Things we learned from the 2009 American Music Awards:

-Taylor Swift is apparently taking over the world.
A safe distance from Kanye West in London, Swift was the big winner at the American Music Awards, snagging five, echoing her recent wins at the Country Music Association Awards. She even bested Michael Jackson for Artist of the Year. (If the folks in London get a sub-par show tonight, they'll know why, Swift accepted her last award at nearly 4 a.m. GMT.)

-Being dead never hurts your chances at awards shows.
Jackson didn't do so poorly, however, winning four awards. The trophies were accepted by older brother Jermaine who, among other things: rocked a single glove in honor of MJ, reminded us all that he named one of his children Jermajesty, seriously, and apparently forgot that he had one more brother, Randy. We swear the youngest male Jackson was left out in his laundry list of thanks to his siblings. We know the brothers have some interesting romantic issues with the same woman but Randy must've thought, "Really? You thanked LaToya but you forgot me? Jerkidding."

-Even Fly Girls get the blues.
The biggest hit of the night, unfortunately, went to J.Lo's tailbone when she fell while dancing to her new song "Louboutins." She popped right back up like a champ.

-There are no second chances at first impressions.
The BDSM stuff- including dancers in harnesses and grabby omnisexual overtures- will probably get the most attention, but the most shocking thing about Adam Lambert's closing, meant-to-be-starmaking performance of "For Your Entertainment" was how mediocre his vocals were. Throw in the fact that the wink-wink tune is just not that great a song to begin with and you'll probably have a lot of non-"Idol" fans wondering what the big deal was supposed to be about this guy.

Responses will run a predictable gamut including outrage from the usual finger-waggers and breathless defenses from the Glambert-can-do-no-wrong camp. (Given the rubbing and gyrating and suggestiveness elsewhere in the show from Janet Jackson to Carrie Underwood,Lambert certainly wasn't the only one to inject sex into his performance- although certainly the only one to briefly simulate forced oral sex. It will be interesting to see how the complaints break down.)

Honestly, I felt sympathy for him. It just looked like his handlers decided to have him do too much, of everything, raunchy and regular, to get people riled up instead of letting him concentrate on making an impression with his voice and his natural theatricality. Plus, he had to have been incredibly nervous given his placement, the hype, and his impending album release. I give him major props for that impressive tuck and roll after tripping on his way up his elaborate stage set. But all in all, somebody, if not Lambert, should've known better.

There's likely to be plenty of the conversation, it's too bad for Lambert fans that it will be about something that they thought was previously unassailable, his voice.

-Sometimes just singing, live and well, is enough.
For my money Kelly Clarkson gave the best performance of the night. It might not have been flashy like Lambert or Lady Gaga or Rihanna but she sounded amazing and her emotion was palpable.

The Winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

POP/ROCK
Favorite Male Artist: Michael Jackson
Favorite Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: The Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Album: "Number Ones," Michael Jackson

COUNTRY
Favorite Male Artist: Keith Urban
Favorite Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts
Favorite Album: "Fearless," Taylor Swift

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES
Favorite Male Artist: Michael Jackson
Favorite Female Artist: Beyoncé
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: The Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Album: Number Ones, Michael Jackson

RAP/HIP-HOP
Favorite Male Artist: Jay-Z
Favorite Album: "Blueprint 3," Jay-Z

ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Favorite Artist: Taylor Swift

LATIN MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Aventura

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Green Day

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist: Mary Mary

SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album: "Twilight" Soundtrack

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST (ALL GENRES)
Gloriana

We caught up with local singer-songwriter Anne Heaton last week at her Somerville apartment, where she got behind her piano and played us tunes from her new "Life Is Alchemy" project. Since last year, Heaton has been interviewing folks about their life stories and seeing how they can be captured in song. Here's one of them she's working on, with the tentative title of "Prom Song."

By Ben Collins, Globe correspondent

Today's Soundtrack is an occasional feature that attempts to sum up the events or mood of the day in song. Today's artists: Ray LaMontagne, Gnarls Barkley.

