Blimp Time-Hop: Aerosmith At The CCCC On 11/19 ’78 And ’82

Today we look back on two November 19th shows with the Bad Boys From Boston at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The first one was one of the last Maine shows of the 1970s with the original line-up of Aerosmith.  

The second one was one of the first concerts here in 1980s and happened without guitarists Brad Whitford and Joe Perry

The first 11/19 show was in 1978, a month after the release of Live! Bootleg. On stage that night was the legendary lineup of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer.

Here's an underrated gem from that era that we still proudly play on WBLM pretty regularly. A moustached Richie Supa also appears in the video on guitar and back-up vocals. He wrote this Aerosmith classic, Chip away the Stone.

The second 11/19 performance was in 1982 and went on without lead guitarist, Joe Perry who left in May of 1979 in the middle of recording Night in the Ruts.

Another member of the classic line-up of Aerosmith was absent that night as well. Guitarist, Brad Whitford exited during the recording of Rock and a Hard Place. Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay filled in the enormous guitar holes left by Perry and Whitford.

Sadly, heavy drug use and bad vibes seemed to dominate this period. In fact you may recall when they came to Portland in December of ’79, Steven Tyler passed out onstage bringing the show to a halt.

Here's the what they played 38 years ago when the Rock In A Hard Place tour came to town.

Although it’s underrated, Rock and a Hard Place remains a heavy favorite here in Blimpville.

This is no doubt a kick-ass Aerosmith song. But, the video for it is pretty friggin' weird. The band members are dressed up as greaser troublemakers. They raise hell in the video by smashing cantaloupes with bats that then explode! Terrifying, eh.

Go to 3:26 on this video for a pretty striking example of how high Tyler and company probably were at the time.