Posted by Bringing Aerosmith’s Bad Boys of Boston to Life
There are certain bands that immediately take me back to the music that shaped my generation. As a product of the ’70s, I have always had a special appreciation for Classic Rock. Aerosmith has long been one of those bands for me—easily sitting somewhere in my personal Top Five. The swagger. The guitars. The attitude. The unmistakable voice of Steven Tyler. Aerosmith wasn’t simply another rock band. They had a sound and personality all their own. So, as I began discovering more and more of Long Island’s incredible tribute scene, Last Child NYC was one of the bands I was determined to track down. I didn’t just want to photograph them. I wanted to see them perform.
And then…
COVID happened.
A Rock Concert in a Parking Lot
Like virtually everything else in the entertainment world, the pandemic brought live music to a screeching halt. But musicians—and fans—are a resilient bunch. If there was a way to make live music happen, someone was going to figure it out. And somehow, the answer became…
Drive-in concerts.
My opportunity to finally see Last Child came during one of these socially distanced performances at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center. To call the setup unusual would be an understatement. Not only were people discouraged from standing anywhere near one another, but vehicles were parked in every other space throughout the parking lot. The entire experience was strange. This certainly wasn’t the traditional rock-and-roll environment I had imagined when thinking about seeing an Aerosmith tribute band for the first time. There were cars. Parking spaces. Social distancing. And all the other things that had suddenly become part of everyday life. But despite every obstacle placed in front of live entertainment…
Last Child made it happen.
And what a performance it was.
Even under circumstances that could have easily sucked the energy out of a rock concert, the band brought the swagger, attitude and high-voltage energy Aerosmith fans expect. That was my introduction to Last Child. And thankfully, it wouldn’t be my last.
The Bad Boys of Boston—Long Island Style
Formed in 2018, Last Child NYC has built a reputation as a high-energy tribute to Aerosmith, recreating the music, look and unmistakable personality of the legendary Bad Boys of Boston.
The band has taken its show far beyond Long Island, performing throughout the country at venues, theaters and festivals—and before crowds reportedly exceeding 10,000 fans. Their official history also includes a particularly impressive milestone: a performance connected with Steven Tyler’s Janie’s Fund event at Boston’s Hard Rock Café. The musicians associated with Last Child have taken on the personalities and musical responsibilities of Aerosmith’s legendary lineup:
Bobby Mann — Steven Tyler
Mike Gallello — Joe Perry
Mick James — Tom Hamilton
Tommy Frustieri — Joey Kramer
The Brad Whitford position has evolved over the years, beginning with Scott LaFlamme, followed by Pete Testa, with Rodney James Tucciarone now stepping into that role. And that’s an important part of what makes a tribute act successful. You’re not simply finding five musicians capable of playing Aerosmith songs. You’re recreating a band.
It’s Not Easy Being Steven Tyler
Of course, there is one job within Last Child that might be more difficult than all the others combined.
Steven Tyler.
Whenever someone takes on the voice of a legendary singer, particularly one with a voice as distinctive as Tyler’s, the armchair quarterbacks inevitably come out. They hide behind their keyboards and begin dissecting every note.
“He doesn’t sound exactly like Steven Tyler!”
Well… Of course he doesn’t. He’s not Steven Tyler. The same thing happens with singers attempting to recreate the voices of Robert Plant or Geddy Lee. Some voices are so unique that they could practically be trademarked. One phrase. One scream. One note. And you immediately know who you’re hearing. That’s what makes those voices legendary. But it also creates an almost impossible standard for tribute artists. The goal shouldn’t necessarily be to become a human photocopy of the original performer. It’s about capturing the voice, the personality, the movement, the attitude and the energy that made that artist special in the first place. And Bobby Mann has the enormous responsibility of doing exactly that with Steven Tyler. The scarves. The microphone stand. The movement. The swagger. The high notes. The raspy textures. And that unmistakable Aerosmith personality. Steven Tyler isn’t simply a vocalist.
He’s an entire character.
And after seeing Bobby perform several times now, I’ve come to appreciate just how difficult that role really is. In fact, if I’m being completely honest…
Bobby Mann is like a fine wine.
He seems to be getting better with age. When I saw Last Child perform at the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, Bobby was an absolute powerhouse. The energy. The vocals. The performance. Everything seemed to be firing on all cylinders. And that’s saying something when you’re taking on one of the most recognizable frontmen in rock-and-roll history.
Cleared for Takeoff
Someone once told me something about Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.” They said that if you start the song on your listening device at precisely the right moment—when an airplane begins its takeoff sequence—the timing works perfectly. Naturally… I had to test it. And I’ll be damned. It worked. As the engines roared and the airplane accelerated down the runway, Sweet Emotion began building right along with the aircraft. The anticipation increased. The engines got louder. The song continued building. And just as Aerosmith kicked into full gear…
we were airborne.
I was absolutely amazed.
And honestly, that experience reminds me of Last Child. They typically begin their performance with “Back in the Saddle,” which is certainly one hell of a way to announce that Aerosmith has arrived. But when they hit “Sweet Emotion”… the engines start roaring.
That’s when the familiar groove takes over. That’s when the audience really begins responding. And that’s when Last Child throws the performance into overdrive. At that point, you’re not simply watching an Aerosmith tribute. You’re along for the ride. Last Child is cleared for takeoff.
More Than Just One Show
Since that strange and unforgettable first experience at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, I’ve had the opportunity to see Last Child under much more traditional circumstances. I’ve photographed and experienced the band at 89 North, the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, and the Famous Food Festival in Deer Park. And that’s one of the advantages of following a tribute band over time.
You don’t simply see one performance. You watch the band evolve. You see lineup changes. You watch musicians settle into their roles. And you see how the personalities behind the characters continue developing. The Last Child I saw during the strange days of socially distanced drive-in concerts has continued to grow into a polished, high-energy tribute experience. Their setlist covers the enormous scope of Aerosmith’s career—from songs like “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” to deeper cuts and fan favorites spanning decades of music. And that is perhaps one of the reasons Aerosmith remains such a perfect band for the tribute world. Their music isn’t confined to one generation. The people who grew up with Aerosmith in the ’70s are there. The fans who discovered them through MTV are there. And younger fans who know the band’s later hits are there too. Different generations. Different memories. But when that opening riff begins… Everybody knows what’s coming.
A Tribute Worth Tracking Down
As someone who grew up with Aerosmith as part of the soundtrack of my life, Last Child was always going to be a band I wanted to experience. Unfortunately, it took a worldwide pandemic and a socially distanced parking lot concert for me to finally make that happen. But perhaps that’s part of what makes that first experience so memorable.
It wasn’t a traditional concert. It wasn’t a packed theater. There was no standing shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of screaming fans. Instead, there were cars parked every other space and people trying to figure out how live music could survive during one of the strangest periods any of us had ever experienced. And standing in the middle of it all was Last Child, doing exactly what musicians do. They played. They performed. They entertained. And they reminded us why we missed live music so much. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them several more times—and each performance has reinforced what I experienced that first day. Last Child NYC isn’t simply a group of musicians playing Aerosmith songs. They understand the personality behind the music.
The swagger. The blues. The grit. The guitars. The scarves. The chaos. And, of course… that Sweet Emotion.
For those of us who grew up with Aerosmith—and for anyone who simply wants to experience the energy of one of America’s greatest rock-and-roll bands—Last Child NYC is absolutely a tribute worth tracking down. Just be careful if they start playing “Sweet Emotion.” You may suddenly feel like you’re…
cleared for takeoff.
Long Island Sounds 