He was probably trying to outsmart a version of himself that was trying to outsmart that other version of himself. If that sounds too complicated to understand, it's because it is. That's probably the level of sophistication that was going through Bill Belichick's head last night.

In theory.

But, in practice, Bill Belichick looked like someone rushing through the last two minutes of his game of Madden 2010 while his friend sat idle in a car in his driveway honking the horn, swearing and wondering why he's not ready to go out to a bar. It looked like he was a victim of one of those games where the sole objective was to finish it as fast as was humanly possible with a reckless disregard for the outcome.

Maybe I should rewind the tape.

I'm sure, if we look back on the DVR of our collective selective memory, Dream NBC will have cut to a shot of Bill Belichick extracting his Blackberry from his grey hoodie, rifling down his five unread text messages, and reading the last that says, "HURRY IT UP, BILL. Do u have n e idea what TIME it is?" Then we probably could have seen this coming.

This didn't happen. We know enough about Belichick to know that these decisions are actually calculated. We know enough about geniuses to know that they horrendously crazy things sometimes (Benjamin Franklin took airbaths!; Bill Murray does stuff like this!).

Belichick was probably just projecting that Colts coach Jim Caldwell would counter by trying to be equally crazy. He probably thought Caldwell would think it was a pooch punt and send someone back to snag it, leaving a receiver open.

Belichick expected his genius to be matched by Caldwell's attempt at genius. And he wound up looking stupid for doing it.

Does that make him crazy? Probably.

Soundtrack of the Day: Ray LaMontagne - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
(Gnarls Barkley - Crazy)

The Boston Music Awards announced nominations today and the 24 categories are stuffed with goodness from around the region from jazz to metal to pop to folk to world music.

Among the many artists with multiple nominations are singer-songwriter Will Dailey, electro-popsters Passion Pit, and alt-country darling Sarah Borges.

This year's ceremony will be held at the Liberty Hotel on December 2 with more than 15 artists performing 30 minute sets spread across four spaces. Performers are expected to be announced next week.

A partial list of nominees is below. For a complete list and to vote for your favorite act click here. Voting begins today and ends November 30.

Album of the Year
"Manners" - Passion Pit
"The Everyday Visuals" - The Everyday Visuals
"Saving Seamus Ryan" - Esoteric
"Diving for Gold" - Session Americana
"Axe to Fall" - Converge
"Torrent" - Will Dailey
"Oh My God, Charlie Darwin" - The Low Anthem

Act of the Year
Will Dailey
Doomriders
Dropkick Murphys
Drug Rug
Esoteric
Low Anthem
Amanda Palmer
Passion Pit

Song of the Year
"The Reeling" - Passion Pit
"She’s Into Black Guys" - Bodega Girls
"Leave Me Alone" - Lisa Bello
"The Horizon is a Beltway" -The Low Anthem
"We Have Arrived" - Taxpayer
"Good for Nothing" - Televandals
"Face of the Earth" - Mean Creek
"Sleepy Lion" - Magic Magic

New Act of the Year
New Collisions
Mean Creek
Jenny D & Delinquents
Bad Rabbits
Will C
Gozu
Mystery Roar

Live Act of the Year
Louie Bello
Bang Camaro
State Radio
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Pretty & Nice
Rubblebucket
Hooray For Earth
Upper Crust

BOB DYLAN
At: Citi Wang Theatre, tonight (repeats Saturday and Sunday)

By James Reed
Globe Staff

Set lists aside, Bob Dylan's concerts are rarely ever carbon copies. What you see and hear on a Friday is probably not what you'll get the next night. For his latest tour, the only thing you can count on is that Dylan will likely wind down with "All Along the Watchtower."

And so it went for his concert at the Citi Wang Theatre earlier this evening, the first of three performances there. A lean and rollicking show, it reminded you of the vast difference between seeing Dylan in a mid-size theater versus an arena (where his recent Boston-area shows have happened). A good sound mix is crucial; otherwise, you end up scratching your head all night wondering what on earth he's singing.

