Toys in the Attic - Opening
Toys in the Attic - Chorus & Guitar Solo
Back in the Saddle

http://www.aerosmith.com/aeromedia.html

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Posted on Fri, Nov. 29, 2002
Still in the game
By Jon Bream Minneapolis Star-Tribune

But Steven Tyler wishes the music business was just a little more fair

Don't get Steven Tyler started.

Too late, we already did. Aerosmith's mouthpiece called to hype the band's greatest-hits collection.

Although the band has four other hits or anthology discs available - plus a boxed set - "O Yeah, Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" is the first compilation to have all the group's hits from its years with Columbia Records and with Geffen, where Tyler and Co. staged a big comeback in the late '80s.

Of course, this project didn't come together without controversy.

"We didn't get the Geffen songs until the last five minutes," Tyler said. "Geffen would not give up the tapes. I had to make a personal plea, and, of course, they sent me to their legal department."

Uh-oh, Tyler's all worked up now.

Last year, Aerosmith became the first act to have a top-10 single ("Jaded") the same year it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Tyler still calls radio programmers and journalists to push his latest CD. It includes two relatively new songs, including "Girls of Summer," which sounds a little bit like the Byrds, a little bit more like the Beatles and a lot like Aerosmith.

"The melody has been on my mind for two years," said Tyler, who wrote the song with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and producer Marti Frederiksen during a brief stay in Hawaii, when they had intended only to work on a track for the "Spider-Man" movie soundtrack.

"I'm just so glad to be in the game," Tyler, 54, continued. "I'm really glad radio stations are playing us. I don't care if I have to go up there with Joe and do an interview. That's what it's about. It's really big business. If realizing that it's not about shooting coke and smoking a joint in the bathroom this morning, I guess I'm a professional businessman."

Some of the songs Tyler has taken to Aerosmith of late - namely "A Good Thing" and "Oxygen" - have been rejected by his longtime colleagues. So he's talking about making a solo album.

But he's got other things on his mind right now, including his current tour and some pressing family matters.

Being distracted by family matters is good for Tyler because, after 30 years, the music biz still frustrates the multimillionaire whose group has sold more than 75 million albums in the United States alone. For one thing, the contract Aerosmith signed with its original managers gave them 50 percent of the band's publishing royalties. So, two guys who haven't worked with the group for decades will get the same sum as the band for use of a sample of Aerosmith's "Dream On" on Eminem's best-selling CD, "The Eminem Show."

Aerosmith gave permission for Eminem to sample the song because the band liked his tune ("Sing for the Moment"), Tyler said, and the band members like "a guy who speaks his mind." Tyler calculates that each of the five Aerosmith members will get at least $30,000 in royalties - instead of at least twice as much were they unencumbered by those ex-managers.

The singer is just plain unhappy with the way the record business works.

He argues that CDs are overpriced, with only $2 to $3 of the $14 to $19 selling price going to the artist, while $10 or more goes to the record company.

He thinks label executives make bad decisions, such as giving Mariah Carey a $100 million contract and then having to pay $28 million to buy it out after her first album under the deal flopped. When those huge costs get passed on to consumers via higher CD prices, Tyler said, more and more people decide to download music from the Internet for free.

Uh-oh, we got Tyler started again.

Wound up - or unwound - though he may be, Tyler is so widely accepted that the middle-aged guy with the streaked hair and black nail polish was pictured on billboards all over the country as part of the "Got Milk?" campaign.

He did the ad because he admired Whoopi Goldberg's "Got Milk?" campaign; he donated his $35,000 fee to a Boston AIDS clinic. Plus, the exposure helped sell albums.

"To be honest with you, milk and dairy products in America are grabbing for the life preserver before they go down for a third time," he said. "I don't drink (whole) milk; I drink skim milk - and that's what I had on my mouth (in the ad). If I turned on 'The Tonight Show' and watched everyone laughing at my face in the ad, that's good press, too.

"I'm not that jaded. This whole rock industry and music business and radio is a big circus now, and we're just a bunch of carnies."

From: http://www.fortwayne.com

1987 Aerosmith plays in Ft. Wayne IN at Memorial Coliseum (Dokken opens)

1982 Aerosmith plays in East Lansing MI at the Breslin Center

1987 Aerosmith plays in Richfield OH at Richfield Coliseum (Dokken opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Oslo Norway at Oslo Spektrum (Mr. Big opens)

1997 Aerosmith plays in Birmingham AL at Jefferson County Coliseum

1998 Aerosmith plays in Notre Dame IN at Joyce Athletic & Convocation Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in Ft Lauderdale FL at National Car Rental Center

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11/27/02 John B's Report - December and Beyond

As you all know, we are in the middle of a two week break that ends Monday, Dec. 2nd. The guys are split up around the country with their respective families for the holiday. One thing is for sure, they will all be back together on stage at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne Indiana, "If the sea don't rise and the good lord's willin.'"

The December shows will be the last live shows for a while. The guys are in the planning stages for what is going on next year. They plan on going in the studio at the beginning of March if all goes well. No date yet on when the "new" album will come out but you can bet your bottom dollar a tour will start almost immediately thereafter.

Speaking of the December shows, the guys are going to some places that they haven't been to yet this tour. Fort Wayne, Wichita and Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids is cool. It's kinda like Detroit-lite. The building is really cool and the fans go nuts. Maybe it's something in the Michigan water.

Memphis is always a great stop. Home to the international rock stars, "The Porch Ghouls." Check them out if you live in the Memphis area. Corky's ribs are the best in the state.

Don't miss Steven Tyler and family on the Disney show, "Lizzy McGuire," that will be shown Friday, December 6th. Steven will also be featured on the show "Elvis Lives" that will be on NBC Thanksgiving night at 10:00 PM. Pick up this month's "Metal Edge" magazine with the bad boys from Boston on the cover and a cool interview with Joe Perry. Looks like both Steven and Joe will be attending the Billboard awards in Vegas on Monday, Dec. 9th. Yes, folks, it's in between Denver and Minneapolis so there will be no rest for the wicked that week.

See you on the road!
--John B

Interstate 70 brings many people across the path of workers at Cracker Barrel in Richmond.

On Tuesday afternoon the road brought Steven Tyler and his family to dine in the chain restaurant. Tyler is the lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith.

Tyler ate breakfast with his family, driver and bus driver.

Angi Gray, 24, of Richmond served the tables.

"I was told he was in the gift shop and that he'd be seated in my section," Gray said. "I was nervous at first but they were really nice and polite."

Workers said patrons approached Tyler for his autograph and to have their photographs taken with him. However, Tyler was left alone while eating and visiting with his family.

"He wasn't bombarded," Gray said. "A lot of the younger people knew who he was."

Gray also got a photograph taken with the singer. She said she was going to go home and tell her family of the experience.

Sheila Shaner, retail manager, stood holding a cream colored long-sleeve T-shirt autographed by Tyler. She is sending it to a co-worker who is a big fan.

"He was so generous," Shaner said. "He was one of the nicest people. He left a good tip and they bought a lot of merchandise."

Shaner said Tyler is one of many star-status people to visit in the last year.

"Queen of Soul" singer Aretha Franklin and Alabama stopped in recently and actor James Woods visited this summer

From: http://www.pal-item.com

GOS Tour: Scene & Heard
Share your most memorable concert experience from the Girls of Summer tour.
The ten hottest entries win Autographed Joe Perry Collectors Series Rock Your World Hot Sauce. Entries will be posted online through Dec. 31, 2002.
Send an email to contest@aeroforceone.com.
Please put in the Subject Line: Tour Scenes
Be sure to include your name, address, phone number, e-mail and member ID with your entry
Now through December 15, 2002

New leads in the hunt for Jam Master Jay's murderer

Two weeks after Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay was murdered at a New York recording studio, police were reportedly on the hunt for a convicted drug dealer from Queens who may have served as a lookout during the October 30th shooting. Though investigators initially speculated that a music-industry rivalry could have led to the execution-style killing, they now believe that Jam Master Jay was murdered because of a financial dispute. Jay was killed at his studio in the Jamaica section of Queens, not far from the Hollis neighborhood where he grew up and where Run-DMC got their start. Jay was shot in the head at point-blank range while he took a break from a session with a new group called Rusty Waters.

One theory is that Jay (born Jason Mizell) had sold the same unpublished song to two different recording artists, earning as much as $100,000 as a result. Sources reportedly told police that one of the two artists may have been angry enough to have him killed.

Yet the DJ is also said to have owed $400,000 in back taxes, and he was reportedly in debt to several different people. The police were hoping to question two men -- the suspected lookout and Curtis Scoon, from Georgia and Queens, to whom Mizell is believed to have owed significant amounts. A friend of Mizell's recently received a phone call in which a person threatened that someone would be "coming up" from Georgia to collect money. It is not known if Scoon made the call, and he has not been named by police as a suspect.

At press time, no arrests had been made, but police issued a description of the gunman: a black male, between six feet and six feet two, weighing 180 to 200 pounds and wearing a black sweat suit and black wool cap at the time of the murder.

Eminem, Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, Aerosmith, Kid Rock and Island Def Jam records head Lyor Cohen have all committed money to a reward fund, as well as towards the purchase of the $250,000 Hollis home where Mizelll's wife, Terri, and their three children live. "This financial problem that we have, as a hip-hop community, we should be able to solve this in a couple of days," said Sean "P. Diddy" Combs at a press conference a week after Mizell's murder. "Run-DMC, especially Jam Master Jay, they're fathers of the whole gang."

Joseph "Run" Simmons also used the press conference -- attended by the Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes and other rap stars -- to announce the official retirement of Run-DMC. "We can't perform anymore," he said. "Nobody wants to see Run and D."

At Jam Master Jay's funeral on November 5th, hundreds gathered in the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York in Queens to pay their last respects to another hip-hop pioneer gone too soon. He was buried wearing a black fedora, a black leather blazer, a thick gold chain and his trademark white shell-toe Adidas.

In a short prayer, Run -- who is a minister -- spoke in the same smoothly confident tone of his rhyming voice. "Why murder?" he asked. "Jason was a dramatic DJ, and God knew he couldn't leave without drama, so, why not murder?"

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels spoke a few moments later, reading from loose white pages that he handed to Run as he finished each one. "Jam Master Jay was not a thug," he said, his voice breaking. "He was the personification of hip-hop."

JENNY ELISCU (November 25, 2002)

courtasy of http://www.rollingstone.com

1993 Aerosmith plays in Malmo Sweden at Isstadion (Mr. Big opens)

1994 "Night in the Ruts" is certified Platinum

1997 Aerosmith plays in Tupelo MS at Tupelo Coliseum

"Heavy metal is in bad shape right now," Osborne comments. "There's only Aerosmith--and Sepultura is a great band. Heavy metal is aggressive; it's not dumb college rock, like the revenge-of-the-nerds thing that's going on right now. Whenever I see Weezer on TV, I think Slayer should pop up and cut their throats. I think rock needs to be more aggressive right now. Where's Black Flag when we need them?"

From: http://www.metroactive.com

In the bios at their website, montgomerygentry.com, at the bottom, they list their favorites. Troy likes Aerosmith and Eddie likes Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Eli, who sent me this info, just went out and bought their new album called "My Town". He says he couldn't believe his ears when he heard some of the stuff on this CD, including a cover of the Allman Brothers' "Good Clean Fun"

"If they're influenced by early Aerosmith and Southern Rock it definitely shows! These guys are huge names in country music and they hide stuff like "Good Clean Fun" on their albums!! You HAVE to hear that song. I wasn't sure if it was Stevie Ray Vaughan or Montgomery Gentry!! Download it somewhere... but just try to remember when you're listening, that these guys are major country stars!"

http://www.vh1.com

Taking it to the Stage
Which live shows were the wildest of the year?

Creed
Aerosmith
Bruce Springsteen
Paul McCartney
Dave Matthews Band
John Mayer

1982 Aerosmith plays in Detroit MI at Joe Louis Arena

1987 Aerosmith plays in Cincinnati OH at Riverfront Coliseum (Dokken opens)

1991 MTV's 10th Anniversary airs from Boston MA Boston Music Hall (filmed earlier)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Rockford IL at Metro Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in Tampa FL at Ice Palace Arena

1977 Aerosmith plays in Inglewood CA at the Great Western Forum (Wet Willie opens)

1982 Aerosmith plays in Pittsburgh PA at the Civic Arena

1987 Aerosmith plays in Indianapolis IN at Market Square Arena (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in London UK at Wembley Arena (Balaam & The Angel opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Oldenberg Germany at Wese-Ems Halle (Mr. Big opens)

1997 Aerosmith plays in Biloxi MS at the Coast Coliseum

1977 Aerosmith plays in Las Vegas NV at the Aladdin Theatre (Wet Willie opens)

1978 Aerosmith plays in Philadelphia PA at The Spectrum; the show is stopped when Steven is hit by a bottle

1982 Aerosmith plays in Chicago IL at Rosemont Horizon

1987 Aerosmith plays in Toledo OH at the Sports Arena (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith cancels their show in Dublin Ireland at The Point Depot Theatre

1993 Aerosmith plays in Frankfurt Germany at Festhalle (Mr. Big opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Moline IL at The Mark of the Quad Cities (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith cancels their show in Greensboro NC at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Headline reads: "GUNS FOR A SONG"

The caption under the front page picture says: "GLOCK THIS WAY: The NYPD wants to know how Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry got their pistol-packing permits"

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From: NYPOST.COM
NYPD BIG UNDER FIRE IN AEROSMITH 'GOT A GUN' SCANDAL
By PHILIP MESSING and MURRAY WEISS

November 24, 2002 -- A top NYPD official is being probed for helping rockers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry obtain pistol licenses in return for alleged VIP treatment at an Aerosmith concert and ritzy after-party, The Post has learned.

Deputy Inspector Benjamin Petrofsky, the former head of the NYPD License Division, is the target of two probes into the circumstances that enabled Tyler and Perry to receive "carry permits," which allow the rockers to legally possess concealed handguns in the Big Apple.

The NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau is trying to determine if Petrofsky violated departmental regulations when he cut through red tape to help Tyler and Perry, sources said.

The Manhattan district attorney's office is reportedly examining whether or not, in return, Petrofsky got "illegal benefits" - a ticket to the show, backstage access and a limo ride to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers' post-concert party.

Petrofsky, reached by The Post on Friday, declined to comment on the allegations, except to insist he had done nothing improper.

Sources said the flap arose in the fall of 2001 when Tyler, Aerosmith's lead singer, and Perry, the band's lead guitarist, approached the NYPD License Division for gun permits, sources said.

At the time, the rockers - whose fame and wealth has attracted stalkers over the years - already held gun licenses in Massachusetts and several other states, a source said.

Most applicants are required to show up at Police Headquarters to detail why they deserve a license, demonstrating they carry large sums of cash, work in dangerous jobs or had been the brunt of credible threats.

But insiders say some celebrities and other powerbrokers have quietly had the bureaucratic process streamlined for them.

On Nov. 12, 2001, Petrofsky, then a captain, allegedly traveled to Madison Square Garden with another cop to fingerprint the duo before an Aerosmith concert that night.

Both rockers were soon issued carry permits, though an NYPD spokesman declined to say what guns they're licensed to carry.

The Internal Affairs probe was jump-started when a sergeant in the unit, Steve Oteri, secretly recorded the co-worker who accompanied Petrofsky bragging about their momentous night out, a source said.

Petrofsky was reassigned to the Intelligence Division when the investigation began, but since then has been promoted to deputy inspector.

He later admitted to investigators that he attended the Aerosmith concert, but only after paying an acquaintance for his ticket. The acquaintance, whose name is being withheld, spoke with The Post, insisting Petrofsky did not take a limousine ride nor attend a party.

"He's a family man with five lovely kids, and the suggestion that he did anything improper is absolutely preposterous," said another friend, Bo Dietl, a former NYPD detective.

ROCK 4 XMAS TOUR VI ITINERARY

NOV. 27 WEDNESDAY YARMOUTH MA MILL HILL CLUB
Last Man Standing, Larry Hoppen (lead vocalist-Orleans), Richie Scarlet (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist-Frehleys Comet, Mountain), Stet Howland (drummer-WASP), Jimmy Sohns ( lead singer-Shadows of Knight), James Montgomery , Mourning Wood
164 Main St. W. Yarmouth (508)-775-2580
Cape Cod
RT.6 to EXIT 7
lef t onto WILLOW ST.
3 miles to first lights
left onto RT. 28 Hyannis
1 1/2 miles to W.YARMOUTH
Mill Hill Club is on the left
SHOWTIME 6pm - 1am DONATION $10

NOV. 30 SATURDAY FT.MYERS FL THE BEACHED WHALE
ON AN OUTDOOR, ON THE BEACH STAGE!
Enuff Z Nuff, Roscoefive-O, Mitch Perry (Schenker/E.dgar Winter), Mike Vescara (lead vocals-Malmsteen, Loudness), Last Man Standing, Richie Scarlet Band (Frehleys Comet, Mountain), Stet Howland (WASP), Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight)
1249 Estero Blvd.
Ft. Myers Beach, Fl 33931
(941) 463-5505
SHOWTIME 12Noon-8pm DONATION $10

DEC. 1 SUNDAY NAPLES FL RIDGEPORT CLUB
Mike Vescara (Malmsteen, Loudness), Last Man Standing, Richie Scarlet Band (Frehleys Comet, Mountain), Stet Howland (WASP), Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight)
5425 Airport - Pulling Rd.
North Naples FL (239)-591-8422
SHOWTIME 2pm-12midnite DONATION $10

DEC. 5 THURSDAY LONG ISLAND NY THE CRA ZY DONKEY
Paul Shortino (lead vocalist-Rough Cutt,Quiet Riot), Mike Vescara (lead vocalist-Malmsteen, Loudness), Last Man Standing, Richie Scarlet Band (Frehleys Comet, Mountain), Stet Howland (WASP), Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight)
1058 Route 110
Farmingdale, NY
631-753-1975
SHOWTIME 7pm-2am DONATION $10

DEC. 6 FRIDAY NEW YORK CITY THE WORLD
Zebra, Pat Travers, Chuck Negron (lead vocals- 3 Dog Night) Elvis Wade, Mike Vescara (Malmsteen, Loudness), Last Man Standing, Richie Scarlet Band (Frehleys Comet, Mountain), Stet Howland (WASP), Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight), Larry Hoppen (Orleans), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt,Quiet Riot),Mitch Perry (Schenker/Edgar Winter)
TIMES SQUARE
48th st. & Broadway, across from MTV
TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM TICKETMASTER.COM

For late breaking info, go to rock4xmas.com
works best on explorer browser.

LAST MAN STANDING -STILL DREAMING- Watch for the new video from the hard rocking Last Man Standing cd. Currently it is set for Boston area broadcast on cable’s long running VISUAL RADIO program. STILL DREAMING was directed by Woody Bavota for Escape TV.

THUNDERTRAIN - TEENAGE SUICIDE - Before Mach Bell sang for Last Man Standing, even before he sang for Joe Perry Project, he led the wildly popular Boston underground rock act THUNDERTRAIN. Next month will see the long awaited re- release, to CD, of their notorious 1977 Teenage Suicide lp. The package includes bonus tracks and an amazing booklet. Everything has been remastered, souped up and it rocks just like the good old Rat days! The CD is being released by GULCHER RECORDS, the legendary indie label out of Bloomington Indiana. Watch for THUNDERTRAIN, in the New England area at Newbury Comics.

