Beantown Boys are back in the saddle
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, CA
November 9, 2006
Sometimes, even famous rockers get star struck. Just ask Joe Perry.
Last month, Aerosmith's lead guitarist joined a Chuck Berry 80th birthday concert celebration in St. Louis, where he played on "Round and Round" and "Rock & Roll Music."
"It was phenomenal," recalled Perry, 56, in a phone interview. "His riffs were the first ones I ever learned - like every other guitar player from my generation. It was amazing to be up there and shake his hand."
Many groups that became popular during the past two decades (Guns N' Roses, the Cult, Black Crowes, Jet) could say the same thing about Aerosmith's swaggering hard rock.
Perry, singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer formed the Boston band in 1970.
After its self-titled debut album and follow up "Get Your Wings" made minor inroads, the quintet finally struck pay dirt with 1975's "Toys in the Attic."
Suddenly, Aerosmith was all over album rock radio with the hits "Sweet Emotion," "Dream On" and "Walk the Way."
In 1978, Aerosmith played for 300,000 fans at Ontario Motor Speedway during Cal Jam II, alongside Santana, Heart, Foreigner and Ted Nugent.
Then the bottom fell out. Drug and alcohol abuse led to inter-band tension. Perry and Whitford left in 1980, but returned for 1985's "Done with Mirrors."
Run-DMC covered "Walk This Way" with Tyler and Perry the next year, setting the stage for a comeback and a new generation of Aerosmith fans.
"I think we were lucky enough to get on the MTV bandwagon in the '80s," said Perry. "When we got back together, we were still young enough to slip in under the wire. That was a big part of being able to re-establish ourselves and, in fact, moved the whole thing to another level."
Late '80s albums "Permanent Vacation" and "Pump" went multiplatinum, spawned a slew of hits and Aerosmith was the biggest rock band in America.
"That swung us through the '90s," four Grammys and a pair of No. 1 studio discs. "Then we were playing at the Super Bowl" in 2001.
On the current Route of All Evil Tour with Motley Crue, Aerosmith is concentrating on '70s material and digging up nuggets like "Walkin' the Dog," "Lord of the Thighs" and "Seasons of Wither."
Perry said he's having a blast doing them live.
"When you get right down to it, the backbone of the set are those songs that we first came out with...it's fun to pick out different ones and figure out what the audience is going to respond to."
The title track from the latest retrospective, "Devil's Got a New Disguise," is a scorcher that's being performed nightly.
One of two new tracks, it was originally earmarked for the next Aerosmith studio CD before health issues keptr the musicians from "getting the ball rolling."
Hamilton underwent radiation treatments for throat cancer. Perry said he is doing better and is expected to rejoin Aerosmith before the tour's end.
David Hull, formerly of the Joe Perry Project, is the temporary replacement.
Earlier this year, Tyler underwent throat surgery to repair a broken blood vessel. Perry said he's back in fine form.
While Aerosmith had never toured with the Crue before, "we've known them forever. I saw them play one of their first headline gigs in Southern California in 1981."
Little known fact: Tyler has said "Dude, Looks Like a Lady" was partially inspired by the way Crue members talked.
No stranger to Glen Helen gigs, Perry noted the venue crowds differ from those in L.A. or New York. "It's a lot looser and more fun."
Aerosmith performed in Las Vegas over the weekend, where "Back in the Saddle" was filmed for an upcoming NASCAR/ESPN promotional campaign.
"It was a perfect fit," said Perry, because the band members own about a dozen American muscle cars between them.
"We've been into cars our whole lives. The first thing we did when we got our first checks (as a successful band) was buy cars. Brad has been into racing for a long time."
The only downside of the filming?
"They almost knocked me out with a camera crane. If they're going to film (us) anymore, I want a racing helmet signed."
Aerosmith with Motley Crue
Where: Coors Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
When: Thu, Nov 9, 2006, 07:30 PM
Details: www.ticketmaster.com
November 9, 2006
Sometimes, even famous rockers get star struck. Just ask Joe Perry.
