Aerosmith Stuns Hollywood Bowl with Guns N’ Roses and Run-DMC
Aerosmith wrapped up their two-night California Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends run at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night, treating fans to a star-studded lineup of special guests and a heavily revamped collaborative setlist.
While night one featured surprise guest drummer Dave Grohl, Sunday night swapped out several performers—including Sammy Hagar, Sully Erna, Eric Church, and Warren Haynes—while bringing in a fresh rotation of rock royalty to pay tribute to Boston’s finest.
All-Star Collaborations and Special Guests
Comedian and fellow Bostonian Bill Burr returned to host the evening as master of ceremonies. The house band anchored the night right out of the gate, featuring drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Don Was, and guitarists Phil X and Audley Freed. Blues artist Marcus King kicked off the performances with an emphatic take on “Same Old Song and Dance.”
Alice in Chains members Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez delivered high-energy renditions of “Draw the Line” and the Rocks deep cut “Nobody’s Fault,” joined on vocals by Richie Kotzen. Tom Morello teamed up with Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale for “Kings and Queens” and “Round and Round.” Meanwhile, Billy Idol and Steve Stevens returned for their second night to tackle “Livin’ on the Edge.”
The guest list continued rolling through generations of rock and pop royalty. Grace Potter delivered a powerful take on “What It Takes” and later returned to duet with Train frontman Pat Monahan on “Cryin’.” Monahan also handled vocals for “You See Me Crying” and “Angel.” Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson dropped by to perform “Janie’s Got a Gun” alongside their own classic track, “Barracuda.” The Black Crowes kept the energy high with a five-song set, swapping out “Write Me a Letter” from the previous night in favor of “Get the Lead Out.”
Guns N’ Roses Overhaul Their Set
Guns N’ Roses returned as direct support and completely overhauled their setlist from night one, delivering six tracks instead of five. Most notably, Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan blasted through Aerosmith’s “Mama Kin” live together for the first time in over 30 years—marking their first performance of the track since June 6, 1992, and ending a live drought that stretched back to 2012.
GN’R also debuted three additional Aerosmith covers: “S.O.S. (Too Bad),” “Sick as a Dog,” and “Rats in the Cellar,” the latter featuring a guest harmonica appearance by Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis, who previously toured with the band during their Use Your Illusion era. The band closed out their portion with their own staples, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Nightrain.”
Aerosmith Takes the Stage With Run-DMC
Headliners Aerosmith commanded the stage for the final block of the night, powering through classics like “Toys in the Attic,” “Sweet Emotion,” and “Dream On.” Rather than featuring Dave Grohl on the kit as he did on night one, touring drummer John Douglas held down the rhythm section for the main set.
The evening reached a monumental peak when rap icons Run-DMC joined Aerosmith on stage to recreate their historic 1986 rap-rock crossover hit, “Walk This Way.” Original Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer stepped behind the kit specifically for the collaboration. The night ultimately came to a close with a high-octane cover of Tiny Bradshaw’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin’.”
Night Two Setlist
- “Same Old Song and Dance” (Marcus King)
- “Draw the Line” (Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez and Richie Kotzen)
- “Nobody’s Fault” (Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez and Richie Kotzen)
- “Kings and Queens” (Tom Morello and Lzzy Hale)
- “Round and Round” (Tom Morello and Lzzy Hale)
- “Livin’ on the Edge” (Billy Idol and Steve Stevens)
- “What It Takes” (Grace Potter)
- “You See Me Crying” (Pat Monahan)
- “Angel” (Pat Monahan)
- “Cryin'” (Pat Monahan with Grace Potter)
- “Janie’s Got a Gun” (Heart)
- “Barracuda” (Heart)
- “Let the Music Do the Talking” (The Black Crowes)
- “Get the Lead Out” (The Black Crowes)
- “Combination” (The Black Crowes)
- “No More No More” (The Black Crowes)
- “Chip Away the Stone” (The Black Crowes)
- “Mama Kin” (Guns N’ Roses)
- “S.O.S. (Too Bad)” (Guns N’ Roses)
- “Rats in the Cellar” (Guns N’ Roses with Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis)
- “Sick as a Dog” (Guns N’ Roses)
- “Sweet Child o’ Mine” (Guns N’ Roses)
- “Nightrain” (Guns N’ Roses)
- “Toys in the Attic” (Aerosmith)
- “Back in the Saddle” (Aerosmith)
- “Sweet Emotion” (Aerosmith)
- “Dream On” (Aerosmith)
- “Come Together” (Aerosmith)
- “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith with Run-DMC)
- “The Train Kept A-Rollin'” (Aerosmith)
Related reading: Aerosmith Announce Surprise Live Return for Hollywood Bowl Shows, Aerosmith Teases Live Return With Hollywood Bowl Dates
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