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Aerosmith's New York Opening Act: "Guitar Hero" Fanatic

By Chris Harris
June 25, 2009 10:12 AM ET

Before Metallica took the stage for their epic set at Austin's Stubbs during SXSW this year, a crew of expert Guitar Hero aficionados performed game versions of the band's blistering songs. Now a 28-year-old Staten Island man named Paul Cataldo is getting his turn in the spotlight: the couch rocker will open for Aerosmith at New York's Jones Beach Friday night by performing the Guitar Hero version of "Sweet Emotion" in front of the crowd of 17,000, the Daily News reports. Cataldo, a YouTube contest winner, put on a Steven Tyler-style top hat and vintage Aerosmith shirt for his audition video. He admits "Walk This Way" is his favorite of the band's songs, "But I didn't want to try anything too difficult, and I wanted a song I could do justice to. It's the one that I did the best."

Aerosmith's special edition of Guitar Hero came out almost exactly one year ago. Next up for the franchise: Van Halen. That title is due in November or December, reports Blabbermouth via a posting at the Van Halen News Desk Website.

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