Walking down Commonwealth Avenue along the B Line, past Joshua Tree and toward Allston Street, the buildings begin to blend in with one another. You might not even notice some of them are there until you take a step back and look. You also might not realize that one of the apartment buildings, at 1325 Comm Ave, was where Aerosmith got their start back in the 70s. But I’m sure you do now, since, despite all the red tape that would assumedly prevent a hearty chunk of one of Boston’s major roadway to shut down on a Monday, Aerosmith hosted a free concert right on the street corner outside of their old building from 12:45 till 1:30 pm today.
The day before their new album, Music From Another Dimension, releases, and only about 15 minutes after their scheduled arrival, Aerosmith rolled back to their roots in front of a sea of Bostonians that stretched from Harvard Ave to Allston St, riding in on a duck boat, because how else do rock stars get around? Accompanied by several other boats carting Patriots cheerleaders and the press, Aerosmith waved and everyone cheered, followed by a few minutes of quiet waiting while they unloaded on the street. After clambering onto the low roof of the building next door to 1325, it was announced that Aerosmith would have a commemorative plaque plastered to the building, as well as a new street sign installed at the corner in their honor. Steven Tyler then took over the mic to tell the blonde girl with her head poking out of a second story window that they would be up later to see their old apartment.
After another wait while the speakers and a makeshift stage on a loading truck were hauled in, New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft (AKA not Tom Brady) introduced the band, likening them to the Pilgrims, as they were an American rock band to hit it big during a time in music history dominated by British bands. Going so far as to label them the “US champion band of all time” (maybe the excitement got to his head?), Kraft then handed the stage over to Aerosmith.
The crowd, ranging from graying rockers, to middle-aged ladies, to an assortment of 20 and 30-somethings, squished uncomfortably close between the barriers, most unable to actually see the small stage. The sound was for the most part clear, but the crisp November afternoon was meant more for soaking in the musical history than enjoying a full-fledged concert. This was thanks in part to the attention the band paid to their earliest songs, ones from their 1973 self-titled album. They kicked off with “Walkin’ the Dog,” then moved on to “Movin’ Out,” which they introduced as the first song they ever recorded, right in the window of the building behind the stage. Mostly everyone was too close to each other to move to the music, but an American flag poked out and waved around, beach balls bounced along before landing in the T tracks, and the smell of marijuana drifted through the dense crowd not long after the show started.
“Boones Farm, baby!” sang from the stage as Steven Tyler and Joe Perry reminisced gathering pennies to spend across the street at Brookline Liquor Mart, before playing hits “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” People modestly sang and might have danced a little, but the proximity to everyone else and the bright sun tempered normal concert enthusiasm. After a quick “Take this to the Green line” (which hadn’t rolled by once during the show), they launched into “Train Kept a Rollin,’” the last song of their truncated, midday set. Smoke and confetti burst into the air over Comm Ave, and just as quickly as they appeared that morning, Aerosmith was gone. (I can’t say the same for the thousands of people left to mingle in the street, though.)
While one may argue whether or not Aerosmith really is the US champion band of all time, it’s hard to compare their brief fling in Allston to many other events in the city, and it wasn’t one to miss. The diverse neighborhood beats with an effervescent pulse in the name of original, local music, but budding bands don’t celebrate the same freedoms as those who have long made it. Hopefully Aerosmith’s spirit will linger in their wake, or at least provide growing artists with a reason to keep going.
