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Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Classic Rock Magazine - UK
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
Take one ganja-inspired bassline, let it cook slowly over several months, add some lyrics about rabbits, et voila – a solid gold rock classic. Easy.
It’s probably crucial to Aerosmith’s popularity that they had to work for their success, carefully stitching together the threads of their previous experiences to become what guitarist Joe Perry likes to think of as “the ultimate party band”.
Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton brought to Aerosmith the freewheeling blues Improvisation that had been so much a part of their old Jam Band, while vocalist Steven Tyler had an instinctive understanding of tight R&B dynamics.
It would be an explosive combination, but things didn’t happen overnight; or even when Columbia Records supremo Clive Davis signed the band to a £125,000 deal after seeing them play the legendary New York venue Max’s Kansas City.
Debut Aerosmith, released in 1973, didn’t chart nationally (although the first single, 'Dream On,' nudged the top 60).
It was when the group took time out from a string of support tours to record their follow-up album, Get Your Wings, in New York’s Record Plant studios, that Hamilton came up with an idea that would eventually turn into 'Sweet Emotion,' one of Aerosmith’s most revered songs.
“I undoubtedly had a smoke and started playing my guitar, and that opening bass riff just popped out,” he recalls. “It didn’t strike me as anything special – the melody is so simple and basic – but it stuck in my head and I kept going with it. I remember showing it to Steven. We were in the middle of developing material for Get Your Wings, and I blurted out: ‘Listen to this’”.
Tyler saw the potential of the riff, albeit differently to Hamilton: “When Steven was hearing something that he thought should be on the down beat, I was hearing it on the up beat. We tried rehearsing it his way, and to me it sounded fucked up, ‘cos I was so used to playing it the other way. Then it started growing on me.”
Released in 1974, Get Your Wings stalled at No.74 in the US chart, but by then Aerosmith were already at work on songs for their third album, which became the superstar-making Toys In The Attic.
By now Hamilton had added to his 'Sweet Emotion' bass riff: “There’s a part after each verse, where the band kinda jams out for so many bars. That I came up with because when we all lived together, back before we ever had a record contract, there were certain records we listened to in our apartment. One was Jeff Beck’s Rough And Ready album. I really loved the funky energy of the bass playing on that record, and I guess I was trying to do my version of it.
“Then I wrote the guitar part. Again, for months and months, I was the only one who ever heard the song. I kept that in my back pocket. Maybe I’m just a self-doubting kind of person”.
Returning to the Record Plant, they “did all the material that had already been put together for Toys In The Attic. It was one of the peak experiences of my time in the band. We felt that we were growing into the studio; we were really progressing.
We had all the basic tracks down for the other songs, and Jack Douglas, the producer, said: ‘You’ve got an extra day booked. Anybody got any spare riffs?’ I said: ‘Yeah, I do.’
“Steven remembered it. As for the others, it was, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool’, or whatever. We just tried it out. The best songs start out as little tidbits. We didn’t know the magnitude of it until later. Not until later do you think: ‘Oh my God, that came out fucking unbelievable.’
“Joe and Brad [Whitford, guitarist] learned the parts I’d written, and expanded on them. That whole intro, and the way Joe plays on it, is something I’ve always loved. I’m a huge Led Zeppelin and Who freak, so I’m a sucker for a rock song that starts out with a quiet, dreamy, shadowy beginning and then bursts into some huge thing.
“At the end of the song it gets really heavy. That’s Steven’s idea – the intro riff turned into a monster, basically”.
“When we got our tape and I heard 'Sweet Emotion,' I freaked out. I loved it, although I didn’t understand half the lyrics”.
Not only did Toys In The Attic fly up to No.11 in the US after its spring 1975 release, 'Sweet Emotion' also crashed the Top 40, issued as a single with another Hamilton/Tyler co-write, 'Uncle Salty.'
“That was an unbelievable feeling,” Hamilton says of …Emotion’s single success. “I was finally on the scoreboard.”
From here on in, Aerosmith became a headline band, filling ever bigger venues, although it would take the UK another 12 years to catch on properly.
As for 'Sweet Emotion:' “We’re still playing it,” Hamilton says, “and I’m grateful every night for the audience reaction to it. There’s the troika – 'Dream On,' 'Sweet Emotion,' and 'Walk This Way' – and we move them around. The last two or three years of touring we’ve mostly closed with 'Sweet Emotion.'
“I love that a song that’s very simple could express that much”.
Release Date: May 1975
Orig. Chart Pos.: US No.36
Personnel: Steven Tyler - Vocals, Joe Perry - Guitar, Brad Whitford - Guitar, Tom Hamilton - Bass, Joey Kramer - Drums.
Written by: Hamilton/Tyler
Producer: Jack Douglas
Label: Columbia
Fact: The instrumentalisation included bass marimba, by Douglas and Jay Messina; Perry using an air bag to say the words "Sweet Emotion"; backwards clapping and chanting - a technique John Lennon had taught Douglas, who later said, "Being an engineer, I got to steal from the best guys".
Say What?
What’s Tyler Rabbiting About?
'Sweet Emotion' is one of the most debated Aerosmith songs by fans. Some insist that if you play it backwards you can hear the words, “f*ck you, Frank” (Frank Connelly being the band’s one-time manager). Others dwell on the line: ‘You can’t catch me cos the rabbit gone died’, with one online correspondent proposing: ‘A long time ago, doctors used to give a rabbit a shot made from a sample of a woman to test for pregnancy… if the rabbit died, she was pregnant’.
Many fans have criticised Steven Tyler’s preposterous explanation of the song, given in Be Cool, this year’s movie sequel to Get Shorty. Playing himself, Tyler agrees with Chili Palmer (John Travolta) that 'Sweet Emotion' is about his daughters, Liv and Mia. But neither of them had been born when the lyrics were written.
It’s generally accepted that Tyler’s words refer to a certain antipathy within the group at that time towards Joe Perry’s first wife Elyssa. Perry has merely complained that the track was hacked to pieces to qualify for radio play.
Aerosmith’s new live album, Rockin The Joint is out now on Columbia Records.
Thanks to: Queenofdelusion
Take one ganja-inspired bassline, let it cook slowly over several months, add some lyrics about rabbits, et voila – a solid gold rock classic. Easy.
It’s probably crucial to Aerosmith’s popularity that they had to work for their success, carefully stitching together the threads of their previous experiences to become what guitarist Joe Perry likes to think of as “the ultimate party band”.
Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton brought to Aerosmith the freewheeling blues Improvisation that had been so much a part of their old Jam Band, while vocalist Steven Tyler had an instinctive understanding of tight R&B dynamics.
It would be an explosive combination, but things didn’t happen overnight; or even when Columbia Records supremo Clive Davis signed the band to a £125,000 deal after seeing them play the legendary New York venue Max’s Kansas City.
Debut Aerosmith, released in 1973, didn’t chart nationally (although the first single, 'Dream On,' nudged the top 60).
It was when the group took time out from a string of support tours to record their follow-up album, Get Your Wings, in New York’s Record Plant studios, that Hamilton came up with an idea that would eventually turn into 'Sweet Emotion,' one of Aerosmith’s most revered songs.
“I undoubtedly had a smoke and started playing my guitar, and that opening bass riff just popped out,” he recalls. “It didn’t strike me as anything special – the melody is so simple and basic – but it stuck in my head and I kept going with it. I remember showing it to Steven. We were in the middle of developing material for Get Your Wings, and I blurted out: ‘Listen to this’”.
Tyler saw the potential of the riff, albeit differently to Hamilton: “When Steven was hearing something that he thought should be on the down beat, I was hearing it on the up beat. We tried rehearsing it his way, and to me it sounded fucked up, ‘cos I was so used to playing it the other way. Then it started growing on me.”
Released in 1974, Get Your Wings stalled at No.74 in the US chart, but by then Aerosmith were already at work on songs for their third album, which became the superstar-making Toys In The Attic.
By now Hamilton had added to his 'Sweet Emotion' bass riff: “There’s a part after each verse, where the band kinda jams out for so many bars. That I came up with because when we all lived together, back before we ever had a record contract, there were certain records we listened to in our apartment. One was Jeff Beck’s Rough And Ready album. I really loved the funky energy of the bass playing on that record, and I guess I was trying to do my version of it.
“Then I wrote the guitar part. Again, for months and months, I was the only one who ever heard the song. I kept that in my back pocket. Maybe I’m just a self-doubting kind of person”.
Returning to the Record Plant, they “did all the material that had already been put together for Toys In The Attic. It was one of the peak experiences of my time in the band. We felt that we were growing into the studio; we were really progressing.
We had all the basic tracks down for the other songs, and Jack Douglas, the producer, said: ‘You’ve got an extra day booked. Anybody got any spare riffs?’ I said: ‘Yeah, I do.’
“Steven remembered it. As for the others, it was, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool’, or whatever. We just tried it out. The best songs start out as little tidbits. We didn’t know the magnitude of it until later. Not until later do you think: ‘Oh my God, that came out fucking unbelievable.’
“Joe and Brad [Whitford, guitarist] learned the parts I’d written, and expanded on them. That whole intro, and the way Joe plays on it, is something I’ve always loved. I’m a huge Led Zeppelin and Who freak, so I’m a sucker for a rock song that starts out with a quiet, dreamy, shadowy beginning and then bursts into some huge thing.
“At the end of the song it gets really heavy. That’s Steven’s idea – the intro riff turned into a monster, basically”.
“When we got our tape and I heard 'Sweet Emotion,' I freaked out. I loved it, although I didn’t understand half the lyrics”.
Not only did Toys In The Attic fly up to No.11 in the US after its spring 1975 release, 'Sweet Emotion' also crashed the Top 40, issued as a single with another Hamilton/Tyler co-write, 'Uncle Salty.'
“That was an unbelievable feeling,” Hamilton says of …Emotion’s single success. “I was finally on the scoreboard.”
From here on in, Aerosmith became a headline band, filling ever bigger venues, although it would take the UK another 12 years to catch on properly.
As for 'Sweet Emotion:' “We’re still playing it,” Hamilton says, “and I’m grateful every night for the audience reaction to it. There’s the troika – 'Dream On,' 'Sweet Emotion,' and 'Walk This Way' – and we move them around. The last two or three years of touring we’ve mostly closed with 'Sweet Emotion.'
“I love that a song that’s very simple could express that much”.
Release Date: May 1975
Orig. Chart Pos.: US No.36
Personnel: Steven Tyler - Vocals, Joe Perry - Guitar, Brad Whitford - Guitar, Tom Hamilton - Bass, Joey Kramer - Drums.
Written by: Hamilton/Tyler
Producer: Jack Douglas
Label: Columbia
Fact: The instrumentalisation included bass marimba, by Douglas and Jay Messina; Perry using an air bag to say the words "Sweet Emotion"; backwards clapping and chanting - a technique John Lennon had taught Douglas, who later said, "Being an engineer, I got to steal from the best guys".
