Aerosmith, ZZ Top ready to rock Nissan

You might think playing live would be an old hat after 30 years, 150 million albums sold and four Grammy Awards. Think again.

Legendary rock band Aerosmith kicked off its first tour in almost two years last week in St. Louis, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers weren't immune to pre-show jitters.

"I was nervous," said bassist Tom Hamilton, who relates performing after a hiatus to memorizing a script.

However, tensions eased once he stepped in front of thousands of cheering fans at the "awesome" show.

Aerosmith plays Bristow's Nissan Pavilion this Sunday as part of its summer tour presented by "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith."

The 20,000-plus capacity venue has become a staple on the group's itineraries, and Hamilton said he looks forward to the upcoming gig.

"The area, in general, has always been extremely welcoming," he said. "You get the combination of the sort of semi-sophisticated, semi-urban crowd with the hardcore, rough and ready rock fans."

Aerosmith will co-bill with classic rockers ZZ Top, celebrating their 40th anniversary.

Hamilton described the pairing as one of "harmonic convergence."

"I went for it right away," said the Colorado Springs native. "Those guys have so many great songs. I doubt they'll play one half-good song the whole tour."

Diehard Aerosmith fans are probably echoing that statement. Hamilton revealed that he and his band mates have been rehearsing many songs that haven't been played in years and that the group will perform "all, if not most" of the tracks from its 1975 record, "Toys in the Attic."

The risqué collection, which spawned the hits "Walk this Way" and "Sweet Emotion," sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S. and earned a spot on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

"That album is very close to my heart," Hamilton said.

Outside of live shows, Aerosmith's canon of tunes is being introduced to a new generation of listeners through the successful music video game, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith." The game, released last June, grossed approximately $25 million in its first week and has sold more than a million copies.

"It's an amazing thing what's going on with 'Guitar Hero'," said Hamilton. "A lot of teenagers are really hungrily looking into classic rock bands from the '60s and '70s."

"American Idol" viewers also got a dose of vintage Aerosmith when season eight runner-up Adam Lambert performed the band's 1993 smash "Cryin'."

Hamilton said he hadn't seen Lambert's rendition, but gave recognition to the hard work the contestants put forth.

"We've been working on new material," said Hamilton. "When we're in that mode I don't really listen to much music outside of what I'm working on."

Hamilton did, however, give a shout out the Foo Fighters and the "fantastic" Kings of Leon. He said sometimes modern bands aren't given the credit they deserve.

"A lot of people might say they don't make music like they used to… but yeah they do. They make damn good music," Hamilton said.

Aerosmith has crossed the globe nearly 36 times while touring, and its current tour has them band on the road through September. Hamilton said the long trips can still take a toll on the band despite traveling in style.

"It's more about isolation than fatigue," he said. "A lot of times you're just on this virtual island floating around through all these different cities."

Hamilton has no complaints though. In 2006 he briefly stepped away from Aerosmith after being diagnosed with throat cancer. The treatment and recovery process required him to adopt a new outlook on life.

"It was definitely an ordeal to get through… it takes you longer to come out of it than you think," he said. "You have to use a lot of acceptance."

Fortunately things are back on track, both professionally and personally, for the iconic bassist.

"It's going great… I've been very fortunate," said Hamilton.

Kyle Ridley can be reached at .

WANT TO GO?

» WHAT'S UP: Legendary rock bands Aerosmith and ZZ Top perform.

» WHEN: June 21 at 7:30 p.m.

» WHERE: Nissan Pavilion, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow

» TICKETS: $25 to $129.50 (lawn and in-house seating)

» INFO: http://www.livenation.com