LAST MAN WEBSITE- This week our www.lastman.net site suddenly vanished from the web! We will be tracking down the problem with our host and get back up asap.

1982 Aerosmith plays in Chicago IL at Rosemont Horizon

1989 Aerosmith plays in Belfast Ireland at the Antrim Forum (Balaam & The Angel opens)

1989 "Janie's Got A Gun" debuts on the Billboard charts

1993 "Amazing" debuts on the Billboard charts

1994 Aerosmith appears on the MTV European Music Awards from Berlin Germany

1997 Aerosmith plays in Tampa FL at the Ice Palace

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Cedric the Entertainer has been tapped to host the Billboard Music Awards in December on FOX.

Cedric (real last name: Kyles) is the star of "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," a sketch-comedy show in its first season on FOX. The network recently ordered a full season of the series.

His other credits include "Barbershop," "The Steve Harvey Show" and "The Original Kings of Comedy."

The Billboard Awards honor the year's top acts in music, based on the record-sales and radio-airplay charts tracked by Billboard magazine.

The awards show will air live at 8 p.m. ET Dec. 9 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Among those scheduled to appear or perform are Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, LL Cool J, Avril Lavigne, Puddle of Mudd, Nelly and Shannon Elizabeth.

From: http://tv.zap2it.com

It was the kind of performance where electricity hung in the icy air, unifying a multigenerational audience under the glaring neon lights and mid-November night sky. And it was the kind of performance that only Aerosmith could pull off.

By the time the legendary quintet took the stage of the Auto West Amphitheatre near Marysville late Friday night the crowd was pumped and ready to rock. After waiting a week since the originally scheduled date was canceled because of poor weather at the outdoor venue, the audience nearly filled both seat and lawn areas to capacity. Opening the show was the infamous rap-rockin', blues singin', country twangin' Kid Rock.

During his hour-long performance, the rocker covered everything from his mainstream radio hits like "Cowboy" and "Bawitdaba" to a genuinely talented version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." Not since Snoop Doggy Dogg's early days have so many songs been egocentrically and hedonistically written. Kid Rock's lyrics, not the pinnacle of his talent as a musician, focus almost solely on himself, his name and the many sorrows he's suffered that are, of course, uniquely painful.

We get it: your name is Kid Rock.

The pop-culture icon of poor white trash, Kid Rock's stage show was accentuated by bikini-clad go-go dancers thrusting and gyrating despite the frigid temperatures. Other props included a football-field-sized American flag and a huge model of a Coors beer can, not to mention the pyrotechnics that regularly blazed from the backdrop.

The opener's culminating event, regardless of a rather apathetic crowd, was a medley of songs written by bands spawning from Detroit, Kid Rock's hometown. Motown, rock and even a little Slim Shady were featured in the mix, which showed a surprising variety of Kid's musical influences.

As late-coming Aerosmith fans continued to file in, restlessness climaxed as the stadium lights dimmed and the band started full force with "Toys in the Attic," from its 1975 record of the same name.

The next couple of hours were filled with sights and sounds that embodied everything rock 'n' roll.

Steven Tyler, lead vocalist and resident "demon of screamin,'" was backed by Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on guitars, Joey Kramer on drums and Tom Hamilton playing bass -- a famous lineup that has withstood 30-plus years of recording, touring and reckless performing.

In true rock-star fashion, Tyler appeared wearing cerulean vinyl pants and a brown fringe jacket, with messy hair hanging only slightly shorter than it did during the '70s and '80s -- years that made them all stars. Known to have a personality larger than life, his actual physique was surprisingly hardly broader than Kid Rock's dancing girls.

Twirling his trademark scarf-adorned microphone stand as if it was an actual extension of his body, Tyler's raw energy carried him across the stage and back, playing to the audience and working his fans into frenzy.

The band managed to take a discography of more than 20 albums and squeeze out the favorites of both the longtime listeners and the new fans. "Same Old Song and Dance," "Sweet Emotion," "Cryin'," "Jaded," "Love in an Elevator" and a rendition of "Dream On," which hardly resembled the young Tyler's voice when it was originally recorded, were just a few from the playlist performed that night.

Despite the years that have paved Aerosmith's past, the band continues to rock in a way few can compare to. During one song, head heart-throb Perry took off his pink satin shirt and beat his guitar with it, sending out distorted feedback that barely muffled the screams of swooning middle-agers and 20-something college students alike.

Perhaps this is the marvel that is Aerosmith. How can one band, with all of its original members, continue to play sold-out venues with the same youthful spark, and even more talent, after 30 years of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll?

Like Tyler says, it's all in the attitude.

He ended the show that night, after an encore that included the timeless rock anthem "Walk This Way," with a quote that sums up everything that is Aerosmith: "Be good, or be good at it."

From: http://www.orion-online.net

Lizzie McGuire: "Xtreme Xmas": Lizzie learns the true meaning of Christmas with the help of an elf, but who cares about that? We just want to see Aerosmith's Steven Tyler as Santa Claus. 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Disney Channel

Bruce Springsteen, Norah Jones, Cher and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler are among the stars lining up to appear at NBC's Elvis Lives! TV special.

Hosted by Chris Isaak, the tribute show airs on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 28) in the US and other stars previously announced as performing include Britney Spears, Bono, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Dave Matthews and LeAnn Rimes.

Each artist will sing one of Elvis' hits and comment on the impact Elvis has had on their career.

This is the latest in a line of Elvis twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations that have seen Elvis once again top the charts around the world with his '30 No.1 Hits' compilation.

From: http://www.dotmusic.com

1987 Aerosmith plays in Pittsburgh PA at the Civic Arena (Dokken opens)

1993 "Deuces are Wild" is released as a single

1993 Aerosmith plays in Dortmund Germany at Westfalenhalle (Mr. Big opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Ft. Wayne IN at Ft. Wayne Coliseum (Seven Mary Three opens)

Saint Louis feels like it was only about a week ago. The normal cycles of measuring time are a little blurry out here. When we're home weekdays and weekends are more defined so you can the days and weeks going by. On the road I can tell Fridays and Saturdays because the audience is louder. Weekdays are a little vague sometimes requiring conscious thought.
St. Louis is always a party and a half. The crowd showed up ready to roll and we just went out there and wallowed in their energy. For some reason I've been checking out how many people in the audience have plastic cups in their hands. I never really paid that much attention to it, believe it or not. I was up there thinkin' about how we must go good with beer. Like a football game or a hot dog. I actually feel proud of that. I am not being facetious.
By the way, how St. Louis ever got named after a saint is a mystery to me.

The next gig was Nashville which is kind of Disney-esque for us because there's tons of great music and guitars there. The show was a blast. We had some famous country musicians that came to see us. Wynona Judd was there as were Steven's heroes the Everly Brothers. For the string twangers in the band we had one of the Jedi Knights of guitar history, Duane Eddy. He goes a long way back and he originated some of the classic guitar sounds that people are still using today.

After Nashville we took a left on the ol' map and went out to Kansas City. A bunch of us went to dinner on the night off in a trendy shopping kind of area. After gorging ourselves for a spell we decided to take a walk. The streets were full of people strolling around in the balmy breeze. It's fun to watch people when they see Steven and suddenly realize they've seen his face somewhere or in the case of that milk ad, everywhere.

We managed to find a side street where we could be incognito. It was a quiet street but from somewhere in the distance we heard music. It sounded like guitar and, why yes, It's something familiar. Yes!, could it be?...my God it is!.. it's...Dream On. We came around a corner and right in front of us was a street musician playing and singing Dream On! Before he saw us, I grabbed Steven and gave him the sign language for "Let's sneak up on the guy." We walked wide as we crossed the street and managed to get right behind him undetected. Right at the chorus Steven came around from behind, grabbed the mike and started singing. It took a few seconds before the guy believed what he was seeing. In the meantime pedestrians began to gather and cars began to slow down. The street musician now had a look on his face that said, "my pants just got heavy," but he kept playing and got all the parts right. We threw some bills into his guitar case and kept walking. We snuck down another side street but to no avail. It was a dark street but our way was lit the whole time by flashbulbs. How many kinds of cardboard cameras are there anyway?

We got into Virginia Beach sometime in the middle of the night after the Charlotte show. Everybody was looking forward to the next day because we were invited to take a tour of the aircraft Carrier Harry S. Truman.
Thank God we didn't have to pry ourselves out of bed early. Just for the day the Navy was kind enough to schedule us for 2:00 in the afternoon. Nice Rock and Roll time-frame, although we would have skipped the hotel and gone straight there if we had to. It was something we had been looking forward to for a while.

The first thing that you think when you get in front of one of these things is that it can't actually be floating. It's a building for God's sake. And it's made of steel! And as you look up you start counting how many stories high it would be if it actually were a building. I was lost in that fog when I heard the voice of a Navy officer introducing himself.
After a few handshakes and how ya doin's we were walking up the gangway. I think that's the right name for the ramp that gets you onto a ship. Or is it the plank? I hope not cause we was walkin' it.
Seconds later were headin' thru the hatches on our way to the Admiral's quarters. I can honestly say that I've never met an Admiral before. We continued through a narrow tunnel with big metal doors every twenty or thirty feet. Everything is made so it can be closed off in case of an emergency. Come to think of it, the whole idea of this ship is dealing with emergencies. And causing them for other people.
The Admiral's quarters is a group of rooms just big enough for a small group of people to meet. In the middle of a world full of stark blue and white these rooms were like being at someone's house. It was kind of like being in the dressing room, right down to the deli trays. It's interesting how there are so many activities in life that involve a deli tray. I swear we hardly ever do anything without one. I'm surprised we don't have one onstage. I wonder if the Navy people have one up on deck while they're launching jet fighters into the heat of distant battle.

We waited with the impeccably uniformed, rock and roll obsessed, max energy PR officer who brought us on board. After a couple of minutes the Skipper and the XO came in and took over the room. These are the people who command everything and everybody within the armored walls of this floating city. This ship is so huge they should name it as it's own continent. They appeared as really friendly, steady people. But you could tell that under their hospitable outside there was an inside packed with whatever puts a person in charge of something that could blow so much up so fast.
After a little small talk it was time to check out the rest of the ship. They led us down the hallways of hatches until we came to a dark room with soft lighting and huge Plasma screens with charts and numbers all over them. Everybody's probably seen rooms like these in movies but it still gets you when you see one for real. Every blinking cursor and flashing number represents not just aircraft and other equipment but someone's ass. No re-starting the game in here. Either you win or else.

From there it was back in the labyrinth and up the steep stairways to the bridge. Looking out the 360 degree windows we could see the flight deck and I just tried to imagine it rocking up and down and side to side with airplanes landing and taking off. At anchor you could be on land. It just doesn't move yet when it's out to sea it goes forty miles an hour and, if need be, could do it for years without stopping. I definitely noticed that the nuclear reactor somewhere below us was off the menu of things to see. No tourists. No gift shop.

Anyway, back to the bridge. You half expect to see a giant wheel in there for maneuvering the ship but it's more Nintendo than that. Actually, there is a small wheel and it's made of wood but something told me it was more about tradition than steering. There were huge mechanical chairs on either side for the Captain and other personnel who probably have to sit here concentrating with all their might for hours at a time. I tried to imagine it with all guns blazing yet right at this moment it was quiet and deserted. Kind of like our dressing rooms in the early eighties.

Next in line was a trip to the flight deck for some Q and A with Navy press and local TV stations. We answered questions and tried to be nonchalant about the irony of a rock band being invited on board vessel like this. Believe me, we never expected to do stuff like this when we started. We came out of the era when people were struggling to end a war that was going on and military people were not encouraged to hang out with long haired freaks like us.

A couple of weeks later I had yet another Navy experience, this time with the Blue Angels. A friend of mine who happened to be our co-pilot earlier in the tour called me one day and said he could get me a wild ride if I wanted. I accepted and immediately began searching for my rubber underwear.

So when we got to New Orleans and had a day off I went to this military base outside the city and sure enough there were the blue F-18's posing on the tarmac. Within a few minutes I was in a small room gulping water in preparation for my ride.

For the next hour or so one of the pilots told me what to expect and also described some of the things that I was supposed to do. The first subject was what I could touch and what I couldn't. Of course, the most important was the thing for the ejection seat. There were a couple more “important things” like that but I wasn't planning on touching anything anyway. I also learned where the vomit bags were - and what to do with a full one. The fact that the full bag would have to go in one of the pockets of my fancy new flight suit only helped me to put the possibility of puking in the back of my mind where it belonged. I wasn't worried about it but I still wanted to know how to do it. Then he told me that we were going to be doing a few high G turns. In order not to pass out, I had to do something called the Hook Maneuver which would hopefully keep as much blood in my head as possible. I was basically supposed to crunch up my legs and butt as hard as I could and pretend to be trying to blow a blood vessel in my forehead.

They told me to keep drinking water, which I did, but when I finally got in the plane and thought about what we'd be doing when we took off, my mouth turned instantly to flannel. My lips stuck to my teeth. I could practically hear my heart pounding when the pilot told me we would take off on afterburner. He spooled up the engines until they were screaming and then released the brakes. It felt like we'd been shot out of Godzilla's ass.

My cheeks were well on their way to meeting at the back of my head when he lifted off into a 45 degree climb. To me it felt like straight up. I thought I felt some G's coming on and went immediately into a preventive Hook Maneuver. I crunched my whole body up and made a face like I was trying to bite the tail off a skunk. I was just reaching the peak of my grimace when he pointed out that we weren't really pulling any g's yet. I felt kind of dumb as my face returned to abnormal. We leveled off and the pilot explained that we would be flying straight for a while until we were out over the ocean. As soon as we were the pilot took us down to about 200 feet and buzzed an oil drilling platform at around three hundred knots. There were people on it and they waved but they had to do it very quickly. Then it was straight up and upside down. We went through a few 5 g turns where I really needed to do that hook maneuver. There was a camera in front of me and I just accepted the fact that I was going to look a little ridiculous. I jammed my teeth together and crunched up the rest of my body and made it through the turns more easily than I expected.

Then we flew upside down for a while which is one of the greatest rushes of all time. We also slowed down to 125 knots and from there went supersonic. The pilot kept calling out, “300, 350, 500, 550, 650,” and then we were doing 750, plus which meant that we had gone through the sound barrier. We proceeded to do a bunch more high G turns and barrel rolls and other maneuvers that had me jammed into my seat one minute and then hanging upside down the next.

Near the end of the flight the pilot leveled off and explained that before landing we would do a carrier approach. It would consist mainly of a 5 g turn with some 7.2 in the middle. I made my hook face as we started into the turn. About halfway through I could feel more and more g's coming on and noticed a bunch of gray spots in front of me. I could still see the clouds in between them whipping by so I figured I was still conscious. Sure enough, the gray spots disappeared and I saw the runway. We touched down perfectly and taxied back to our starting point as if nothing had ever happened. The huge canopy rose up above my head and I felt the normal world creeping back in. My face was frozen into a grin. Actually, my whole body was frozen into a grin.

I couldn't believe how much fun I'd had. All I could do was say thanks and offer the guys tickets to the show the next night. They accepted and as I climbed into the back of the car I noticed the grin was still stuck to my face. It was still there that night when I brushed my teeth.

TH

Tacoma Dome:
The guys were really excited about going to Tacoma. “Why,” you ask? Well, it was because they were all psyched to meet Eric Burden, the lead singer of the Animals, who happened to be in town. The Animals were part of the British Invasion and had such hits as "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," “ House of the Rising Sun,” “Don't Bring Me Down” and ”Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood,” to name a few.

Eric spent about 40 minutes with the band in their Hospitality Room backstage and reminisced about his time with the Animals. I personally couldn't identify with the conversation because I was brought up on Aerosmith, Kiss and Cheap Trick but it was cool hearing Steven quoting Animals song titles like he was listening to them yesterday. After seeing the way the guys were behaving in front of Eric you could tell the Animals were a major influence on them. Steven told Eric that one of his first bands opened for the Animals in NYC. Eric has a new album out and plans to tour soon.

After the Tacoma show everyone made the trek on the band plane to San Francisco. It was the second time this tour that Aerosmith and the Stones were together in the same hotel. Chicago being the other time when Steven and Tom caught their show at Comiskey Park. The two bands were also in LA at the same time but their paths didn't cross.

San Francisco is such a cool town and the guys always have a blast when they are there. Steven ventured out and walked to the waterfront while Joe ate in Chinatown with his son Adrian who attends Stanford. The temperature was hovering around 50 degrees and it made for a chilly night of rock and roll. At the San Francisco show the guys said good-bye to Must as their opening act. It was great to have those guys along for the ride and I see big things in their future.

James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica came to the show at the Shoreline Amphitheater and paid a visit to the guys in their dressing rooms before they went on. It was nice to see the 2 rock icons shooting the shit. James had a poster from the 70's signed. Those guys are such huge Aerosmith fans. Rumor has it James requested "Back in the Saddle” and Lars requested “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." I'm joking of course, he asked for “Angel.”

Well, the final show of the leg was supposed to be Shoreline but because of the bad weather the previous week the guys had to make up the Sacramento show. This meant 2 in a row for the first time of the tour and it also meant a 5 hour flight to Boston and two weeks off. I personally couldn't wait for Sacramento because this meant I was going to meet Joe Esposito. Joe was Elvis Presley's Tour Manager and right hand man from 1960 to the day he died August 16, 1977. He was a great guy and Steven, Joe and Brad got a real thrill meeting him. Steven held court in his dressing room with Joe E. and his family. Joe told some Elvis stories but didn't begin to scratch the surface o n them. Espo then hung out with Joe and discussed the possibility of a tour of Graceland later in the tour. Steven asked Espo to walk him onstage like he did the king and he obliged. It was pretty amazing. This guy knew the King better than his own family. You can't get much closer to royalty to that.

After recapping the Oct-Nov. leg on the plane home, the things that stick out in my mind most are how tight the band is and how they have the ability to play songs they really haven't done in ages - (“Movin' Out,” “Let The Music Do The Talkin'”) at the drop of a hat. Other things are: Rib's at LC's, touring the USS Harry Truman, meeting David Wells, Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, Dustin Hoffman and John Cusak. Seeing all those Harleys at the Dallas show. NEW ORLEANS!!!!! Vegas, Hollywood Bowl show, Espo and Ray Tabano's shirt in Vegas.

Things to look forward to next Leg, Steven on the Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire,” the first week of Dec. Billboard Awards and the emergence of Andrew WK.

Bon Voyage Kid Rock!

See you on the road!

--John B

This morning, A local radio station 107.5 KZL auctioned off a jacket for charity signed by all five members of Aerosmith. A lady bought it for 850 dollars.

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This is veeery interesting letter... I just got back from the West Palm Beach Travel Package. I must say, I am not all that impressed with FansRule and their approach to "nurturing the artist's relationship with its core fan base." I don't understand the people who shower them with kudos and thank them up and down for all the wonderful opportunities after they pay for one of these events. Don't misunderstand. The package itself was fine and the accommodations were great and meeting the other fans was wonderful, but they only provided what I bought. I really don't feel any ongoing debt of gratitude nor any compulsion to shower them with compliments for providing what they charged an arm and a leg for.

In fact, it would take very, very little for them to do just a tad bit more, and fans would "perceive" that they had really gotten a great deal and that Aerosmith really takes care of their fans. It's all about that "perception of value" thing I've talked about before. FansRule's attitude is "You can't get this anywhere else, and we know it. So we're going to bend you over and stick it up your butt as far as we can and break it off up there, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it if you want what we're selling."

Example: VIP party first night of the TP. There are 48 people on this package who have EACH paid at least $945 (most have probably paid $995). There was a jambox at the VIP party playing "Oh Yeah!" over and over. There was a cash bar ($6 for cocktails, $2.75 for soft drinks, $3.00 for bottled water). They could have cut into that profit just a tad and met you at the door with a name tag containing your name and your home city and bought your first two drinks (hand you two tickets for them or something). In other words, for that kinda money, they coulda thrown in a coupla complimentary drinks and made it easier for everyone to get to know each other, actual ly made you feel just a "little bit" important, is the point I'm making. Get a decent sound system to play some Aero music on. It woulda cut into the profit by maybe $400-$500 bucks outa the $20,000 they probably made on the whole thing, but the goodwill generated would have been priceless! And the fans there woulda thought, "oh, my, God, this is so cool, Aerosmith's fan club really knows how to treat the fans!" So little, but the PERCEPTION would have been so big.

And at the "VIP party," the registration next morning with "exclusive merchandise" sale is announced. Why not offer a small discount on that merchandise, again giving a perception of "getting" something worthwhile. When I suggested that "deep discounts" would be offered on the merchandise, Karen Donahue just laughed and shook her head. "Well, you don't have to pay for shipping!" There's that attitude again. And you know there's so much markup on that merchandise, they will alway s have ridiculous profit margin built in. They could offer a small discount (even 15%) and they're still going to make big profits. But the fans would have paid less than they would have off the web site and they believe they've gotten a good deal (or at least a better deal).

This package basically included a "Velvet Rope" experience at the concert with a guaranteed meet and greet (and without the VIP Tent and food). The tour was okay, but quite honestly, I personally would be very disappointed if I had spent $475 just for a Velvet Rope without a meet and greet. I mean, it was cool to walk back there and see the stage and see all of Joe's guitars and have my picture taken with Steven's microphone and everything, I guess, but I wouldn't pay $475 just to do THAT. I paid all the money I paid FOR the meet and greet. And here's how THAT went:

Neither Joe Perry nor Joey Kramer saw fit to even lift their eyes to see who was in front of th em getting an autograph. I mean, when I said "thank you for doing this" which is all I said to either of them because it was so obvious from their body language and demeanor that they didn't want to be there nor have anyone even NEAR them, could they not have just glanced up and said "you're welcome" or grunted or tipped their head, or somehow acknowledged that I existed at all? -- are my rose-colored glasses fading, hmmmm?) Verrrrry ironic, I thought, since these are the two who talked about "doing right by the fans" on Behind the Music. Joey said on BTM, and I quote, "We're very concerned all the time we're always doing the right thing, especially for the fans. When you begin to forget your roots and forget where everything came from and take those fans for granted, that's not right." Now, I realize, those M&G events probably really suck and really get old, but it DOES kinda go along with the territory of that job, and they rush you through there so fast, how long does it take out of their very important lives? 30, 45 minutes? Now THAT was definitely the right thing to do for a fan who just paid $995 to meet you, dude, I'm so glad you're "always concerned you're always doing the right thing, expecially for the fans." Verrrrrry disappointing. (I know, I know, I paid for the prostitute, nobody ever said the damn whore would be any good ...)

The good part: Tom Hamilton was very warm and friendly and easily engaged in conversation, and Brad Whitford was also quite responsive (I stood next to him in the group picture). And of course, Steven Tyler, what can I say! He locks eyes with you and totally focuses on you. I told him I was there to give him a great big hug on behalf of all the fans in Austin and Central Texas and he smiled and grabbed me and hugged me really big and said, "Now you gotta go give it back!" and I said I would! What a doll baby he is! He looks you right in the eye and engag es you and is just so precious! So no matter what anyone says about him, he really DOES know how to treat the fans. And he does it very, very well. I think he really does appreciate the fans.

The last thing I did was hand him a sealed letter and said to him, "Promise me you'll read this." He cocked his head at me and said, "You know I will, right?" And I said, "That's why I wanted to ask you to specifically." Little did he know that it is not an adoring love letter. I decided when Velvet Ropes went on sale on eBay that I was going to take the opportunity on the Travel Package to make sure he knows FansRule is selling fan club tickets that way. (You see, in all my naivete, I have managed to convince myself that Aerosmith is not behind it, that it's a scheme of Aerosmith's management and FansRule and the band doesn't know.)

So I wrote them a letter. About how many fans (besides myself) have the perception that the concert tickets tha t were previously available to the fans through AF1 for regular price (as a standard benefit of membership in the club) were diverted to this scheme when AF1 decided to extort exhorbitant sums for those tickets as a way to generate revenues. About how Aerosmith's "official" fan club is auctioning these "Experiences" on eBay. What? But the AF1 web site says the Velvet Rope Experience "REQUIRES AF1 MEMBERSHIP." And AF1 membership policy states that a membership will be revoked if a MEMBER resells fan club tickets for profit! But the fan club itself can sell tickets to the highest bidder OUTSIDE the fan club?! About how fan club members went nuts on the AeroForce One members forum message board! And how AF1 personnel began deleting posts, trying to keep word from spreading about the eBay sales. And how founder and CEO of FansRule, Mr. Neil Donahue, actually emailed several posters on the AF1 message board about what we thought was "so wrong" with peddling th ese tickets outside the fan club. I inserted a copy of the email from good ol' Neil and my response to him for Steven to read.

And then I wrote:

"But now, guys, be advised. They're selling the 3RD ROW Velvet Rope tickets on eBay now! The very ones the fan club web site claims are "EXCLUSIVE" to AF1 members. Why is FansRule not offering these tickets to the fan club's membership first?

"And so I ask an even bigger question, and so many of us want to know, why does Aerosmith allow their "official" fan club to operate in this manner?

"I realize you pay a fan club management company to do a job for you. And I keep thinking, maybe they just don't know. Well, if you've read this far, now you know. And if that is the case, you also need to know that while this has been going on, it is having its effect on how many fans feel about Aerosmith, the band. People think you just don't care about your fans anymore. I personally don't think that's the case. That's why I'm taking this chance. Again, I keep thinking, maybe they don't know. But now you do. Please don't let the management of FansRule tarnish your relationship with your core fan base. Your "official fan club" should be in the business of NURTURING and STRENGTHENING your relationship with your core fan base. I'm sure you pay them a pretty penny to do just that. But ultimately, it's YOUR name and YOUR reputation that's all over that fan club's name and reputation. It's up to you to be sure they do right by you. Especially in your fans' eyes.

"I love you guys. The questions posed in this letter are really rhetorical. The only answers I really expect to them are in your actions. And maybe I'm just naive. Maybe it IS just about how much money you can possibly make. But I hope not. I hope it's about more than that."

So anyway. I believed him when he said he'd read it. But who really knows? I just wanted to tell y'all that I tried. I figured if I can't get him to read something I hand to him personally and ask for his promise to read, I'll never be able to get anything to him any other way. And it could be if they just delegate authority to someone to take care of to make FansRule quit it, it won't get done. I don't think anything'll happen until the members of Aerosmith MAKE something else happen. And more than likely that wouldn't happen unless something scandalous happened that got in the press. Just my own opinion. (But I could try to use the word "happen" a few more times if that would do any good ...)

And finally, how about the few people who got special treatment from FansRule and got put up against the stage for the whole show. When I tried to join them up there, I was promply removed by security (funny, the people who were up there had these extra passes around their necks of some kind). When I asked Karen to help me sta y up there, she claimed they would all be told to sit down soon, as if she had nothing to do with it. Right. There were two people that I know of who were being verrrrrrry, verrrrrrry secretive about their little extra passes on the bus ride to the venue. What? My $995 isn't worth as much as theirs? This after Karen announces to the whole bus that seats have been assigned in rows 4 and 5 for EVERYONE and she doesn't wanta hear any bitching about any of the seats. (Most of us are in our 40s on this trip, and she's talkin' to us like we're a group of high school kids.) It's that attitude again. Yet, I notice this other stuff going on and it's obvious they are on the tour package , obvious that special arrangements were made for them, and it really looks like our "tour guides" can make this happen if you really want them to. Now I realize my attitude may not seem very good right now, but I was a very pleasant, happy traveler on the trip and caused no problem s for Karen and her cronies. But I obviously didn't know to kiss ass nearly as enthusiastically, neatly and tidily as the ones with their special little passes, did I?

I guess anyone reading this could easily construe it as "negative." (Does this mean I get to be a Bud now? j/k) Not trying to be --just trying to be honest about my feelings about everything in retrospect.

But know this: I met some wonderful Aerosmith fans from all over the country. Aerosmith fans truly are THE best. Check this out: I didn't really have anything to take with me to get autographs on -- I was just gonna have the T-shirt they gave us signed. And one of the other fans on the travel package had brought extra stuff in case there were people who didn't have anything to be signed. He gave me the Rocks album (vinyl) and a pen with white ink and insisted that I have that for my autographs. Said maybe it would bring him good karma. What a great thing to do, huh ? I got all five autographs on it (awesome -- in white ink on the black background of the album cover underneath and on and around those diamonds!) and I'm going to have it framed as soon as I can.

And finally, the show itself: The West Palm Beach show was THE BEST one I have ever seen! Oh. MyGod! Rats and Movin' Out! Utterly. Awesome. I have been wanting to see them do Movin' Out live for a long time -- what a treat! -- and it was even better than I dreamed it could be! But Brad and Joe jammin' in Rats was the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed or heard in my life! I was struck speechless. (I know, I know, at this point you don't believe I'm ever speechless.) But I was left tinglin', awed, FILLED with emotion and couldn't come up with adjectives strong and emotive enough to describe how incredible it truly was! And the whole show! What energy! What seasoned talent! And they played so tight! and so right! Freakin' incredible. I mean, I know I'm prejudiced, but I was so AWED, you guys, I'm not kidding. It was practically a religious experience! I didn't know they could BE so good! And then I went to West Palm Beach, Florida ... I think those guys must really love it there or something !

If you've hung in here with me, thanks. Just wanted to share my feedback. After all this, it may be the last time FansRule will let me do ANYTHING, lol! Buy tickets, anything! Oh well. A gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do, right?

Pam

1987 Aerosmith plays in Largo MD at the Capital Center (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in Livingstone Scotland at The Forum (Little Angels open)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Stuttgart Germany at H.M. Schleyer-Halle (Mr. Big opens)

1997 Aerosmith plays in Jacksonville FL at Jacksonville Coliseum

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YESTERDAY, November 21:

1973 Aerosmith plays in New York City NY at the Felt Forum (Focus & Spencer Davis Group open)

1976 Aerosmith plays in Largo MD at the Capital Center (Golden Earring opens)

1978 Aerosmith's gig in Syracuse NY at the War Memorial Auditorium is cancelled when their plane makes an emergency landing back into Boston; show rescheduled at later date

1986 "Aerosmith" is certified double platinum

1989 Aerosmith plays in Newcastle UK at City Hall (Little Angels open)

1991 The Simpsons "Flaming Moe's" epidsode premiers, featuring Aerosmith

1998 Aerosmith plays in Evansville IN at Roberts Stadium (Seven Mary Three opens)

Arenas that have both an ice hockey team and a basketball team (and host concerts) have a system where the ice is in place year-round, in a refrigeration system in the ground. When basketball games (or concerts) are set up, the crews simply put down a plywood floor, screwed right into the ice then place the fancy wood court floor (or other surface) on top of the plywood. When it's time for hockey again, they take up the wood floor, and one trip around with the zamboni cleans the ice up again for use.

1977 Aerosmith plays in Denver CO at McNichols Arena (Wet Willie opens)

1987 Aerosmith plays in Bethlehem PA at Stabler Arena, Lehigh University (Dokken opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Metz France at Le Galaxie (Mr. Big opens)

2001 "Young Lust: An Aerosmith Anthology" released

By BRAD MORIN

Democrat Staff Writer

Star Struck - Areosmith lead singer Steven Tyler looks at a camera at Rivers Camera Shop in Downtown Dover

DOVER — Rivers Camera Shop received a celebrity visitor Monday when Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler stopped in to buy a telescope.

After giving up the parties and drugs of a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, Tyler said his brother-in-law got him interested in the more relaxing hobby of amateur astronomy.

"I spent so many years on the dark side of the moon myself, so now I only check out that area with a telescope," Tyler said. He laughed and said he should take back the comment, as he jokingly tore a page out of the reporter’s notebook.

Tyler has ties to the Sunapee area, where he and band member Joe Perry teamed up to form what would eventually become one of the most successful rock groups in history.

Aerosmith played in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday and Tyler flew back to New Hampshire on Sunday morning. He was still exhausted by jet lag Monday, but wanted his new telescope in time for the Leonid meteor showers that night.

Tyler said he received his first telescope as a Christmas gift, and wanted to purchase the latest and best model.

"This was the store that gave us the best deal," he said.

Store manager Curt Treadwell said Tyler was his first celebrity customer, and he enjoyed the experience. Employees had their picture taken with the rock star and Tyler interrupted his shopping several times to sign autographs for fans who stopped by as news of his arrival spread.

One of those autograph seekers was Sarah Knowles, who was working at Just the Thing gift shop across the street. She and her husband had gone to see an Aerosmith concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester soon after it opened last year.

Knowles said she was a little star-struck when she asked the rock legend for his autograph.

"He was just a regular guy... I’m like a 5 year old," Knowles said.

Tyler was born as Steven Tallarico in New York, N.Y.

He first sang in a Presbyterian church choir before coming to Sunapee and forming his first rock band, The Strangeurs, which later became Chain Reaction.

In 1969, this group merged with Joe Perry’s Jam Band, which had also formed in Sunapee.

Aerosmith got its first recording contract in 1972 and the rest is history — after years of hit albums and music awards, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 19, 2001.

As for Tyler’s astronomy hobby, it is evident in an interview posted on his Web site. When asked what he would be if he could do anything else in the world, Tyler replied "an astronaut."

Democrat Staff Writer Brad Morin can be reached at 742-4455, Ext. 5311, or bmorin@fosters.com

1978 Aerosmith plays in Portland ME at the Cumberland County Civic Center

1987 Aerosmith plays in Largo MD at the Capital Center (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in Birmingham UK at the National Exhibition Center (Thunder opens)

1994 Aerosmith plays in Buenos Aires Argentina at Velez-Sarsfield Athletic Center (Gilby Clarke opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Peoria IL at the Peoria Civic Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in Uncasville CT at Mohegan Sun Arena

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Verge does his `Thing' for Hollywood
by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Sunday, November 17, 2002

Local music man Mike Verge knows it helps to be Connected.

The ex-Virgil Cain frontman, who toils for Aerosmith during the day, has scored a spot on the soundtrack of ``This Thing of Ours,'' an indie flick that's getting lots of ink now that the director/writer has pleaded guilty to racketeering!

Fledgling filmmaker Danny Provenzano, the nephew of Teamsters boss and reputed mobster Anthony Provenzano, is facing 10 years in the can after pleading out to racketeering and tax evasion last week in a New Jersey courtroom. And to think his $2 million mob tale, which stars James Caan and Vincent ``Big Pussy'' Pastore, can't find a distributor!

But it does have a soundtrack - and it's being helmed by the Bad Boys of Boston's former producer, Jack Douglas, who is familiar with Mike's tunes.

``Jack called Mike and said he needed a song for the soundtrack, but he needed it in three days,'' Mike's wife, Susan, told the Track. ``So he wrote `Connected' and recorded it.''

Well, it was a offer Mike couldn't refuse!

Susan, who saw the flick last summer in New York, said her hubby's song popped up during a rather steamy hot tub scene. But after some editing, that scene was sent to sleep with the fishes and the song ended up elsewhere in the film.

Douglas' Connections to Danny also scored a small role in the movie for Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford - who, we are told, ``gets the (bleep) kicked out of him'' in a scene.

Reportedly, the film will be released in New York in January - a few weeks before Danny is sentenced in New Jersey Superior Court.

Perhaps Mike would like to write a little traveling music???

From: http://www2.bostonherald.com

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Metal Edge January 2003 Issue

Standing in line at the grocery store with a package of Deutchmacher hot dogs is an unusual place for a spontaneous poll about Aerosmith. Right off route 2, the Colchester Super Stop & Shop on Linwood avenue is a rush of Friday evening lines, too many hurried people eager to get home after an exhausting work week. Jen Nichols is 20 years old, with long straight black hair and the curiously erotic subtlety of dark eyeliner emphasizing piercing eyes; the abrasion of rock n roll is her loud indulgence of choice. Multiple piercings and an adornment of metallic bracelets shackling both wrists make it obvious irrepressible in spite of an embroidered stop & shop polo shirt. There's an edginess that can be misconstrued as almost being gothic- until she cuts the word right off, hating being referred to as Goth. "What do you like about Aerosmith" she asks, challenging such a conspicuously odd question with the pointed insistence of sarcasm and a direct stare. But her guarded caution evaporates with an enormous grin when told about this Aerosmith cover story and an interview with Joe Perry for Metal Edge. Jen Nichols is 20 years old and she listens to Aerosmith something admittedly learned from her father. The 1989 master PUMP was her 1st Aerosmith album, she says, eagerly sharing the story of her friend Erin, forcing her through the crowded hillside toward the small satellite stage erected on the law of the Meadows Music Center this past autumn. Her 2nd Aerosmith concert since seeing the Nine Lives show in New Haven a few yrs. Back, she nearly becomes tongue-tied when remember being so close to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. But what is it about Aerosmith? "The music", she replies succinctly. In a contemporary musical landscape marked by surreal rubber masks and elongated coiffured hair, the appeal of Aerosmith is the music.

Joe Perry is the consistent embodiment of quiet low slung kewl. If vocalist Steven Tyler is the visual focal point of hyperactivity and lascivious tongue wagging, then Joe, by contrast remains the dark mysteriousness of Aerosmith that remains deeply rooted in a genuine affection for rock n roll. For Aerosmith guitarist, it's still all about that adrenaline rush of loud guitars, a smoldering first love that never ceases to rekindle itself. It's what invigorates him with youthful enthusiasm and attracts a continual succession of generations of fans. For Joe Perry rock n roll is still about the music.

ME: it is somewhat overwhelming that Aerosmith has such a widespread impact over successive generations?
JP: yeah I mean when you first discover music it's yours. It's something that you've discovered with your friends. If something talks to you about music and you become a fan, what you discover at that point-y'know at that time of your life, that's the touchstone for everything else. It's like your thing. It's not your parent's music, it's not your older brothers' music it's your own thing. I think there's something about Aerosmith that, the roots that we call ours they tie into a kind of timeless rhythm. There's this kind of undercurrent of this R&B thing and that doesn't seem to change from generation to generation. And I think once you look past the clothes that year, and the trend, that kind of music always seems to hold its own/ we're kinda unique that way, y'know we put out a video now and then , we get a song on the radio, but we still have that history of being a thirty year old band. We're constantly scratching our heads going "well, are we doing everything just on the strength of what we did thirty years ago, or is it people still want to hear songs from last year?" " I think it's a little of both."

