Your Myriad Mentions of the Texxas Jam Conjure One or Two Sweet Emotions

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Feb. 17 2010 at 4:25 PM

Categories: Music, Today's History Lesson

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In the comments below, there are myriad mentions made of the Texxas Jam. Which, really, is all the reason I need to post this from the '78 show, released on VHS in '89 but unavailable since. Except on YouTube, where the summer of 1978 will live forever. Now me and my loser friends are gonna head out to buy Aerosmith tickets. Top priority of the summer.

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I went to that Stones New Orleans show...
I was 30 feet away from Joe Perry at this. Hot as hell, but worth it.
I was at that show too - Poison did indeed suck - especially considering that Bret encouraged the guy who climbed the center tower to jump....
I sold heart-shaped ballons at the Texxas Jam '78. People bouht a lot of them because they were filled with helium. People also shared their party materials freely with me and ave me a seat to rest in every now and then. For the record, Aerosmith was terrible, but I don't remember any more than that and that I had a date with their soundman after that show.
I just remember going to see the Stones in New Orleans in 1978, looking at the tickets and saying "$10.00? This is getting way out of control!"
Trying to sneak a Dazed & Confused reference past us are you? I was there, and yeah, several of the acts sucked, but it was the 70s and we were too wasted to care...
I remember driving up from Houston with high school buddies to one of these in the late 70's. I was pretty much done with monster rock anyway but I always enjoy a road trip. On the way out we stopped for beer because my friend, originally from Ft. Worth, informed us it was dry in Dallas. "No shit, it's hot and dry everywhere in Texas, it's Summer." This was my introduction to N. Texas Baptist beer laws.
My first Jam was '77 or '78 when it was a three day event, the last one a Willie Nelson picnic. I made the first and third day, damned hot. Remember David Lee Roth grabbing a fire hose and soaking all of us on the field after "Ice Cream Man". Heart played while the sun set and a cool breeze started as if on cue when they hit the first bars of "Mistral Wind". '79 was memorable because of Boston and my girlfriend taking her white tube top off for some Panama Red that lasted us the day and her puking after stopping at Denny's on Northwest Hwy. at 4 a.am. Man those were the days...
My first concert was 1987's Texxas Jam. Two things above all else stand out in my memory. First, the roadies walking across the stage with signs to explain to the ladies what was required for the firehoses to be turned on. Second. Poison sucked balls.
Heroin addiction never suited Aerosmith, did it?
LaceyB, No offense, but Aerosmith's stuff from the 70's was the only thing they ever did that was worth a shit. Once they reformed (outside a couple of decent songs from Done With Mirrors) they have been awful.
Frank Marino was pushed back till after Aerosmith. he had to watch the mass exodus as he performed. --------------------------------------- It was because he was as bad as Aerosmith.
couple other '78 Jam memories-Cheech and Chong were there, seems like they opened. things were running late so poor Frank Marino was pushed back till after Aerosmith. he had to watch the mass exodus as he performed.
Hey, my very first concert ever was Boston! It still ranks right up there as one of the best concerts of my life. They put on a fantastic live show back in the day.
Ahh...memories of the Texxas Jam. My first one to attend was in 1979. Me and some buddies made the pilgramage from Vernon for our first Jam. I remember arriving at the Cotton Bowl Friday night and heading to the Rock and Roll consumer show and hanging out. There was an electricity in the air that I can't put into words in anticipation of the next day concert. As darkness fell, Boston was in the stadium doing a sound check and just hearing the sampling of Tom Sholtz and company drove the crowds wild. We wound up sleeping on the fairgrounds in sleeping bags after partying with all the other revelers the night before. The next day we were wasted but soon we were up and rocking with a hell of a lineup that included Boston, Heart and Van Halen!
All I remember of my beloved Aerosmith is that their concerts BLOW in general. They let KISS stay on for nearly 2.5 of a 3 hr concert at the Smirnoff (oh times change), did that again with some other band, and when given a proper lead in by Lenny Kranvitz, played all 1970s shit to a crowd in their 20s-30s. Sounds like most of my fellow commentors would have liked that. Me? I prefer when he & Alicia Silverstone did the videos. Now those were good songs...even better live.
All I recall: Boston and Aerosmith. And speaking of the former ... http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/boston-texas-jam-1987-a-51101.html
Hey Rw, who'd you see in 87?
having somehow (ex-gf) gained stage access to that show, I was awed by the fact that Steven Tyler kept staring at the stage floor, as if mesmerized. Well, he was. The lyrics for "dude looks like a lady" were written there for him. It was just too hard to focus to read. I've always thought he was saying "Do the Walker Railey..." but that's another story.
Alas, I was there in 1987. Dragged kicking and screaming. Not exactly Boston or Aerosmith's heyday. That said, not ... half ... bad. Far as I can recall. Which is not that far.
Aerosmith sounds pretty good in that vid. I missed out on Texas Jam being too young, but they were legendary. Be nice if they came back, the problem is there's no real dirty blues based rock anymore, at least on a big name level, so it would just end up being another sterile lollapolooza/ozzfest type thing, not really interested in seeing the same old alternative/metal crap that's been stinking up the airwaves and festival grounds for the past two decades.
Yep -- Aerosmith sucked BALLS at that show, which is how the other two times I saw them in the 70's is how they were.
Liles, While during their toxic twins era Aerosmith had the propensity to suck live, their studio albums were a different story. Now that they're sober, they suck on both counts.
Liles, I had the same experience with the "British Invasion" show in 1983. Jimmy Page was so drunk that it was embarrassing to watch. I had to go wait in the hallway. And he's always been a huge hero. I really wanted it to be good!!
What little I remember about that day at Texxas Jam: that was the first time that one my "untouchable" rock heroes walked out onstage and just flat out SUCKED. Out of tune, out of breath, and totally out of sync with each other... Aerosmith was so terrible that night that I walked to farthest possible point away from the stage - the top row of the opposite end zone section- and just draped a shirt over my head until they were done. What a letdown it was.