At the Wang, though, Dylan's vocals were relatively clear and forceful. Better yet, he was fully engaged during the two-hour set that drove hard and deep into his catalog, from "Girl From the North Country" (featuring Dylan's only performance on guitar) and a particularly charged "Highway 61 Revisited" to newer songs such as "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" and "Jolene." (Mercifully, he didn't play anything from his new holiday confection, "Christmas in the Heart.")

True to form, Dylan was as enigmatic onstage as he is off, and it was hard not to read too much into his body language. Was that a faint smile during "Just Like a Woman"? Such are the frivolous questions you ask when the man never addresses the audience, aside from "thank you, friends" during the band introductions.

Dylan locked into a muscular, junkyard-blues-rock groove early on, courtesy of a tight five-piece band that -- despite some stellar solos from guitarist Charlie Sexton -- never stole Dylan's spotlight. When he left his Hammond organ to play harmonica or take the microphone, there were flashes of Dylan as carnival barker (replete with rasp), striking poses with outstretched hands.

Rather than give "Like a Rolling Stone" the usual anthemic treatment, he brought it down to earth with a freewheeling arrangement that you could appreciate without having survived the '60s. And "Spirit on the Water" gave Dylan his best line that doubled as a mantra: "You think I'm past my prime/ Let me see what you got."

James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com.

Newly minted CMA Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift has announced a 2010 headlining tour with a stop June 5 at Gillette Stadium. Swift, who won in all four of the categories in which she was nominated last night, will be the first female headliner at the Foxboro venue. Opening acts will be "Idol" album Kellie Pickler and the band Gloriana. Tickets go on sale Dec. 5. at 10 a.m. by phone at 800-745-3000 and online through Ticketmaster.

So that surprise appearance at Joe Perry's show earlier this week by Steven Tyler apparently isn't the last word in the Aerosmith saga. AP is reporting that Perry says he's still uncertain about the band's future.

Perry reiterated the now well-known fact that Tyler wants to take some time to do some solo stuff while "the rest of the band wants to keep working" although he's unsure "what form that's going to take."

Until they figure out what's happening, Perry is continuing his solo tour, which stops at the House of Blues on Saturday.

Who: Don Henley

Where: the Citi Wang Theatre

When: Last night

The Lowdown: With no particular album to promote, Henley came to the Hub with a splendid hour and forty-five minute survey of his solo career, a few choice Eagles cuts, and a clutch of covers that gave a nod to the season.

At 62, the Texas singer-songwriter still has excellent pitch but struggled in a couple of places with power during the first, quieter half of the show which included a haunting "New York Minute" and a pensive, slow-tempo take on "End of the Innocence."

He came into his own by the midpoint, however, with a vibrant run through the intense and cathartic "My Thanksgiving." Henley seemed to gain strength from there, nailing all the highs and lows of everything from the funky, sadly-still-relevant "Dirty Laundry" to the windblown resignation of "Desperado" to a scorching "I Will Not Go Quietly." He brought a good night to a fun close with the bluesy seasonal standard "Please Come Home For Christmas."

Best Part: A spare and heartbreaking rendition of "It Don't Matter to the Sun," a poignant ballad about the pain, and necessity, of moving on. (It's not on any of Henley's solo albums and apparently originated on Garth Brooks' ill-fated "Chris Gaines" project. It was written by the same team behind the Wynonna Judd/Eric Clapton pop gem "Change the World." We're hoping it will be on Henley's forthcoming solo album. Correct us if we're wrong if a recording of this by him already exists.)

Worst Part: A pet peeve of ours is when an artist doesn't introduce the band. Those musicians are up there working hard to make you look and sound great. They have names. Tell them to us so we can applaud them for their efforts. Henley mentioned time constraints - artists are charged a pretty penny for going over curfew- but a quick rundown wouldn't have taken too long.

