Dream On

The movie Sing came out late last year, and there is a scene where the gorilla croons “Dream On.” It’s been years since I hit play on one of Aerosmith’s signature songs, recorded prior to 1980. Few realize the track anchored the band’s first album, debuting in 1973 (it’s been re-released multiple times). Eminem even borrowed a few riffs for his own work. So I queued it up again. This full-orchestra performance is the one that hooked me—electric guitars blazing and a young Steven Tyler, forty years removed from his American Idol cameo. The underappreciated rock god had range.

The rasp. The wail. Seeing someone at the height of their powers, yes, this brings a smile to my face. The header photo comes from Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver.