Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Slash and Velvet Revolver roll into town to play at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA for their Libertad Tour. They had entered Aerosmith country. And Slash knew it. So he paid homage to his “Guitar Hero” Joe Perry by wearing an Aerosmith Bootleg Live t-shirt.
And now I’m happy to say, I own it.
Another gem from Slash’s Julien’s Auction in 2011. This was sold in a lot of three shirts. Two Aerosmith shirts and one Megadeth. Funny story about the Aerosmith shirt. The guy I bought the shirt from was at a meet and greet at that show and a fan was actually wearing the shirt. Slash liked it so much that he asked him if he would give him the shirt for a VR shirt. The guy said the only way he would do the deal is if he wore the shirt that night onstage. Of course, he did. So Slash right?
I was able to find some incredible photos from this show. Check these out…
Please note…I will NOT be wearing this, as tempting as it may be.
I had the pleasure of meeting Joey a few times now, the first was at The Boston Music Awards, shown above.
For more than 30 years Joey Kramer has combined emotional feel with technical virtuosity to convey the musical ideas of his band mates in Aerosmith while evolving into one of rock’s greatest drummers. His meticulous timing and solid grooves have contributed as much to the sound of Aerosmith albums such as “Toys In The Attic,” “Rocks,” “Permanent Vacation,” “Pump,” and “Just Push Play” as Steven Tyler’s voice and Joe Perry’s guitar.
A longtime resident of Massachusetts, Joseph Michael Kramer was born in Bronx, NY on June 21,1950. By the age of 14 he was cutting his musical teeth as part of a Ventures-type instrumentals band named The Medallions. However, it wasn’t until Joey started drumming with an 11-piece rhythm and blues outfit during his late teens that he discovered the music that would serve as his main source of inspiration.
In 1970 he reconnected with a friend, Steven Tyler, who had joined forces with Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton and were in need of a drummer. Kramer jumped in and Aerosmith took off. Brad Whitford joined the group in 1971.
For two years the group played throughout New England and got their break on August 5, 1972 at Max’s Kansas City Club in New York City. That night the famed record executive Clive Davis was in attendance and was so impressed with Aerosmith that he signed them to Columbia Records on the spot.
In 1973 the band released their self-titled debut album, “Aerosmith,” and took to the road. They toured relentlessly over the next two years, taking time off only to record their follow up album, “Get Your Wings” which went Gold.
“Toys In the Attic” was released in 1975 followed by the 1976 release of “Rocks” and the band turned a significant creative and commercial corner in this era as the hits came fast and furious with the likes of “Last Child,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle” and “Walk This Way.”
Their endless roadwork paid off in Platinum and exploded into sold out pandemonium culminating before massive crowds of over 80,000 at the legendary Texxas Jam, and to a sea of over 350,000 at the famous CAL Jam in 1978. Aerosmith’s status as one of the most popular live acts of the decade was achieved.
It wasn’t long though before the intoxicating pace of rock stardom took its toll. The fire that had fueled them now began to burn them from within. As the decade drew to close, half-hearted albums — 1977’s “Draw the Line” and 1979’s “Night In the Ruts,” — canceled performances and internal strife dogged the band, weakening them at their core. After a dressing room blowout in July 1979, Perry announced his departure from the group to form The Joe Perry Project. Brad Whitford followed suit shortly thereafter to form Whitford-St. Holmes. The remaining three members soldiered on to eek out 1982’s “Rock In a Hard Place,” but the magic was gone. By the early 1980s, Aerosmith was all but over.
Cooler heads finally prevailed and in 1984, Perry and Whitford rejoined the group and Aerosmith hit the road for the Back in the Saddle Tour.
In 1985 the group signed a new record deal with Geffen Records and released “Done With Mirrors.” That was followed by “Permanent Vacation,” which hit record stores in 1987. This was the first in a string of releases that brought Aerosmith more fame, success and accolades than ever before. Their videos tormented the senses and raised the bar for music video excellence with “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” “Angel” and “Rag Doll.”
The band succeeded “Permanent Vacation” with 1989’s “Pump,” which spawned hits; “Love in an Elevator,” “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “The Other Side” and “What it Takes.”
The groups’ strong showing continued into the 1990s at it released “Get a Grip” in 1993 that featured radio slam dunks “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin,” “Eat the Rich,” “Crazy” and “Amazing.” “Nine Lives” was released in 1997, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and boasted the hit singles, “Pink” and “Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees.” They closed out the decade with their first No. 1 hit single “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from the 1998 movie “Armageddon” soundtrack.
More recently the band made “Just Push Play” in 2001 and “Honkin’ on Bobo” in 2004.
After the band released “Just Push Play,” Joey went back into the studio with producer Marti Frederiksen to work on a different type of solo project. “Drum Loops and Samples” entailed laying down a comprehensive array of drum tracks for artists of all skill levels to be able to utilize. The two-disc piece has over 340 loops and samples with a range of beats per minute from 71 to 148.
Kramer and Aerosmith have enjoyed tremendous success through their career. The group has sold over 100 million albums and have had concert dates sold out, not only North America, but in Japan, Australia, South America and Israel. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The group has received two People’s Choice Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, eight American Music Awards, 23 Boston Music Awards, 12 MTV Video Awards, four Grammys, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” They were selected as one of the Best Rock Bands by Rolling Stone and Hit Parader magazines and were chosen as the first rock band to be honored as MTV Icons.