Best quote: "Excellent work Henley." He said this in a spot-on Jack Nicholson impersonation voice after telling a funny tale about trying - and failing - to hit on a hot Hollywood actress at a party with Nicholson in the '80s. That anecdote led to his composing "Last Worthless Evening."

Random odd fact: With his take on "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Henley was the second artist this week to play a Tears for Fears cover at the Wang. On Monday, while opening for Rob Thomas, OneRepublic did a version of TFF's "Shout."

Setlist:
"I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins)
"One of These Nights" (he's still hitting these high notes)
"September Song" (terrific Kurt Weill/Max Anderson torch song standard)
"New York Minute"
"Last Worthless Evening"
"It Don't Matter to the Sun"
"End of the Innocence"
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Tears for Fears)
"My Thanksgiving"
"Heart of the Matter"
"Dirty Laundry"
"The Boys of Summer"
"All She Wants to Do is Dance"
"Life in the Fast Lane"

Encore:
"Hotel California"
"Desperado"
"I Will Not Go Quietly"
"Please Come Home For Christmas"

Every week the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart ranks the best selling records for the week. Those records are drawn from a pool of albums released in the last 18 months. Albums older than that are ranked on the Top Pop Catalog chart.* Both old and new album sales are reflected on the Top Comprehensive Albums chart. (The distinction was originally made shortly after the institution of Soundscan so that perennial best-sellers like Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and Bob Marley's "Legend" didn't edge out newer acts.)

This summer Michael Jackson and Beatles fans were angered when albums by both acts would've topped the chart and populated its top ten if not for the 18-month rule. Globe correspondent Marc Hirsh wrote about the quandary.

Billboard has apparently taken that ire into consideration. At the end of this month the magazine will effectively swap the Top 200 chart for the Comprehensive chart.

In its annoucement yesterday, Silvio Pietroluongo, director of charts said, "The events of 2009 and the continuing creativity in the repackaging of catalog titles have led us to the conclude that the Billboard 200 would be best served presenting the true best-sellers in the country, without any catalog-related rules or stipulations, to our readers, the media and music fans."

Taking the place of the Comprehensive chart will be the new Top Current Albums chart, using the previous 18 month standard, which will also still apply to all other current niche charts like R&B, Country, etc.

The change will go into effect with the Billboard 200 dated Dec. 5 (covering the sales week from Nov. 16-22) which, for some reason, is the official start of the 2010 "chart year."

While this is a much more accurate representation of the sales week, it's probably bad news for upcoming and independent artists who had been making inroads onto the big chart as album sales overall started their downward trend.

Groups that enjoyed top 10 and 20 debuts in the past few years like the Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, the Decemberists, Mastodon and many others can probably kiss future high debuts goodbye if they're going to be competing with whatever aging rock star mentored the kids on "American Idol" this week or appeared on "Oprah."

For instance, according to Billboard, if the new chart had been in effect last week, 11 of the top 100, and 35 of the top 200 would've been catalog titles.

In other chart news, Billboard will also be unveiling a 15 position Top Folk Albums chart with the same issue that will encompass "new releases from traditional folk artists such Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco and Monsters of Folk, as well as appropriate titles by acoustic-based singer-songwriters such as Carly Simon, Rosanne Cash and Joshua Radin."

*There are Byzantine exceptions to this rule which has changed several times over the years. For instance Taylor Swift's debut album has spent 156 weeks on the top 200 chart because the rules state that an album over 18 months old doesn't go to the Catalog chart until it dips below number 100. It's currently number 53.

Forty-five minutes after the openers exited, Neko Case and her band took the stage at the Wilbur Theatre last night. Actually, Case sort of stalked it. She apologized for being late, but she had a good excuse she wanted to share right away: "We were having a fight with the promoter, and I could not be angrier right now."

Uh-oh.

Case, who was obviously perturbed but still gracious to the audience, didn't elaborate so much as she stewed for the first few songs. It was fascinating to witness her exorcising her frustration, playing her guitar "like a hockey player," she humorously noted. Besides, a little bit of angst suits the nature of her feisty and fiery songs.