Say What?
What’s Tyler Rabbiting About?
'Sweet Emotion' is one of the most debated Aerosmith songs by fans. Some insist that if you play it backwards you can hear the words, “f*ck you, Frank” (Frank Connelly being the band’s one-time manager). Others dwell on the line: ‘You can’t catch me cos the rabbit gone died’, with one online correspondent proposing: ‘A long time ago, doctors used to give a rabbit a shot made from a sample of a woman to test for pregnancy… if the rabbit died, she was pregnant’.
Many fans have criticised Steven Tyler’s preposterous explanation of the song, given in Be Cool, this year’s movie sequel to Get Shorty. Playing himself, Tyler agrees with Chili Palmer (John Travolta) that 'Sweet Emotion' is about his daughters, Liv and Mia. But neither of them had been born when the lyrics were written.
It’s generally accepted that Tyler’s words refer to a certain antipathy within the group at that time towards Joe Perry’s first wife Elyssa. Perry has merely complained that the track was hacked to pieces to qualify for radio play.
Aerosmith’s new live album, Rockin The Joint is out now on Columbia Records.
Thanks to: Queenofdelusion
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Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion for Metrowest
Milford Daily News
December 30, 2005
...Elaine and Daniel Malloy, along with Selectman Alan Ryan, presented a tour through "the Dale’s" past yesterday at Draper Place, highlighting stories and pictures from their 2002 book, "Hopedale: Images of America...." Their research yielded so many stories that David Mallow started a Web site, www.geocities.com/daninhopedale as the repository for stories about the town’s rich history that couldn’t fit in the book....
Excerpt from the Aerosmith Section:
Bill Wright, John Alden and Joe Perry organized a band called Chimes of Freedom in 1966. Joe later moved on and still performs with the somewhat better known group, Aerosmith
Memories from "Chimes of Freedom"
E-mail from Bill Wright, February 10, 2003. This was a response to a question about his days with a band in Hopedale, started around 1964.
Growing up with Joe? It was all like "Leave It To Beaver." We spent lots of time together. When he visited my home he always greeted "Mr. and Mrs. Wright." And likewise when I visited his, I greeted "Mr. and Mrs Perry." When he started to grow his hair, Nana and Papa [Tom and Betty Malloy.] Tom was the chief of police in Hopedale from 1943 until 1963] still welcomed him because his manners were inmpeccable. As long as the manners were ok, one was welcomed. They couldn't figure his hair or mine, but as long as it was clean, they just scratched their heads and said, "OK."
The first band that I was ever in was called "The Chimes of Freedom." In the Aerosmith biography, the members of the old band were misnamed... I got left out. It was Joes first band as well. So in 2001, when Aerosmith played in Charlotte, NC, I brought the book. I told Joe, "I have a bone to pick with you." He said, "Bill, you and I never had a harsh word in our lives." I said, "Okay, read this." He said,"This is not true." He crossed out the mis-information, corrected and signed it. I no doubt own the only accurate version of that book in the world. In 2001, I had two frames from a 1966 video reduced to a photo. I had them copied, matted and framed. It was Joes 50th birthday. One, I signed to my old friend Joe for his 50th birthday. I had another made for him to sign. We have the same photos hanging in our homes. He signed mine "To Bill, the first great step in a wonderful journey..all the best, Joe Perry...."
E-mail number 2, the next morning.
I should never answer emails after a long night of shooting pool with the guys. To get more detailed about Joe/Hopedale/Bands, well, there really isn't a whole lot of detail. I don't expect that our lives were much different than yours was. Hopedale was a nice place to be raised, plenty to do in the summer and winters we just walked back and forth to each others houses, hung out and "batted the breeze"...more than likely about hating school. Things changed a bit when the whole Beatle thing happened...several of the guys got instruments so we had an activity. Jam sessions were held at the Alden house. Winters up on the third floor, big room in the front....summers in the barn outback That all probably started in 1964-65 and lasted perhaps a couple of years.
About that time or shortly thereafter Joe got shipped off to Vermont Academy to finish high school (he didn't, but that was the plan) and his folks had a place in Sunapee, NH. So by then we saw less and less but wrote letters (wish I saved them) and he'd pop in when he was in town. He spent a little bit of time in town when I was in college. He was working in the foundry but that was about the last I saw of him on a regular basis. I guess that the real message is we were all just plain old kids being raised in Hopedale. These days when I see Joe, I don't see a rock star. I see a guy I've know for forty-five years. He doesn't talk about the band much, just inquires about old family and friends. He's, he's just a kid from Hopedale that leaves his rock 'n roll persona on stage. We're just a couple of middle aged men sitting on a sofa, sometimes with a couple of guitars. Most people would find us as dull as watching geese poop on the shores of Hopedale Pond....
December 30, 2005
...Elaine and Daniel Malloy, along with Selectman Alan Ryan, presented a tour through "the Dale’s" past yesterday at Draper Place, highlighting stories and pictures from their 2002 book, "Hopedale: Images of America...." Their research yielded so many stories that David Mallow started a Web site, www.geocities.com/daninhopedale as the repository for stories about the town’s rich history that couldn’t fit in the book....
Excerpt from the Aerosmith Section:
Bill Wright, John Alden and Joe Perry organized a band called Chimes of Freedom in 1966. Joe later moved on and still performs with the somewhat better known group, Aerosmith
Memories from "Chimes of Freedom"
E-mail from Bill Wright, February 10, 2003. This was a response to a question about his days with a band in Hopedale, started around 1964.
Growing up with Joe? It was all like "Leave It To Beaver." We spent lots of time together. When he visited my home he always greeted "Mr. and Mrs. Wright." And likewise when I visited his, I greeted "Mr. and Mrs Perry." When he started to grow his hair, Nana and Papa [Tom and Betty Malloy.] Tom was the chief of police in Hopedale from 1943 until 1963] still welcomed him because his manners were inmpeccable. As long as the manners were ok, one was welcomed. They couldn't figure his hair or mine, but as long as it was clean, they just scratched their heads and said, "OK."
The first band that I was ever in was called "The Chimes of Freedom." In the Aerosmith biography, the members of the old band were misnamed... I got left out. It was Joes first band as well. So in 2001, when Aerosmith played in Charlotte, NC, I brought the book. I told Joe, "I have a bone to pick with you." He said, "Bill, you and I never had a harsh word in our lives." I said, "Okay, read this." He said,"This is not true." He crossed out the mis-information, corrected and signed it. I no doubt own the only accurate version of that book in the world. In 2001, I had two frames from a 1966 video reduced to a photo. I had them copied, matted and framed. It was Joes 50th birthday. One, I signed to my old friend Joe for his 50th birthday. I had another made for him to sign. We have the same photos hanging in our homes. He signed mine "To Bill, the first great step in a wonderful journey..all the best, Joe Perry...."
E-mail number 2, the next morning.
I should never answer emails after a long night of shooting pool with the guys. To get more detailed about Joe/Hopedale/Bands, well, there really isn't a whole lot of detail. I don't expect that our lives were much different than yours was. Hopedale was a nice place to be raised, plenty to do in the summer and winters we just walked back and forth to each others houses, hung out and "batted the breeze"...more than likely about hating school. Things changed a bit when the whole Beatle thing happened...several of the guys got instruments so we had an activity. Jam sessions were held at the Alden house. Winters up on the third floor, big room in the front....summers in the barn outback That all probably started in 1964-65 and lasted perhaps a couple of years.
About that time or shortly thereafter Joe got shipped off to Vermont Academy to finish high school (he didn't, but that was the plan) and his folks had a place in Sunapee, NH. So by then we saw less and less but wrote letters (wish I saved them) and he'd pop in when he was in town. He spent a little bit of time in town when I was in college. He was working in the foundry but that was about the last I saw of him on a regular basis. I guess that the real message is we were all just plain old kids being raised in Hopedale. These days when I see Joe, I don't see a rock star. I see a guy I've know for forty-five years. He doesn't talk about the band much, just inquires about old family and friends. He's, he's just a kid from Hopedale that leaves his rock 'n roll persona on stage. We're just a couple of middle aged men sitting on a sofa, sometimes with a couple of guitars. Most people would find us as dull as watching geese poop on the shores of Hopedale Pond....
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Thursday, December 29, 2005
Joe Perry's Grammy Nod
The Boston Globe, MA
December 29, 2005
...With all the ruckus over Mariah Carey's eight Grammy nominations for "The Emancipation of Mimi," it was easy to overlook Joe Perry's first nomination as a solo artist. The Aerosmith guitarist grabbed a Grammy nod for "Mercy" from his self-titled CD. (With Aerosmith on holiday hiatus from the road, Perry and his wife, Billie, are spending some quality time at their new, 120-acre farm in Vermont.) The ax man is up against stiff competition in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category: Adrian Belew, Stewart Copeland, Les Paul, and Steve Vai....
December 29, 2005
...With all the ruckus over Mariah Carey's eight Grammy nominations for "The Emancipation of Mimi," it was easy to overlook Joe Perry's first nomination as a solo artist. The Aerosmith guitarist grabbed a Grammy nod for "Mercy" from his self-titled CD. (With Aerosmith on holiday hiatus from the road, Perry and his wife, Billie, are spending some quality time at their new, 120-acre farm in Vermont.) The ax man is up against stiff competition in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category: Adrian Belew, Stewart Copeland, Les Paul, and Steve Vai....
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Aerosmith Guitarist Enjoying Holiday In Vermont
Blabbermouth.net, NY
December 27, 2005
Launch Radio Networks reports: While Aerosmith is on a holiday break from its current North American tour, guitarist Joe Perry and his wife, Billie, are hunkered down at their new spread in Vermont. The farmhouse was built in 1790, and Perry told Launch it serves the couple's purposes well. "It's our getaway," he said. "It's a dream we've always had. We love horses, and we've had horses for going on 18 years and we decided someday is now."
The Perrys have five horses and are hoping to get more to raise on the farm.
Perry is nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for "Mercy", a track from his self-titled solo album released earlier this year.
Aerosmith returns to the road on January 5 in Orlando, Florida, and has dates booked into late February.
December 27, 2005
Launch Radio Networks reports: While Aerosmith is on a holiday break from its current North American tour, guitarist Joe Perry and his wife, Billie, are hunkered down at their new spread in Vermont. The farmhouse was built in 1790, and Perry told Launch it serves the couple's purposes well. "It's our getaway," he said. "It's a dream we've always had. We love horses, and we've had horses for going on 18 years and we decided someday is now."
The Perrys have five horses and are hoping to get more to raise on the farm.
Perry is nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for "Mercy", a track from his self-titled solo album released earlier this year.
Aerosmith returns to the road on January 5 in Orlando, Florida, and has dates booked into late February.
