And then we got lucky. In time with the Mega 3 day sale, they announced about the 50% off on VIP Standing! I'm okay with standing anyway so we immediately had ours upgraded. I also learned that Metrodeal made a similar offer. We theorize that it seems like audiences do not want to pay that much for standing so the event organizers have to think something if they want to sell more. Besides it will make them look bad if no audiences were found on their pit.


We arrived there just around 8, so far so good, no line out of Arena. I brought my videocam with me, which surprisingly passed inspection. We've also spotted a small line near the doors to VIP Standing and we got lucky no one bothered to queue in immediately. We ate while waiting and a few minutes later, just in time when we were done, the doors were opened. They had a system of letting in groups of 10 and lucky us we're the 2nd group! We ran to the right side of the extension of the stage, (their stage looks like a T, just like in the concerts of Aerosmith on TV).

Later on Rivermaya took the stage. I thought no one would welcome them (we're surrounded by conyos) but suprisingly, the audience is much more receptive, singing with the band for the songs they were known for in the 90s even though of course the band went through overhauls. Then came the Aerosmith roadies.

I understood now why the concert was expensive. This is the first time I've seen so many roadies and bodyguards, photographers, videographers and spotters in an event, not to mention that there are counterpart local staff!! Even Tyler has his own shadow guy who kept on running to and fro wherever he goes. Around 9, the band finally came out. Everyone started screaming on cue. By that time I'm still at awe at how close we were: My videocamera is in my bag still because I don't see anyone using theirs so I settled on my phone. It was a good decision when sometime during the concert, a spotter shone his flashlight to someone close to us, ordering him/her to cut off taping. Phew. Close call. I would have been embarassed the entire night!

The numbers they did are larger in life, probably the most elaborate I've ever been so far. Most of the songs were hits they were best known for, Janie's Got A Gun, Walk this Way, Dude Looks Like A Lady, to name a few. And what's an Aerosmith concert without their overly popular 90s song, I don't want to miss a thing? Here's the video

Their encore was with a piano, that was placed directly infront of us, Dream On. For the last few minutes they were on stage, they gave their last energy in the performance. It ended with a shower of confetti and some cold droplets I recall Tyler saying 'It's snowing in Manila!'