The Black Crowes' Wild Ride on Aerosmith's 'Pump' Tour: From Backstage Blunders to $350 Gigs
Rich and Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes recount the chaotic and humorous circumstances surrounding their opening gig on Aerosmith's 'Pump' Tour in 1990, filled with backstage mishaps and unexpected encounters.
According to Rich Robinson, guitarist for The Black Crowes, there was some initial confusion surrounding who would open for Aerosmith on their 1990 Pump Tour.
Back in 1990, The Black Crowes were touring with the McAuley Schenker Group when Aerosmith sought an opener for the summer leg of their Pump Tour.
The Crowes, gaining momentum with their debut single “Jealous Again” and album Shake Your Money Maker, secured the spot. However, according to Rich Robinson, the situation wasn't without its comical misunderstandings.
“We were playing in Boston and our manager was like, ‘They’re coming down to give you the Aerosmith tour.’ But for some reason [McAuley Schenker Group] thought Aerosmith was coming down to offer it to them,” Rich recalls.
As Chris Robinson tells it, the situation created some awkwardness between The Black Crowes and MSG. “They were like, ‘Nice to meet you kids, but we’re going on the Aerosmith tour,’” Chris recounts. “They were like, ‘You guys don’t really know what you’re doing and we’ve been doing this for quite a while, so enjoy your careers.’ We were like, ‘Enjoy your time off!’”
When The Black Crowes joined Aerosmith for their first show at the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, they remember Joe Perry being denied entry because he lacked a backstage pass.
“He’s there in leather pants, no shirt, and like a guitar, and they’re like, ‘You can’t come in, sir.’ It’s fucking Joe Perry!” Chris exclaims. “He is like Joe Perry who ate an avatar of Joe Perry. That guy is only supposed to be reclining on a velvet cushion backstage.”
The Black Crowes recently released their album, A Pound of Feathers. The Robinson brothers discussed recording the LP in Nashville, their views on AI in songwriting, and their earnings from those Aerosmith gigs on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, revealing they made $350 a night.
Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Lainey Wilson, Hardy, Charley Crockett, Kings of Leon, Carly Pearce, Breland, Bryan Andrews, Devon Gilfillian, Gavin Adcock, Amanda Shires, Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, Ink, Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan, Halestorm, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, Clever, and authors Marissa R. Moss, Josh Crutchmer, and Jonathan Bernstein.
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