Sure, it’s a good story, and on the surface it appears to be legit. But gossip site TMZ reported the Tyler spotting, and that leaves us just scratching our collective noggins even more.
You see, it was only a few days ago when TMZ reported that fans attending a Guns N’ Roses gig in Canada and wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the image of former band guitarist Slash were told to either dump the shirts or turn them inside out before entering the venue.
But the GNR story was quickly repudiated and no one has stepped forward to back up TMZ’s claims about the Slash ban.
However, we have yet to hear of anyone contradicting TMZ’s latest Tyler posting claiming the frontman not only used the Home Depot loudspeaker to sing Aerosmith numbers like “Dude Looks Like A Lady” but that he was also taking hits off of a helium tank so that he could deliver the tunes sounding like one of David Seville’s singing Chipmunks.
Picking up on the story, Rolling Stone called the Home Depot in question and spoke to an employee of the store located in Rancho Mirage, Ca.
Sure enough, the employee told Rolling Stone the story was true – helium and all – and that Tyler even signed a few autographs.
But we need to point out that the confirmation given to Rolling Stone was from a Home Depot service rep. Sure, we’d trust such a person when it comes to hammers, nails and lawnmowers, but when it comes to identifying a rock star, even someone as well known as Tyler, we’d at least like to see some pictures.
Plus, we’re aware of more than a few instances over the years where various people have impersonated the Aerosmith singer. In fact, one took place right here in the city Pollstar.com calls home – Fresno, Ca.
Several years ago a person claiming to be Tyler was seen about town, talking waitresses into free meals and getting more than a few free drinks from bartenders. What’s more, as those reports grew, at least one local rock radio program director even tried to get an interview with the faux Tyler.
So was it Tyler at Home Depot or was it an imposter? We actually don’t know. We’ve made a few phone calls but so far no one has confirmed or denied the supposed impromptu performance.
But you gotta admit it’s a great story. Even if you need more than one grain of salt to accept it as gospel.
Click here for the TMZ account.
Click here for the complete Rolling Stone article.