Sonic fireworks from Tyler and Perry?

When Steven Tyler takes the Hatch Shell stage tomorrow with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, the result could be a new and improved Aerosmith frontman, says bandmate Joe Perry , who'll join Tyler at the concert. ``The doctor said that definitely [Tyler] would be as good as he's been but there's a chance he could sound even better," guitarist Perry said the other day of Tyler's throat surgery. ``So I guess we'll find out." The Boston rockers will play at least three songs with the Pops including, ``Dream On," ``Walk This Way," and ``I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," from the ``Armageddon" movie soundtrack. Perry says it was just a lucky bit of timing that allowed them to be part of ``The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular," which will be broadcast on CBS. `` Steven is definitely recovered from his throat thing and he's had some foot surgery and he's just about recovered from that," said Perry. ``If they had asked us two months ago when they were talking about booking the talent for the show, we would've said no, but because they asked us so close [to the Fourth] and Steven's feeling well and fit, we said yes. . . . So it worked out." And will the guys stay for the fireworks? Perry said: ``Oh, definitely."

For the first time in several years, it will be the Hood blimp providing the images from above the Esplanade for today's rehearsal concert and tomorrow's real deal.

Werner finds new digs in Back Bay

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner bought a three-bedroom condo on Boylston Street in the Back Bay for $2.531 million, according to county records. The 2,531-square-foot unit has six rooms and 2.5 baths, the records show.

Speaking of moving to the area, former ``Cheers" star John Ratzenberger, who's been around a bunch to raise money for diabetes research and to film for his Travel Channel show ``Made in America ," has been scouting houses in the region. While shooting for ``Made in America," which features US companies and their products, Ratzenberger is checking out four Massachusetts businesses including a stop the other day at the Zildjian cymbal company in Norwell. The segments on the companies will air next year.

Jacket singer gives them the Slip

Writing in yesterday's New York Times, My Morning Jacket singer-songwriter Jim James gave a little nod to the Boston-based power trio the Slip. ``I had heard from friends I would like them," wrote James, who along with his band played two concerts recently with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. ``I've seen so many thousands of bands; most times I see a band I'll give them one or two songs, but I instantly felt a bond with these three guys with very weird brains doing some very weird music," James wrote of Marc Friedman and brothers Andrew and Brad Barr.

Legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas stopped by the NECN studios the other day where she chatted with some of the women on the staff before talking with ``NewsNight" host Jim Braude about her book ``Watchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public." . . . Following his ``Monsieur Chopin" performance at the American Repertory Theatre's Loeb Drama Center yesterday, performer Hershey Felder was slated to have dinner at Sandrine's Bistro in Harvard Square with writers Dick and Doris Kearns Goodwin, and film and theater producer Nick Paleologos and his wife, Patti. . . . Boy Scouts from Dedham and Waltham joined Mark DeCarlo of the Travel Channel's ``Taste of America" to learn a bit about Boston baked beans the other day. First, DeCarlo learned from the lads about beans slow-cooked in molasses -- a dish that dates back to the Colonial days -- and then the crew headed over to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace to sample bean s prepared by Durgin Park's chef Tom Ryan.

Laurence Lesser, New England Conservatory's president emeritus, will serve as the interim CEO of the Conservatory for the upcoming academic year following the death last month of school president Daniel Steiner. Currently the Walter W. Naumburg Chair in Music, Lesser plans to continue his full teaching schedule.

Sarah Rodman of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.