News From The Road

It's been a while since I wrote so I thought I would fill you guys on what's been going on this summer. First off I have been to many Fourth of July's on the Esplanade in Boston but this one was by far the best one yet. Not only was the music top notch but also the fireworks display was the best I have ever seen. But! One major draw back was old Dr. Phil. He and wife seemed nice enough but their ability to read a teleprompter was on par with my 86 year old father in-law. I suggest an intervention on those two.

Dr. Phil and Family with Steven and Joe  
Photo:Melissa Mahoney

Steven Tyler has to be rock's version of Steve Austin. We can rebuild him! The guy is a machine and he seems to be well lubed for the upcoming “Route of all Evil Tour” with Motley Crue. The band start rehearsals next week. The stage will once again extend out into the audience but this time instead of the two ramps it will only have the one going out. The outdoor amphitheatres are just not cut out for the stage set up that you guys saw on the tour with Lenny. There will be a lot of changes on this upcoming tour and the band intends to keep it fresh. I am the first one to mention old chestnuts and this tour is no different.

Steven has kept himself pretty busy shuttling back and forth to the west coast, hanging with Liv and Royston in NYC, Mt. Blue charity gatherings and jamming with Willie Nelson. Sounds like he is in mid tour form.

"Weighing in at 145lbs The Demon of Screamin' Steven Tyler"
Photo:Donnie Wightman

Steven Tyler backstage at Willie Nelson show with the second greatest drummer in Music.
Photo: Donnie Wightman

The weather in Massachusetts was unbelievably hot last week that I felt like boarding a plane to Scottsdale and spend some time at the Alcor Cryonics Center and crawl into one of those cylinders they have Ted Williams frozen in but instead went to a beach on the Cape only to yet again have a group of teenagers try and roll me back in the water like I was some beached whale. Well it's better than last summer when I fell asleep on Nauset Beach only to wake up with a team of scientist over me getting ready to carve me up like I was some beached Humpback. Other than that - it was a great vacation.

Joe spent some time with a band from Sierra Leone called “The Refugee All Stars”. He was watching a documentary about them with his wife Billie and decided to fund a show for them to play in Woodstock, VT. If you get a chance check out their website to see what they are all about and you will be amazed. Joe jammed with them and had the guys over his house for the afternoon. He was astounded at their equipment that they brought with them. One of the guitar players played a right-handed guitar left handed and didn't even have the strings switched properly for a lefty. Joe couldn't believe the sounds that were coming out of these old and worn instruments. He then sent the guys all new guitars and a bass. Of course he sent 2 Joe Perry model Les Paul's along with a Gibson Left handed SG. The All Stars just completed a tour of Japan and hopefully we won't be too far behind them.

Joe is the guy with the black hat!

Joe stopped by Guitar Center in Boston last week with his son Roman. He went in looking to buy a Bass for the youngster and ended up trying out a Marshall Stack. The Amp is one of 250 ever made by Marshall and has a real vintage look to. The store manager PK Pandey opened the front doors and handed Joe a Les Paul and said give it a try. Joe proceeded to blow the roof off the joint and stopped traffic on Commonwealth with his riffs. Don't worry Roman left with a new bass and Joe will have an new addition to his stage rig

Joey has been in and out of the studio this week working on his drums with his tech “MaGee.” MaGee has been working on his drumming skills since March and has improved dramatically. Last year his playing sounded like a couple of sneakers in an old Maytag. The guy just dropped almost 90 lbs. since the end of the last tour and since he is one of the only guys on the payroll right now is my choice for Employee of the Week!

These days MaGee is on a steady diet of drumsticks! Photo: John Bionelli

It looks like this tour with Motley Crue will go until at least the end of November and then who the hell knows what will happen.

One last note:

I have been toying around with the idea of doing a diary like Ross Halfin has on his website but figured people don't really want to hear what I had for breakfast or what airline has the best peanuts in first class so I'm just gonna keep it real. All Friendly.

See you on the road!

27 days and counting.
John B.

Read John B's previous reports