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Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Photographer Chad Lee
Blabbermouth.net, NY
December 27, 2005
Professional rock photographer Chad Lee has launched an all-new web site. www.RockConcertFotos.com was designed by Ezra's Web (Rob Halford, DamagePlan, The Mercy Clinic) and features thousands of live photos of artists, including Aerosmith, Velvet Revolver, Slipknot, Disturbed, Slayer and many more. The site also features hundreds of photos of the late guitar hero and friend of Chad's, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, of DamagePlan/Pantera. The entry page features a very touching short video clip of the two together in November of 2004.
Chad's work has been featured worldwide in magazines, product packaging, and CD/DVD artwork. Among the photos, you will find emphasis on Black Label Society, as Chad has been touring with Zakk Wylde and the band frequently for the past four years.
Chad's professional client list ranges from guitar companies such as Dean Guitars, ESP, BC Rich, Marshall Amps and Washburn guitars, in addition to several other music suppliers, clothing companies and popular music publications such as Guitar World, Guitar Player and more. A full client list is available on the new site.
December 27, 2005
Professional rock photographer Chad Lee has launched an all-new web site. www.RockConcertFotos.com was designed by Ezra's Web (Rob Halford, DamagePlan, The Mercy Clinic) and features thousands of live photos of artists, including Aerosmith, Velvet Revolver, Slipknot, Disturbed, Slayer and many more. The site also features hundreds of photos of the late guitar hero and friend of Chad's, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, of DamagePlan/Pantera. The entry page features a very touching short video clip of the two together in November of 2004.
Chad's work has been featured worldwide in magazines, product packaging, and CD/DVD artwork. Among the photos, you will find emphasis on Black Label Society, as Chad has been touring with Zakk Wylde and the band frequently for the past four years.
Chad's professional client list ranges from guitar companies such as Dean Guitars, ESP, BC Rich, Marshall Amps and Washburn guitars, in addition to several other music suppliers, clothing companies and popular music publications such as Guitar World, Guitar Player and more. A full client list is available on the new site.
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Joey Kramer in West Palm Beach
Joey is scheduled to be at the AutoMall in the Nissan showroom this Saturday, December 31, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Palm Beach AutoMall is located on Military Trail just south of Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Thanks to: Aerosol
Palm Beach AutoMall is located on Military Trail just south of Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Thanks to: Aerosol
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'Hello, Winnipeg!' - Live Concerts, 2005
Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
December 27, 2005
"...During MTS Centre's first full year of operations, Winnipeg was graced with dozens of big names, from pint-sized pop stars Hilary Duff and Avril Lavigne to grizzled vets like Paul Anka and what's left of Cher.
Objectively speaking, the biggest draw of the year was Pearl Jam, who packed 15,748 fans into the Phone Booth on Sept. 8. Three months later, Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz raked in the biggest gross, an estimated $1.15 million on Dec. 8..."
December 27, 2005
"...During MTS Centre's first full year of operations, Winnipeg was graced with dozens of big names, from pint-sized pop stars Hilary Duff and Avril Lavigne to grizzled vets like Paul Anka and what's left of Cher.
Objectively speaking, the biggest draw of the year was Pearl Jam, who packed 15,748 fans into the Phone Booth on Sept. 8. Three months later, Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz raked in the biggest gross, an estimated $1.15 million on Dec. 8..."
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Monday, December 26, 2005
This Week in Entertainment History: 12/26/05 - 1/1/06
KKTV 11 News, CO
December 26, 2005
On December 31st
1969, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys made its debut in New York.
1972, the M-C-5 played its last gig, in Detroit. They were paid 200 dollars.
1973, AC/DC made their concert debut in Sydney, Australia....
Today's birthdays:
Singer Odetta is 75. Actor Anthony Hopkins is 68. Actor Tim Considine ("My Three Sons") is 65. Actress Sarah Miles is 64. Guitarist Andy Summers (The Police) is 63. Actor Ben Kingsley is 62. Bassist Pete Quaife (The Kinks) is 62. Actor Tim Matheson is 58. Singer Burton Cummings of The Guess Who is 58. Singer Donna Summer is 57. Bassist Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith is 54. Actress Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers") is 47. Singer Paul Westerberg is 46. Actor Val Kilmer is 46. Guitarist Ric Ivanisevich (ee-van-EE'-sah-vich) of Oleander is 43. Guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax is 42. Singer-actor Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is 33.
December 26, 2005
On December 31st
1969, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys made its debut in New York.
1972, the M-C-5 played its last gig, in Detroit. They were paid 200 dollars.
1973, AC/DC made their concert debut in Sydney, Australia....
Today's birthdays:
Singer Odetta is 75. Actor Anthony Hopkins is 68. Actor Tim Considine ("My Three Sons") is 65. Actress Sarah Miles is 64. Guitarist Andy Summers (The Police) is 63. Actor Ben Kingsley is 62. Bassist Pete Quaife (The Kinks) is 62. Actor Tim Matheson is 58. Singer Burton Cummings of The Guess Who is 58. Singer Donna Summer is 57. Bassist Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith is 54. Actress Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers") is 47. Singer Paul Westerberg is 46. Actor Val Kilmer is 46. Guitarist Ric Ivanisevich (ee-van-EE'-sah-vich) of Oleander is 43. Guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax is 42. Singer-actor Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is 33.
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
Major Moneymakers
The Grand Rapids Press, MI
December 25, 2005
Crown Aerosmith the king of Van Andel Arena. With its near-sellout show at the arena last weekend, the classic rock band became the highest-grossing act in Van Andel history, topping $2.85 million in ticket sales over five appearances dating back to 1998. "From an industry perspective, when you've got a band that can draw that many people over that period of time, that's going to raise some eyebrows and get some people interested and excited about the market," arena manager Rich MacKeigan said of Aerosmith, whose band members have said they consider Michigan fans among their most devoted anywhere. The Dec. 17 show Lenny Kravitz drew 10,212 people at $55-$125 per ticket. Next best? Cher, whose four Van Andel shows generated $2.75 million in sales. Also in the top five are Kenny Chesney, $2.67 million (five shows); Neil Diamond, $2.45 million (five shows); and the Eagles, $2.44 million in two shows. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Shania Twain, Kiss, Tim McGraw and Brooks &Dunn round out the top 10. The Eagles hold the record for the arena's highest-grossing concert ever, selling more than $1.3 million in tickets for the band's June 21, 2002, show.
December 25, 2005
Crown Aerosmith the king of Van Andel Arena. With its near-sellout show at the arena last weekend, the classic rock band became the highest-grossing act in Van Andel history, topping $2.85 million in ticket sales over five appearances dating back to 1998. "From an industry perspective, when you've got a band that can draw that many people over that period of time, that's going to raise some eyebrows and get some people interested and excited about the market," arena manager Rich MacKeigan said of Aerosmith, whose band members have said they consider Michigan fans among their most devoted anywhere. The Dec. 17 show Lenny Kravitz drew 10,212 people at $55-$125 per ticket. Next best? Cher, whose four Van Andel shows generated $2.75 million in sales. Also in the top five are Kenny Chesney, $2.67 million (five shows); Neil Diamond, $2.45 million (five shows); and the Eagles, $2.44 million in two shows. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Shania Twain, Kiss, Tim McGraw and Brooks &Dunn round out the top 10. The Eagles hold the record for the arena's highest-grossing concert ever, selling more than $1.3 million in tickets for the band's June 21, 2002, show.
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Saturday, December 24, 2005
The year in concerts: Simply the best
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
It was a remarkable year for arena concerts in the Twin Cities. Here's a recap of 2005's finest shows...
1. U2, Sept. 23, Target Center. Great passion, great humanity, great light show, great singer, great guitarist, great band. When I listen to the songs on the latest CD, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," they don't sound as awesome as they did that night.
2. Green Day, Sept. 16, Xcel Energy Center. I've seen this tour three times live (and a fourth time on DVD) and, despite the pat lines and big-gig gestures, I'm still amazed by the power and passion of this performance by Billie Joe Armstrong and the boys.
3. Gretchen Wilson, Nov. 27, Xcel. Despite the gratuitous and incongruous pyrotechnics she shared with Big & Rich, Wilson slayed with her killer voice, killer country classics and killer covers of Billie Holiday and Led Zeppelin.
4. The Rolling Stones, Sept. 6, Xcel. Short on stage frills and long on intimacy and energy, this was easily Mick Jagger's best, freshest and most consistent concert in the Twin Cities -- and at age 62, no less.
5. Keith Urban, Sept. 24, Xcel. His songs may not be outstanding but his instincts as an entertainer were. A sweet voice, an expressive guitar and fabulous show-biz instincts. He's easily the most well-rounded talent in Nashville since Vince Gill.
6. Aerosmith, Dec. 6, Target Center. Joe Perry's guitar sparked the rock, blues and ballads, but wildman Steven Tyler, though he's been more physical in the past, connected with the crowd as few superstars even try to do...
It was a remarkable year for arena concerts in the Twin Cities. Here's a recap of 2005's finest shows...
1. U2, Sept. 23, Target Center. Great passion, great humanity, great light show, great singer, great guitarist, great band. When I listen to the songs on the latest CD, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," they don't sound as awesome as they did that night.
2. Green Day, Sept. 16, Xcel Energy Center. I've seen this tour three times live (and a fourth time on DVD) and, despite the pat lines and big-gig gestures, I'm still amazed by the power and passion of this performance by Billie Joe Armstrong and the boys.
3. Gretchen Wilson, Nov. 27, Xcel. Despite the gratuitous and incongruous pyrotechnics she shared with Big & Rich, Wilson slayed with her killer voice, killer country classics and killer covers of Billie Holiday and Led Zeppelin.
4. The Rolling Stones, Sept. 6, Xcel. Short on stage frills and long on intimacy and energy, this was easily Mick Jagger's best, freshest and most consistent concert in the Twin Cities -- and at age 62, no less.
5. Keith Urban, Sept. 24, Xcel. His songs may not be outstanding but his instincts as an entertainer were. A sweet voice, an expressive guitar and fabulous show-biz instincts. He's easily the most well-rounded talent in Nashville since Vince Gill.
6. Aerosmith, Dec. 6, Target Center. Joe Perry's guitar sparked the rock, blues and ballads, but wildman Steven Tyler, though he's been more physical in the past, connected with the crowd as few superstars even try to do...
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Friday, December 23, 2005
Return of Back in the Saddle
For those who havn't listened to Back in the Saddle for the past two years, you have ONE more chance to listen in. Friday the 13th of January from 6PM-9PM EST, Back in the Saddle with Brian and Alyx will be back on the air. You can listen in at 88.9FM if you are from the Jersey Shore. For the rest of you, Listen live here.
From 7pm-8PM it is the return of the ALL REQUEST AEROSMITH HOUR.
Who knows, I may just show up.
From 7pm-8PM it is the return of the ALL REQUEST AEROSMITH HOUR.
Who knows, I may just show up.
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Second Annual Holiday Bonanza Contest
Aero Force One
December 23, 2005
Everyone else goes overboard for the holidays, so why can’t we? AF1 invites you to bring it on for the Second Annual Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza. You should remember from last year, there are only two rules. Rule #1: Your contest entry must have something to do with the holiday season, i.e. New Year’s, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Christmukkah, whatever you celebrate. Rule #2: Do we really need to say? Your contest entry must involve Aerosmith!