ME: but when people start to categorize Aerosmith as icons or use phrases like greatest American rock n roll band, doesn't that become a little uncomfortable?
JP: yeah of course there's NO greatest band. I mean there are certainly some that god blessed with more talent than others. If a band is doing what it's supposed to do, which is play live and entertain, there's a lot of best bands that given night. Do we get an award for the longest around, miles traveled? Yeah but I don't know about best. There's always a bigger band and always somebody who sold more records. But we have lasted the longest and had a more sustained career because we've been more universally appealing? Probably yes, more than any other band in America.

ME: When you look at the enormity of that perspective, at the heart of the matter, do you ever think "god I'm still just Joe, that kid from Sunapee Harbor, making French fries at the Anchorage?"
JP: well, I think that's what keeps it normal, that we don't ever forget that. That's why we're always kinda like shakin our heads, we still have that same just keep doing what we set out to do. We wake up with the same problems that every band does, but we just keep at it. And now it's just turned into this thing that I think part of it is to see how long we can take it. I mean I'm still excited about going our onstage and playing tomorrow night, the bands playing better than ever. I don't know. I mean what else are we gonna do?

ME: isn't that the secret thought, to retain the feeling in your mind and heart of being sixteen?
JP: well that's something you can't control. Everybody gets in a band for a different reason. Some peoples' vision of what a band should be is a lot closer than others. Clearly there are bands that get together just because they're pissed at their parents. If they get some success, all of a sudden they go "why am I beating my head against the wall?" I've done it. Bands like the Beatles, at the other end of the spectrum, they conquered the world. They did more for music and culture than anybody could ever hope to in their lifetime. And it's like what's left to conquer. Even in a very small, small, way, I sit down with my guitar and go "well I've already written some of the best guitar riffs that I think I could ever write" but then somewhere inside, there's a challenge that makes you go, well who's to say I can't. What's inspiring for me is seeing all these young bands come up Y'know an old band for them is Pearl Jam they take that same old guitar riff and turn it around just a little and make a pop song out of it..All of a sudden, it's the freshest newest thing, cause it's all 18 year olds. I find that really inspiring because they're talking a language that I understand and I have never lost that. I've certainly taken left & right turns, but I can still relate to those three guitar chords, y'know.

ME: what you just said do you thing that's the particular method by which Aerosmith is still able to connect with that initial rush of what excited you about rock n roll in the first place.?
JP: I think so, I talk to people all the time that are my age and they love all the same kind of music I do.but they'll see the White Stripes and go "I don't get it". "What's not to get" they're doing their thing. I mean you're right that's not Jimi Hendrix but it's the white stripes and they're doing something fresh and new and to my ears it's exciting and entertaining. Do I wish they had a couple more pop kind of songs that you could hang you hot on? Yeah but when I saw them play I was entertained the whole time. It's like it's new music but It's really not. You talk to the guitar player, Jack and he's talking about Elmore James, he listens to all the right people and it shows in his playing.

ME: and mentioning some of the fundamental blues influences how important is the impact of the BLUES OF FIRE tribute on what will eventually be the next Aerosmith album?
JP: it had a big effect on us, especially me, it was a real eye opener cause we've been experimenting with a lot of different sounds, I think making some really good music over the last few years. But here isn't a single band that doesn't come up and say "wow it would be great if you guys would just do a record that sounded like the first one" I really didn't get what they were talking about till I heard Blues of Fire. I was just kinda like, that's what it is. It's that element that we've been kind of missing and it took those players to play our songs in that format that kind of like resetting the dial. I was already kind of going back & exploring our roots and then that kind of gelled it. It was like I was looking through the lens and that thing just twisted the focus knob.

ME: so it's almost like that album brought back the idea of putting a little bit of dirty swagger into the sound?
JP: well I think that's what's in common throughout our songwriting. Y'know we've never been headbangers. We've always been more about hip shaking than headbanging, y'know what I mean. We do our share of fast songs, but it's always gottta have that swing and to me it's all how you adorn that rhythm. I think by stripping it back and playing songs a certain way, you can make more of that. I think that's what we have to do.

ME: is they're a danger of becoming too polished and perhaps a little too rehearsed for rock n roll?
JP: way easy. That's the most dangerous thing you can do as a guitar player or as a musician, because unless you really want to be a technician for technique sake to me. It's more about what you don't play than what you do play and it's a constant unlearning process for me. Sometimes, the best thing for me to do is not play my guitar for a week, then I pick it up and all of a sudden I'm playing thing that I just wouldn't think of it I tried. I defiantly think you have to unlearn things at least for the kind of music we're talking about.

ME: right because if you thing about it, spontaneity really is the kind of the piss n vinegar of what makes rock n roll endearing in the first place.
JP: yeah, yeah, because it's about energy and I'll tell you something some of the old black blues players they said and felt the same things that we're talking about. It's really about an expression and a feeling and certainly you've gotta develop tools to be able to express yourself to a certain point. But once you're there don't lose sigh that that's what's it's all about.

ME: Aerosmith have been touring extensively since the release of Just Push Play last year. From that perspective, what is the noticeable difference between Aerosmith in the studio and Aerosmith live on stage?
JP: there's always the tension of the live show that makes it great. The studio is a tool we've come to use it as a place to actually write and develop music. We definalty have learned how to work the studio over the years. And live I think it's all about the crowd and getting in there. I mean we certainly wouldn't go in the studio and play Deam On, but we have these vehicles called our songs that we use to entertain the audience. And that's why we're there and that's the adrenaline rush. It's almost a different animal, the band live, which is why we wanted to keep on the road. We didn't want to take another year off. We felt the Just Push Play tour was reaching levels of the band playing live and we just felt like it was not a good thing to put it away for a year or two at a time. Especially at our end of our career. I mean I don't know how many more years we can keep doing this at this level which we don't have any interest in coasting. The band feels powerful and really strong and full of juice we want to keep it going until we decide we want to stop.

ME: because you recognize that, what aspects from over a year on the road will be most essential to your creative process for a new album?
JP: well, I think it's seeing different ages, and they're always spawning the rhythm of the live show. When we first started the band everything we wrote we knew we were going to have to play these song live. It was the soundtrack of our live performance so it's like what's going to work the best to make the audience go nuts? So from that point of view, we thought about dynamics we thought about rhythms that work, how long to make a guitar solo, where the chorus should be those kinds of things. The last few years, we've seen really what works and we really have this great catalog of songs. That going to influence us when we start writing again. It's like what's gonna get people off? With that attitude in mind that's where this next records gonna go. And if you wanna call it a blues album, I guess we'll call it a blues records-the format's going to be close to that anyway.

ME: in that sense with the realization of the blues roots and all this road work, do you consider O Yeah Ultimate Hits as maybe a means of closing one chapter to instigate a new one?
JP: it kind of works that way, we felt that way when the book came out, we felt like that was a cornerstone of our career. We put a lot of stuff to bed and I think that this greatest hits records and doing this tour we're on right now is another one of those kind of benchmarks. It's like Okay it's time to move on we did the Just Push Play stuff we worked in ProTools and and developed songs that way..We had a lot of fun doing it but I think it's time to try something completely different.

ME: has Aerosmith actually lived up to its full potential, then? Or it that maybe the fuel that keeps the band going an endless pursuit that continues to drive you because there's still something left to prove?
JP: I don't think we've made our best record yet. Every record we do the best record we can at that time. But whether it's the first couple songs that were basically the soundtrack to those early shows to records that were such big business that you start making little compromises all down the line, whatever the reason. I always lose touch with the record by the time it gets down/ we've turned into pretty good players that we weren't on the first couple of records, and we're much better songwriters now. So I think that it's a matter of putting it all together and doing it fast. It's also the length of time it takes. I don't believe records should be made that take a year to make. C'mon man! It's like that first fucking rush that you get when you write that first riff is so far away from when it finally comes out of the speakers-especially with a band like ours. All these young bands, they go in and make a record in seven days, and that's it. That's how it should be made. All the records that I love and use as a touchstone for my rock n roll Holy Grail those were all made in a week or two weeks. It was all about the feeling and all about the vibe. It's about just letting it rip and laying it down. From what the other guys have said to me, they all feel pretty much the same way about it. I'm anxious to see how it's gonna go.

ME: the focus of the media is always on you & Steven. But would you think that perhaps Joey, Brad, & Tom might really be the heart of Aerosmith?
JP: there's no doubt that there's a quality amongst all of us. Steven's the most flamboyant and lives and breathes to be on the front of the stage. That's what he wants to do that's what he was born to do so, naturally that's where the cameras go. And he writes most of the lyrics to it's like that's just the natural order of things. But everybody plays a part in keeping the whole thing moving and it couldn't be Aerosmith without the 5 of us.

ME: it was tried
JP: yeah and it just doesn't work. It's just a different animal. But it's as band as I can be when we're all together!

ME: perhaps a collective sense of humor is the key ingredient among the five of you.
JP: oh definitely I mean we take what we do seriously because we want to do it right. Anytime people plunk their hard earned money down for anything we do we have a lot of respect for that. But as far as taking ourselves seriously not much. As far as taking care of our fans, making sure they get the best that they expect we take care of that. But as far as just what it is we do, we don't have any illusions, that we're doing anything other than entertaining people with rock n roll.

ME: ultimately, that's really not such a bad thing.
JP: not at al. Hey it's about quality of life and having a good time and if you can proved that service that's what it's all about. I'll tell you it just blows my mind when I see all these kids out there and they're having a good time. They heard Pump & Get A Grip from either their older brothers or sisters or they caught the tail end of that whole MTV thing. Out on the secondary stage out on the lawn, all the kids are like 15, 18, 20 and that's it!!!

Aerosmith: a band for the ages
VERSATILE ROCKERS CAN HOLD THEIR OWN WITH CLASSICS AND KIDS
Brad Kava

Surely this is classic rock heaven. How else can you describe a three-week period where you could see a Beatle, the Stones and the American Stones, Aerosmith?

You can even see Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler within two days and finally decide for yourself whose band is better live. (My last vote was for Aerosmith. The Stones had the songs, but Aerosmith, with an excellent lead guitarist and a band that seemed to be playing for its life, performed its songs better.)

``What separates us from everyone else in our age group is that we've had songs that have been Top 10 hits in the past five years,'' says Aerosmith's buffed guitarist Joe Perry.

The 48-year-old Bostonian, who has been Tyler's glimmer twin for the past three and a half decades, isn't being snarky. He's just giving another down-home, honest interview. He's as big a fan of music as anyone reading this.

``It's not unusual to hear an Aerosmith song, a Stones and a Zeppelin on classic rock radio. Then you can change the station and we're out there toe-to-toe with Eminem, Britney Spears and Kid Rock. I take a lot of pride in that. It would be easy to be an oldies band and rely on music we wrote 35 years ago.''

Perry is a Stones fan, as well as a fan of plenty of newer music. He played on Mick Jagger's last solo album, a disc he thinks should have been a hit but didn't get played on radio.

He likes Andrew W.K., Shakira, the Strokes and a band out of Pleasanton, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

He saw the Stones this tour at Boston's Orpheum Theater, where they jammed with blues great Buddy Guy. He says that show didn't compare to one he saw at the Boston Garden in 1972, a show he paid for and sat in the 15th row.

``I got goose bumps,'' he said. ``They played `All Down the Line.' Even now there's nothing that can replace how they sound when they are on. You can't buy 35 years of playing on stage with four other guys. They played great, but the only danger they have is becoming a caricature of themselves.''

He worries about the same for his own band, with its own whippet-thin big-lipped singer.

``There's always the danger when you go back out there that you'll rely on things you've played over and over. . . . People want you to stay the same, but they don't want to see the same thing.''

To change things up next time out, Perry says he wants his band to make a more rootsy, bluesy album.

``On our first albums we were so worried about making sure the guitars were in tune, there wasn't much else we could do.''

Because of the band's notorious history of drugs, infighting, alcohol and more drugs, he thinks it never achieved what it could have.

Perry says that one of the main reasons the members of the band are still together is to try and make a truly classic album.

Aerosmith plays tonight at Shoreline with Kid Rock, with a different set list from January's show.

Aerosmith lights rock 'n' roll fire that still smokes
By Brad Kava
Mercury News

Seeing the Rolling Stones this week was like going to Disneyland. But Aerosmith's Shoreline show Thursday was like two hours of thrill rides at Knott's Berry Farm.

Where the Stones left their audience appreciating some of rock's best and truly classic songwriting, the bad boys from Boston hammered home just what rock is about in a show that left fans and band breathless.

Rock is supposed to be dangerous and played furiously, as if the stage were on fire and you had to get the set out before the explosions started.

This quintet, which started its career eight years after the Stones but seems not to have aged a bit, did just that, running through a tightly played, aerobically charged 22-song set.

It was a change from its January show at San Jose's arena and last summer's Shoreline appearance, both of which focused on the last album, ``Just Push Play.'' This was a greatest-hits show, drawing heavily from its early days.

Not many bands can stand the comparison to their beginnings, but after years of drug abuse and more recent sobriety, this band seemed reborn.

The set opened with 1975's ``Toys in the Attic'' and ended with 1976's ``Walk This Way.'' In between they drew heavily from their 1973 debut album with ``Mama Kin,'' ``Dream On,'' ``Walking the Dog.'' It also mixed in later hits, such as ``Pink,'' ``Jaded,'' ``F.I.N.E.,'' and ``Love in an Elevator.''

There were no huge horn sections, no coterie of backup singers to bolster singer Steven Tyler, and there were considerably fewer theatrics than at the Stones show. Keyboard player Russ Irwin fleshed out the songs and did some backup vocals. Drummer Joey Kramer was as much of a workhorse as Charlie Watts and hit considerably harder. Guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford gave that one-two punch so missing from the current Stones, with licks turned up in the mix. Bassist Tom Hamilton added to the wall of frantic sound, pushing this band to play more like the 1972 Stones than the 2002 Stones.

Unlike the Stones, Aerosmith drew an audience of all ages and races. Teens weren't here dragged by their parents but because they are seeing this band on MTV.

Kid Rock, with his pyro-laden opener, may have helped. His salute to all things trashy has been a consistent draw.

One of Aerosmith's claims to fame is that its music is being sampled by younger artists. Not only was ``Walk this Way'' the first great rock-rap crossover, but Eminem used ``Dream On'' on his latest, the bestselling album of 2002.

The band's Thursday performance was notable for other reasons. In a year when Shoreline Amphitheatre has been half full, it packed the house at $35-$75 a ticket. It did it in the latest -- and coldest -- show put on at the outdoor venue. And it did it two days after the Stones played three shows at $50 to $300 a ticket, on the same night that No Doubt was packing San Jose's nearby arena.

If there was ever proof needed that rock isn't dying, artistically, and especially, commercially, this was it.

From: http://www.bayarea.com

http://www.planetfm.com/photos11/index.htm
http://www.planetfm.com/audio/joe_perry.mp3

Aerosmith are in a commercial for RADD (Recording Artists, Actors & Athletes Against Drunk Driving). It has a bunch of concert clips, singing Just Push Play in the background and then Steven, with Joe right beside him with his American Flag guitar, says "Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

1974 Aerosmith plays in Passaic NJ at Capitol Theater (Climax Blues Band opens)

1977 Aerosmith plays in Wichita KS at Henry Leavitt Arena (Wet Willie opens)

1978 Aerosmith plays in New Haven CT at Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Flint opens..Flint was Grand Funk minus Mark Farner )

1982 Aerosmith plays in Hartford CT at the Civic Center

1989 Aerosmith plays in Birmingham UK at the National Exhibition Center (Thunder opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Milan Italy at Palatrussardi (Mr. Big opens)

1994 Aerosmith plays in Buenos Aires Argentina at Velez-Sarsfield Athletic Center (Gilby Clarke opens)

It looks like Aerosmith is back again

By Tony Hicks: music critic
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Now that was more like a real Aerosmith show.

When Aerosmith last pulled through the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View in August 2001, it was hard to tell whether it was a rock concert or a truck commercial, care of the band's massive marketing agreement with Dodge.

Company logos graced either side of the stage and promos featuring Aerosmith songs were beat into fans heads right up until the band's first note. It was a bit outrageous, and a bit sad. The show wasn't bad, but it wasn't close to a classic Aerosmith show.

So expectations were a bit low for the band's return to Shoreline on Thursday, supporting yet another greatest-hits record, with opener Kid Rock. The fellas are a year older, they have no new material to speak of, and the South Bay's November chill would figure to be rough on middle-aged bones.

So what does Aerosmith do? They come out and nearly blow the concrete off the aisles, with two hours of old school, blues-based, crunchy classic rock -- without a truck ad in sight.

It was so unexpected and powerful, Aerosmith may have re-charged the faith of old fans hoping for one more great performance. They instead looked like they can carry on for decades. Just days after the mighty juggernaut that is the Rolling Stones rolled through the Bay Area, it wasn't such a stretch to say that the most butt-kickin' pack of 50-year-old rockers in the world are led by Steven Tyler.

Well, at least for one night anyway. Let's not get too crazy here.

But what really set this show apart was Tyler and Joe Perry and just putting their heads down and deciding to bring it for two hours, opening with a roaring "Toys in the Attic," and not looking back. There wasn't as much babbling, nor as many MTV favorites. Aerosmith went back in time with a mostly 1970s set list, mixed with a careful mix of newer songs and leaving out exercises in repetition such as "Ragdoll." The continuous blues jams featuring Perry and fellow guitarist Brad Whitford made songs such as "Crazy" and "Dude Looks Like a Lady" much more palatable.

The pair hit a highlight not seen in years when they went back 30 years for an epic version of "Movin' Out," from their first record. Though Perry gets all the credit, Whitford is nearly as good without the flash, trading huge blues licks and hitting harmony leads perfect. A methodical and chunky version of "Walkin' the Dog" was nearly as good, setting up a surprisingly good version of big 2001 hit "Jaded." Even "What it Takes" came with a chunky blues opening, making the rest of the song sound as McCartney-ish as Tyler wanted when they wrote it.

That's what happens when the lads get back to their roots and carefully select the new songs, instead of just delivering a perfunctory greatest-hits set. It's like a baseball pitcher setting up a hitter with fastballs before throwing a mind-bending curveball. The contrast between eras and songs (as long as they're good) makes the last pitch, or song, seem much more dramatic. They can go all out trading rips on songs like "Train Kept a Rollin,'" which was superb Thursday.

The entire band matched the energy of Tyler's usual galloping and spinning act, especially Perry, who couldn't stand still long enough to avoid changing clothes three times. At one point, toward the show's end, with Perry banging away on his guitar, Tyler, who looks like he has a couple new tattoos, came running down the stage left stairway, took a flying leap, hit the floor and did a front flip. Not bad for an old guy.

They were so good, the weepy "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," from the awful movie "Armageddon," even sounded powerful. That's when a band knows it's on a roll.

Even opener Kid Rock was a likable and sincere ball of energy (though apparently opening acts only get to bring four strippers instead of eight). No matter. Rock wasn't great, but he did adequately pump up the crowd, with lots of flame pots, explosions and faves such as "Cowboy," and set-ender "Bawitdaba." He also paid homage to his hometown of Detroit, with a surprisingly fun medley of Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Supremes, MC5 and even a brief nod to Eminem. There must have been something in the Mountain View air Thursday.

From: http://www.bayarea.com

Ernest A. Jasmin; The News Tribune
November 14th, 2002

OK. We get it. Old guys can still rock.

Tuesday night, Aerosmith was the latest in a string of veteran rock acts - including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones - to prove just that before more than 14,000 screaming, dancing, singing fans at the Tacoma Dome. The band played about two hours, performing many of the biggest hits from its three-decade career.

