“American Pickers” hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz got a top that the original tour van used by the band Aerosmith, founded in Boston in 1970, was sitting on a property in western Massachusetts, according to masslive.com. The “American Pickers” purchased the van, a 1960s International Harvester Metro Van, for a $25,000.
“Apparently, the van was on the property when the current owner, only identified as Phil, purchased the land a few years back,” the news site reported.
They found out about the Aerosmith van on a tip from a property owner, who tells them that former Aerosmith roadie Mark Lehman lived there at one point.
The pickers called a member of The Black Keys, who connected them with Joe Perry, lead guitarist of Aerosmith, which formed in Boston in 1970. Perry connected them with Ray Tabano, a guitarist and founding member of Aerosmith, who just happened to be in Stockbridge at the time.
He drove out to Chesterfield and confirmed this was indeed the band's original touring van.
The “American Pickers” duo begin a search, connecting with Ray Tobano, an original Aerosmith member. Tobano meets up with the “American Pickers” and confirms that, yes, it is the original Aerosmith touring van.
"It certainly looks like it. Oh my goodness gracious," Tabano said on the program. "I'm afraid to say how long it is, but it's been like 40 years since we were in this thing. It was like a touring hotel... This is definitely the van. You found it."
https://www.newsweek.com/american-pickers-find-aerosmiths-original-van-massachusetts-1061971
https://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers/season-19/episode-13
https://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/aerosmiths_original_tour_van_f.html
update July 2019, the band was reunited with the van after the van was restored to as used condition
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/07/mike-and-frank-american-pickers-tv-show.html
Watched that episode the other night. Was actually surprised that it sold as cheap as it did.
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