Last month, Aerosmith's lead guitarist joined a Chuck Berry 80th birthday concert celebration in St. Louis, where he played on "Round and Round" and "Rock & Roll Music."
"It was phenomenal," recalled Perry, 56, in a phone interview. "His riffs were the first ones I ever learned - like every other guitar player from my generation. It was amazing to be up there and shake his hand."
Many groups that became popular during the past two decades (Guns N' Roses, the Cult, Black Crowes, Jet) could say the same thing about Aerosmith's swaggering hard rock.
Perry, singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer formed the Boston band in 1970.
After its self-titled debut album and follow up "Get Your Wings" made minor inroads, the quintet finally struck pay dirt with 1975's "Toys in the Attic."
Suddenly, Aerosmith was all over album rock radio with the hits "Sweet Emotion," "Dream On" and "Walk the Way."
In 1978, Aerosmith played for 300,000 fans at Ontario Motor Speedway during Cal Jam II, alongside Santana, Heart, Foreigner and Ted Nugent.
Then the bottom fell out. Drug and alcohol abuse led to inter-band tension. Perry and Whitford left in 1980, but returned for 1985's "Done with Mirrors."
Run-DMC covered "Walk This Way" with Tyler and Perry the next year, setting the stage for a comeback and a new generation of Aerosmith fans.
"I think we were lucky enough to get on the MTV bandwagon in the '80s," said Perry. "When we got back together, we were still young enough to slip in under the wire. That was a big part of being able to re-establish ourselves and, in fact, moved the whole thing to another level."
Late '80s albums "Permanent Vacation" and "Pump" went multiplatinum, spawned a slew of hits and Aerosmith was the biggest rock band in America.
"That swung us through the '90s," four Grammys and a pair of No. 1 studio discs. "Then we were playing at the Super Bowl" in 2001.
On the current Route of All Evil Tour with Motley Crue, Aerosmith is concentrating on '70s material and digging up nuggets like "Walkin' the Dog," "Lord of the Thighs" and "Seasons of Wither."
Perry said he's having a blast doing them live.
"When you get right down to it, the backbone of the set are those songs that we first came out with...it's fun to pick out different ones and figure out what the audience is going to respond to."
The title track from the latest retrospective, "Devil's Got a New Disguise," is a scorcher that's being performed nightly.
One of two new tracks, it was originally earmarked for the next Aerosmith studio CD before health issues keptr the musicians from "getting the ball rolling."
Hamilton underwent radiation treatments for throat cancer. Perry said he is doing better and is expected to rejoin Aerosmith before the tour's end.
David Hull, formerly of the Joe Perry Project, is the temporary replacement.
Earlier this year, Tyler underwent throat surgery to repair a broken blood vessel. Perry said he's back in fine form.
While Aerosmith had never toured with the Crue before, "we've known them forever. I saw them play one of their first headline gigs in Southern California in 1981."
Little known fact: Tyler has said "Dude, Looks Like a Lady" was partially inspired by the way Crue members talked.
No stranger to Glen Helen gigs, Perry noted the venue crowds differ from those in L.A. or New York. "It's a lot looser and more fun."
Aerosmith performed in Las Vegas over the weekend, where "Back in the Saddle" was filmed for an upcoming NASCAR/ESPN promotional campaign.
"It was a perfect fit," said Perry, because the band members own about a dozen American muscle cars between them.
"We've been into cars our whole lives. The first thing we did when we got our first checks (as a successful band) was buy cars. Brad has been into racing for a long time."
The only downside of the filming?
"They almost knocked me out with a camera crane. If they're going to film (us) anymore, I want a racing helmet signed."
Aerosmith with Motley Crue
Where: Coors Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
When: Thu, Nov 9, 2006, 07:30 PM
Details: www.ticketmaster.com
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