Some ideas for you: The 12 Days of Aerosmith (you write it!), Aerosmith ornament, wreath, holiday card, menorah, snow man (you design it!). You can do it in paint, draw it in crayons, build it in flowers, knit it on a sweater. You can freestyle a poem inspired by Dr. Seuss or Dr. Dre. Send sugar cookies with candy cane Aerosmith logos. Or add mistletoe to that Aerosmith tattoo on your arm. As we said, anything goes, just as long as we don’t get in trouble for it!
Last year’s champions of creative holiday insanity wrapped up a Girls of Summer album cover with bikini’d Santas and cast a rockin’ rendition of “Whitford Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Check out the pics from some of last year’s 2004 Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza Champion. Will any of them retain the title for two years in a row? It's time to step up and defend it.
Twenty contest winners will receive the incredible poster, “In The Beginning,” the psychedelic and awesome poster now in the AF1 Store. And of course, the title of 2005 Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza Champion.
The contest entries will be judged on holiday spirit and creative insanity!
Email Your Entry (or a photo of your entry) to: contests@aeroforceone.com.
This contest ends on Friday, January 20th, at 11:59 pm. The winning contest entries will be posted to the website, and winners notified, by Friday, January 27, 2006.
Good luck and Happy Holidays from Aero Force One!
December 23, 2005
Everyone else goes overboard for the holidays, so why can’t we? AF1 invites you to bring it on for the Second Annual Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza. You should remember from last year, there are only two rules. Rule #1: Your contest entry must have something to do with the holiday season, i.e. New Year’s, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Christmukkah, whatever you celebrate. Rule #2: Do we really need to say? Your contest entry must involve Aerosmith!
Some ideas for you: The 12 Days of Aerosmith (you write it!), Aerosmith ornament, wreath, holiday card, menorah, snow man (you design it!). You can do it in paint, draw it in crayons, build it in flowers, knit it on a sweater. You can freestyle a poem inspired by Dr. Seuss or Dr. Dre. Send sugar cookies with candy cane Aerosmith logos. Or add mistletoe to that Aerosmith tattoo on your arm. As we said, anything goes, just as long as we don’t get in trouble for it!
Last year’s champions of creative holiday insanity wrapped up a Girls of Summer album cover with bikini’d Santas and cast a rockin’ rendition of “Whitford Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Check out the pics from some of last year’s 2004 Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza Champion. Will any of them retain the title for two years in a row? It's time to step up and defend it.
Twenty contest winners will receive the incredible poster, “In The Beginning,” the psychedelic and awesome poster now in the AF1 Store. And of course, the title of 2005 Aero Force One All-Out, Anything Goes, Holiday Blow-Out Bonanza Extravaganza Champion.
The contest entries will be judged on holiday spirit and creative insanity!
Email Your Entry (or a photo of your entry) to: contests@aeroforceone.com.
This contest ends on Friday, January 20th, at 11:59 pm. The winning contest entries will be posted to the website, and winners notified, by Friday, January 27, 2006.
Good luck and Happy Holidays from Aero Force One!
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Thursday, December 22, 2005
Diary
RossHalfin.co.uk
December 21
"Here's my new model of the year, Jaime Laurita, Aerosmith chef and nutritionist, posing in a very nice designer t-shirt. I was going to get Charlie Hernandez or Rock n' Roll John Bionelli, or even Matt Kent to model for me but I wanted a real man... I even asked my agent Simon but he turned his nose up - the shirts are obviously not Prada...
If anybody would like to spend their Christmas cash on one, have a look on my Sales page..."
December 21
"Here's my new model of the year, Jaime Laurita, Aerosmith chef and nutritionist, posing in a very nice designer t-shirt. I was going to get Charlie Hernandez or Rock n' Roll John Bionelli, or even Matt Kent to model for me but I wanted a real man... I even asked my agent Simon but he turned his nose up - the shirts are obviously not Prada...
If anybody would like to spend their Christmas cash on one, have a look on my Sales page..."
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The Transperformance Self-Tuning Guitar
Gizmag, Australia
December 22, 2005
... Other celebrity owners of the guitar include Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead), Kenny Loggins, Peter Buck ...
December 22, 2005
... Other celebrity owners of the guitar include Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead), Kenny Loggins, Peter Buck ...
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Aerosmith and Kravitz Draw Blood
Rolling Stone
December 20, 2005
Rockers survive injuries, slay ladies on megatour
The Aerosmith/Lenny Kravitz tour is so flippin' hot that it's been extended through February.
"These are all songs people can sing along to when they're home fucking themselves silly," Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler said after Rolling Stone cornered him, guitarist Joe Perry and Kravitz backstage in Philadelphia. "Everybody in the place is going home with sore throats."
The performers have been hurting themselves, as well. "The second night of the tour, I tripped on one of the Aerosmith ramps and tore all the ligaments in my ankle," says Kravitz, who hasn't let the injury cancel any performances. ("Just an excuse to take more pain pills," jokes Tyler.) And Perry donated some blood to the stage. "I'd been thrashing the guitar for a couple of tours without a scrape," he says. "The other night it looked like Townshend -- I could see more blood on my hand than skin."
Tyler is also stoked about the lovely ladies Kravitz is bringing out: "We're gonna make some tea out of Lenny's fingernail clippings," says Tyler, awesomely -- but it hasn't affected the frontmen's special relationship. "When Steven and I are bunking together, it's all right," says Kravitz. "But when Joe hops in it gets a little tight."
Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz 2006 tour dates:
1/5: Orlando, TD Waterhouse
1/7: Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Arena
1/12: Charlotte, NC, New Charlotte Arena
1/15: Atlanta, Philips Arena
1/17: Tampa, St Pete Times Forum
1/19: Fort Lauderdale, FL, Office Depot/Hard Rock
1/21: Greensboro, NC, Greensboro Coliseum
1/23: Houston, Toyota Center
1/25: San Antonio, TX, SBC Center
1/27: Dallas, American Airlines Arena
1/30: Denver, Pepsi Center
2/1: Phoenix, Glendale Arena
2/3: San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
2/6: Sacramento, ARCO Arena
2/8: Oakland, Oakland Arena
2/10: San Diego, ipayOne Center
2/13: Portland, OR, Rose Garden
2/15: Seattle, Key Arena
2/18: Las Vegas, MGM Grand Garden Arena
2/20: Fresno, CA, Save Mart Center
2/22: Los Angeles, Staples Center
2/24: Anaheim, Arrowhead Pond
December 20, 2005
Rockers survive injuries, slay ladies on megatour
The Aerosmith/Lenny Kravitz tour is so flippin' hot that it's been extended through February.
"These are all songs people can sing along to when they're home fucking themselves silly," Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler said after Rolling Stone cornered him, guitarist Joe Perry and Kravitz backstage in Philadelphia. "Everybody in the place is going home with sore throats."
The performers have been hurting themselves, as well. "The second night of the tour, I tripped on one of the Aerosmith ramps and tore all the ligaments in my ankle," says Kravitz, who hasn't let the injury cancel any performances. ("Just an excuse to take more pain pills," jokes Tyler.) And Perry donated some blood to the stage. "I'd been thrashing the guitar for a couple of tours without a scrape," he says. "The other night it looked like Townshend -- I could see more blood on my hand than skin."
Tyler is also stoked about the lovely ladies Kravitz is bringing out: "We're gonna make some tea out of Lenny's fingernail clippings," says Tyler, awesomely -- but it hasn't affected the frontmen's special relationship. "When Steven and I are bunking together, it's all right," says Kravitz. "But when Joe hops in it gets a little tight."
Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz 2006 tour dates:
1/5: Orlando, TD Waterhouse
1/7: Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Arena
1/12: Charlotte, NC, New Charlotte Arena
1/15: Atlanta, Philips Arena
1/17: Tampa, St Pete Times Forum
1/19: Fort Lauderdale, FL, Office Depot/Hard Rock
1/21: Greensboro, NC, Greensboro Coliseum
1/23: Houston, Toyota Center
1/25: San Antonio, TX, SBC Center
1/27: Dallas, American Airlines Arena
1/30: Denver, Pepsi Center
2/1: Phoenix, Glendale Arena
2/3: San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
2/6: Sacramento, ARCO Arena
2/8: Oakland, Oakland Arena
2/10: San Diego, ipayOne Center
2/13: Portland, OR, Rose Garden
2/15: Seattle, Key Arena
2/18: Las Vegas, MGM Grand Garden Arena
2/20: Fresno, CA, Save Mart Center
2/22: Los Angeles, Staples Center
2/24: Anaheim, Arrowhead Pond
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Two Radio Interviews With Joe Perry
Before the show in Detroit, Michigan - 12-15-05
WRIF - With the Bad Boys of Boston in the Motor City last week, Joe Perry phoned in to talk to the Doc of Rock, Doug Podell, about what’s going on with Aerosmith. Click to listen now. (Here)
WCSX - Joe Perry of Aerosmith with Steve Kostan, December, 2005. Click to listen now. (Here)
Thanks to: OldAero
WRIF - With the Bad Boys of Boston in the Motor City last week, Joe Perry phoned in to talk to the Doc of Rock, Doug Podell, about what’s going on with Aerosmith. Click to listen now. (Here)
WCSX - Joe Perry of Aerosmith with Steve Kostan, December, 2005. Click to listen now. (Here)
Thanks to: OldAero
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What More Could You Hope For In a Rock Show?
The Grand Rapids Press, MI
December 20, 2005
Maybe it was Steven Tyler's famously cavernous mouth, spitting out "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Same Old Song and Dance."
Or maybe it was those airport runway-size ramps extending halfway into the Van Andel Arena crowd, giving hundreds of fans a chance to high-five the stars and get close-up cell-phone snapshots of the sweaty, lively and age-defying Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry.
Or maybe it was Lenny Kravitz's polished, guns-a-blazing opening set that got the near-capacity crowd of 10,200-plus juiced up and ready to "Let Love (and Lenny) Rule."
Or maybe it was the sheer volume of Aerosmith's 97-minute set, a decibel-drubbing display that bassist Tom Hamilton describes as "an organized, primal thing."
Whatever it was, Aerosmith's exultant return to Grand Rapids on Saturday -- the band's last tour stop of 2005 -- suggested strongly that these 50-something boys are still audience-snaring road warriors who can mount an eye-candy rock show as bombastic as any, with an attitude to match.
"We play loud, fast music," Hamilton told me earlier this month in trying to explain the band's continued success after 30-plus years.
Yes, from the moment Aerosmith blasted off with a cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," it was clear the ears were going to take a beating of the loud, hard-rock, hit-parade variety with song titles ("Livin' on the Edge," "Back in the Saddle") that do a better job of reflecting a band's raucous character than any in rock, with the possible exception of AC/DC.