After one final expletive-laden comment, she moved on and so did the show. Case is on a victory lap for this year's "Middle Cyclone," but the performance stretched well beyond the new material. Kelly Hogan, Case's affable sidekick and harmony partner, jokingly called some of the older songs "deep cuts," including a stirring rendition of "Deep Red Bells," from 2002's "Blacklisted."

The performance had a splash of local color, too: Hogan and Case dedicated the show to Arthur Ganson, the Stoneham-based sculptor (and former MIT artist-in-residence) whose "Machine" series they both admire and claim as an inspiration.

The evening began with an evocative set from Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino, who coaxed an impressive range of moods and emotions from their unassuming setup of just guitar and drums.

Joe Perry hinted the other day that Aerosmith might replace Steven Tyler after the lead singer said he was going to focus on "brand Tyler." If that was a tactic to get Tyler to commit to Aerosmith, it worked.

Tyler was a surprise guest at the Joe Perry Project show at the Fillmore in New York last night. According to Rolling Stone online, Tyler reportedly came out and said that he wasn't leaving the band, adding "Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I, (expletive), am the rainbow!” He then sang lead on "Walk This Way."

(Be forewarned, the audio of this clip taken from the audience is not great).

Later, TMZ caught up with the two separately and each confirmed that Tyler was staying put.

MILEY CYRUS
With Metro Station
At: TD Garden, tonight

By James Reed
Globe Staff

Miley Cyrus rippled the waters last week when she essentially disowned her current radio hit, a tasty slice of dance pop called “Party in the USA.” Asked in a video interview what her favorite Jay-Z song is -- because “Party in the USA” references the radio playing it -- Cyrus admitted she didn’t know anything by the hip-hop titan.

In fact, Cyrus said she recorded the song only because she needed something for her clothing line and doesn’t really even listen to pop music. She prefers rockers Joan Jett and Janis Joplin. Feel free to insert a long eye roll here.

But after seeing Cyrus’s sold-out show at the TD Garden earlier tonight, her claim is much more palatable, even convincing. The 90-minute concert, at times surprisingly loose and driving, presented the 16-year-old in a tricky position -- not quite at a crossroads but definitely addressing some artistic growing pains. Cyrus seemed to be toeing the line between PG-rated tween pop star and an edgy rocker eager to transcend her “Hannah Montana” demographic.

Mind you, she played both roles well, but it was obvious Cyrus felt most at ease when the guitars were cranked and she was sprawled on the stage, her long brown tresses sometimes sweeping the floor.

Yet she was keenly aware that her audience wants her as both innocuous balladeer and hell-raising rock star. For the bland but inspirational fare (“Bottom of the Ocean,” “The Climb”), Cyrus played it safe, occasionally in a tasteful gown; for the spiky pop-punk detours (“Spotlight,” “Fly on the Wall”), out came the black leather shorts and streetwise break-dancers.

Cyrus covered Jett’s “I Love Rock ’n Roll” as she was air-lifted above the squealing crowd atop a red motorcycle. Interestingly, she dropped the Jay-Z reference during “Party in the USA,” instead swapping in a shout-out to Michael Jackson.

If the show was short on anything, it was Cyrus’s personality and ability to engage with the audience. We know she’s got impressive vocal chops, but now we need to feel what she’s trying to put across in her songs, something beyond the standard “you guys are awesome!” banter.

Her big brother had the opposite problem. Trace Cyrus co-fronts the emo-rock quartet Metro Station, which opened the show. Trace had the rock-star aesthetic (tattoos, shaggy mane, pants as skinny as his voice), but he was barely audible as a singer or guitarist. The only time he rose above a whisper was when he shouted, “Ladies, scream!” That’s called all bark and no bite.

James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com.

UPDATE ON THE AEROSMITH STORY

By Mark Shanahan
and Sarah Rodman
Globe Staff

Has Steven Tyler quit Aerosmith? It sure seems so.