Aerosmith kicked things off with "Toys in the Attic," performing at the end of a catwalk that extended 50 feet into the crowd. The band - singer Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and guitarists Brad Whitford and Joe Perry - followed with "Love in an Elevator" and the gritty "Same Old Song and Dance" as fans reached out to touch them.

They strolled back to the main stage for "Sweet Emotion" and "Livin' on the Edge." Tyler began "What It Takes" a cappella, with the crowd enthusiastically echoing his soulful wails.

Some hits were seasoned with a bit of blues. Most notably, there was the Delta blues precursor to the swinging, double entendre-filled "Big Ten Inch Record" and the Chicago blues revamp of "Pink."

The set also included "Back in the Saddle," "Jaded," "Rag Doll," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Cryin'," "Draw the Line" and the bluesy "Stop Messin' Around." Tyler dedicated the last to rock legend Eric Burdon, who he said was in attendance.

But the most spellbinding moments occurred in the power ballad zone. The band soared on "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," from the "Armaggedon" soundtrack. And what was a cigarette lighter made for if not the prototypical power ballad "Dream On"?

It finished with the funky "Walk This Way," a song that revived the band's career after it was remade with Run-DMC in 1986.

Kid Rock opened, backed by a full band and bikini-clad go-go dancers. His explosive set included "American Badass," "Devil Without a Cause," "Cowboy," "You Never Met a ... Like Me" and even a bit of the theme from "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Rock was all over the stage, banging his head, strumming guitar or pounding the drums. But he parked himself on a stool before proposing a solution to the world's problems.

"What if Kid Rock was the President of the United States of America?" he asked the crowd, to considerable cheering. Fans cheered again when he added a line during "President" about making a holiday for Run-DMC's slain DJ Jam Master Jay. (Run-DMC opened earlier tour dates.)

An energetic medley paying homage to the sounds of Detroit included Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll"; The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?"; Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever"; Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band"; MC5's "Kick Out the Jams"; and Eminem's "My Name Is."

The band finished with "Bawitdaba" as the stage belched flames and sparks cascaded.

From: http://www.tribnet.com

[...] Shirley MacLaine and Sharon Stone shone at Wednesday's benefit for amfAR (American Foundation for Aids Research, is the cognomen) at the Four Seasons. MacLaine talked about the importance of condoms. That's good. Stone tried to boost interest in the silent auction. "Last year I bought a watch for my manager -- but I didn't feel the love as a result. Neither did he: I fired him." Whoa! ... Stephen Tyler, of Aerosmith, dropped by. He was everywhere Wednesday night. But without a dime [...]

[...] Aerosmith winged into McCormick and Kuleto on Wednesday night -- the wild king salmon is a big hit with the band. The musicians were short on cash so they were about to offer general manager Scott Smith tickets to their Shoreline gig in lieu of cash. But Aerosmith's manager arrived in time to pick up the tab. [...]

1989 Aerosmith plays in London UK at Wembley Arena (The Quireboys open)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Zurich Switzerland at Hallenstadion (Mr. Big opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Sioux Falls SD at Sioux Falls Arena (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in Manchester NH at Manchester Verizon Wireless Arena

Proceeds from AeroFest 2003 will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern Illinois. Make-A-Wish fulfills the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. You can contact Make-A-Wish at www.wishes.org or by phone at 312.943.8956

Despite rumors of more shows the band will head right back into studio after the holidays. They will be right back on the road after they finish the Blues Album. May and June will tenatively be spent on a tour of Europe, before returning for dates in the states in late summer!

1979 The first Joe Perry Project Show takes place in Newton MA at The Rathskellar, Boston College

1982 Aerosmith plays in Worcester MA at The Centrum

1987 Aerosmith plays in Hampton City VA at Hampton Roads Coliseum (Dokken opens)

1993 "Amazing" is released as a single

1994 Aerosmith plays in Cordoba Argentina at Carreras Stadium (Gilby Clarke opens)

In the last Vanity Fair -Music Issue with various singers on the cover, there 's an article about 70's & drugs and there's a pic of Steven and other of Cyrinda with David Johansen.

Among all the mags that have cover stories of Aerosmith, we've also got Guitar Magazine. So that is in addition to Metal Edge, Performing Songwriter, and Classic Rock

I would venture to guess that everyone in the entire Aerosmith organization feels pretty bad about what happened and in the end were thankfully able to remedy the situation.

1977 Aerosmith plays in Tulsa OK at the Assembly Center (Wet Willie opens)

1978 Aerosmith plays in Springfield MA at the Civic Center (Golden Earring opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in London UK at Hammersmith Odeon (The Quireboys open); David Coverdale joins them on I'm Down

1993 Aerosmith plays in Munich Germany at Olympiahalle (Mr. Big opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in LaCrosse WI at LaCrosse Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in East Rutherford NJ at Continental Arena

2002 Aerosmith plays in Marysville CA at Autowest Amphitheatre (Kid Rock opens); this show was rescheduled from 11/07/02 which was postponed due to weather

After the LA show we headed south to San Diego (Chula Vista). The weather was perfect and Joe, Tom and Brad brought their families to the world famous San Diego Zoo. It would take you about 3 days to see everything but we managed to squeeze as much as we could into an afternoon. I gotta say the crowd in SD was one of the most f@#*ed up and rowdy on the tour. Don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing, it was just a little more noticeable on this particular night. The B-Stage walk was long and the crew guys were getting hit in the old twig and berries up every set of stairs. In the crowd was Boston native and San Diego Charger quarterback, Doug Flutie. Doug is a friend of the band and has a charity for autism that the guys fully support each year without fail.
Ah Sacramento:

What a beautiful ride we had going there. Down-pours and gusty winds making me feel like Helen Hunt in Twister. On the way to the show it was decided that it would be rescheduled to the next week. I can't say that I wasn't glad because it was really sh$%&y out and it wouldn't have been a lot of fun for the guitar techs keeping everything in tune. I know what your thinking, "why the hell do they schedule shows in November outside?" I have a feeling it will be different next year. Can you say Shark Tank?

Vega$:

After we were told about Sac we headed straight to Sin City. Friday night Joe and family went to the IMAX theater at the Luxor Hotel and Casino and caught the Star Wars Episode 2 flick. It was pretty wild seeing it on such a huge screen. It got me thinking that it would be cool to see an Aerosmith show on it. The sound system kicked ass!

Let me tell you this - the show in Vegas was one of the best on the tour. Again the band started out at the end of the stage and will continue to do this through December. Toys substituted Elevator as the first song inside for the first time. The set was tight and well paced. It's funny how the B-Stage outside adds excitement to the lawn people but disrupts the flow of the show a little. I have to admit I like the indoor show a little better. The beautiful Rene Russo was dancing and chatting all night with Steven's wife Teresa. They all went out after the show and played a little blackjack back at the Hotel. As did Joe and his wife, Billie, and Terry and Tom Hamilton.

The guys took advantage of the nightlife and good weather in Las Vegas so much that Joey, Steven and Joe all went to see "O" at the Bellagio on Sunday night with their spouses. If you haven't seen "O" it will remind you of a cross between Aerosmith's performance at the American Music Awards and a water ballet. It is put on by Cirque De Solie. Some Cirque performers were also in the "Jaded" performance at the AMA's.

Joe took his son, Roman, on a helicopter ride Monday. I, for one, was a little skeptical about flying somewhere in a bucket with blades but after zooming through the Grand Canyon my thoughts quickly changed. It was awesome!

Steven decided he would do a little shopping at the Forum shops inside Caesars Palace. With his cowboy hat firmly in place, he proceeded to get mobbed while in a small jewelry store with Teresa. It got so bad that he had to be sneaked out the back door and brought outside to the other end of the mall to finish his day of shopping. He ended his stay in Vegas by parasailing in the warm desert air.

Next week, I'll recap Tacoma, SanFran and the make up show in Sacramento.

See you on the road!

--John B

Aerosmith, Kid Rock, Must
Cricket Pavilion
Phoenix, Ariz.
Nov. 1, 2002
$754,943
17,740 / 19,910
1 / 0
$85, $30
Clear Channel Entertainment

Aerosmith, Stone Temple Pilots, Must
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Selma, Texas
Oct. 28, 2002
$671,575
12,375 / 20,000
1 / 0
$82, $30
Clear Channel Entertainment

Alex comments:
odd how low the verizon texas show was, considering the next texas show was very nearly a sellout. also, on billboard they havent shown the dallas speedway show, which is a shame cos it was a 30,000 sellout!

They won't get a meet/greet because of the JAPAN FAN CLUB package. They HAVE to now be there at 3pm which for many is kinda hard considering the driving distance some are faced with tomorrow. They might get to tour backstage (BFD!). They have been told they MUST give up their tickets..or else...they will be moved from the seats as the tickets will be re-issued and given to the EBAY winners. WE got in "trouble" when we said we were not thrilled with the EBAY BS to begin with!? We were PROMISED that it would NOT affect AF1 members in ANY WAY? Remember that? I'm sorry but this just crossed a line so if you're in AF1 and would like to voice your opinion, hurry before the threads are deleted...

thread=27231
thread=27222

-----------------

Lynn:
They sent me those tickets by mistake...they were supposed to go to the e-Bay winner. I am to take my tickets to will call and exchange them for MY tickets which are still 4th row, but on the side...and watch, they'll be like Chula and allllll the way over to the side where my daughter won't be able to see. I am absolutely in tears at the moment.:(

-----------------

Lisa:
OMG! They just called me and told me the same thing. I am also in tears! Now how do I break this to Shawna. I told her that this was for her. I told her that she needs to give us a meet n greet now.
She offered to put us on the Aero Cafe...but I told her that you can't see that good from there. I told her I want a meet n greet for the girls.... she says "Well, I will put in the good word for you because it says something about your character that you are willing to give these tickets up."

I said, "do I have a choice?" Then I voiced my opinion on how I didn't think it was right for AF1 to be auctioning off the Velvet Rope on Ebay for non fanclub members.
She said they don't do it anymore because the band has found out that the fans are upset about it.

-------------------

Lynn:
Donna works for Fans Rule. She sent 4 row center tickets to Lisa and I after we purchased tickets for Mountain View. The tickets were mailed November 6 and received November 8. The show is today. Yesterday afternoon she called us and told us the tickets were mailed in error - those are not our seats, they belong to e-Bay winners.

-------------------

I wonder if that letter that a fan gave Steven during the Florida travel package is what clued the band in on the eBay thingy (because I doubt they knew about it to begin with). They created the fan club, as stated in "Walk This Way" to fight off scalpers and mile high ticket prices for their fans. I'm sure they are not aware either of the prices the fans are charged sometimes for lousy seats.

1989 Aerosmith plays in London UK at the Hammersmith Odeon (The Quireboys opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in Vienna Austria at Stadthalle (Mr. Big opens)

2002 Aerosmith plays in Mountain View CA at Shoreline Amphitheatre (Kid Rock opens)

Goldtone amps are pure gold for star producer Marti Frederiksen

by Paul Van Name for Gibson Goldtone

As a record producer for Aerosmith, Johnny Lang and Mick Jagger, one would assume that Marti Frederiksen is blessed with a good set of ears. Fact is, his ears are golden, and so is his taste in amplifiers. Armed with a typical arsenal of blackface combos, plexi heads and monstrous cabinets, he set out to record Aerosmith's Just Push Play album last summer.

That's when the man in the brown truck dropped off the unassuming box marked "Gibson Goldtone Amplification". That box sat in the studio hallway for two days before anyone even thought to open it. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

We tried other amps but just kept coming back to the Goldtone GA-30RVS.
It's what worked best for the record."
Said Frederiksen from his California home, "Every lead break that Joe Perry played is through a Goldtone (Goldtone GA-30RVS 2x12 combo). We tried other amps but just kept coming back to the Goldtone GA-30RVS. It's what worked best for the record."

Apparently once unboxed and plugged in, the Goldtone's combination of Class A power, vintage 30 watt Celestion speakers and simple controls instantly made it a studio favorite. Joe Perry now has chosen to play Goldtone Amps exclusively on the current Aerosmith World Tour as well, proving that these amps rock just as hard on stage. Mr. Perry's impressive wall of Goldtone, consisting of no less than thirteen separate amplifiers, will be ramming that fact home nightly as Aerosmith make their way around the globe on their current outing.

Joe Perry's guitar tech, Jim Survis put it best, stating that "with Goldtone amps, a Strat sounds like a Strat, a Les Paul like a Les Paul and a Rickenbacker, well, you get the idea". Yes, we do. It's rare in this day of hyper-effects that what you put in is exactly what you get back out. Goldtone amps are a wondrous exception to the sonic wash which pods and stomp boxes can levy on the color of your sound. Simply put, and in keeping with Gibson tradition, they're pure.

"It's my first choice", says Frederiksen, "and I keep coming back to it because it voices truer than any other amp I've used." Marti Frederiksen has since gone on to produce Johnny Lang's and Mick Jagger's upcoming solo projects, and he took his own GA30RVS along with him. "It's my first choice", says Frederiksen, "and I keep coming back to it because it voices truer than any other amp I've used." On the new Jagger album, Mick plays a lot of guitar, and on the opening track, "Everybody Gets High", he takes front and center armed with a Goldtone amplifier and some vintage single coils.

"He's actually a great rhythm guitarist! We then brought in a guy from LA to do overdubs and solos and with him came his old AC-30 and Vibrolux Reverbs." By the end of the session, Goldtone amps wound up being employed instead, much to everyone's surprise and ultimate delight.

"We lined up the Goldtone along with all the vintage amps and my engineer toggled between them in a blind test. I was sitting in a remote part of the studio and had no idea which amp patches he was calling up". The Goldtone won out and the hired gun gladly wound up using this amp in sessions. Now he may be seeking one to call his own. As Frederiksen blithely put it, "the word on Goldtone is spreading, man".

"It has both a great clean sound and a great overdrive sound."
Then came the Johnny Lang sessions. "Johnny and I experimented with some unique mike placements for his overdubs. I positioned top-flight microphones in different ways to record the amps and wound up getting a great combination of room tones. We then combined that mix with direct sound (and in the end) were both very satisfied." Frederiksen again favored the Goldtone because, "it has both a great clean sound and a great overdrive sound." When asked what type of overdrive pedals he used, the hot producer insisted that "we didn't use any overdrive pedals or rack effects at all. It was strictly plug in and play...I'm talking straight in! That's the thing...Goldtone combos have lots of big sounds all in one little box. For remote recording jobs it's also easy to throw one in the back of car and off you go. You just can't do that with a half stack."

The Lang and Jagger albums have been in the can for months, slated for fourth-quarter release. But in the meanwhile Frederiksen's not letting any grass grow under his feet. He's presently working on new projects with Pink, Def Leppard, Our Lady Peace and Bon Jovi. When asked about his amp preference for these current projects, he frankly stated "Look.the amp has got to fit what works for the application. That's why I've always got to keep an open mind and use the right gear." Does that mean he's switching to something other than Goldtone? After a well placed beat, Frederiksen reiterated his commitment to use the right tool for the right job, but then confessed that, "My Champs and Deluxes have been locked away in a basement closet for a while now, and there they continue to sit. Basically, they've been on ice for over a year". We at Gibson would like to believe that he has purposely forgotten the combination to that lock. We're also confident that global warming is nothing but a myth.

Although Marti Frederiksen has a lot of credits under his belt, don't take his word for it. Go try out a Goldtone amplifier for yourself at your authorized Gibson dealer.

courtasy of http://www.gibson.com/

Liv indeed recorded a song in Elvish! the song will be in The Two Towers or Return Of The King

Liv also recorded a song with Ben Affleck for Jersey Girl. It will be in the film and on the soundtrack.

Also, Liv will be on the cover of the Jan/Feb issue of Jane magazine and will be on Letterman in December

Finally...

Listen Rock `n Roll is in Your Blood - a song completely inspired by Liv - created by Patricio Endeiza - a big fan of Liv: "My name is Patricio Endeiza, I`m from Argentina and I was living in London for six months last year. I have composed lots of songs and I`m unsigned now. I confess you that I fell in love with Liv at first sight when I watched her on TV. Thank you very much for listening to my Liv Tyler`s song"

download the song from ftp://lovelylivtyler.com

1971 Aerosmith gets paid $200 to play at the YMCA in Reading MA

1976 Aerosmith plays in Boston MA at the Boston Garden (Rick Derringer opens)

1977 Aerosmith plays in Omaha NE at the Omaha Civic Auditorium (Nazareth opens)

1987 Aerosmith plays in East Rutherford NJ at Brendan Byrne Arena (Dokken opens)

1994 Aerosmith plays in Santiago Chile at Pista Atletica Stadium (Gilby Clarke opens)

1998 Aerosmith plays in Duluth MN at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

Los Angeles:

Joey did an autograph signing at the Guitar Center on Sunset. He stayed for a few hours and signed his drum loops CD and anything else that was put in front of him. He passed out sticks and posed for pictures until everyone went away happy. Seeing Joey work every night - he has got to be one of the most dedicated musicians I have ever seen. People often ask, "why is Joey the first one to leave during a meet and greet?" and the answer is because he has a routine before a show that takes well over an hour. He tapes his fingers, gets dressed and then plays on a practice pad to limber up. Joey rarely eats before a show, too.

Hollywood Bowl:

First off, the freakin' Beatles played here! This was Aerosmith's second time at the Bowl. It's a great venue. It's close to the hotel and you get close to the people too. The guys had a ramp come out from both sides of the stage and make an almost oval shape that stretched into about the 10th row of the audience. These guys don't skimp when it comes to production. If you only knew what it takes to put on a rock show. Some of you that take the tour get a pretty good idea when you see it from the back of the stage.

Back to the show. Again, it was a "who's who" there back stage. Everyone from Heather Locklear, Pam Anderson, Carrot Top, David Spade, Rosanna Arquette, Richie Sambora, and Sheryl Crow. Sheryl did a song with Kid Rock and David Spade was dragged up for "Walk this Way" and did quite well. Joe said it was one of the better shows of the tour and the 18,000 people there would probably agree.

After the show some of the guys went over to keyboardist, Russ Irwin's, house in the Hills and were joined by Arquette and cutie Michelle Branch. I don't think that thing broke up 'til the wee hours of the morning.

See ya next week as we wrap this leg up!

--John B

There is speculation that the band will do a Boston show on New Years Eve. Nothing has been confirmed yet. Illinois could get added in January. There has been talk about Peoria, IL as a city they could do. According to a truck driver the day before the Chula Vista, CA show, Boston is the end of the tour, at the end of the year.

1978 Aerosmith plays in Uniondale NY Nassau Coliseum (Golden Earring opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in Dublin Ireland at The Point Depot Theatre

1998 Aerosmith plays in Fargo ND at the Fargo Dome (Seven Mary Three opens)

2001 Aerosmith plays in New York City NY at Madison Square Garden

2002 Aerosmith plays in Tacoma WA at the Tacoma Dome (Kid Rock opens)

10. Aerosmith- "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
9. Jackson 5- "I'll Be There"
8. Elton John- "Your Song"
7. Lionel Richie / Diana Ross- "Endless Love"
6. Rightous Brothers- "Unchained Melody"
5. Paul McCartney and Wings- "Maybe I'm Amazed"
4. Journey- "Open Arms"
3. Celine Dion- "My Heart Will Go On"
2. Elvis Presley- "Love Me Tender"
1. Whitney Houston- "I Will Always Love You"

1987 Aerosmith plays in Philadelphia PA at The Spectrum (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in Stockholm Sweden at Isstadion

1993 Aerosmith plays in West Berlin Germany at Deutschlandhalle

1995 Aerosmith plays as "The G-Spots" in Boston MA at Mama Kin's (Machinery Hall open)

1998 Aerosmith postpones their show in Fargo ND at the Fargo Dome due to weather

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2002--Best Buy stores have launched a new television advertising campaign for the holidays highlighting key alliances with a variety of entertainment groups including MGM Studios, Activision, Sega and rock band Aerosmith.