Tyler and Perry's impressive rock-star aerobics had fans inflamed from the get-go, even if the sound mix wasn't as crisp at it could have been. (Dialing down the instrument volume might have helped.)
Because, while sets may have gotten a bit shorter as the band has gotten older, no one could accuse these guys of cutting back on verve: Saturday's "same old song and dance" featured more lights, bigger amps, longer ramps and just as many crowd-pleasing antics with a bare minimum of stage chitchat.
Kravitz kicks off the party
Kravitz proved he's a hit factory of his own to open things, with an eight-piece band that powered through nearly flawless versions of singles such as "California," "American Woman" and "Fly Away." Never lacking in charisma, Kravitz played it loud and proud. But he rarely let that swagger overshadow his feel-good message or the rootsy charm that had him strolling the arena to greet fans and sign autographs at one point.
No rocker, however, has more swagger than Tyler, whose scarves, tight jeans, elasticity and boundless energy kept female fans jostling for position close to stage ramps all night. Still, Perry nearly rivaled Tyler in that department, even taking off his shirt at the end of the night to beat his guitar strings with it on the encore-closing "Draw the Line."
Was that an odd bit of overzealous improvisation? Unlikely.
Kravitz and Aerosmith aren't the improvisational jam-band types. But as consummate professionals of the "loud, fast" variety, they manage just fine.
December 20, 2005
Maybe it was Steven Tyler's famously cavernous mouth, spitting out "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Same Old Song and Dance."
Or maybe it was those airport runway-size ramps extending halfway into the Van Andel Arena crowd, giving hundreds of fans a chance to high-five the stars and get close-up cell-phone snapshots of the sweaty, lively and age-defying Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry.
Or maybe it was Lenny Kravitz's polished, guns-a-blazing opening set that got the near-capacity crowd of 10,200-plus juiced up and ready to "Let Love (and Lenny) Rule."
Or maybe it was the sheer volume of Aerosmith's 97-minute set, a decibel-drubbing display that bassist Tom Hamilton describes as "an organized, primal thing."
Whatever it was, Aerosmith's exultant return to Grand Rapids on Saturday -- the band's last tour stop of 2005 -- suggested strongly that these 50-something boys are still audience-snaring road warriors who can mount an eye-candy rock show as bombastic as any, with an attitude to match.
"We play loud, fast music," Hamilton told me earlier this month in trying to explain the band's continued success after 30-plus years.
Yes, from the moment Aerosmith blasted off with a cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," it was clear the ears were going to take a beating of the loud, hard-rock, hit-parade variety with song titles ("Livin' on the Edge," "Back in the Saddle") that do a better job of reflecting a band's raucous character than any in rock, with the possible exception of AC/DC.
Tyler and Perry's impressive rock-star aerobics had fans inflamed from the get-go, even if the sound mix wasn't as crisp at it could have been. (Dialing down the instrument volume might have helped.)
Because, while sets may have gotten a bit shorter as the band has gotten older, no one could accuse these guys of cutting back on verve: Saturday's "same old song and dance" featured more lights, bigger amps, longer ramps and just as many crowd-pleasing antics with a bare minimum of stage chitchat.
Kravitz kicks off the party
Kravitz proved he's a hit factory of his own to open things, with an eight-piece band that powered through nearly flawless versions of singles such as "California," "American Woman" and "Fly Away." Never lacking in charisma, Kravitz played it loud and proud. But he rarely let that swagger overshadow his feel-good message or the rootsy charm that had him strolling the arena to greet fans and sign autographs at one point.
No rocker, however, has more swagger than Tyler, whose scarves, tight jeans, elasticity and boundless energy kept female fans jostling for position close to stage ramps all night. Still, Perry nearly rivaled Tyler in that department, even taking off his shirt at the end of the night to beat his guitar strings with it on the encore-closing "Draw the Line."
Was that an odd bit of overzealous improvisation? Unlikely.
Kravitz and Aerosmith aren't the improvisational jam-band types. But as consummate professionals of the "loud, fast" variety, they manage just fine.
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Chef-To-The-Stars, Jaime Laurita
PR Web via Yahoo! News
December 20, 2005
Beantrees organic coffee continues to distinguish itself as the luxury-coffee brand leader...
“I serve some of the world’s most sophisticated palates. They want to be impressed, which means I can’t serve them coffee that is available on every street corner. I brew only Beantrees organic coffee because the flavor is always impressive,” said Jaime Laurita, 5-star chef-to-the-stars who is currently the executive chef on Aerosmith’s tour....
More information about Beantrees Fine Organic Coffees is available at: www.Beantrees.com
December 20, 2005
Beantrees organic coffee continues to distinguish itself as the luxury-coffee brand leader...
“I serve some of the world’s most sophisticated palates. They want to be impressed, which means I can’t serve them coffee that is available on every street corner. I brew only Beantrees organic coffee because the flavor is always impressive,” said Jaime Laurita, 5-star chef-to-the-stars who is currently the executive chef on Aerosmith’s tour....
More information about Beantrees Fine Organic Coffees is available at: www.Beantrees.com
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Monday, December 19, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Set List
Aerosmith: Van Andel Arena - December 17, 2005
1) Helter Skelter
2) Walk This Way
3) Same Old Song And Dance
4) Cryin'
5) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) Last Child
13) No More No More
14) Baby Please Don't Go
15) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
16) Back In The Saddle
17) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
1) Helter Skelter
2) Walk This Way
3) Same Old Song And Dance
4) Cryin'
5) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) Last Child
13) No More No More
14) Baby Please Don't Go
15) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
16) Back In The Saddle
17) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
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Saturday, December 17, 2005
Santana Thrilled to Work With Tyler
Online Rock Radio, Greece
December 16, 2005
Carlos Santana was thrilled to collaborate with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler on the single, "Just Feel Better." He told us that the vocalist has an impressive amount of energy and excitement: "I'm very happy that Steven Tyler did it, 'cause Steven Tyler still has that hunger from '73, like myself. A lot of people kind of roll over. Once they get to be 50, they kind of roll over. They just roll over to the energy. I equate to like 7-Up, you know, when it has no bubbles anymore. It's just flat. And he's not like that."
"Just Feel Better" appears on Santana's new album, All That I Am. The song's video was shot in Boston earlier this fall.
Michelle Branch, Los Lonely Boys, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica also make appearances on his latest CD.
Aerosmith are on tour right now with Lenny Kravitz and played in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on Thursday, December 15th.
December 16, 2005
Carlos Santana was thrilled to collaborate with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler on the single, "Just Feel Better." He told us that the vocalist has an impressive amount of energy and excitement: "I'm very happy that Steven Tyler did it, 'cause Steven Tyler still has that hunger from '73, like myself. A lot of people kind of roll over. Once they get to be 50, they kind of roll over. They just roll over to the energy. I equate to like 7-Up, you know, when it has no bubbles anymore. It's just flat. And he's not like that."
"Just Feel Better" appears on Santana's new album, All That I Am. The song's video was shot in Boston earlier this fall.
Michelle Branch, Los Lonely Boys, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica also make appearances on his latest CD.
Aerosmith are on tour right now with Lenny Kravitz and played in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on Thursday, December 15th.
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Friday, December 16, 2005
Set List
Aerosmith: Palace of Auburn Hills - December 15, 2005
1) Helter Skelter
2) Walk This Way
3) Same Old Song And Dance
4) Cryin'
5) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) Walkin' The Dog
13) No More No More
14) Baby Please Don't Go
15) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
16) Back In The Saddle
17) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
1) Helter Skelter
2) Walk This Way
3) Same Old Song And Dance
4) Cryin'
5) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) Walkin' The Dog
13) No More No More
14) Baby Please Don't Go
15) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
16) Back In The Saddle
17) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
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Re-Engergized And Rockin'
The Grand Rapids Press, MI
Aerosmith is back and ready to roll
The 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena is a far cry from the gym at Nipmuc Regional High School in Massachusetts.
But Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton remembers the rock band's first official gig at a high school dance like it was yesterday: the nervousness, the thrill.
"We were on the gym floor. I can really picture it vividly," Hamilton recalled in a telephone interview from a recent tour stop in Minneapolis. "It was a classic American high school. We'd been rehearsing, and we could do three 40-minute sets ... songs by the Yardbirds, the Stones.
"It was a gas. It's exhilarating, but it's also something that you do feel the necessity to play good and play tight. You have to have that joyous feeling while you're still concentrating."
Some 35 years later, that approach to performing hasn't changed for the Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band that's hailed as an American rock institution after selling 100 million-plus albums.
Indeed, after taking a year off from the road, Hamilton said Aerosmith seems re-energized on its current Rockin' the Joint tour, which makes a stop Saturday in Grand Rapids with opener Lenny Kravitz.
"I'm pretty psyched about the way it's been going," Hamilton gushed. "We think we've got a good set list this year. It sounds like that would be a simple thing, to list songs, but there are so many things you want to get right: the pace, the dynamics, the energy of the dynamics. Then there's the song selection, picking out the songs that will inspire the band and the audience, and we've hit on something good."
So, Aerosmith -- Hamilton, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer -- has mixed tried-and-true classics such as "Dream On" and "Walk This Way" with less traveled tunes like "No More, No More," and occasionally swapped "Lord of the Thighs" with "Rats in the Cellar."
With more than three decades of material to choose from, Hamilton conceded it's "a luxury problem," but one the band takes seriously as it fashions a show aimed at revving up old and new fans. "You're doing it in public, you want to get it right," he said.
To further enhance the audience experience, Aerosmith has tweaked its stage set-up on this tour to extend ramps well into the crowd so fans throughout the arena can get up close and personal with the band.
"Steven especially is totally fed by the energy of the people upfront and people being excited," Hamilton said. "It gives us a chance to get out into the area where there are people that wouldn't normally be anywhere close to the band."
Getting close to Aerosmith is a Michigan tradition. Outside of the Boston area, where Aerosmith first cut its teeth, band members have cultivated a special connection to fans here, Hamilton insisted.
"The Detroit area and Michigan, in general, is the first place outside of Boston where we really broke," he said. "That's when Detroit was forging its reputation as the plutonium of rock.
"That's where it's buried. We've liked going there from Day One because we associated it with being able to get up there and relax and play, and the crowd's going to be with us."
The tour comes after October's release of a new live CD/DVD, "Rockin' the Joint (Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas)," with the Grand Rapids show the last of 21 concerts on the first leg. The second leg -- with 22 concert dates -- kicks off Jan. 5 in Orlando, Fla.
And lest one surmise that all that roadwork might be hard on a band of 50-somethings who've already lived through their share of tough times, think again. These guys aren't even thinking about packing away their guitars.
"Right now, we're not questioning it," Hamilton said.
"We're living in the moment -- no feelings at all about what's going to happen in two years. I don't worry about that or think about it much."
Aerosmith is back and ready to roll
The 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena is a far cry from the gym at Nipmuc Regional High School in Massachusetts.
But Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton remembers the rock band's first official gig at a high school dance like it was yesterday: the nervousness, the thrill.
"We were on the gym floor. I can really picture it vividly," Hamilton recalled in a telephone interview from a recent tour stop in Minneapolis. "It was a classic American high school. We'd been rehearsing, and we could do three 40-minute sets ... songs by the Yardbirds, the Stones.
"It was a gas. It's exhilarating, but it's also something that you do feel the necessity to play good and play tight. You have to have that joyous feeling while you're still concentrating."
Some 35 years later, that approach to performing hasn't changed for the Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band that's hailed as an American rock institution after selling 100 million-plus albums.
Indeed, after taking a year off from the road, Hamilton said Aerosmith seems re-energized on its current Rockin' the Joint tour, which makes a stop Saturday in Grand Rapids with opener Lenny Kravitz.
"I'm pretty psyched about the way it's been going," Hamilton gushed. "We think we've got a good set list this year. It sounds like that would be a simple thing, to list songs, but there are so many things you want to get right: the pace, the dynamics, the energy of the dynamics. Then there's the song selection, picking out the songs that will inspire the band and the audience, and we've hit on something good."
So, Aerosmith -- Hamilton, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer -- has mixed tried-and-true classics such as "Dream On" and "Walk This Way" with less traveled tunes like "No More, No More," and occasionally swapped "Lord of the Thighs" with "Rats in the Cellar."
With more than three decades of material to choose from, Hamilton conceded it's "a luxury problem," but one the band takes seriously as it fashions a show aimed at revving up old and new fans. "You're doing it in public, you want to get it right," he said.
To further enhance the audience experience, Aerosmith has tweaked its stage set-up on this tour to extend ramps well into the crowd so fans throughout the arena can get up close and personal with the band.
"Steven especially is totally fed by the energy of the people upfront and people being excited," Hamilton said. "It gives us a chance to get out into the area where there are people that wouldn't normally be anywhere close to the band."
Getting close to Aerosmith is a Michigan tradition. Outside of the Boston area, where Aerosmith first cut its teeth, band members have cultivated a special connection to fans here, Hamilton insisted.
"The Detroit area and Michigan, in general, is the first place outside of Boston where we really broke," he said. "That's when Detroit was forging its reputation as the plutonium of rock.
"That's where it's buried. We've liked going there from Day One because we associated it with being able to get up there and relax and play, and the crowd's going to be with us."
The tour comes after October's release of a new live CD/DVD, "Rockin' the Joint (Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas)," with the Grand Rapids show the last of 21 concerts on the first leg. The second leg -- with 22 concert dates -- kicks off Jan. 5 in Orlando, Fla.
And lest one surmise that all that roadwork might be hard on a band of 50-somethings who've already lived through their share of tough times, think again. These guys aren't even thinking about packing away their guitars.
"Right now, we're not questioning it," Hamilton said.
"We're living in the moment -- no feelings at all about what's going to happen in two years. I don't worry about that or think about it much."
| Permalink |
News From The Road
Aero Force One
December 16, 2005
12-10-05 - John B Calls In... Message from rock n' roll John Bionelli and infamous rock photog, Ross Halfin.
Gold and Platinum members of AF1, log in first to listen.
December 16, 2005
12-10-05 - John B Calls In... Message from rock n' roll John Bionelli and infamous rock photog, Ross Halfin.
Gold and Platinum members of AF1, log in first to listen.
| Permalink |
Thursday, December 15, 2005
SET LIST CALL FOR ACTION!
Merry Early Christmas all! I am a little upset, as I have not had many responses to my set list reporter call!!!!!!!! Come on guys....I dont mind doing these setlists....but I need some of ya to step up and offer some help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AeroFANatic has collected EVERY SINGLE SET LIST from EVERY SINGLE tour gig
since the Nine Lives tour, including all sets from the beginning of the
Rockin The Joint tour. Thats almost 10 years and over 300 set lists
folks!!!! If you've been around the online Aerosmith world for any amount
of time, you are familiar with this process. if you are a virgin (and of
age...of course...lol), let me explain what AeroFANatic does....
AeroFANatic "assigns" one show to one fan who wants to be a setlist
reporterfor the show. Basically, I will contact this person a few
days before the
gig as a reminder that they are my reporter....and give them the details.
It is this setlist reporters duty to go to the show.....rock out....and
write down the set list and ANYTHING else interesting that happens during
the show. AS SOON as the show is over, this contact calls AeroFANatic via
cell and goes over the setlist. Then, AeroFANatic will take this
setlist....and spread it all over the internet for ALL OF US FANS to share.
In MANY instances, AeroFANatic has that night's setlist up NO LATER than 5
MINUTES after the show ends. Thats fucking incredible folks. Fans from
Charlotte can log on and see what Aerosmith played that night in Winnepeg!
It really brings us Aerosmith fans closer and gives us great fodder to
discuss the tour, songs, etc. But, and I stress, this CANNOT BE DONE
without you....the concert going fan. It is YOUR time and YOUR effort and
YOUR phone call that gets AeroFANatic the info. Without you all, this
couldent work.....
Ok, so here is the call. I NEED SETLIST REPORTERS FOR THE NEXT LEG!!!!!!!!
:) : ) If you've reported for AeroFANatic before, we'd LOVE to have you
again! If you are a newbie, but would like to contribute to our
process.....PLEASE do! Here is what I need you ALL TO Do.....
Respond back to me asap. My email address is : aerofanatic@gmail.com. IN
THIS EMAIL, I need specific information. I need your primary email address,
the show(s) you are going to, as well as your measurments (if female). Ok,
so I dont need the last part...so shoot me! LOL. In all seriousness, the
MORE reporters the BETTER. What I will do is compile the list of ALL my
reporters and keep track. About 1-2 days before your show, I will send you
a notification email to make sure you are still up for reporting, and I will
also include my cell phone #. All thats left to do for you is to enjoy
yourself at the show, write the set list, and make a cell call to me asap
after the show. Thank god for Cell Phones. Nearly all of us have them, and
it really streamlines this process....
Simple enough, right? Trust us when I tell you, almost all of us fans love
this process....and AeroFANatic loves bringing it to you. Ok, so here is
the list of 2nd leg DATES (MOST of which still do not have a reporter)
Thu Jan 05 Orlando, FL TD Waterhouse Center
Sat Jan 07 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Arena
Thu Jan 12 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Arena
Sun Jan 15 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Tue Jan 17 Tampa, FL St Pete Times Forum
Thu Jan 19 Ft Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
Sat Jan 21 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Mon Jan 23 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Wed Jan 25 San Antonio, TX SBC Center
Fri Jan 27 Dallas, TX American Airlines Arena
Mon Jan 30 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Wed Feb 01 Phoenix, AZ Glendale Arena
Fri Feb 03 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
Mon Feb 06 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
Wed Feb 08 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
Fri Feb 10 San Diego, CA IpayOne Center
Mon Feb 13 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Wed Feb 15 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Sat Feb 18 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Mon Feb 20 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
Wed Feb 22 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Fri Feb 24 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond
If you are going to or plan on going to ANY OF THESE SHOWS, and would love
to help out all of us Aerosmith fans keep track of the latest, PLEASE email
me- aerofanatic@gmail.com. Include the info I asked for above (pictures
optional...lol). Once again, its you....the fan....that allows us to share
in the music of Aerosmith.
Now, let me hear from ya!
Thanks!
AeroFANatic
AeroFANatic has collected EVERY SINGLE SET LIST from EVERY SINGLE tour gig
since the Nine Lives tour, including all sets from the beginning of the
Rockin The Joint tour. Thats almost 10 years and over 300 set lists
folks!!!! If you've been around the online Aerosmith world for any amount
of time, you are familiar with this process. if you are a virgin (and of
age...of course...lol), let me explain what AeroFANatic does....
AeroFANatic "assigns" one show to one fan who wants to be a setlist
reporterfor the show. Basically, I will contact this person a few
days before the
gig as a reminder that they are my reporter....and give them the details.
It is this setlist reporters duty to go to the show.....rock out....and
write down the set list and ANYTHING else interesting that happens during
the show. AS SOON as the show is over, this contact calls AeroFANatic via
cell and goes over the setlist. Then, AeroFANatic will take this
setlist....and spread it all over the internet for ALL OF US FANS to share.
In MANY instances, AeroFANatic has that night's setlist up NO LATER than 5
MINUTES after the show ends. Thats fucking incredible folks. Fans from
Charlotte can log on and see what Aerosmith played that night in Winnepeg!
It really brings us Aerosmith fans closer and gives us great fodder to
discuss the tour, songs, etc. But, and I stress, this CANNOT BE DONE
without you....the concert going fan. It is YOUR time and YOUR effort and
YOUR phone call that gets AeroFANatic the info. Without you all, this
couldent work.....
Ok, so here is the call. I NEED SETLIST REPORTERS FOR THE NEXT LEG!!!!!!!!
:) : ) If you've reported for AeroFANatic before, we'd LOVE to have you
again! If you are a newbie, but would like to contribute to our
process.....PLEASE do! Here is what I need you ALL TO Do.....
Respond back to me asap. My email address is : aerofanatic@gmail.com. IN
THIS EMAIL, I need specific information. I need your primary email address,
the show(s) you are going to, as well as your measurments (if female). Ok,
so I dont need the last part...so shoot me! LOL. In all seriousness, the
MORE reporters the BETTER. What I will do is compile the list of ALL my
reporters and keep track. About 1-2 days before your show, I will send you
a notification email to make sure you are still up for reporting, and I will
also include my cell phone #. All thats left to do for you is to enjoy
yourself at the show, write the set list, and make a cell call to me asap
after the show. Thank god for Cell Phones. Nearly all of us have them, and
it really streamlines this process....
Simple enough, right? Trust us when I tell you, almost all of us fans love
this process....and AeroFANatic loves bringing it to you. Ok, so here is
the list of 2nd leg DATES (MOST of which still do not have a reporter)
Thu Jan 05 Orlando, FL TD Waterhouse Center
Sat Jan 07 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Arena
Thu Jan 12 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Arena
Sun Jan 15 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Tue Jan 17 Tampa, FL St Pete Times Forum
Thu Jan 19 Ft Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
Sat Jan 21 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Mon Jan 23 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Wed Jan 25 San Antonio, TX SBC Center
Fri Jan 27 Dallas, TX American Airlines Arena
Mon Jan 30 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Wed Feb 01 Phoenix, AZ Glendale Arena
Fri Feb 03 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
Mon Feb 06 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
Wed Feb 08 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
Fri Feb 10 San Diego, CA IpayOne Center
Mon Feb 13 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Wed Feb 15 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Sat Feb 18 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Mon Feb 20 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
Wed Feb 22 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Fri Feb 24 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond
If you are going to or plan on going to ANY OF THESE SHOWS, and would love
to help out all of us Aerosmith fans keep track of the latest, PLEASE email
me- aerofanatic@gmail.com. Include the info I asked for above (pictures
optional...lol). Once again, its you....the fan....that allows us to share
in the music of Aerosmith.