After 40 years fronting one of rock 'n' roll's most successful bands, the singer famous for his elastic lips and shrill scream has apparently decided to walk that way, and his departure is raising questions about whether Aerosmith could carry on with a new singer.

The band, which has been roiled by internal tension for months, is not confirming the split. But after a concert last week, Tyler told the British magazine Classic Rock that he had pulled out of the band's scheduled tour of South America and will focus on a solo career, which he referred to as "brand Tyler." In the same interview, Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford mused on the possibility of replacing the 61-year-old singer, prompting fans, disc jockeys, and others to wonder about the band's commercial viability with a new or unknown singer.

"I think the odds are probably against it," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of Pollstar, a music industry trade magazine. "That’s assuming that they go out and calls themselves Aerosmith with a singer that sounds just like Steven Tyler."

Long one of rock's most combustible acts -- the band broke up in the early 1980s and then enjoyed a wildly successful comeback -- Aerosmith has been rumored to be on the rocks since a disastrous summer tour during which Tyler fell off the stage and broke his shoulder. The friction within the band was particularly evident in recent weeks as the band played contractually obligated shows in San Francisco, Hawaii, and Abu Dhabi. Tyler not only didn't rehearse with the band, but he traveled separately and did not see or speak to the other members off stage.

In an interview yesterday, guitarist Joe Perry said he and Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer were surprised by Tyler's comments, and aren't sure what the singer is thinking.

"Like everyone else, we just read it online," Perry said. "We were kind of knocked back on our heels."

The guitarist sounded subdued as he spoke about the complicated dynamics within Aerosmith. He said Tyler initially signaled his unhappiness during the recording of Aerosmith's latest studio CD, which is not finished. (The band has not released a record of original material since 2001's "Just Push Play.) Then, over the summer, Tyler also abruptly dropped his association with the band's longtime manager, Howard Kaufman, and signed a separate management deal with Union Entertainment Group. Tyler could not be reached yesterday, and a publicist at Union did not respond to a call or e-mail.

Perry did not rule out the possibility that Aerosmith might take the stage with someone other than Tyler. It's a dilemma many other bands have faced, he said, mentioning Led Zeppelin, in particular.

"I go between then Robert Plant school of thought -- that Led Zeppelin could never exist without [drummer] John Bonham -- and the [Jimmy] Page side of things -- that you just go out get somebody to add to the mix and call it Zeppelin," Perry said. "I think performing without Steven has crossed people's minds."

It likely would be a tough sell for fans, who expect to see the sinuous Tyler, his microphone stand draped in scarves, howling the hits that in 2001 earned the band a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Van Halen and Journey, among other bands, had success with replacement singers, but Tyler ranks among the most iconic frontman in rock history.

Carter Alan, music director at rock station WZLX-FM (100.7), said he has difficulty envisioning fans embracing Aerosmith without Tyler. "I think the band has the right to try that, but I don’t know if the audience would accept it, because it’s the Toxic Twins, the doppelgangers, it’s those two guys," Alan said. "Not to take anything away from Joey, Tom, and Brad, but the creative drive that drives the band is from Joe and Steven."

Chris Kopchak, who began the "Aerofanatic" group on Facebook, blames Tyler for the band's recent problems but concedes the singer is essential to the band's success.

"Would I go see them with another singer? Of course," said Kopchak, who's seen the band 27 times. "The music is what's most important to me, but I don't think they'd viable, commercially, without Tyler."

Fans may get their first glimpse of "brand Tyler" in January when the singer appears at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H. The event, "Dream On: An Intimate Evening With Steven Tyler," is billed as a multimedia presentation with video, a two-song performance, and a Q&A with the singer. The evening, which promises "a revealing look at the intimate details of Tyler's life," is a benefit for Child and Family Services' adolescent substance abuse treatment and child abuse prevention initiatives.

