Blimp Time-Hop: Two Aerosmith Anniversaries at CCCC Today

Today go back to one of the last Portland shows of the Seventies with the original line-up of Aerosmith. It's also the anniversary of a Portland concert without Brad Whitford and Joe Perry. Both were on a November 19th at the Civic Center. 

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

This one rips! Always a hardcore Aerosmith fan fave!

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 when they came to Portland in December of ’79, Steven Tyler passed out onstage which brought the show to a halt. Although it’s underrated, Rock and a Hard Place remains a heavy favorite in Blimpville.

Here's the what they played 36 years ago.

This is no doubt a kick-ass Aerosmith song but the video 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.