Aerosmith tribute band Draw the Line bringing decades of rock hits to Warre
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Fans of Aerosmith will have the chance to revisit the sound and energy of one of rock music's most recognizable bands when Draw the Line takes the stage Friday at the Struthers Library Theatre.
The Aerosmith tribute band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4. Tickets are $35 for reserved seating.
Draw the Line has been performing for more than three decades, bringing Aerosmith's music to audiences across the United States and internationally. The band, which originated near Boston, the same area where Aerosmith was formed, began in 1991.
Lead vocalist Neill Byrnes' connection to the Aerosmith sound goes back even further. Byrnes said he was frequently told while growing up that he resembled Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. During Aerosmith's "Pump" tour in the late 1980s, a radio station held a Steven Tyler look-alike contest, and friends encouraged Byrnes to enter.
Byrnes won, giving him the opportunity to meet Aerosmith and attend one of the band's shows. Although he was not initially looking to become part of a tribute act, an opportunity to join Draw the Line came about about a year later.
"I was kind of like, well, why not? I'll give it a shot," Byrnes said.
What began as an opportunity to perform in a tribute band eventually became a career spanning more than 30 years.
For Byrnes and the other members of Draw the Line, recreating Aerosmith is about more than wearing the right clothes or looking the part. The musicians focus heavily on reproducing the band’s music and the small details that make the songs recognizable.
"First and foremost, it's the music," Byrnes said. "We want to nail the music right down to a T."
That means studying how each part of a song is played, including the nuances of the original recordings and performances. From there, the band works to capture the energy of an Aerosmith concert.
Byrnes said the group's Boston-area roots also contribute to the authenticity of its performances.
"All of us are really passionate about the music," he said. "And it comes from the same area."
Draw the Line’s set will span Aerosmith’s catalog, giving longtime fans an opportunity to hear songs from across the band’s career.
Byrnes said some of his favorite songs to perform include "Dream On," "Back In the Saddle" and "Freedom Fighter."
The audience for Draw the Line has changed significantly during the band’s decades on the road as well.
When Byrnes first began performing with the group, the audience was largely made up of fans from his own generation and those slightly older. Now, he said, the band regularly sees multiple generations attending together.
"Now we have grandparents bringing not just their kids, but their grandkids," Byrnes said.
That generational appeal is helped by Aerosmith’s longevity. The band’s catalog stretches from the 1970s through the 2000s and beyond, allowing parents and grandparents to share the music with younger family members.
For Friday’s performance, Byrnes hopes audiences will leave feeling as though they have been transported back to the first time they heard Aerosmith.
"We hope that you come there and you walk away going, 'Wow, they did a really great job,'" he said.
Draw the Line has performed more than 3,000 shows throughout its history, including appearances at large venues, festivals, theaters, casinos and cruise ships. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler also praised Draw the Line during a 1998 radio interview.
Friday’s performance at the Struthers Library Theatre will cover Aerosmith’s catalog from its early years through more contemporary material.
"We'll take you on that journey from the beginning to the present," Byrnes said.
The Struthers Library Theatre is located at 302 W. Third Ave. in Warren. Tickets are available through the theater, at its box office, by phone at (814) 723-7231 and at the door.