Stephen Davis, who wrote the best-selling Aerosmith biography "Walk This Way," said he is reminded of the band's break-up in 1981, when Perry quit and swore he would never return. (On the band's 1982 LP "Rock in a Hard Place," Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay played in place of Perry and Whitford.)

"Joe and Steven are like brothers who hate each other but can't live without each other," Davis said. "There are no permanent vacations in the Aerosmith camp."

UPDATE: WZLX deejay Chuck Nowlin just checked in to say that he spoke to Joe Perry and he'll be running the interview during the 4 o'clock hour.

Has lead singer Steven Tyler quit Aerosmith? It sure looks that way, as far as lead guitarist Joe Perry can tell.

The latest rumors began when Tyler gave an interview to a British magazine called Classic Rock last week after Aerosmith's performance in Abu Dhabi. Tyler said he has pulled out of a band tour of South America and that his upcoming plans will focus on "brand Tyler." In that same interview, guitarist Brad Whitford mused on the wisdom of trying to replace Tyler but concluded "if somebody was willing to do it and the chemistry was right, why not?”

Although Tyler did not definitively state that he was quitting the band, Perry apparently interpreted his words as such. Perry told the Las Vegas Sun last week: "Steven quit, as far as I can tell."

Perry also issued a series of Twitter posts that paint a picture of a band divided, including one that says the last time the pair spoke on the phone, Tyler hung up on him. "What about [the] fans?" Perry said. "The people that also love him and put him where he is after 40 years? And I gotta read it on line?"

Efforts to reach Tyler, Perry, and other band members were unsuccessful.

This latest flurry of activity comes after the band played a few make-up dates in Hawaii after their ill-fated summer tour and the Grand Prix concert in Abu Dhabi. Tyler, according to Perry's tweets, was feeling better following a fall from the stage in South Dakota in August that left him with a broken shoulder among other maladies.

Although the Classic Rock story stated that the band's Abu Dhabi performance was filled with "bonhomie," that is clearly not the case offstage. Other band members admit they see Tyler only onstage.

Local Aerosmith fans may get one of the first glimpses of "brand Tyler" in January when the singer appears at an event at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H. The event, called "Dream On: An Intimate Evening With Steven Tyler," is billed as a multimedia presentation that will include video, a two-song presentation, and a Q&A with the singer that promises "a revealing look at the intimate details of Tyler's life." The evening will benefit Child and Family Services' adolescent substance abuse treatment and child abuse prevention initiatives.

While Perry continues to tour in support of his recent solo effort "Have Guitar, Will Travel," including a gig next Saturday at the House of Blues, just last month he seemed hopeful, if not confident, that the band would reconvene with Tyler. In an interview at his home in Duxbury, Perry told the Globe "the band is not breaking up." He also dismissed the notion that the singer in his solo band -- Perry's You Tube discovery German vocalist Hagen -- was in the running to replace Tyler in Aerosmith.

In the Las Vegas Sun story, Perry changed his tune, however. “As far as replacing Steve, it’s not just about that. It’s also four guys that play extremely well together, and I’m not going to see that go to waste. I really don’t know what path it’s going to take at this point, but we’ll probably find somebody else that will sing in those spots where we need a singer and then we’ll be able to move Aerosmith up a notch, move the vibe up a notch.”

I can't stop watching this video or listening to this song. It's the most infectious thing Weezer has done since 1994's "Buddy Holly," and it might be the catchiest tune of 2009.

Who: Guster

Where: Orpheum Theatre

When: Saturday night

The Lowdown: Lovable pop-rock quartet Guster returned to its old stomping grounds on Halloween to party like it was 1999. Specifically, the time in 1999 when the band, then a trio, released its splendid major label debut "Lost and Gone Forever."

The first set was devoted to non-"LAGF" material including hits like "Satellite" and fan favorites like "Demons" and "Come Downstairs and Say Hello."

The second set was "LAGF" in its entirety stem to stern. Highlights included a children's choir coming out to whistle and sing on "All the Way Up to Heaven"; a slamming horn section on "Fa Fa"; and a duo of string players who added a bittersweet edge to several songs including "Either Way"

The encores included "Airport Song" and an unamplified rendition of "Jesus on the Radio" with the guys in costume.

