Steven Tyler of Aerosmith shoots at a flying droid hovering above the enthusiastic crowd at Treasure Island at the 2014 Oracle Openworld Appreciation Event.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY MARCUS SIU
SAN FRANCISCO, October 1,2014 – I can imagine the planners for Oracle’s OpenWorld Appreciation event earlier this year, brainstorming in a closed door conference room, discussing a possible musical lineup for this years annual musical event on Treasure Island.
Hmm…”let’s headline a classic rock band from the vinyl era, Rock “n” Roll Hall of Fame inductees, who can still rock out better than anyone else half their age…and combine that with a new contemporary act that even the Grammy committee would find unusual to pair up. What was the name of that critically acclaimed and commercially successful independent hip-hop act that was nominated for seven Grammy’s this year, including “album of the year”? I sure like what they have to say in their raps…”
At this year’s Oracle’s OpenWorld Appreciation event, Aerosmith was the main headliner on the bill, joined along with rappers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who are recipients of four Grammy Awards earlier this year, including “Best New Artist”. Quite an unusual combination, indeed.
Though Aerosmith were considered the headliners of the show, they would perform before Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Either Oracle knew that most of the attendees of the show were really going there to see Aerosmith and had to leave the party early to wake up the next morning in order to attend the Oracle conference, or perhaps it would have been way past Steven Tyler’s bed time, if Aerosmith were to play after Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s set. I seriously believe it was the former reason as Tyler has quite a bit of energy for his age as proven on stage.
After great anticipation from the crowd following a few words from the Oracle sponsors with a drone flying above, the crowd immediately roared when Steven Tyler and the boys from Aerosmith took the stage kicking off with “Train Kept A- Rollin”.
The rest of the set included “Love in an Elevator”, “Cryin'”, “Living on the Edge”, “King and Queens”, “Toys in the Attic”, “Jaded”, “Rag Doll”, “Stop Messin’ Around”, “Mama Kin”, ” I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, “No More, No More”, “Dude Looks Like a Lady”, and ended with “Walk This Way”, leaving the crowd ecstatic. They returned and finished off with encores of their classics songs; “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion”.
Aerosmith showed the audience why they reigned supreme in the rock world, even after 45 years together. Tyler and Perry were showcased right smack in the middle of the huge frenzied crowd, in an intimate setting, along with the backdrop of dramatic lasers and lights, giant monitors and full blown smoke effects, enhancing the electrified atmosphere on the massive set. Tyler and guitarist, Joe Perry were both in “amazing” form.
Leave it to the organizers of the Oracle Appreciation events. They absolutely know how to throw a great party. Year after year, they continue to book an amazing musical lineup that brings pure excitement to Treasure Island, with a party atmosphere unlike any other. The evening couldn’t have been more pleasant weather wise, as it was a very warm and a summerlike evening. It couldn’t have been any better, with all the free flowing beer, wine, great food, arcades galore, along with a giant Ferris wheel on an island right in the middle of the San Francisco Bay.
Wish this could happen every night…
Dream on…
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis take their independent debut platinum album, “The Heist” to the stage at Treasure Island at the Oracle Appreciation Event.
The 90’s band Spacehog (“In the Meantime”), also had played earlier on the second stage.
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