The ads focus on the customer experience in Best Buy stores, showcasing the entertainment people enjoy and the products that bring them to life. The four ads brand Best Buy as a true entertainment destination where there is "something fun for everyone(TM)." Each ad features a customer so engaged in the shopping experience that they actually become part of the action. From fighting Mr. T in "Rocky III" to fighting crime with Spider-Man, rocking out with Aerosmith to sacking an NFL quarterback, the ads demonstrate how people use technology products to connect with the entertainment they love - and how Best Buy brings it all together.

"We understand that the technology products people buy center around their entertainment choices and lifestyles, " said Ruby Anik, vice president of Advertising for Best Buy. "Whether it's watching the latest DVD, listening to the hottest new CD or playing with friends on a gaming system, people are passionate about the way they use technology. By aligning with these entertainment groups, we're able to demonstrate how people can live out their fantasies using the latest technology from Best Buy." The ads, created by Best Buy Advertising, are currently running throughout the U.S. and in Canada on national network and cable television.

About Best Buy stores Best Buy stores, owned and operated by Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc., is the top U.S. retailer of technology and entertainment products and services. Best Buy was founded in St. Paul, Minn. in 1966. Best Buy stores reach an estimated 300 million consumers per year through more than 500 retail stores in 48 states and online at BestBuy.com

1989 Aerosmith plays in Copenhagen Denmark at K.B.Halle

1989 "Rock in a Hard Place" certified Gold

1993 Aerosmith plays in Nuremburg Germany at Frankenhalle (Mr. Big opens)

1994 Aerosmith plays in San Juan Puerto Rico San Juan at the National Stadium (Gilby Clarke opens)

1995 Aerosmith plays under the pseudonym Rayco and the Seatcovers in Cambridge MA at The Middle East

1997 Aerosmith play Pink and Taste of India in Paris France at Nulle Part Ailleurs for a TV show on CANAL+

2001 Aerosmith cancels their show in Lexington KY at Rupp Arena

Still Dreaming

Aerosmith manages to stay fresh because the band craves new successes

By MIKE WEATHERFORD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Aerosmith stays on a rigid schedule to keep itself in the music mainstream. But Steven Tyler feels free.

Free enough to go paragliding in the middle of a concert tour if he wants.

The insurance company would freak out, he admits, but "you've got to have a hobby," the 54-year-old singer says of a pursuit he first took up with a Las Vegas instructor (who since moved to Salt Lake City) at the dry lake bed near Jean.

"Look, what am I supposed to do after I come offstage, after jumping around like a wild man in front of 20,000 people every night, knit?"

He's also fond of Las Vegas' indoor machine-gun ranges. "Extreme sports are in my blood," Tyler says. "Joe (Perry) and I are complete country boys. We like to blow up pumpkins and shoot shotguns, silly stuff like that."

He traces it back to when he was 9 years old. "I lived in my favorite tree. I had a tree that was so high, I used to climb to the top branches. The sweetest fruit is at the very end of the branch."

The veteran rock singer also feels free enough to try new things within the band he and guitarist Perry founded back in 1970.

Not many groups have been able to keep it together so long as a current attraction, without falling apart or fading into the nostalgia circuit.

Aerosmith had its first hit single with "Sweet Emotion" in 1975 and its most recent one last summer with "Girls of Summer," a stand-alone single to promote "O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits."

Last spring, Tyler challenged himself and Perry to see how fast they could write and record new songs to round out the two-CD collection, the first to combine the band's work for two record labels, Sony and Geffen.

When the band wrapped its "Just Push Play" tour in Japan, "I said: `Joe I've had this dream for 30 years to just land on an island, rent a little shack and write some songs, without wives, daughters, dogs or chickens. Just go away,' " Tyler recalls.

"I talked him into it. We landed in Maui on the way back from Japan, rented a house, threw all the furniture aside and set up Pro Tools (recording software). It's pretty immediate. We set up a microphone in the closet and I sang."

By late June, the song was on the air. And by mid-August, Aerosmith was on the road again, with Tyler, Perry, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer staging their Ultimate Hits Tour. Kid Rock carries over as opening act on the fall leg of the tour, which stops at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday.

Aerosmith's work ethic is a sometimes taken for granted in the various attempts to explain their longevity. It's more dramatic to talk about band members cleaning up after years of drug abuse, or the surprise hit that seems to come along every time interest fades.

But while other '70s acts break up and reunite when the money runs out, Aerosmith stays on the road. Saturday's concert follows an MGM stop in August 2001 and a Hard Rock Hotel concert in January.

(The Hard Rock show came with rumors of a DVD project. "It was filmed," Tyler says, "but the only reason I brought the cameras in there was because we were doing it. We didn't do (the concert) for that reason." There are no immediate plans for the footage.)

"Fortunately enough, there aren't any females running the show," Tyler says. "It's always the death of the band, wives going, `C'mon, let's go away for two years.' Or, `Why is it always the band? What about our family?'

"Or, (if it's not that) the guys are so in love they become part-time musicians.

"This band, we love to rock. We love the money, we love hearing ourselves on the radio, we love to tour, we love the people, we love seeing new places. It's flipped out."

There are boundaries on freedom, however.

Fans have bad-mouthed some of the band's more commercial moves: Collaborating with adult-contemporary tunesmith Diane Warren on "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," and performing with 'N Sync and Britney Spears at the Super Bowl in January.

"With all due respect, it's about music. The fans want to own you," Tyler says.

"What's wrong with doing a song when your daughter's in a movie as the love interest with Ben Affleck?" he says of "Armageddon," the 1998 movie that featured daughter Liv Tyler and the Warren tune.

"What they don't see is that I wrote `Dream On' myself on the piano. `Janie's Got a Gun' too. Been there, done that. Joe's' written some great songs too. We all had.

"Plus, it's fun to write with someone else. To sit in a room and write with Eddie Vedder, that would be a night to reckon with. David Grohl, Keith Richards or Eric Clapton, I would love to do that."

And fans probably shouldn't hold their breath for something else he would love to do: "When we do what we want to do will be the day I get to play Madison Square Garden for two nights. And the first night will be (the albums) `Toys in the Attic' and `Rocks.' And the second night we'll do `Draw the Line' and the first album."

Why not, then?

"When you stay mainstream, you owe an allegiance to playing what you know people are hearing on the radio," he says.

"My worst recollections of my favorite bands are when they came and played (the hits) 9 million miles faster because they were tired of playing it." He offers a speeded-up "Sunshine of Your Love" riff by way of example.

But, the singer confides, there are "two or three different songs in the set every night" that are "basically for us."

"What we learned from the past is that we seldom learn from the past," he says. "It's just about keeping it fresh."

From: http://www.reviewjournal.com

---------------------------

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT: Is it only me, or does it seem to anyone else that the band has been told to, or just mutualy agreed to badmouth Cream, to justify having a show where everything is planned, playing mostly their hits without any room for improvisation? Yesterday an article where Hamilton complained about seeing Cream as a kid, and they played a "45-minute slow blues jam" instead of their hits. Now Tyler giving a negative remark to artists who play songs faster than the original studio version, using "Sunshine of Your Love" as an example? I can't remember ever seeing the band put down anything Clapton has ever done before this. It doesn't convince me personally, just makes me a bit annoyed... and envious. I would have loved to have been born back then to see Cream live... :)

The top of the cover has small pictures of actors and actresses in movies coming out this Christmas season. Under the Entertainment Weekly logo is a big picture of Liv and Elijah Wood. It is the November 15th issue.

www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b30efdc1255e

Allan K, a singer/host in the Philippines, performed Aerosmith's NIne Lives on the noontime show Eat..Bulaga as part of the promotion of his horror movie where he portrayed a wild cat.

1982 Aerosmith plays in Providence RI at the Civic Center

1998 Aerosmith plays in Omaha NE at the Civic Auditorium (Seven Mary Three opens)

2002 Aerosmith plays in Las Vegas NV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (Kid Rock opens)

O, yeah! Aerosmith hones a hipper edge with rap-rock

By GENE STOUT
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER POP MUSIC CRITIC

Aerosmith was performing in Houston Oct. 30 when band members got word that Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay had been shot to death in Queens, N.Y.

Last summer, the pioneering rap trio had joined the rock supergroup on the road to perform their influential 1980s remake of Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way."

"We got the news just before our encore," bassist Tom Hamilton said by phone from a tour stop in Phoenix.

"Ironically, it was just before 'Walk This Way,' which is where we used to have those guys come out on stage with us last summer. So it really cast a pall over us and the audience for a few minutes. I think everybody at the show was determined to have a good time. But it was a very sobering moment."

The remake of "Walk This Way" helped revive Aerosmith's career, giving the band a hipper edge with younger audiences. The song also linked hard rock and rap -- two previously incongruous music styles -- in the minds of music fans, helping to create a new genre. The song became an anthem for rap-rock.

"When Steven (Tyler) and Joe (Perry) did the song with Run-DMC, it wasn't clear whether they were even going to put it on a record. It was just sort of a 'Let's-try-this' kind of thing. But there were real cultural changes that came from that song. It's funny that a whole movement could be based on a spontaneous thing that you just do for the hell of it."

Last summer's Aerosmith tour featured not only the two pioneers of rap-rock, but also one of their progeny -- Kid Rock. It was an on-the-road reunion of sorts, since all three had performed together in 1999 on the MTV Video Music Awards.

"We had this great moment where we played 'Walk This Way' at the end of the show," Hamilton said. "Kid Rock would come out and Run-DMC would come out and the audience would go completely nuts. So we would just celebrate this thing that happened when rock combined with hip-hop."

Kid Rock is still on the Aerosmith tour, which arrives in the Northwest for a concert Tuesday night at the Tacoma Dome. Band members met Kid Rock a few years ago when he inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"He has this persona that he puts out there," Hamilton said of Kid Rock. "He really loves this trailer trash kind of stuff, but he's really a very smart, ambitious, focused person."

The Aerosmith tour continues a trek that began last year with the release of the group's latest studio album, "Just Push Play." The current leg coincides with the fall release of "O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits," a 30th anniversary retrospective that includes such past and current favorites as "Dream On," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Back in the Saddle," "Love in an Elevator," "The Girls of Summer" and the two different versions of "Walk This Way."

"When we tour, we play songs that make up a fun set list, something that's inspiring for us and something the audience will enjoy. But then we get criticized for playing a greatest-hits set and for not taking chances and stuff," Hamilton said.

"But I just remember going to see Cream when I was a kid, and instead of playing the songs I was dying to hear, they played like a 45-minute slow blues jam. I walked out feeling very disappointed. So I've always believed in not just playing the same old popular songs, but sort of rotating them and bringing in other stuff that you don't always play."

At a recent show, the band played two songs from its first album -- "Movin' Out," the first song Tyler and Perry wrote together, and "Walkin' the Dog," an old Rufus Thomas song.

"On the album, the two songs segue into each other. So we play it that way in the set, and after that we go into 'Jaded' from the new album," Hamilton said.

"It's a moment for me that I love. It's about going back to the beginning and juxtaposing that with something very recent. It's a great feeling."

The tour features a giant LED screen, similar to the one used on the 1997 U2 tour, and a 60-foot ramp that juts into the audience.

The stage is large enough to allow Hamilton, Tyler, Perry, guitarist Brad Whitford and drummer Joey Kramer plenty of room to spread out.

"Sometimes it's so funny and absurd because we'll be a couple of hundred feet from each other but still playing pretty tight," Hamilton said.

The band will take a short break in December to be with family during the holidays and think about its next album, which may revisit the group's blues-loving past.

"We want to change the cycle of touring and recording where instead of it being two years of one and two years of another, it's kind of all happening at about the same time," Hamilton said.

"We'll probably start work on a new album in February or March, unless the phone rings and some more people want to see us play."

From: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com

Hey Fans,

Linkin Park's stickman, Rob Bourdon, Fuel's Kevin Miller and Carl Bell and Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker Band guitarist Kenny Olson came out in due tribute to Mr. Kramer. Also Aerosmith co-producer who also produced Joey's loops and samples collection, Marti Frederiksen, was seen down on the strip amongst the fans Saturday afternoon.

Yes, that's right, Saturday, November 2nd at the Guitar Center, Hollywood Joey's fans came out to meet the man.

To kick off the month of thanksgiving, Joey showed his appreciation for his fans with great gifts and prizes. Joey and Zildjian gave everyone who came out a pair of the very drum sticks manufactured to his specs and carved only for Joey to use on tour. Also, KLOS 95.5fm was on site to hang out and give away tickets to tonight's very sold-out Aerosmith show at the Hollywood Bowl. But that is not it; Joey wrangled DW Drums to give away a Signature Series snare drum to one lucky winner.

We'd like to send out a very special thanks to Jeff, Frank, and the entire staff at the Guitar Center, Hollywood, our friends at East West, Joey's friends at Zildjian, DW, and KLOS, and most importantly all of the fans who came down.

Here's a few pictures of the fun and if you've got some, please feel free to send yours along - maybe they'll get posted for the world to see.

It was a blast LA, see you next time!!

From AF1 - Links to 4 pics:

kramer-hollywood-popup1.htm
kramer-hollywood-popup2.htm
kramer-hollywood-popup3.htm
kramer-hollywood-popup4.htm

Run-DMC calls it quits. Without Jam Master Jay, the group can't continue, Run said at a Wednesday morning press conference
by Brian Hiatt

RUN-AWAYS Simmons and McDaniels call it quits

In the wake of the murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, the two surviving members of the pioneering hip-hop group are hanging up their Adidas for good. ''Run-DMC is officially retired,'' rapper Run said in a Manhattan press conference held Wednesday, according to the group's publicity firm. ''We started together, and we want the Run-DMC legacy to always reflect the three of us together.''

He added that the group will no longer record, and will have to pull out of planned tour dates with Aerosmith and Kid Rock, as well as cancel a commercial deal Dr. Pepper. The Hollis, Queens, threesome -- which also included rapper DMC -- released their self-titled first album in 1984; 2001's rock-tinged ''Crown Royal'' now stands as their final CD.

In the same press conference, Def Jam cofounder Russell Simmons said that Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kid Rock, and Aerosmith had all donated money to aid Jam Master Jay's family and to assist in the investigation of the deejay's murder. Among the other donors were the Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock, Busta Rhymes, and Sean ''P. Diddy'' Combs, according to DMC's PR firm. ''Jam Master Jay was a good and decent person and a great DJ,'' Combs said at the press conference. ''I consider him a mentor.''

Police have yet to announce a suspect in the death of Jam Master Jay (born Jason Mizell), who was shot last week in a Queens recording studio. He was 37 years old.

From http://www.autowestamphitheatre.com

Diane Griffin

Aerosmith
Kid Rock

November 7, 2002 - 7:00PM

Cancelled
$ 75.00 Reserved Seating
$ 55.00 Reserved
$ 35.00 Lawn

Ticket prices include parking and charity

DUE TO THE WEATHER, THE SAFETY OF THE PATRONS AND THE BANDS, THE AEROSMITH CONCERT SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT AT THE AUTOWEST AMPHITHEATRE HAS BEEN POSTPONED, AND RESCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH. TICKETS FOR TONIGHT'S SHOW WILL BE HONORED ON THAT DATE.
Parking Gates Open: 4:00PM Pacific Time
Concert Gates Open: 5:00PM Pacific Time

1987 Aerosmith plays in Uniondale NY at Nassau County Coliseum (Dokken opens)

1989 Aerosmith plays in Mannheim West Germany at Mainmarketgelande

1993 Aerosmith plays in Paris France at Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy (Mr. Big opens)

1997 Aerosmith plays in Leipzig Germany on the TV show on ZDF

2001 Aerosmith cancel their show in Philadelphia PA at First Union Center

By Chris Macias -- Bee Pop Music Writer
Published 2:15 AM PST Sunday, Nov. 03, 2002

After more then 30 years in the music business, Aerosmith and its boogie-friendly brand of rock is ever busy. Aerosmith was honored as an "MTV Icon" during an April telecast, in which the group performed and was treated to tributes of its music by Kid Rock, Pink, Shakira, Papa Roach and others.

The band was also given a boost when the hook from Aerosmith's "Dream On" was appropriated on "Sing for the Moment," a track from Eminem's latest album.

And as usual, Aerosmith has spent a good chunk of the year touring. On Thursday, the band performs at the AutoWest Amphitheatre for the venue's season-capping show.

In a recent phone call, here's what guitarist Joe Perry had to say about what's new in the Aerosmith camp.

Q: Once the American leg of your tour winds down, what's coming next?

A: We're talking about doing this blues/roots record that kind of has been bubbling under for a few years. We're getting a lot of support from the label to do that, as we have in the past. In fact, they even wanted that to be our first Sony record when we signed with them (in the early 1990s). It goes back that far.

It feels to me creatively like the next record that Aerosmith should make. We're talking about going into the studio after the first of the year and spending a couple of months putting that together.

Q: Are you planning to cover traditional blues songs? Or will you be writing original tunes in a blues tradition?

A: Probably a little of both. I think one of the big inspirations was the "Blues on Fire" record that came out last year. A bunch of blues guys got together and covered some Aerosmith tunes in a blues style. For me anyway, I was listening to it going, "Wait a minute, this is what (our) first record sounds like." This is really what it's about and that's kind of what's been missing over the last few years. It was a real inspiration for me, and I hope we can carry that into this new record we're talking about. I don't have any interest in going in and making another techno record.

Q: So that's it for drum loops.

A: Not right now. I love playing with that stuff. But I think for us as a band, it's time to get back to something like what we're talking about. At this point in our career, it's about what you don't play, as opposed to what you do play.

Q: How was the "MTV: Icon" experience? There were some pretty unorthodox takes on your music, like the turntablist approach from X-Ecutioners?

A: We were a little taken aback by the whole thing. Obviously, it's a package put on by MTV and it was great to have them do that. (At first) I'm a little cynical about the whole thing, but when I'm hearing some of these artists interpreting our music, that felt really good. It was great, and a lot of fun for us.

Q: MTV was instrumental in getting Aerosmith back on the rise in the 1980s. Do you think making videos is as important now as it was then?

A: I think videos are still really important. The venues that they play them on have changed. They've got TRL ("Total Request Live") and that kind of thing. Just think about something coming out without a video. It can happen, but I think it's a big component of whatever you do. A lot of people complain about MTV not showing videos, but they're getting the ratings they need by showing the other stuff.

As far as MTV itself, back in the 1980s if you had something in high rotation, it was 40-50 runs a week. Now, high rotation is 10 a week. But there's a lot more crossover with VH-1. I mean, if you were on VH-1 in the '80s, it was considered classic and old.

Q: Speaking of VH-1, now there's an "Aerosmith: Behind the Music" special.

