Dressed all in white, Tyler pulled out the Aerosmith classic, “Dream On,” for the biggest show of the season.
After playing judge and mentor all year, Tyler finally had a chance to shine, and while he was unable to convince his bandmates to join him, Steven did bring brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots along to get the job done.
It was an abbreviated version of “Dream On,” which begs the question: what were the Idol producers thinking? They cut short a classic of the rock era in favor of brutal medleys by the Top 13 contestants – the bulk of who were not popular enough to make it to the finale – and appearances by everyone from Lady Gaga to Carrie Underwood to Beyonce (did she really need to do two songs???).
Those annoyances aside, the producers did schedule Tyler’s performance in the right spot in the show – moments before the winner was announced – which only managed to further the anticipation among viewers and, likely, those at L.A.’s Nokia Theatre.
Playing live at the Idol finale must have been a hugely proud moment for Tyler, as he put his stamp on his first season as a judge, one where he made many new fans with his encouraging words of support for the contestants throughout, kept everyone in stitches with his remarks, all while launching both a solo single and an autobiography.
Aerosmith Steven Tyler - Dream On
American Idol finale – May 25, 2011
See also:
American Idol: Steven Tyler to play finale with Stone Temple Pilots members
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VIDEO: Aerosmith bassist answers fan-submitted questions
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Aerosmith says no to American Idol finale
