By Chris Varias
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Maybe it was Kiss who brought out the best in Aerosmith at Riverbend Wednesday night. Or maybe Aerosmith just didn't have enough time to do "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

Whatever the case, Aerosmith put on its finest Cincinnati performance in several years. The band kept newer schmaltzy material to a minimum. The set was streamlined, played on a bare-bones stage that was the perfect tonic after Kiss' bombastic act.

The only problem was the length of the sets relative to the ticket price. Anyone who paid over $130 for a pavilion seat should have been a fan of both bands, because each one only played for 75 minutes. This double-headliner tour could improve if opening band Saliva dropped off and Kiss and Aerosmith each did closer to two hours.

However, neither band wasted its limited time. The head of Joey Kramer's bass drum read: "Rocksimus Maximus," and, for the most part, Aerosmith's show was just that. The band opened with a strong three-song block of "Mama Kin," "Toys in the Attic" and "Love in an Elevator."

Lead singer Steven Tyler grabbed the spotlight from the start. He placed Brad Whitford in a headlock as the guitarist played his solo in "Mama Kin" and worked the runway - which extended from the stage 20 rows into the crowd - during "Toys."

Guitarist Joe Perry said Aerosmith will release its next album in January, and the band previewed three songs. It's apparently a collection of blues and R&B covers, judging by the snappy little versions of "Baby Please Don't Go," "Stop Messin' Around" and "I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You)." Tyler changed "man" to "girl" in the latter song.

The back end of the set was loaded with 1970s greatness, from the lesser-know "Nobody's Fault" (best song of the night) to "Dream On," "Same Old Song and Dance," "Walk This Way," "Sweet Emotion" and "Train Kept a Rollin'."

Kiss did a farewell tour a couple years ago, but of course that didn't prevent this latest reunion. Ace Frehley kept his word and stayed away, so Kiss painted up guitarist Tommy Thayer and carried on.

The band sounded good, as bassist Gene Simmons and guitarist Paul Stanley traded lead-vocal duties on several of their '70s hard-rock classics. Drummer Peter Criss contributed two memorable moments, "Black Diamond" and a version of "Beth" sung to recorded piano and strings.

E-mail cvarias@enquirer.com