It was a great, high energy show with lots of humor and heart and a collegial vibe in the sold out crowd.

Best Part: Frontman Ryan Miller's heartfelt expression of gratitude to the Boston fans for their support and their recognition of "LAGF," saying if they loved this album 10 percent as much as he loves his favorite records that he and the band are incredibly humbled.

Worst Part: The always furnace-like Orpheum when it's more than 50 degrees out. It was hot, yo.

Best quote: "We would never write a setlist in this order," Miller said with a laugh of the sequencing of "LAGF."

Best costume: The guy who was being eaten by the shark right up near the front.

Setlist:
Set One
"G Major"
"Manifest Destiny"
"Ramona"
"Satellite"
"Red Oyster Cult"
"This Could All Be Yours" (new song)
"Demons"
"Diane"
"Jonah" (new song)
"Rocketship"
"Come Downstairs and Say Hello"
"The Captain"

Set Two
"What You Wish For"
"Barrel of a Gun"
"Either Way"
"Fa Fa"
"I Spy"
"Center of Attention"
"All the Way Up to Heaven"
"Happier"
"So Long"
"Two Points for Honesty"
"Rainy Day"

Encore:
"Hang On"
"Airport Song"
"Jesus on the Radio"

Today's Soundtrack is an occasional feature that takes the events or mood of a day — and attempts to find a song for it. Today's artist: L L Cool J

By Ben Collins, Globe Correspondent

John Smoltz. Brad Penny. Bartolo Colon. Joel Pineiro, for God's sake.

The Red Sox took a flyer on all of these folks — mostly on minor league deals — in the last three years.

Does anybody else wish they would have taken a flyer on a now-stumpy, now-mature 38-year-old finesse pitcher, who says things like, "I don't believe in damn curses Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the a--, pardon me the word," who wields around little people and calls them his -- pardon him the word -- "good luck charms," who definitely did not take steroids (“I’m going to start stripping my clothes off and show people that I never had acne on my back. I’m going to start stripping in front of everyone. … If I did use it before they need to give me money back. That bleep didn’t work”), and who is positively unafraid of fighting the elderly?

Because he's starting Game 2 of the World Series tonight. On a minor league contract.

Don't call it a comeback.

Today's Soundtrack: L.L. Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Today's Soundtrack is an occasional feature that takes the events or mood of a day -- and attempts to find a song for it. Today's artist: Wheat

By Ben Collins, Globe Correspondent

Here's a question that you've come across in the past couple of weeks, probably because of Beatles Rock Band. Maybe your friend came up to you in a hurried panic thinking he was the first person to think of it. Maybe you were That Guy.

The question is this: Who is going to be the preeminent, genre-defining band of this generation? When we listen to oldies or classic rock stations in our hovercrafts in 25 years, singing in between sips of moonwater, who is going to be the band around which every other band fashioned its sound?

But what if the answer is that there is no answer? What if the question was really this: What band did the best job of evolving all of these years?

"It's sort of like perpetually being in a singles bar," says Scott Levesque. "No matter what you've got, there's always a guy who comes along after with something different. I just think we've done a good job of hanging around."

Today's Soundtrack is an occasional feature linking a song to the events or the mood of a day. Today's artist: Weezer.

By Ben Collins

There was Jay Leno the other night, again, on TV, talking about one of the tens or maybe hundreds of cars he's accrued since he's gotten wealthy enough to have them.

He has them all in one garage. He's got airplanes in there, too, apparently. One of them is called the Flying Fortress. Why do they wonder why this is not working? Americans don't have 100-car-and-plane garages. Or planes at all. Or garages at all. Or cars at all, at this point.

Today's Soundtrack is an occasional feature trying to wrap the events or mood of a day into a song or two. Today's artist: Arcade Fire.

By Ben Collins, Globe Correspondent