Kramer extends his rock n’ roll lifestyle off the stage to his appreciation for cars. To get him from place to place, Joey relies on the fastest, strongest and most powerful cars available. He owns some of the most beautiful automobiles in the world and can often be seen cruising in his Lamborghini. He is a partner in a specialty automobile dealership, Corvette Mike New England, in Plymouth, MA. His need for speed transfers back into his playing.
Here’s a couple of killer signed drum heads from both the Rocksimus Maximus tour with KISS. And the Nine Lives tour, both signed by Joey.
Check out Joey’s website to read more about his new book and his new coffee, Rockin’ & Roastin’.
Boston Globe
Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphys raise heat in Mansfield
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff | June 17, 2009
MANSFIELD – Fire, cancer, pneumonia, knee replacements, drug addiction, hepatitis, and whatever undisclosed surgery guitarist Brad Whitford is currently recovering from. Aerosmith is clearly unstoppable.
That was certainly the case last night at the Comcast Center as the beloved Boston hard rockers steamrolled through a hot and tight set that spanned the quintet’s 36-year catalog. From opener “Train Kept a Rollin’ ’’ to closer “Come Together,’’ the jammed amphitheatre, with plenty of multigenerational groups spotted, sang along and hoisted lighters with regularity.
While the train no longer rolls all night long – it returns to the depot after a fittingly locomotive but concise 90 minute excursion – it’s firmly on the tracks. The guitar heroics from Joe Perry and Whitford sub Bobby Schneck were sizzling, the rhythm section of Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton thunderous, Russ Irwin remains an unsung hero on keyboards and harmonies, and Steven Tyler’s wide-mouth wail was soaked in its trademark blend of raunch and fire.
Following a six-song starter that included vintage and newer tracks – power ballad “Dream On,’’ the deep cut Perry spotlight “Combination,’’ salacious bump-and-grind “Love in an Elevator’’ – the band dove into its 1975 album “Toys in the Attic,’’ which it is performing from front to almost-back this tour. (They’ve been skipping the final track.)
The album is a great choice not only for the hits it presents – including spirited takes on “Walk This Way’’ and “Sweet Emotion’’ – but because it represents just about everything the band does well. It has the bawdy blooze of “Big Ten Inch Record,’’ the sunny pop melodics of “Uncle Salty,’’ the luscious harmonies of “No More, No More,’’ and the satisfying Zeppelin-esque stomp and snarl of “Round and Round,’’ a true rarity and real highlight last night.
Tyler, rocking in a ridiculous and amazing silver coat with a huge crucifix on the back and, at the start, a matching feathered pimp hat, was his irrepressible self with his persona and his smoking harmonica solos. He finally appears to have lost a step as his flamboyant gallop has powered down to more of a peacock strut. Perry, somehow making puffy shirts macho, was as lively as he’s been in a long time bombing around the stage thanks to healthy knees.
The band returned for an amusingly ramshackle attempt at “Dirty Water’’ with openers the Dropkick Murphys.
The Murphys acquitted themselves nicely in what felt like a surprisingly uphill battle. But the band’s endearing maelstrom of tin whistles, mandolins, bagpipes, banjos, and punk-rock fundamentals slowly won the crowd over. By the time they lit into an inventive cover of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley’’ and trotted out the Boston College marching band for “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,’’ the crowd was on its feet.
Sarah Rodman can be reached at srodman@globe.com
Sarah, nicely said.
Amen.
Show was killer.
Joe was on fire battling against himself on screen as he traded riffs with his Guitar Hero character.
Steven Tyler has lost nothing off his fastball.
He sounded “Amazing.”
The “Toys” album was the perfect pick.
And Steven trying to describe something to Joe during my “Meet and Greet” as he scribbled a picture to show him on my program, well made my night.
He shrugged, signed his sketch of who knows what, as he grabbed my hand to thank me while we both laughed.
Nine Lives is the twelfth studio album by America’s hardest rock band Aerosmith, released in 1997. The album was produced by Aerosmith and Kevin Shirley, and was the band’s first studio album released by Columbia Records since 1982′s Rock in a Hard Place.
It peaked at #1 at the Billboard Charts.
One of the album’s singles, “Pink”, won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
The booklet for Nine Lives contains 12 pieces of album art (including the cover). Each picture contains a smaller version of the previous picture within itself. The final picture is included in the first, creating an infinite loop. It was designed by Stefan Sagmeister, who allegedly has never received his fee for this work due to the controversy described below.
The original cover art angered some Hindus, who felt the artwork (taken from Hindu imagery and altered by giving the dancing figure a cat’s head) was offensive. The image depicts Lord Krishna (with a cat’s head) dancing on the head of the snake demon, Aghasura, a popular episode from Sagmeister’s childhood. The band had been unaware of the source of the artwork, and the record company apologized, and changed the artwork to a revised version.
Strangely enough, some copies with original covers have found their way to music store shelves in India, where Hinduism is the majority religion, and have not raised any further controversy.
