Aerosmith Rock Tens of Thousands of Fans in Boston

1325 Commmonwealth Avenue is the building in Boston where it all began some 40 years ago for Aerosmith, in an apartment where Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer lived and wrote songs together in the early ‘70s. It was where they planted the seed that would catapult them to become America’s greatest rock band, with sales exceeding 150 million albums worldwide and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Today (11/5/2012) at noon on the day before Election Day and the release of their new album 'Music From Another Dimension' (Columbia Records), Aerosmith threw one helluva party for their dedicated fans and their beloved city of Boston. They urged fans to become a “Freedom Fighter” by voting and performed live right in front of the 1325 Commmonwealth Avenue building. Tens of thousands of cheering fans turned out, with the city closing the streets down and suspending trolley service in the area (since the trolley runs in front of the apartment). It was one of the biggest events ever in Boston.

The day began with the designation of 1325 Commmonwealth Avenue as a historic landmark, with a special commemorative plaque placed outside on the building. This honor was bestowed on the band by Boston Mayor Tom Menino and the city of Boston. To top it off, Aerosmith will further leave their mark as their handprints are being placed in the sidewalk in front of the building. The significance of the event was underlined by the attendance of the New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft, Patriots Tom Brady and Jerod Mayo, along with an array of Patriots cheerleaders. ***See band quotes below.

The marker commemorating the "Aerosmith Apartment" is presented by the Music Museum Of New England as part of its Boston Music TrailTM, a series of markers at sites of musical significance around the city, made possible in part by a grant from the Music Drives Us Foundation. The mission of the Museum is to preserve, honor and showcase New England's musical heritage. It is building an online archive at mmone.org.

For their performance, which was exclusively broadcast live by AXS TV and will have an encore presentation of the event in full in primetime at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT., Aerosmith jumped headlong into a set of eight songs including ones that the band played live and recorded on their first album while living at 1325 Commonwealth Avenue. Among the songs was “Movin' Out,” from their 1973 self-titled debut album which Tyler and Perry wrote on a waterbed in the apartment. From the new album, the band fired up “Oh Yeah” and “Lover A Lot.” As they closed with their nugget “Train Kept A Rollin,” Aerosmith showered the throng with patriotically themed red, white and blue confetti.

Next, Aerosmith continues their "Global Warming Tour," with a new leg starting November 8 that will reach arenas in 14 cities.