New York Dolls, November 16, 2006, St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit

First off, the Supersuckers started their set surprisingly subdued. I've seen them several times before, and they are all spit and swagger, as they tour their self-proclaimed title of "the greatest rock and roll band that ever lived." Then again, when you're opening for the New York Dolls, that sort of bravado won't exactly fly, so their temporary humility wasn't misplaced.

Even though they turned off the strut, they were still rock solid. Eddie Spaghetti took the stage and uteered the phrase, "In the beginning there was nothing but rock; then someone invented the wheel, and they began to roll." Then the band launched into a fast and fun set.

They played some of their best tunes, thrashing their way through "Good Luck", "Pretty F***ed Up" and "Creepy Jackalope Eye," before hitting on the tune that every Supersuckers fan was there to see, "Born With A Tail." This time, the song included Go Go dancers, and everyone in the band took a turn on Spaghetti's bass, even the drummer, who hammered on it with his sticks while Spaghetti worked the frets. It was a surprisingly solid bass solo.

As the New York Dolls tore into "Looking for a Kiss,", I was immediately struck with a grand question: who's the idiot who decides that it's a good to throw an $8 beer at the band you're there to see? Unphased, Johanson and co. tore on, playing old and new songs.

Johanson continued to strip down after each song, until he was up there strutting his Iggy Pop physique, and while he is quite weathered and it looked like he may have had a songbook with lyrics onstage, he really didn't show any of his 50-some years. He bounced between vocals and furious harmonica solos without getting out of breath.

The Dolls played some of favorites from their new album, like "Fishnets and Cigarettes," and "Dance Like a Monkey," and when they went into their classic song "Trash," it was sped up faster than I've ever heard it recorded, turning it into more of an old school punk anthem than ever.

By the end of the night, the band was drenched in sweat, dripping in the lights, and looking like they were shedding of the years through the power of rock. It was an amazing experience, and I managed to leave with one of Steve Conte's guitar picks.

Hopefully, the Dolls continue to age gracefully. Even if they may look a little rough on the edges, it's obvious that they are ready to carry the title of rock legends with pride for many years yet.