A: We kind of wanted to keep away from, "Let's sit on the couch and talk about the past." This "Behind the Music" thing's been done to death. It's like, "This band did this 20 years ago and now they have a farm in Wisconsin." We said, we're not going to do a "where are they now?" but a "where were they then?" kind of "Behind the Music." It was more like a real-life episode with a little bit of history thrown in. That made it exciting for us.

Q: A big part of Aerosmith's music is the almighty riff. How do you usually write them?

A: I've probably written some of the best things without a guitar in my hand. I can think of a few when I've been walking around the house and something's popped in my head. I tend to leave guitars everywhere and then I'll pick them up and play. If it turns out to be something that I keep singing, I'll take it down into the studio and work it up.

Q: And then you get all these people who want to sample those riffs, like Run D.M.C. and Eminem.

A: Eminem played us the demo when we were in Detroit last year, and he said, "This is what I want to do. What do you guys think of it?" He didn't really need our permission, but it was great that he came by and played it for us. We ended up re-recording some guitars for it. It was a lot of fun.

You know, my two older boys were listening to the Hives and they said, "Hey dad, doesn't this sound like 'Toys in the Attic?'" And I listened to it, and it was straight off that record. I said, "Well, we didn't invent that. But I'll tell you exactly where we stole it from." (laughs)

From: http://www.sacticket.com

As you know the band plays every other night for a few different reasons. One is it gives the crew a chance to load in to a venue a day early, if possible, and it also gives the band a rest between shows. It allows the guys to either stay in the city they just played and spend the night or move on to another city right after the show. In Dallas, however, everyone stayed over and hung out the next day. Joe and his family went to the Texas Stampede. Being from Boston I had never been to a rodeo and found it pretty fascinating. Joe and his wife, Billie, have horses so they were no strangers to the sites, sounds and smells of a real live rodeo. We got to take a tour beforehand and met several of the participants. One guy was a calf roper named Joe Beaver from Huntsville Texas. Joe would be the equivalent to say a Jonny Lang of the roping world. His name to me suggests he would have made a great porn star or bass player in an 80's cover band. Nice guy nonetheless.

Houston:

Steven and Tom went by a radio station in Houston. At the station people dressed up in Halloween costumes and were judged by the guys. This was the same station that put on a Valentine's Day contest a few years ago where Steven, Joe and Tom were judges in a similar contest. If these two events are any indication we probably will be back there around the forth of July.

Joe went to Mission Control while in Houston. Back in 98' the guys got to visit the facilities in Florida and now he got to check out Mission Control in Houston. For anyone who cares after the shuttles are launched in Florida and reach a certain altitude Houston then takes over the controls. We got to go to the control room (which isn't used anymore) where all those great Apollo ships were piloted from.

Back at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion there was another rocket sighting. This time it was New York Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens. Roger and his family came back and hung out with the guys before the show. He passed out autographed balls and showed off his World Series ring for all to try on. Being a 100% Red Sox fan I had to decline the offer. It would be sacrilegious. I can't wait to get this 1918 tattoo removed from my ass.

The night did end on a sour note when news about Jam Master Jay was brought to the guys attention right after the band left the stage and before the encore. Production manager, Charlie Hernandez, told the guys the news. The next two songs must have been painful to play and after a moment of silence and Walk this Way the guys left the stage somewhat subdued. Here is a guy that I got to watch from 10 feet away every show and now he is gone. Steven being somewhat clairvoyant at the last Run DMC and Aerosmith show in Indy said "Your witnessing something special that you will never see again." Sadly, he was right.

Joe travels by bus and is constantly looking for the biggest ball of twine or some wacky attraction on his cross-country jaunts. Why should Houston to Phoenix be any different? Enter Roswell, New Mexico. We only had to drive about 6 hours out of the way but there it was in all it's glory. Not being a staunch believer in aliens, I passed the time amusing myself in the gift shop of the "International UFO Museum and Research Center" and picked up myself a nifty alien shot glass. Joe bought a few signs and stuff for his dressing room and also got Steven a few T-shirts.

1985 Aerosmith shoot the video for Let the Music Do the Talking in Boston MA at the Orpheum Theater

1987 Aerosmith plays in Lake Placid NY at the Olympic Center (Dokken opens)

1989 Janie's Got a Gun released as a single

1989 Aerosmith plays in Stuttgart West Germany at Boeblingen Sporthalle

1997 Aerosmith plays 8 songs in a converted church in Amsterdam Netherlands at Paradiso

1997 Get a Grip certified 7X Platinum

1998 Aerosmith plays in Mankato MN at the Civic Center (Seven Mary Three opens)

2002 Aerosmith plays in Marysville CA at Autowest Amphitheatre (Kid Rock opens)

For those interested, there are many websites that goes through the history of the theremin and how it works, one being http://theremin.info/

I (the webmaster of this site) actually wrote a lengthy essay on this instrument for school this past spring, but I won't bore you with all the details... let's just say that essentially it has one antenna for pitch, and another for volume, and the sound is produced when your hands (or other body part) comes in proximity of the electromagnetic field surrounding the antenna. It is a cool and fascinating instrument!

1971 Aerosmith plays in Reading MA at Reading HS

1977 Aerosmith plays in Evansville IN at Roberts Municipal Stadium (UFO opens)

1978 Aerosmith plays in Knoxville TN at Knoxville Coliseum (Golden Earring opens)

1993 Aerosmith plays in San Sebastian Spain at Velodromo De Anoeta (Mr. Big opens)

1997 Aerosmith play "Pink" and "Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees" in Rotterdam Netherlands at Ahoy Stadium for the MTV European Music Awards

2001 Aerosmith cancels their show in Providence RI at the Dunkin Donuts Center

Aerosmith's rock concert Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl felt like a celebration -- and it some ways it was.

This year marks the Boston band's 30th anniversary, and the energetic, 50-ish fivesome used the Bowl appearance to prove they can still rock with the best of them -- the Rolling Stones included.

Singer Steven Tyler was particularly effective. His vocals were on key, he never stopped moving and carousing, and he seemed to feed off the overflow crowd's energy and enthusiasm.

Early selections "Same Old Song and Dance' and "Dream On' found Aerosmith in fine form. With a few exceptions, the band played most of its early classics first before sliding into the newer -- and actually more popular -- material such as "Cryin' ' and "Pink.'

Guitarist Joe Perry was nearly as active as Tyler, roaming the stage's various ramps and walkways as the mostly female crowd constantly reached out and touched him.

Aerosmith (rounded out by co-guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer) showed a keen knack for pacing -- which is easy to do when another hit song is always right around the corner. By the time the group got around to "Walk This Way' as the grand finale -- complete with confetti streaming onto the crowd -- the 1-hour, 40-minute performance seemed to have breezed by in no time.

Kid Rock opened with a surprisingly musical set of party rap rock, highlighted by "Cowboy' and the new "Picture,' during which Sheryl Crow joined him on stage for a duet.

The Detroit phenomenon used plenty of pyro and loud blasts to punctuate his performance, but he didn't really need to; he's sold more than 10 million records, and at this point his material speaks for itself.

From: http://u.sbsun.com

VH1, Sunday, 10 Nov
18:00 Behind The Music Sheryl Crow
19:00 Behind The Music Bon Jovi
20:00 Behind The Music Aerosmith

Investigators planned to question a man on Monday in connection with the shooting death of Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay, according to a published report.

Senior police officials told The New York Times that the man had been feuding with Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, for as long as a decade.

Investigators said the man, whom they did not identify, had threatened one of Mizell's associates in a telephone call several weeks ago, the Times reported in Monday editions. They said the man announced that he was "coming up" from the South to resolve the conflict, but they did not know of any recent contact between the two men.

Mizell, 37, was shot by a masked gunman as he played video games Wednesday night in the lounge of his recording studio in Queens.

From: http://www.infobeat.com

Joey was there for over an hour, and was very nice to all the fans. Everybody left with drumsticks, and he took pics with everyone as well. There was a pretty large turn out--one of the Guitar Center employees mentioned that they hadn't expected quite so many people to show up!

This thick mag has 2 women on the cover, and on the bottom is say vh1/vogue awards special issue or something to that effect

My photograph website is very unusual because it offers complete sets of prints from whole rolls of 1970's 35mm film. Since most photo sites are owned by photographers, they only offer single prints at $20-500 each and NEVER offer whole sets. My sets are almost always priced $25-99.

I've searched all over the net and have only found one other site offering sets, and they only have two artists. (If you know of any others, please tell me.) I'm willing to Offer buyers mentioning your site 20% off listed price. Most will only be interested in browsing but those in the market to buy will get a fabulous bargin.

Thank you very much,
Brannon
www.photosets.net

Back in the saddle

As Aerosmith tours in support of a career retrospective album, singer Steven Tyler discusses songwriting, fans and the Stones.

By STEVE FRYER
The Orange County Register

Aerosmith's latest tour comes to Southern California at the same time the Rolling Stones are here.

It also happened in a couple of other U.S. cities. According to some reports, Aerosmith planned it this way so members could catch Stones shows as often as possible.

Steven Tyler dismissed that suggestion with a one- word synonym for "steer manure." He did catch the Stones in Chicago and came away with opinions of how Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the band performed.

"Keith was incredible," Tyler said. "Mick is just a shadow of who he used to be."

As the singer for a veteran band like Aerosmith, he knows how important it is to deliver a show that does not disappoint longtime fans.

"The people want you to stay with the melody," said Tyler, speaking by phone from Texas. "They don't want to hear you change it just because you're tired of it."

Tyler is not tired. Aerosmith's show at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night is part of a tour that promotes "O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits." There have been previous Aerosmith hits collections but none as comprehensive as this 33- song, two-disc set.

With so many songs that can be classified as hits, it becomes more difficult with each tour to produce a representative set list. There are songs he wants to include - Tyler mentioned "Deuces Are Wild" and "Nobody's Fault" as personal favorites he would love to squeeze in - but just can't.

"It's difficult to know what the audience is going to want," he said, "because sometimes we don't know what kind of audience it is until we see it. Sometimes, the audience is all teenagers. Last night (New Orleans) was a mixture of ages. In Philadelphia, it looked like nothing but 9-year-olds out there.

"But with this album we're supporting, a greatest-hits album, it's easier because we're doing nothing but old songs."

As for the quality of performance on this and more recent tours, Tyler said there is no comparison with what people saw and heard in the band's stadium-filling days of the late 1970s.

"We were ripped to the nines back when we played those shows that are on 'Live Bootleg' (released in 1978)," he said. "We were heavily under the influence. We weren't bad, but we were getting off on the drugs instead of getting off on each other."

The whole band is better, he said. Which member in Tyler's opinion has improved the most over Aerosmith's 30- plus-year career?

"My vote is for Joe Perry," he said, referring to the guitar player and frequent Tyler songwriting partner. "He's come out of the closet. He used to hide behind that hair, with those long bangs. Joe is something you don't see in every band. You just don't see that kind of insane musicianship all the time. He is the real deal."

Almost all the band's songs on its first few records were credited to Tyler-Perry. In more recent years, many songwriters have chipped in, leading to the insinuation that Aerosmith uses what Tyler called "song doctors" to create hits.

"It's just as hard to write a good song whether it's with Joe or (outside songwriters) Marti Fredricksen or Richie Supa," he said. "It's birthing. You push it through the birth canal, maybe you birth it in water ... it's all the same."

The results have been all the same - a string of hits. Hooking up its songs with movies, something no veteran rock outfit has done as successfully as Aerosmith, has boosted the band's popularity. Hit movies such as "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Armageddon" and "Spider-Man" have prominently used Aerosmith songs.

And few, if any, veteran rockers have shared Aerosmith's success at getting its new songs played on radio today. And Tyler knows it and feels fortunate.

"The young DJs today," he said, "are like the chefs at the trendy restaurants. They want to say 'I'm the first one who served them the honey- backed ribs on the blue-plate special.' It's really all about what they think they can discover, not the music or what they believe in."

Tyler believes that pushing those songs, and the albums, on the road is still the way to go.

With so many shows and so many tours, the concerts kind of blend in his memory. But he does recall a couple of highlights from the many times Aerosmith has played in Southern California.

"The California Jam," he said, recalling the second of the megaconcerts at the now- gone Ontario Motor Speedway, in 1978. "We flew over the place in a helicopter, and there was just this sea of people, 600,000 people there.

"And then I remember we played at the Starwood in L.A. as Dr. J. Jones And The Interns, back in '77. A very small place. Even Rod Stewart couldn't get in!"

Stewart was one of the names Tyler rattled off when asked for his list of the top five rock 'n' roll singers of all time. "Early Rod Stewart," he corrected. "Janis Joplin ... early Robert Plant. The Everly Brothers, and Paul McCartney."

He laughed and said he could relate when told that another lead singer, the Who's Roger Daltrey, flubbed the entire second verse of "Won't Get Fooled Again."

"Most people think, when that happens, that you just forgot the words," Tyler said. "Hey, there's 20,000 people there and a lot is going on. There is somebody in the front row taking their shirt off, or some guy is giving you the finger or somebody is holding up an album cover. It's easy to get derailed up there, and then you've got yourself a train wreck. That's why I've got the dumbest lyrics in the world rolling on the screen."

Tyler has kept his memory, voice and body in terrific shape, despite years of chemical abuse through much of the '70s and part of the '80s and reconstructive knee surgeries to fix a torn anterior cruciate ligament - the injury that shelves top athletes for months - a couple of years ago.

How does he do it?

"You've got to adhere to your dietary needs - lots of chips and salsa," he said. "And gargling with razor blades."

Perhaps another band's lead singer should try it.

From: http://www2.ocregister.com

--------------------------------

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT:
Regarding, There are songs he wants to include - Tyler mentioned "Deuces Are Wild" and "Nobody's Fault" as personal favorites he would love to squeeze in - but just can't. "It's difficult to know what the audience is going to want,"

That sounds like bullshit to my ears. "Nobody's Fault" is a song the die-hards have been screaming for throughout the years. I think there's very few "true" fans that wouldn't love to see Aerosmith play that song, and yet they don't. Steven says himself that he'd love to do it, then why won't they? Come on guys, make "Nobody's Fault" a song you play every night! Replace IDWTMAT or something!

The article is very long and includes some interesting facts. Unfortunately there's some major mistakes included too.. "the band continued to soldier on with raw recruits, Danny Johnson.."? or what about "...and "You should have been here yesterday" with William Proud and the Strangers..."? Oh well, it's still a very nice read...

--------------------

this was hand typed by me took me 2 days. so if there are any spelling mistakes..sorry. also, if you rip it off here and post it somewhere else..at least link it back to my board... this was done with help from MMM121 WHO mailed the mag to me...my thanks goes out to her..oh yeah she also hand typed a part of this, that got covered by a picture of steven

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Aerosmith Interview from Classic Rock Magazine November 2002 edition

Lubricated with alcohol free beer and animated beyond reason, the implausibly gregarious Steven Tyler is holding court. Countless bangles rattle as his hands accentuate further his rapid fire tales of the Bostonian bands' full title bozo daze of Herculean narcotic ingestion and serial alcoholic oblivion. And it swiftly becomes clear that we are sharing the company of a singularly domineering and utterly unstoppable force. No sooner has another morsel of industrial sized shrimp disappeared into the recesses of his capacious cake hole than he resumes once more with his inexorable, loose-lipped discourse. It's all fascinating stuff granted but what of his partner in infamy? Poker faced Joe Perry squints enigmatically into the blazing sun, occasionally allowing himself the rare indulgence of a wry smile, as Tyler's uniquely colorful vernacular sinks yet furthering licentious profanity. Perry will offer sporadic measured insights into what it is that actually makes Aerosmith tick but as is the live arena, it's Tyler who jealously guards the interview's center stage. Butt while Tyler is unequivocally a practiced raconteur par excellence, one cannot help but feel that it's his relatively silent partner in crime who truly holds the crucial key to the enduring and fascinating conundrum that is Aerosmith.

Perry the unyielding rock to Tyler's flamboyant roll, has been honed by the passing years into the ultimate embodiment of guitar slinging swagger. Hit stately demeanor and Southern European lineage have coalesced and he positively redefines impenetrable subterranean cool. Fifty two summers since his birth in Boston Massachusetts, and 32 since he initially hooked up with the former Steven tallarico to form Aerosmith, the guitarist is marking the release of the bands' extensive `O Yeah' by giving Classic Rock and eye opening insight into the inner workings of America's greatest band; a fascinating saga of paradise lost and paradise regained, stretching from the bands humblest beginnings to their world beating renaissance of the present day. It's all here, from their highest highs to their lowest lows, so read on as Joe Perry adds some extra tasty flesh to the rawest bone of Aerosmith's greatest hits.

New York born vocalist Tyler was holidaying at his family's privately owned trow-rico resort in sunappe, New Hampshire, during the summer of 1970 when he initially bumped into Perry, then working in a local ice cream parlor. Tyler had already released a brace of singles "when I needed you" with Chain Reaction and "You should have been here yesterday" with William Proud and the Strangers, and Perry was playing guitar in The Jam Band with bassist Tom Hamilton. The three soon hooked up and after recruiting drummer Joey Kramer and guitarist ray tabano the band toyed with the idea of calling themselves The Hooker, before settling on Aerosmith. In the past Perry has said that when he first got together with Tyler he assumed the singer was already a rock star purely by the way he looked and acted. "Well not only is he extremely talented, Perry begins but he already had a song on the jukebox at the hamburger joint we used to hang around, so he was two years further down the road than we were. Tom and I were still in high school when we first met him, still wondering if we were going to go to college but Steven had already made the commitment to being a musician and had reached a certain level of professionalism. Also when you're 17 and 18, 19 and 20 is a big jump.

Given Tyler's experience he was able to guide the fledgling band and luckily something that could have potentially caused a rift proved to be a positive intervention. Well we kind of welcomed it because we were in a very raw rough state laughs Perry, today. Steven's father was a musician so he had some classical music training in addition to his natural talent; He came from a very musical family and would put on little skits at his fathers summer cottages to entertain quests. He was used to doing that stuff from the time he was a kid, so it all came very natural to him, but I came from a family that barely had a stereo in our house. When he came into the band his ear was a little more finely tuned. What he saw in us was the kind of rough raw rock n roll thin that he was missing-or at least had been missing-from the bands that he'd been in before.

Aerosmith played their first gig at Boston's Nipmuc Regional High School in late 1970. Following a set made up exclusively of hand picked cover tunes from such formative band favorites as The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones, a fight broke out between Tyler & Perry over the volume of the guitarist's amp. Right from the very beginning there seems to have been a certain degree of competitive antagonism between the pair of them. It seemed that this internal friction would be integral to the band's essential chemistry. When you are first starting out, Perry says you are trying to make a name for yourself as well as your band, so there's a two-way thing goin on . Over the years you realize that your true strengths come from everybody working together, but you're still always trying to top what the other guy does and that's what makes the sum of the whole greater than its constituent parts. If you can keep that competition healthy, you can use it for inspiration. Like if Steven comes up with a great lyric or a great piece of music, I'm going to want to top it and vice versa. It works to your advantage as long as it doesn't break the band up. Famous last words, it seems. After a relentless round of toughening, tightening and touring Aerosmith their classic line up now in place following the departure of Ray Tabano and the arrival of Brad Whitford, were finally signed to Columbia records for a reported $125,000.00 by label boss Clive Davis after he caught the band live at New York's Max's Kansas City club in August of 1972. Can Perry remember anything of the celebrations? God, I know we stayed up all night but we weren't looking down the road. We simply celebrated that night and that was it. I don't think anybody thought that everything was going to be fine from now on and that we were going to have a 30 year career just because Clive Davis said so, we still had to get up the next day and get to the next gig so we just took it day by day. Destined for inclusion on the bands eponymous debut, recorded the following year with producer Adrian Barber, Mama Kin was a song that Tyler had so much confidence in that he went along to Eddy's tattoo parlor in Providence Rhode Island and had the words MA KIN beneath a winged heart, etched onto his left bicep. I loved that song, so much the vocalist admitted later, before adding somewhat generously I stole the lick from an old Blodwyn Pig Song. Did Perry share his confidence in Mama Kin? Not in any particular song. I felt the band was incredible to play in and play with but I didn't hang it up on any one song. The night those Guys went out to go get tattooed Steven felt that was an appropriate thing to put on his arm. And as it turned out, it seems to have stood him very well.

