by Dean Johnson
Impossible as it might seem, the Boston rock heroes in Aerosmith will be bigger stars than ever when they return home for a New Year's Eve show at the FleetCenter (sold out) and a Centrum gig on Saturday.
The band pulled off a feat last summer no other rock group has ever accomplished. Its power ballad ``I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'' from the movie soundtrack ``Armageddon,'' debuted on top of Billboard Magazine's ``Hot 100'' singles survey.
It was Aerosmith's first No. 1 single. But even more impressive, no rock group had ever debuted a hit single on top of the Billboard charts. Not the Beatles nor U2, just Aerosmith.
But after nearly a quarter of a century manning lead guitar for the band - a time including well-documented addiction problems, band squabbles, and more - Joe Perry was typically unflappable about the group's historic achievement.
Yet though Perry is now 48, his group is both hot enough and cool enough to play both the Billboard and Nickelodeon awards (the latter with Hanson and Puff Daddy) and have the members of younger groups opening for them asking for autographs.
``We've started to see this snowballing thing with young fans,'' he said, because of recent singles ``Pink'' and ``I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.''
``They listen to those songs, then they listen to `Dream On' and our other stuff and get into that rock 'n' roll they don't get to hear because it's not played on radio they usually listen to. Then they come to our shows and really get off on the energy.''
There will be plenty of energy at the upcoming local gigs, annual events that have special importance to the band.
``One of the things about having a hometown like Boston,'' Perry said, ``is that after being on the road for a while with so many family members and friends here, it's fun to bring the whole thing back and say, `Hey, look where we're at now.' ''
And ``fun'' is still important to Perry.
``It's definitely as much fun now as ever,'' he said. ``There is always something new happening. I can remember as a kid when records were only in mono. Then there was stereo. Then videos, then all the soundtrack stuff, and now the new media.
``It's a pretty amazing time to be alive,'' he said, ``and I have a feeling that as long as the band can create real electricity in concert, we'll always tour somehow. I see us staying in music. We've been through so much as a band that we've decided to keep going and see how far we can go.''
A key to Aerosmith's survival is the unique synergy between Perry and singer Steven Tyler. It's a McCartney-and-Lennon or Jagger-and-Richards chemistry essential to the group. ``We're closer than we ever were,'' he said.
``We've gotten to be good friends, as everybody else in the band has. There was a long period of time,'' he said, ``where everyone was so ego-driven and bound and determined to be `Aerosmith' that we left the friendship thing on the side.
``But after getting to crossroads on a lot of levels - personally and professionally,'' he said, ``We've ended up being good friends. We still have arguments. Everyone in the band does. Everyone tries to take control and we fight it out. But it doesn't get personal. That's what breaks bands up.''
Above it all, Perry remains a fan. ``I don't go anywhere without a Chuck Berry record,'' he said, and when asked if he still has an ultimate project, he had just one wish.
``Some day I would like to play onstage with Bob Dylan,'' he said. ``That would be great. He's an idol of mine, and I just love his music.''
Aerosmith plays New Year's Eve at the FleetCenter (sold out) and Saturday at the Centrum (some tickets are still available).
``We had the same reaction a lot of people had,'' he said with a laugh. ``They said, `It's your first No. 1 single,' and we're looking at each other saying, `It is?'
``Our perception was that we must have had one before that. But we'd had No. 1 albums and rock charting songs, never a real, legitimate, worldwide home run.
``It all sometimes reminds me of baseball stats,'' he said. ``There are a thousand of them. How many of them really matter?''
That song and the new live album ``A Little South of Sanity,'' are important to Perry for different reasons.
``Even if people aren't big fans of our music,'' he said, ``they have to respect that we've been around and made a career in an industry so well-designed to just chew you up and spit you out.''
Let's get some perspective on just how long Aerosmith has been around. The year Aerosmith formed, the Beatles broke up and Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix died.
Yet though Perry is now 48, his group is both hot enough and cool enough to play both the Billboard and Nickelodeon awards (the latter with Hanson and Puff Daddy) and have the members of younger groups opening for them asking for autographs.
``We've started to see this snowballing thing with young fans,'' he said, because of recent singles ``Pink'' and ``I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.''
``They listen to those songs, then they listen to `Dream On' and our other stuff and get into that rock 'n' roll they don't get to hear because it's not played on radio they usually listen to. Then they come to our shows and really get off on the energy.''
There will be plenty of energy at the upcoming local gigs, annual events that have special importance to the band.
``One of the things about having a hometown like Boston,'' Perry said, ``is that after being on the road for a while with so many family members and friends here, it's fun to bring the whole thing back and say, `Hey, look where we're at now.' ''
And ``fun'' is still important to Perry.
``It's definitely as much fun now as ever,'' he said. ``There is always something new happening. I can remember as a kid when records were only in mono. Then there was stereo. Then videos, then all the soundtrack stuff, and now the new media.
``It's a pretty amazing time to be alive,'' he said, ``and I have a feeling that as long as the band can create real electricity in concert, we'll always tour somehow. I see us staying in music. We've been through so much as a band that we've decided to keep going and see how far we can go.''
A key to Aerosmith's survival is the unique synergy between Perry and singer Steven Tyler. It's a McCartney-and-Lennon or Jagger-and-Richards chemistry essential to the group. ``We're closer than we ever were,'' he said.
``We've gotten to be good friends, as everybody else in the band has. There was a long period of time,'' he said, ``where everyone was so ego-driven and bound and determined to be `Aerosmith' that we left the friendship thing on the side.
``But after getting to crossroads on a lot of levels - personally and professionally,'' he said, ``We've ended up being good friends. We still have arguments. Everyone in the band does. Everyone tries to take control and we fight it out. But it doesn't get personal. That's what breaks bands up.''
Above it all, Perry remains a fan. ``I don't go anywhere without a Chuck Berry record,'' he said, and when asked if he still has an ultimate project, he had just one wish.
``Some day I would like to play onstage with Bob Dylan,'' he said. ``That would be great. He's an idol of mine, and I just love his music.''
Aerosmith plays New Year's Eve at the FleetCenter (sold out) and Saturday at the Centrum (some tickets are still available).