Up Close and in Your Face! John B's News From the Road
Up Close and in Your Face!
Hey folks back again!
Last I left you the guys were heading into Dooooo-Rant OK! The show was at the Choctaw Events Center in the Grand Theatre. I am not really sure when the joint opened but the band christened their new music venue. As you walked backstage you could still see the dust in the air and the site of cranes inside the building. Aerosmith cut the ribbon prior to the show and it was all systems go from there. This beautiful 2800 seat theatre was the perfect venue for the bad boys of Boston. The comfy confines meant no stage thrust tonight going into the crowd so the stage had more of an intimate feel to it. Walkin’ the Dog and Big 10 Inch were dusted off (literally) and inserted to the ever-changing set. If you get a chance to see the band in a smaller setting like this you should jump at the chance.
Next up was Hidalgo TX.
You might look at the tour schedule and say the band is playing what they call in the industry as B-Markets but these cities take a backseat to no one. The venues may be a little smaller than where you are used to seeing Aerosmith perform but there is no shortage of energy in these buildings. Plus the band hasn’t played these places in years if at all. We haven’t been to Hidalgo since 2004 on the “Bobo” tour and the venue went all out making the band feel at home. Being so close to Mexico you got a ton of the Mexican chapter of Aero Force One there and it gave it more of an international vibe that night. F.I.N.E. was played for like the 5th time in 15 years and it also saw the return of that old chestnut “Lord of the Thighs”.
Lake Tahoe!
LT was next up on the tour schedule and the band just played there last summer. This show was set in another intimate setting but this time outdoors. The town reminds me of Cape Cod but all condensed into one alive rocking casino town. “Let the Music Do the Talking” opened the show and was played for the first time since South America 2013 and for only the 10th time in the past 11 years. The cool summer air made for a enjoyable evening and the crowd and band all went home happy, so much that it would be a great thing to make this a yearly occurrence. Hope to see you next year Tahoe. Steven liked it so much he spent 4 days there taking in the summer activities. It must have reminded him of Sunapee on steroids.
Next week I’ll revue the Santa Barbara show which as you know is less than 2 hrs away from Los Angeles as the crow flies so expect a 4-5 hour commute. I’m sure there will be a cast of characters attending and should be quite amusing.
The guys sans Steven based out of LA since Hidalgo and it’s funny whom you run into at the Hotel. This week old curmudgeon and famed photographer Ross Halfin made his way across the pond and set up camp at our Hotel. It was good to get caught up with Ross and his trusty sidekick Kaz. He spent one afternoon getting caught up with the master of the big bottom Tom Hamilton and had an impromptu photo shoot with the “George Hamilton of Aerosmith” Joe Perry. Go check out his web site at RossHalfin.com and be cool like Joe and order one of his T-Shirts.
Out on the road with us this tour is another Perry. Aaron is Joe’s son and he is taking care of the band’s social media needs. Be sure to log onto Periscope on show day because you don’t know what is up to and may turn the damn thing on at any moment. The band’s loose sound checks seem to be his specialty. He updates the Facebook and Instagram page as well as Joe’s pages so be sure to check that out too.
Also keep an eye on my first podcast coming up soon here on this page. My first guest will be the “silent one” Brad Whitford.
Employee of the Week!
This week the honors fall on Chris Adamson. Chris is enjoying his very first stint with the Bad Boys from Boston but by no means is newbie to this business. He is the band’s production manager for the “Blue Army” tour and takes his position very seriously. Chris started out with Pink Floyd back when Cain was Abel. You can hear him on Dark Side of the Moon. He’s the guy that said, "I've been mad for fucking years – absolutely years" at the beginning of the album. He has been in the Tom Petty camp for the last 20 years and the consummate professional. He has teamed with his production coordinator Jessica Squire (more about her in the coming weeks) to form a dynamic duo of sorts and keep the touring machine well oiled and lubed as the band crisscross their way across North America on the band’s summer jaunt.
See you on the Road!
John B.