KARLA TALLAS - SHARED TREASURES MY LIFE WITH(OUT) AEROSMITH | Page 4

Las Vegas, 1999 (Photo: Karla Tallas)
Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl, 1999 (Photo: Karla Tallas)
AEROSMITH fans. This might sound quite strange
to Americans, as AEROSMITH is still their greatest
rock’n’roll band to this day. The words ‘border’ and
‘impossible’ became my nightmares – the codes
that were hard to get rid of in the background of
limited possibilities, surrounded mostly by closed
minds.
After the AEROSMITH show in 1997 in Prague, I was
thinking about my chance to meet the band even
more intensely than before. In the “Nine Lives”
CD booklet there was a flyer with the possibility
to join the AEROSMITH official fan club, Aero Force
One. I sent my application form in on the spot. One
day, in the beginning of 1999, I received a letter
with the announcement of a US West Coast travel
package with the possibility to meet’n’greet the
band. 4 shows in 4 different cities in 1 week! Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.
For some inexplicable reason, I had a dream to
visit San Francisco since I was 12 years old. My
aunt used to be the director of a travel agency, so
she had the possibility to visit some countries even
when it wasn’t possible for others in our country.
I remember how much I wanted to go with her
to California at the age of 12. I didn’t even know
why back then – why I wanted to see San Francisco
so much. I just remember me being very sad and
disappointed when my father decided I couldn’t
go. Ever since, San Francisco had a place in my
heart. Seeing the whole announcement about the
upcoming US West Cost package, I wasn’t able to
think about my work or anything else that day.
After a couple of hours of still staring at the flyer, I
called my former boyfriend. I was crying so much
that it was impossible for him to understand what
I was saying. He thought something serious had
happened. I finally told him about the letter and
then he hung up. About 1 hour later, he called me
back and said he couldn’t stop thinking about it
either, and that if I really wanted to go, he could
help make it possible for me. I couldn’t believe my
ears. But how could we do it? The package was so
expensive for us. Back then, the air tickets were
twice as expensive as they are now. We made
an agreement not to say anything to my parents
until everything was booked, to make sure there
was nothing that could put our plans in danger.
He wanted to go with me, but due to our financial
situation it was not realistic. Anyway, nothing
was more important to me than the fact that I
could go. But there was another big obstacle to
overcome. It wasn’t that clear if I could even get a
visa. Many people didn’t receive visas without any
explanation. You had to prove you had no intention
to stay in the US or to get married there. It was
easier for people with a long-term work contract. I
was working as a freelance accountant back then,
so I had a few contracts with some companies. It
would have been understood that I would come
back. I had to complete an interview about my US
trip at the American embassy. They asked me why
I had to go to the USA to see AEROSMITH when
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