Aerosmith's breakthrough single Dream On is a song that had it genesis four years prior to the bands formation. Tyler had written its original melody back in Tow Rico and after adding lyrics that exemplified the hunger desire and ambition to be somebody that Aerosmith felt in those days, he finally presented it to the band midway through the sessions for their first album. There was only one problem Joe Perry didn't like it. Back in those days you made your mark playing live Perry explains. To me a rock n roll is all about energy and putting on a show. Those were the things that attracted me to rock n roll. But Dream On was a ballad. I didn't really appreciate the musicality of it until later, but I did know it was a great song so we put it in our set. We also knew that if you played straight rock n roll you didn't get played on the radio and if you wanted a top 40 hit the ballad were the way to go. I don't know if we really played it much live in those days, if you only had half an hour to make your mark you didn't play slow songs, it wasn't until after it became a single that we really started playing it. Dream On originally reached 59 on the Billboard charts in December 1973, on it's re-release in April 1976 not only did it rise to far more credible #6 it also furnished the band with their very first million seller. Yet Dream On was to cause yet more friction between the Toxic Twins. In the live arena Tyler was often driven toward abject apoplexy when faced with the sight of Perry laughing heartily with his wife Elyssa during the songs intro. Aerosmith outwardly sure footed ascendancy toward global fame continued apace during the 70's. But behind the increasingly gargantuan sales figures enjoyed by the `Get Your Wings' `Toys in the Attic' and `Rocks' the band seemingly inexhaustible enthusiasm for high octane boozing and the cavalier ingestion of life threatening narcotics was gradually spiraling out of control. I'm an addictive personality Tyler confessed, I'm high strung and impatient and I've got to have everything yesterday. By the summer of 1977 Aerosmith had become peerlessly indulgent: we were drug addicts dabbling in music, rather than musicians dabbling with drugs, Perry latterly admitted. Entire cases of vintage wine were regularly polished off a chainsaw was used in the routing decimation of hotel suites, extension cords were demanded to ensure that TV sets exploded when hurled from balconies into swimming pools. And as car crash followed house fire, the bands capital rapidly dwindled, along with not only their ability to perform but most tellingly also their camaraderie. A lot of times we really sucked Perry remembers, but we'd stopped giving a shit.

Toys in the Attic pretty much exemplifies the craziness that surrounded the bands most overindulgent days and you have to wonder whether there was ever a time Perry fell dangerously close to completely losing his mind. I don't know if I ever felt that it got out of control maybe I was delusional. Maybe if you were standing on the outside there were times that it looked like we were losing it but I never felt like we were out of control. That's one of the hazards of that kind lifestyle. Much later on, when I decided to get clean, I'd realized that way wasn't working anymore-not artistically, musically, functionally or emotionally. I knew there wasn't any other alternative than to get clean. At least it was worth a try, because I figured if that doesn't work you can still go back out and drink and do drugs. But that was much later on. During those days in the 70's I never really felt like were off the tracks. The so called Toxic Twins relationship was already locked into a chemically hastened free fall by the time the band recorded 1978's "Draw the Line" album, but it wasn't until the following December, halfway through the sessions for Night in the Ruts, that the situation finally came to a head!
Following a bizarre backstage incident in Cleveland Ohio during the course of which Elyssa Perry threw a glass of milk over Tom Hamiltons' wife Terry-Perry walked out on the band citing musical and personality conflicts with Tyler.
There was a feeling in the air when I split, I was getting so much tension from being around the band that it wasn't fun any more," Perry shrugs. "I turned a lot of the energy and angst into fire and dynamics, and it worked for a while but in the end it just felt like more trouble then it was worth.
"Anything seemed better than having to get back together in a room and try to keep the band together. Also, there were other things in my life- that didn't have anything to do with the other four guys- that weren't right. So I just felt it was time to move on and try something else.
"I didn't think much past taking a band out on the road and playing without all the agate, headaches and freak-outs. And in the end it solved a multitude of problems. I got the chance to sort out my personal life, and it gave everybody the change to re-evaluate himself and find out what it was that we were in the business for in the first place. It was a painful way of doing it. If we'd been saner we'd probably have just taken a vacation, and saved everybody the trouble of breaking the band up. But that's the way we did it, and it worked."
Just three months later, Brad Whitford similarly announced his departure from Aerosmith, yet the band continued to soldier on with raw recruits, Danny Johnson and Jimmy Crespo. If 'Night in the Ruts' had been a disappointment, then its successor, 'Rock in a Hard Place', represented nothing more than a lackluster career trough. Without the electricity formally crackled between Tyler and Perry, Aerosmith - now little more then an archaic anachronism alongside the international post-punk zeitgeist - were sounding increasingly like a spent force.
By 1983, Steven Tyler, Having snorted his entire fortune, was living in abject poverty and squalor in New York City's Gorham Hotel. The Joe Perry Project, following a brace of poorly received albums, had split and gone there separate ways. And the Whitford-St. Holmes Band, Brad's short-lived collaboration with ex-Ted Nugent sideman Derek St. Holmes, had almost ground to a halt.
Consequently, and more out of necessity than anything else, the classic Aerosmith line-up reconvened at the Boston Orpheum in February 1984, buried their differences and decided to re-form.
When Perry rejoined for the 'Back in the Saddle' tour, how confident could he have been that he could pull it off? After all, even though he's stopped drinking, Tyler was still in a permanent state of near collapse.
"Well, everybody comes to terms with that demon in their own time," Perry recalls. "But everybody's hearts and sprits were in the right place when we put the band back together. We Ultimately realized that the band was where the strength lay and it was too great a gift to ignore".
But how was moral? Was their mood entirely celebratory, or was there an undercurrent of chemical-filled resentment still bubbling beneath the surface? "Oh, I'm sure there was stuff, but we were willing to put it aside. The 'Back in the Saddle' tour gave us the platform to put everything back together- there was a fan base who were excited to see us play together again - but we still had to come to terms with our own personal demons. The other things we had to deal with were' How are we going to make this work in the 80's?

The solutions came from an unlikely quarter. RUN DMC an influential rap crew from Queens had Ben unraveling their rhymes over the funky beats of Aerosmith's Walk This Way for some years. Its' evocative talk of teenage defloration allied to an infectious Perry riff, featured an irresistible hook line that was well suited to being given a contemporary hip hop make over. An Aerosmith live favorite, Walk This Way originally appeared on the 1975's Toys In The Attic and had previously reached the US top 10 in January 77. It was fm radios staple no more no less. But Def Jam label supremo Rick Rubin immedialty recognized it enormous crossover potential. After frenzied negotiations, Tyler & Perry agreed to appear on Run DMC's pivotal cover version and also in what become its outstanding accompanying video. Walk this Way not only returned the Toxic Twins to the upper echelons of the US singles chart it also gave them their inaugural UK hit. It provided Aersomith with the shot in the arm they needed. It also spearheaded the rap/rock crossover although they didn't realize the significance of the recording at the time we really didn't says Perry. To me rap sounded like and offshoot of the blues so it seemed like a very natural thing for us to come in and play on it, especially when we saw how they were using bits and pieces of rock records to rap over. It seemed like a very natural way for the music to go so when Rick Rubin said come over and sit in we thought this seems like another adventure, let's see how it turns out. It was pretty thrown together, but as it turned out it did seem to set the course for the kind of music that's popular today. I wish we could take credit for looking at it like that, but we really didn't.

The utterly crucial kick start that Walk This Way offered Aersomith's temporarily stalled career even saw it adopted as the title for the bands confessional memoirs. Was working on it cathartic experience, or did it simply open old wounds by raising issues that had been swept under the carpet? It was cathartic in some way says Perry. It exorcised some final bits and pieces if internal strife that needed to be deal with. But here were other things that I think we would have been better off not talking about. It was kind tough, but we felt that we had to treat everything with the same microscope. But if we were to write that book now it would be a different boot. I think our outlook on our pasts has changed and today we'd be more forthcoming about something's and less with others. With Aerosmith returned to the status of serious contenders there was a single seemingly insurmountable stumbling block that continued to stand in the way of a full fledged renaissance, their shared chemical dependency. With their latest album Done With Mirrors flopping badly and it's attendant tour collapsing into chaos band manager Tim Collins (also strung out but harboring just enough foresight to recognize that the end was nigh) made contact with addiction specialist Dr. Lou Cox through alcholholics anonymous and offered the band a simple ultimatum, clean up or die.

Getting clean was clearly essential for the band to survive. If Collins hadn't issued an ultimatum and enlisted the help of Lou Cox it's questionable whether the band would ever get sober. I did make an effort to stop drinking during the Back in the Saddle tour says Perry today. There was a feeling that something had to give, but I didn't know if it would have ever become a whole group thing. What scarred the shit out of us was that although we had the band back together, we weren't able to write a song to save our lives. So we were already prime for a change. It was just such a simple idea, but it wasn't within our grasp to think of it like that, because we were always such a party band with a tear down the walls attitude so for all of us to all do it at once I don't know it if could have happened. If you look at the big picture, whatever good or bad Collins did (the band sacked him in 96 after he falsely accused Tyler of falling off the wagon) he was amazing for having that vision because he was in the same boat that we were. Has sobriety now become completely second nature for the band today, or is staying clean an ongoing battle that they'll have to face for the rest of their lives? I think everybody has to deal with it in different ways but I can never go back to that way of life, I just can't Perry confesses. You have this thing called euphoric recall, where you remember how much fun you had when you used to do it but you really can't remember the hangovers so well, so I have to spend a little time once in a while thinking about those things, remember the depths that you can get to. Naturally you don't want to live in all that pain; you just want to remember what fun it was. So from that point of view it's always with you. But it's not like I wake up in the morning and think god I wish I could have a drink, I just don't. I did get used to having a beer in the morning and finishing the day off with a shot of jack Daniel's or 2 or 3 or 4 or 10 and it did become my way of life but when you don't live that way for a long long time you simply don't think that way. I'm very comfortable with drinking non-alcoholic beer. I still wake up at twelve and go to bed at 3 in the morning; it's just that I now manage to live a lot more in between.

Aerosmith's trademark stylistic collision of New York Dolls androgyny piratical Rolling Stones swagger and scarf draped bordello sleaziness developed organically on the mean streets of New York City in 1972. Across Newbury Street, Tyler recalls, was an antique boutique called Caprice, where we bought all our clothes, jewelry, earrings, whatever we needed in the way of looking cool. It it was on the racks at Caprice, Aerosmith wore it-black lace, feathers, whatever.

Mix matching their existing hand me down hippie chick with garishly Glam Carnaby street imports over the top thrift store transvestitism and what Tyler liked to call our air of snotty defiant arrogance, Aerosmith casually came up with what has since been widely adopted at the ultimate rock star look. But the band never employed a stylist. It was always an amalgam of whatever we could get and pick up along the way, whatever was trendy in those days. I mean, people would come back from England with bits and pieces of clothing and we'd go that would be great. Sometimes we'd sew our own stuff or have our girlfriends do it. That was about the closest we ever got to a stylist. But Aerosmiths flamboyant sartorial affectations sometimes had their practical side. Tyler's scarf draped microphone stand for instance, some of them had pockets sewn in the singer confessed and I'd weight them with Quaaludes an Tuinals. That way I wouldn't run out.

Having finally slain the debilitating dragons that they'd been chasing for well over a decade Aerosmith set to work on a series of albums (permanent vacation, pump, get a grip and nine lives) that further substantiated their claim to the title of the greatest rock n roll band in the world. There seemed to be nowhere else to go, no further ambition that remained unfulfilled when their tear jerking rendition of ubiquitous songwriter Diane Warrens' I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing supplied the band with their first chart topping single and the most successful recording of their entire career. It seemed tailored perfectly for the bands sound. Well I don't know if Diane's 1st thought was Steven but she did write it for the movie explains Perry and aside from the fact that live was In it the producers had already decided to use other pieces of Aerosmith music on the soundtrack. And I mean Steven sand the shit out of that song. I don't know if Dianne originally pictured him singing it but I don't think it was offered to anybody else. But isn't it a little galling that your biggest hit to date is a cover? Well yeah but at the time, we just didn't have the time. We were out on the road so they brought us in to see the movie and said here's the song this is where it fits into the move, you can do it if you want. So we were in the studio within the next 3 days cutting it and yeah we do wish that we'd had a little more time, so that we could have had a shot at writing it but it was perfect timing. The song was great people loved it and I don't think people cared who wrote it.

Surely there's an underlying irony in the song's title. Didn't memory loss rob Perry of some of his proudest Aerosmith moments? Not really, I remember most of the bigger gigs. We weren't that out of it. There are certainly other periods of my life that have kind of blacked out, but I remember the first time we played Boston Garden I remember the first time we played Madison Square, opening for Sabbath in 77. I remember it just as wells as when we played Wembley last time we were in England. You'd think that given the history of the band, it would all be just one big blackout but though there are periods when it's just kind of a wash, it seems like a lot of the important stuff is still pretty much in the foreground. Considering Aerosmith checkered history it's almost incredible that the entire band survived into the third millennium. Is survival itself one of Aerosmith's greatest achievements? After all drugs killed the New York Dolls, a band whose attitude closely mirrored theirs, why didn't drugs similarly kill Aerosmith? Was it seemingly superhuman endurance or simply down to lashings of dumb luck?

Joe Perry is philosophical: really a little of both. Speaking for myself I've always felt like I've had an inner survival mechanism, I've always made that decision not to have that last drink or do that last bit. Even when I was young and before I started pushing the edge with chemicals I felt that I had this drive and this survival instance so that's built in, but then there's the X factor of like how come I didn't roll my Porsche? I'm not a great driver. That park is dumb luck, I think. It's just fortunate that I didn't push it that one extra step.

Aerosmith's lust for life seems utterly unquenchable. It's exceptionally rare for a band to sound quite so vibrant while plunging into the fourth decade of their career, but as last years Just Push Play collection perfectly illustrates Aerosmith's enduing potency seems utterly immune to the dictates of time & tide. They've achieved almost every goal possible or a band so is there any ambition that remains unfulfilled? Ultimately just what is it that drives them onward when they could simple rest on both their laurels and bank accounts for the remainder of their natural lives? Out longevity is part of our achievement, Perry concedes. We were downstairs in the basement yesterday rehearsing and it's such a fulfillment of the dream. We were downstairs like kids, 16 yr. olds, making noise, electric guitars bullshitting, having fun and making rock n roll!!!! We're constantly going I can't believe we're still doing this. This is like amazing. And it sounds so trite to say it like that but after all is said and done and all the How did you do this? And what did you do there? It's still really about five guys just getting in a room, playing music and having fun.

It's funny to watch my son who's 15 and has a band and over the past few months they've actually started to sound like a band. But for the fact that we have a few more mile under our belts and we can tune a little better, that's all we're doing. Going down there and trying to impress each other and imagining there are girls in the room.

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MAKING ROCK N ROLL THAT'S ALL IT IS.BUT THAT'S EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!

again, thanks goes to classic rock & MMM121 for mailing me the mag...my arms are tired

Among those mourning the death Wednesday (October 30) of Run-D.M.C.'s DJ Jam Master Jay are the members of Aerosmith. The groups have been friendly since Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry joined the rap trio in 1986 for a hit remake of "Walk This Way," and Run-D.M.C. spent the summer and early fall on the road with Aerosmith, closing each night's show with a joint performance of "Walk This Way."

Aerosmith released the following statement: "We were greatly shocked and saddened by the news of the untimely death of Jam Master Jay. When we were down and out and in the depths, Jay and Run-D.M.C. came along and said, 'Come play on our record.' Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay's gift to the world was a new kind of music for a whole new generation, and their gift to us was a piece of ourselves back. Jay was scratching before anyone had the itch and still at the top of his game when we played with him this summer. We will hear him every night when we play 'Walk This Way.'"

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton tells LAUNCH that the collaboration remains one of the most significant moments in his band's 30-plus year career. "I'm still amazed that this many years later people ask about it. I'm amazed, yet it makes perfect sense. To me, it never felt like...It felt completely natural for a couple of white guitar player-singers to go and do a record with a rap band. It just seemed like a logical progression to me, so I didn't think of it as this startling breakthrough, but that's the way a lot of people really look at it. I think the rest of the band really had no idea that it was gonna be that big."

Aerosmith is expected to pay tribute to their slain friend when the Boston band performs Friday (November 1) at the Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix.

Promotion for Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers. The Official Lord Of The Rings Website published a new official theatre banner with Liv on it, banner_aragorn_800.jpg

WE WERE GREATLY SHOCKED AND SADDENED BY THE NEWS OF THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF JAM MASTER JAY. WHEN WE WERE DOWN AND OUT AND IN THE DEPTHS, JAY AND RUN DMC CAME ALONG AND SAID "COME PLAY ON OUR RECORD." RUN DMC AND JAM MASTER JAY'S GIFT TO THE WORLD WAS A NEW KIND OF MUSIC FOR A WHOLE NEW GENERATION, AND THEIR GIFT TO US WAS A PIECE OF OURSELVES BACK. JAY WAS SCRATCHING BEFORE ANYONE HAD THE ITCH AND STILL AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME WHEN WE PLAYED WITH HIM THIS SUMMER. WE WILL HEAR HIM EVERY NIGHT WHEN WE PLAY WALK THIS WAY.

MTV had a phone interview with Joe Perry yesterday evening. They discussed the loss of Jam Master Jay and how upset both he and the rest of the band are.

Austin was kind enough to attempt to transcribe Joe's comments from MTV for the AeroFantastic list....

Interviewer - Joe, how ya doing?

Joe Perry - I'm alright, thanks. How are you?

I - I'm doing ok. What are some of your personal feelings about the death of Jam Master Jay, and have you talked to the rest of the group?

JP - Um, actually I'm still pretty much in shock. We got the news last night right near the end of the show and we walked back out on stage and we told the audience. Then we had a moment of silence and then we played Walk This Way and I think we were all kind of stunned, as we are today. I mean we were just on the road with those guys 2 or 3 weeks ago and it was like yesterday I had my arms around him and said, "Hey, wow we gotta do this again sometime."

I'm still in shock.

I - What was Jay's energy like in the group when you performed on stage? Since the record became such a big mega smash, what were some of the good moments youve shared while performing?

JP - Over the years we've played with him in different places. We saw him at the House Of Blues in LA and we sat in with him and other times we did radio shows. The other two guys are lead singers, ya know what I mean, and they had that kind of whole lead singer attitude, and he was a musician and I could always relate to him on that level. It was always great to play with him; he's incredible.

I - Joe thank you for your time; send my regards to the rest of the group.

JP - Ok, thanks.