KARLA TALLAS - SHARED TREASURES MY LIFE WITH(OUT) AEROSMITH | Page 7

Prague, 1997 (Photo: Petr Hanzlík)
Prague, 1997 (Photo: Petr Hanzlík)
leave our sorrows behind and enjoyed the evening
at Alice Cooper’s restaurant, Cooperstown, with
Cinco de Mayo spirit in the air. It was the 5 th of
May, an annual celebration that commemorates
the Mexican victory over the French empire at the
Battle of Puebla in 1862.
The next morning, we all boarded the bus for
Hollywood to the fabulous Hyatt on Sunset. We
learned about the Sunset Strip Tattoo Parlor across
the street. Plenty of our crew, myself included,
engraved our love for the Bad Boys from Boston.
I hesitated for a while which song or album to
choose. I decided for “Get A Grip” because it was
the first time I could see AEROSMITH live. The next
show happened on May 7th at the Hollywood Bowl.
That was something that surpassed my wildest
expectations. Having the possibility of being at the
show of my all-time favorite band in one of the front
rows close to the stage of such a legendary place, it
totally blew my mind. Numerous Hollywood stars
joined the cheering crowd.
The time had come for our final destination, San
Francisco. I was impatiently awaiting the chance to
finally see the City by the Bay. But we got another
piece of shocking news. Our final show was canceled
again. That was a big disappointment. There was
no meet’n’greet as the band had promised before.
We headed to headquarters of AF1 to lick our
wounds. The Aero crew regained better spirits just
in time for a phone call from Tom Hamilton, who
expressed his humble apologies for the band’s not
being able to make it. He also answered as many
questions from us as he could. Afterwards, we all
were escorted to San Francisco’s own Hard Rock
café. At our last party we all enjoyed the moment
as much as we could. All of us, 89 people, were
singing all together “Love in an Elevator” which
became our cry battle.
The experience is indescribable, and perhaps for
the first time in my life, at least for a while, I was
living my dream. Coming home was very difficult
for me. Deep down I longed for a different life. I was
not being fulfilled by my work as an accountant, my
current relationship, or the people around me who
did not understand me at all. The fact that people
in the USA have so many opportunities to always
go for shows and events that are only happening
there and nowhere else, to see big stars packing
small clubs from the time to time, while I can’t,
it was totally breaking my heart more than ever.
Also, the fact that people are so friendly on the
streets, they are all smiling and talking to you. You
are not a stranger, no matter what clothes you are
wearing. For the first time in my life I didn’t have
to deal with the prejudice you could run into at
every corner in our country. I so enjoyed my days
of freedom. And I finally could buy all the books
about AEROSMITH, something that was priceless
for me.
I couldn’t deal with the fact that I was so close to the
possibility of meeting the band but it didn’t work
out for me yet again. AEROSMITH was about to start
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