Now, let me hear from ya!
Thanks!
AeroFANatic
| Permalink |
Ross Halfin
RossHalfin.co.uk
Diary - December 14
...I wake up in Birmingham (a suburb of Detroit)...
Venture out at 3pm. I meant to shoot pictures of Steven but it's too cold. Find an ice cream shop with the Statue of Liberty outside. 'How can you eat ice cream when it's snowing?' I do exactly that.
Joey, Tom and I go out to the local mall. Donny Shiteman, who'd been at a beauty salon all afternoon having his hair blow-dried and his nails done for the show tomorrow, comes along in case we are bothered by any fans. God, we are boring - Detroit rock city... John Bionelli has been hiding in his room all day watching the new Kiss video over and over, and stressing about tomorrow's setlist. We were going to see King Kong but it's three hours long and we are all tired, doing nothing...
Diary - December 14
...I wake up in Birmingham (a suburb of Detroit)...
Venture out at 3pm. I meant to shoot pictures of Steven but it's too cold. Find an ice cream shop with the Statue of Liberty outside. 'How can you eat ice cream when it's snowing?' I do exactly that.
Joey, Tom and I go out to the local mall. Donny Shiteman, who'd been at a beauty salon all afternoon having his hair blow-dried and his nails done for the show tomorrow, comes along in case we are bothered by any fans. God, we are boring - Detroit rock city... John Bionelli has been hiding in his room all day watching the new Kiss video over and over, and stressing about tomorrow's setlist. We were going to see King Kong but it's three hours long and we are all tired, doing nothing...
| Permalink |
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Tom Checks In
Aero Force One
December 14, 2005
Yo, Tom called - Again. That's right! Tom called and left a message, and you can hear it...
December 11, 2005- New - Chicago Rocked.
December 8, 2005- SOS and More.
November 1, 2005- Tom Reflects on Opening Night
October 27, 2005 - What We're Up To.
You have to be a Gold or Platinum Member of AF1. Log in and Listen.
December 14, 2005
Yo, Tom called - Again. That's right! Tom called and left a message, and you can hear it...
December 11, 2005- New - Chicago Rocked.
December 8, 2005- SOS and More.
November 1, 2005- Tom Reflects on Opening Night
October 27, 2005 - What We're Up To.
You have to be a Gold or Platinum Member of AF1. Log in and Listen.
| Permalink |
Ross Halfin
RossHalfin.co.uk
Diary - December 14
At 1am fly with the band to Detroit. Shoot Steven and Joe together and a very nice portrait of Brad Whitford. Arrive at 3am, it is colder than Chicago - I am in hell... Well, at least hell would be warm...
I wake up in Birmingham (a suburb of Detroit), open my curtains to a view of a brick wall with the hotel garbage below - I am not a happy man. I go to the front desk. 'Can I move cells, to a cell with a view?' 'Sorry sir, we are sold out.' Nice to be in Detroit, murder capital of the USA...
December 13
Leave Chicago and fly up to Milwaukee. The food backstage is surprising, instead of prime rib and fish you get sushi, crab, steak, really anything you want. It turns out a culinary school is next to the arena and the students are doing the crew catering...
Rick Neilson arrives to show Joe Perry his Merle Travis guitar. It is one of only three and worth more than a house. Lenny Kravitz comes to see Joe - do some pics of them together.
The band are rather rocking tonight, they add Love In An Elevator instead of Helter Skelter which I find a bit tired (like listening to Smoke On The Water). Now I know you go to a show to have a good time but the crowd are very drunk, the arena floor is a sea of spilt booze, and people are walking into each other like zombies. There is nothing WORSE than a drunk older fan, they seem to think it's their role in life to stand in front of me leering into my camera going "aaaaargh, roooock n' roooooll" as they proceed to spill booze all over me. It was like being with twenty thousand Paul Brannigans. Joe Perry plays acoustic during Seasons Of Wither and it starts the intoxicated dancing. I didn't think of this as a dancing song. The other annoying thing is they all think they are photographers, swaying and trying to take photos on their mobile phones...
I have never seen so many girls climb on stage trying to kiss Steven. Donnie Shiteman was doing his best to intercept, hoping for a kiss... Rick Neilsen played Train Kept A Rollin with the band. They did the slower version - as on Get Your Wings. The encore was Back in The Saddle and Draw The Line, my two fave Aerosmith songs. The band had a great time - I did not enjoy shooting it...
Diary - December 14
At 1am fly with the band to Detroit. Shoot Steven and Joe together and a very nice portrait of Brad Whitford. Arrive at 3am, it is colder than Chicago - I am in hell... Well, at least hell would be warm...
I wake up in Birmingham (a suburb of Detroit), open my curtains to a view of a brick wall with the hotel garbage below - I am not a happy man. I go to the front desk. 'Can I move cells, to a cell with a view?' 'Sorry sir, we are sold out.' Nice to be in Detroit, murder capital of the USA...
December 13
Leave Chicago and fly up to Milwaukee. The food backstage is surprising, instead of prime rib and fish you get sushi, crab, steak, really anything you want. It turns out a culinary school is next to the arena and the students are doing the crew catering...
Rick Neilson arrives to show Joe Perry his Merle Travis guitar. It is one of only three and worth more than a house. Lenny Kravitz comes to see Joe - do some pics of them together.
The band are rather rocking tonight, they add Love In An Elevator instead of Helter Skelter which I find a bit tired (like listening to Smoke On The Water). Now I know you go to a show to have a good time but the crowd are very drunk, the arena floor is a sea of spilt booze, and people are walking into each other like zombies. There is nothing WORSE than a drunk older fan, they seem to think it's their role in life to stand in front of me leering into my camera going "aaaaargh, roooock n' roooooll" as they proceed to spill booze all over me. It was like being with twenty thousand Paul Brannigans. Joe Perry plays acoustic during Seasons Of Wither and it starts the intoxicated dancing. I didn't think of this as a dancing song. The other annoying thing is they all think they are photographers, swaying and trying to take photos on their mobile phones...
I have never seen so many girls climb on stage trying to kiss Steven. Donnie Shiteman was doing his best to intercept, hoping for a kiss... Rick Neilsen played Train Kept A Rollin with the band. They did the slower version - as on Get Your Wings. The encore was Back in The Saddle and Draw The Line, my two fave Aerosmith songs. The band had a great time - I did not enjoy shooting it...
| Permalink |
First Look - Milwaukee
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler struts Tuesday at the Bradley Center. The band's North American tour runs through February.
(Photo/Benny Sieu)
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler struts Tuesday at the Bradley Center. The band's North American tour runs through February. (Photo/Benny Sieu)
| Permalink |
Aerosmith Hasn't Lost Much With Age
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI
December 14, 2005
Maybe Joe Perry should be put in charge of our nation's nuclear arsenal.
The iconic Aerosmith lead guitarist never loses his cool, whether strutting the stage in a cavalryman's uniform, complete with spurs, or handling the vocals on "Shakin' My Cage." Perry remains unflappable even when flipping his Gibson Les Paul behind his back to switch guitars mid-song and solo on a Fender Telecaster, a feat he performed more than once during Aerosmith's headlining set Tuesday night at the Bradley Center.
With apparent ice in his veins and fingers of lightning, Perry didn't even break a sweat over only a few thousand fans showing up to see the classic boogie-rock giants romp through four decades of hits.
Frontman Steven Tyler seemed to need most of opening song "Love in an Elevator" to warm up, but once on his game, he revealed his vocal skills and manic gymnastic abilities that have remained remarkably intact for a 57-year-old grandfather who could give Keith Richards a run for his money in the grizzled category.
Aerosmith made a statement with a strong opening of half a dozen songs pulled from throughout their catalog, including "Livin' On the Edge," "Walk This Way" and "No More No More," the latter from their landmark 1975 album "Toys in the Attic."
The stage design included a number of ramps that led deep into the crowd, and Tyler in particular made good use of the setup, leaning over the ramps or draping himself on the railings to serenade and then spontaneously make out with more than one audience member.
Grampa Tyler may be getting a little too up there in years to pull off such antics, but the band's music remains timeless - even when the quintet stretched out "Sweet Emotion" for a long, classic '70s rock-style noodle-jam.
Deadlines precluded a review of the band's entire set.
Opening act Lenny Kravitz could have wowed the crowd with a lean, lively 45-minute set, but he chose instead to perform for nearly twice that length of time, padding his scant handful of hits with soggy filler. Despite his rock-star wardrobe and book of stage moves copped from both James Brown and Robert Plant, Kravitz was frequently flat and consistently outshone by his excellent eight-piece backing band.
While the band's momentum fueled the set's better songs, notably an extended jam on "Let Love Rule" and closer "Are You Gonna Go My Way," the slower, more leaden material such as "Lady" and "California" only called attention to Kravitz's shortcomings as both singer and songwriter.
December 14, 2005
Maybe Joe Perry should be put in charge of our nation's nuclear arsenal.
The iconic Aerosmith lead guitarist never loses his cool, whether strutting the stage in a cavalryman's uniform, complete with spurs, or handling the vocals on "Shakin' My Cage." Perry remains unflappable even when flipping his Gibson Les Paul behind his back to switch guitars mid-song and solo on a Fender Telecaster, a feat he performed more than once during Aerosmith's headlining set Tuesday night at the Bradley Center.
With apparent ice in his veins and fingers of lightning, Perry didn't even break a sweat over only a few thousand fans showing up to see the classic boogie-rock giants romp through four decades of hits.
Frontman Steven Tyler seemed to need most of opening song "Love in an Elevator" to warm up, but once on his game, he revealed his vocal skills and manic gymnastic abilities that have remained remarkably intact for a 57-year-old grandfather who could give Keith Richards a run for his money in the grizzled category.
Aerosmith made a statement with a strong opening of half a dozen songs pulled from throughout their catalog, including "Livin' On the Edge," "Walk This Way" and "No More No More," the latter from their landmark 1975 album "Toys in the Attic."
The stage design included a number of ramps that led deep into the crowd, and Tyler in particular made good use of the setup, leaning over the ramps or draping himself on the railings to serenade and then spontaneously make out with more than one audience member.
Grampa Tyler may be getting a little too up there in years to pull off such antics, but the band's music remains timeless - even when the quintet stretched out "Sweet Emotion" for a long, classic '70s rock-style noodle-jam.
Deadlines precluded a review of the band's entire set.
Opening act Lenny Kravitz could have wowed the crowd with a lean, lively 45-minute set, but he chose instead to perform for nearly twice that length of time, padding his scant handful of hits with soggy filler. Despite his rock-star wardrobe and book of stage moves copped from both James Brown and Robert Plant, Kravitz was frequently flat and consistently outshone by his excellent eight-piece backing band.
