THE NEW GUITAR HERO: AEROSMITH RE-CREATES SIX STAGES THE BAND HAS ROCKED IN REAL LIFE. HERE, GUITARIST JOE PERRY AND BASSIST TOM HAMILTON SHARE TALES FROM EACH VENUE
Nipmuc Regional High School// Upton, Massachusetts [Level 1]
Joe Perry: "This was where we had our first gig, in 1970, using the name Aerosmith - it was the name nobody didn't like. We played a lot of suburban high schools; it gave us more freedom than playing clubs." Tom Hamilton: "The students got out there and jumped and danced, and it was a rockin' time. I'm looking forward o [current] Nipmuc students finding out that their school is one of the venues. Watch, they'll probably sue us for a cut of the game."
Max's Kansas City// New York [Level 2]
Perry: "Max's was a pretty decadent scene; there were plenty of drugs floating around. We were the hicks from Boston - we weren't wearing tutus or high heels, like the New York Dolls. Clive Davis, who was then president of Columbia Records, saw us there in 1972 and said, 'I'm gonna make you guys stars."
Orpheum Theatre// Boston [Level 3]
Perry: "We started playing at the Orpheum around '73 or '74. We'd play, then we'd go party at friends' apartments. Drugs were around, but it wasn't too crazy - nobody had much money back then." Hamilton: "Our most poignant gig there was in 1984, after we'd been broken in half for three years. The band was onstage with our two new guitar players, and [guitarist] Brad [Whitford] and Joe were there watching. Afterward, we had a massive hotel party and started putting the band back together."
Super Bowl XXXV Halftime SHow// Tampa, Florida [Level 4]
Hamilton: "When our fans heard we'd be playing with Britney Spears, some panicked that we were about to become her backup band. The show [2001] was a novelty, because it was a sporting event, and when we formed, sports guys were the ones who beat guys like us up. They only came around when they saw how much pussy was going on at our shows."
Olympiysky Arena// Moscow [Level 5]
Perry: "We played Russia for the first time in 2007. It was incredible performing for 60,000 people, but it wasn't just that. It was amazing being there, because we come from a generation where you couldn't go to Russia - it was verboten." Hamilton: "We were Cold War kids, so I was like, Holy Crap, we're in Russia! The venue was this bizarre, gigantic indoor stadium - a Stalin-era kind of building that was supposed to demonstrate the glory of the State. Russia was really cool. i had a lot of caviar there."
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction// New York [Real Life]; Cleveland [In Game] [Level 6]
Perry: "That was one of those gigs [in 2001] where you pinch yourself and go, I can't believe we're here. I felt nervous on stage." Hamilton: "I was cynical about it at first. Finally, I had the proper emotional response, which was to be humbled and to enjoy it. At the [all-star-jam finale], Keith Richards was onstage, and he turned around and face me with a big smile on his face. That made my millennium."