Steven Tyler captivates with a dynamic performance at The Colosseum in Rome, even without an electric guitar

Whenever I hear “Walk This Way,” I’m instantly taken back to the iconic Run DMC collaboration video, where Steven Tyler breaks through a studio wall with his microphone stand to join the rap group. However, now there’s a new image to consider: Tyler’s 2017 live performance at Rome’s Colosseum, backed by an orchestra with two cellists energetically mimicking the song’s famous guitar riff. Despite this new memory, the original scene remains dominant in my mind.

In his book “It’s About Relationships: Building a Life that Matters,” Jimmy Walker recounts Tyler’s memorable show at the Colosseum, an event part of Andrea Bocelli’s Celebrity Fight Night in Rome. Walker, an insurance broker to celebrities like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, helped start Celebrity Fight Night, raising over $132 million for charity. Below is the clip of Tyler’s performance:

An interesting detail Walker points out is Tyler chewing gum as he enters the Colosseum. Before playing Aerosmith’s “Dream On” on Elton John’s piano, Tyler casually sticks his gum under it, a gesture Walker imagines Elton John might not find amusing. Now, “Dream On” and “Walk This Way” might also bring to mind Tyler’s gum under Elton John’s piano.

The cellists, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser from 2CELLOS, accompanied Tyler for “Dream On” and “Walk This Way,” and also played the “Game of Thrones” theme and “Funiculi Funicula” with Bocelli. A broadcast of the concert on Rai1 TV was particularly praised by a fan for Tyler’s act and the duo’s performance. Here’s another standout moment from the event:

The concert’s climax was Tyler and Bocelli’s performance of “Imagine” at the Celebrity Gala at the Colosseum, with David Foster on piano and celebrities like Sharon Stone, Renato Zero, and Zara onstage.

The 2017 concert was part of the week-long Celebrity Fight Night festivities in Rome, designed to entertain donors and special guests like Sharon Stone and Antonio Banderas with luxurious dinners and private concerts in Rome’s grand venues, priced at €70,000. One can’t help but wonder about the fate of Tyler’s gum under Elton John’s piano.