While the band's momentum fueled the set's better songs, notably an extended jam on "Let Love Rule" and closer "Are You Gonna Go My Way," the slower, more leaden material such as "Lady" and "California" only called attention to Kravitz's shortcomings as both singer and songwriter.
| Permalink |
Set List
Aerosmith: Bradley Center - December 13, 2005
1) Love In An Elevator
2) Walk This Way
3) Big Ten Inch Record
4) Cryin'
5) No More No More
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
13) Blues jam /Baby Please Don't Go
14) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
15) Back In The Saddle
16) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
1) Love In An Elevator
2) Walk This Way
3) Big Ten Inch Record
4) Cryin'
5) No More No More
6) Livin' On The Edge
7) Shakin' My Cage
8) Sweet Emotion
9) Seasons Of Wither
10) I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
11) Dream On
12) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
13) Blues jam /Baby Please Don't Go
14) Train Kept A Rollin' (Slow)
===Encore===
15) Back In The Saddle
16) Draw The Line
Thanks to: AeroFANatic.bigbig.com
| Permalink |
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Ross Halfin
RossHalfin.co.uk
Diary - December 12
Been in Chicago the last couple of days - Aerosmith are home in Boston...
December 10
Get up at 3.45 am. Fly on the first flight to Chicago. Shoot the dawn flying out of Los Angeles - beautiful clouds.
Arrive to a snowbound Chicago - It Is Cold, Really Cold, Arctic Cold...
By 6pm Chicago is having the worst snow storm I've ever been in. The taxi I take to the United Center is sliding all over the road. The first person I see is Steven who is very happy I have a Nikon Digital camera - he now thinks I've joined the 21st century...
Shoot Steven working out, digitally, and cheated and shot some real black and white. Shoot the band walking to the stage with Donny Shiteman walking in the middle of them - pretending he doesn't see me taking the pictures. The show is hard to shoot, very backlit and not very camera-friendly with two huge penis ramps going out each side of the stage. Spend the encores on stage, Steven telling me to go right in the middle - even introduced me to the crowd... Charlie Hernandez, the production manager, is pulled on and sung Happy Birthday to by Steven and the crowd. Good show, everyone in a good mood.
Diary - December 12
Been in Chicago the last couple of days - Aerosmith are home in Boston...
December 10
Get up at 3.45 am. Fly on the first flight to Chicago. Shoot the dawn flying out of Los Angeles - beautiful clouds.
Arrive to a snowbound Chicago - It Is Cold, Really Cold, Arctic Cold...
By 6pm Chicago is having the worst snow storm I've ever been in. The taxi I take to the United Center is sliding all over the road. The first person I see is Steven who is very happy I have a Nikon Digital camera - he now thinks I've joined the 21st century...
Shoot Steven working out, digitally, and cheated and shot some real black and white. Shoot the band walking to the stage with Donny Shiteman walking in the middle of them - pretending he doesn't see me taking the pictures. The show is hard to shoot, very backlit and not very camera-friendly with two huge penis ramps going out each side of the stage. Spend the encores on stage, Steven telling me to go right in the middle - even introduced me to the crowd... Charlie Hernandez, the production manager, is pulled on and sung Happy Birthday to by Steven and the crowd. Good show, everyone in a good mood.
| Permalink |
Photo Gallery
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
December 13, 2005
Target Center - 12-06-05
Steven Tyler leans on guitarist Joe Perry early in their Target Center set.
(Jeff Wheeler,Star Tribune)
Lead singer Steven Tyler gets some love from fans at Target Center during the Aerosmith show.
(Jeff Wheeler,Star Tribune)
More: (Here)
December 13, 2005
Target Center - 12-06-05
Steven Tyler leans on guitarist Joe Perry early in their Target Center set.
(Jeff Wheeler,Star Tribune)
Lead singer Steven Tyler gets some love from fans at Target Center during the Aerosmith show.
(Jeff Wheeler,Star Tribune)
More: (Here)
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Aerosmith is Better Than the Energizer Bunny
The Flint Journal, MI
December 13, 2005
The plan was to take this year off. But something called the men of Aerosmith back to do what guitarist Joe Perry thinks they do best: perform.
"We were pretty much going all the time. We needed to take the year off, but it seemed like a good time to put something out, and we didn't want to go in and do a full studio record," Perry explained from a Thanksgiving eve tour stop in Philadelphia.
Egged on in part by fans, the band released "Rockin' the Joint," a recording of its Jan. 11, 2002, show at the Joint, the 8,000-square foot concert theater in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel, a decidedly smaller place than the arenas and stadiums to which the Boston quintet is accustomed.
"That show was a real standout evening for us," Perry recalled. "We pulled a couple of songs out of the archives, and they came off pretty good. The old standards worked really well. ... It was one of those nights. We're just fortunate we had the tape running."
A show like that, and the mix-it-up approach the group is taking on its current arena tour with Lenny Kravitz, represent what Perry described as "the essence of what this band is - a live rock band that plays off its audience and owes everything it has to its audience."
Thirty five years after its formation, and 21 years after the original lineup of singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and Perry overcame personal tensions and drug and alcohol problems and reunited, Aerosmith finds itself in the enviable position of doing what it wants.
The chase for chart-topping hits that fueled its rebound in the '80s and strong run through the '90s seems to have faded with 2001's spotty album "Just Push Play." Credit the members' advancing years (Perry is 55), the Beantown band's massive success (and subsequent financial security) and a musical landscape that is increasingly hostile toward blues-based rock 'n' roll.
"The way the business is now, it's almost stacked against us to get anything on the radio, then to translate it to sales," the guitarist said. "It's almost like why bother, other than to make music that we can stand by and want to play every night and know it's good. It's almost down to that, which is kind of refreshing."
It's an attitude that has liberated the band, resulting in 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo," on which Aerosmith returned to its blues and rhythm-and-blues roots. That same approach infused the self-titled solo album Perry released this year, his fourth overall and first since 1984.
"It's not the flavor of the month. It's not going to sell 2 million copies," he said of the new solo disc, "but at least it's out there; it's a piece of art that I did. It rocks and I had fun. I had a riot."
He also may have his first solo Grammy Award come Feb. 8. The album's song "Mercy" was nominated last week for the Best Rock Instrumental Performance award.
The nod tops off what has been a pretty good year for Perry and the band. The guitarist and his family sold their digs on the Massachusetts coast for a farm in Vermont where they can ride the horses, hop on their snowmobiles or "drive to Canada right from my backyard." Singer Steven Tyler contributed vocals to Carlos Santana's new single and video, "Just Feel Better."
The band, Perry says, is having a blast on this tour, which has been packing arenas with a mix of hits and obscurities and a fan-friendly stage. The tour was going to end with Thursday's show at The Palace of Auburn Hills and Saturday's stop in Grand Rapids but recently was extended into late February.
They've been toying with the setlist nightly, tossing in covers like the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and mixing things up instead of playing it safe. "The other night there was a guy standing in the front row right in front of me holding up a sign for 'Kings and Queens.' So about three-quarters of the way through the show, I said let's play it. So we played it," Perry remembered. "It doesn't get any more immediate than that."
Aerosmith does intend to begin work on a new album next year, but for the time being, it's having too much fun working on the road.
"The whole art to this playing live business for a band like ours is we don't stand there and play the songs. We work the song, and we work the audience with the songs every night with the on-the-spot interplay," Perry said. "That's what makes it magic. To make great rock 'n' roll, you have to engage the audience. It's work and it takes a big chunk out of you to do it, but that's what makes a good show into a great show."
December 13, 2005
The plan was to take this year off. But something called the men of Aerosmith back to do what guitarist Joe Perry thinks they do best: perform.
"We were pretty much going all the time. We needed to take the year off, but it seemed like a good time to put something out, and we didn't want to go in and do a full studio record," Perry explained from a Thanksgiving eve tour stop in Philadelphia.
Egged on in part by fans, the band released "Rockin' the Joint," a recording of its Jan. 11, 2002, show at the Joint, the 8,000-square foot concert theater in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel, a decidedly smaller place than the arenas and stadiums to which the Boston quintet is accustomed.
"That show was a real standout evening for us," Perry recalled. "We pulled a couple of songs out of the archives, and they came off pretty good. The old standards worked really well. ... It was one of those nights. We're just fortunate we had the tape running."
A show like that, and the mix-it-up approach the group is taking on its current arena tour with Lenny Kravitz, represent what Perry described as "the essence of what this band is - a live rock band that plays off its audience and owes everything it has to its audience."
Thirty five years after its formation, and 21 years after the original lineup of singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and Perry overcame personal tensions and drug and alcohol problems and reunited, Aerosmith finds itself in the enviable position of doing what it wants.
The chase for chart-topping hits that fueled its rebound in the '80s and strong run through the '90s seems to have faded with 2001's spotty album "Just Push Play." Credit the members' advancing years (Perry is 55), the Beantown band's massive success (and subsequent financial security) and a musical landscape that is increasingly hostile toward blues-based rock 'n' roll.
"The way the business is now, it's almost stacked against us to get anything on the radio, then to translate it to sales," the guitarist said. "It's almost like why bother, other than to make music that we can stand by and want to play every night and know it's good. It's almost down to that, which is kind of refreshing."
It's an attitude that has liberated the band, resulting in 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo," on which Aerosmith returned to its blues and rhythm-and-blues roots. That same approach infused the self-titled solo album Perry released this year, his fourth overall and first since 1984.
"It's not the flavor of the month. It's not going to sell 2 million copies," he said of the new solo disc, "but at least it's out there; it's a piece of art that I did. It rocks and I had fun. I had a riot."
He also may have his first solo Grammy Award come Feb. 8. The album's song "Mercy" was nominated last week for the Best Rock Instrumental Performance award.
The nod tops off what has been a pretty good year for Perry and the band. The guitarist and his family sold their digs on the Massachusetts coast for a farm in Vermont where they can ride the horses, hop on their snowmobiles or "drive to Canada right from my backyard." Singer Steven Tyler contributed vocals to Carlos Santana's new single and video, "Just Feel Better."
The band, Perry says, is having a blast on this tour, which has been packing arenas with a mix of hits and obscurities and a fan-friendly stage. The tour was going to end with Thursday's show at The Palace of Auburn Hills and Saturday's stop in Grand Rapids but recently was extended into late February.
They've been toying with the setlist nightly, tossing in covers like the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and mixing things up instead of playing it safe. "The other night there was a guy standing in the front row right in front of me holding up a sign for 'Kings and Queens.' So about three-quarters of the way through the show, I said let's play it. So we played it," Perry remembered. "It doesn't get any more immediate than that."
Aerosmith does intend to begin work on a new album next year, but for the time being, it's having too much fun working on the road.
"The whole art to this playing live business for a band like ours is we don't stand there and play the songs. We work the song, and we work the audience with the songs every night with the on-the-spot interplay," Perry said. "That's what makes it magic. To make great rock 'n' roll, you have to engage the audience. It's work and it takes a big chunk out of you to do it, but that's what makes a good show into a great show."
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