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KISS AEROSMITH

SEEING KISS and Aerosmith together at Jones Beach was like witnessing Peter Pan in a death match with Father Time.

KISS, the band that won’t grow up, was in the makeup they’ve worn since the beginning, while Aerosmith wore their wrinkles like battle scars.

All the KISS hits were there, punctuated by ear-popping explosions and wagging tongues – yet with middle-age paunch stress-testing their latex ‘n’ leather outfits and their Kabuki makeup hardly disguising the lines on their faces, their physical appearance was disturbing.

As superficial as it may seem, in a rock performance, looks counts.

But Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler have kept trim, despite their freeze-dried complexions, and had energy to spare.

They had sparks of spontaneity even in their highly choreographed set, while KISS’s performance seemed more rote than rock.

Explosions flashed everywhere during “Rock and Roll All Nite,” but the band’s general lack of enthusiasm made it less than believable – though the fans were fired up to a fist-pumping frenzy.

Aerosmith also engaged the fans, especially during “Pink,” “Dream On” and the encore, “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” but for them, the energy flowed both ways. The band seemed as thrilled to be playing as the fans were to be listening.

If you heard the show on the radio, you might even debate whether Aerosmith edged out KISS from the top slot on the bill. But seeing them live only raised questions about how to age gracefully, if at all, in rock ‘n’ roll.

DVDR

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KISS / AEROSMITH BILL

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