City plans to close section of Commonwealth Avenue for Aerosmith concert for eight hours

By Matt Rocheleau, Globe Correspondent

The city will close a section of Commonwealth Avenue in ­Allston for eight hours Monday to host a concert by the band with Boston roots, Aero­smith.

The band plans to perform a concert at noon on a mobile stage in front of 1325 Commonwealth Ave., the apartment building where the rock group got its start, said Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Mayor ­Thomas M. Menino.

Commonwealth Avenue will be closed between Harvard Avenue and Allston Street from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the city Transportation Department said.

Inbound cars will be ­detoured to Allston Street and then to Brighton Avenue, before connecting with Commonwealth Avenue at Packard’s Corner, the city said. Outbound cars will be detoured in a reverse manner.

Parking will be banned from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. along both sides of Commonwealth Avenue ­between Harvard Avenue and Allston Street and along both sides of Long Avenue and Spofford Road from Commonwealth to Glenville avenues.

Trolley service on the Green Line B branch will be suspended between Washington Street and Packard’s Corner from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., said MBTA officials, who are encouraging riders to use the nearby C branch or the Route 57 bus to get to and from Kenmore.

If traffic allows, the T will try to operate a limited bus shuttle service from the B branch station at Washington Street to the C branch station at Washington Square in Brookline.

The event is organized by the band, Joyce said. To help ensurethat it runs smoothly and safely, she said, the city will provide, and pay for, fire and police ­details. Other costs will be funded by the band.

“There’s always inconvenience when you do this, but it also creates an excitement for the city that is priceless,” Joyce said. “It’s a challenge, but obviously the city is very proud of the boys from Boston.”

The event will include a 20-minute performance, along with the dedication of a plaque at the building to mark the band’s roots there, she said. The program is expected to last about one hour, but the neighborhood is expected to be ­affected for a longer period, Joyce said.

The pre-Election Day event is also intended to promote voting and the band’s album, ­“Music From Another Dimension,” which will be released Tuesday.

Neighborhood businesses hastily prepared, and residents were buzzing after the plan to return to Allston was announced Friday by Aerosmith during a nationally televised morning show.

The building at 1325 ­Commonwealth Ave. was where Aerosmith recorded some of their earliest hits, includ­ing “Dream On.” In the past, fans have pushed for the building to be given historic designation. In 2003, the band released a book chronicling their history, including at 1325 Commonwealth Ave. between 1970 and 1972.

Kevin Lehrer, 37, who co-owns the building’s 21 apartments, except for one, said the band lived either in unit No. 31 or 41. An Aerosmith logo is painted on a wall in the basement, but he said no one knows who painted it or when.

He said Monday’s event was secretly being planned for about three years. Menino’s spokeswoman said the city knew about plans for the plaque dedication for some time, but not about the concert until more recently.

“You’ve got to love Aerosmith,” Lehrer said. “They are Boston. You can’t not listen to them.”