Seems Steven Tyler will have to keep dreaming on about a final Aerosmith tour for now. At least according to the band’s guitarist Joe Perry, who rejected the singer’s talk about how it’s time for the superstar classic rock band’s last hurrah.
Back in June, Tyler told DJ/shock jock Howard Stern that the next Aerosmith tour would be their last, saying: “We’re doing a farewell tour, because it’s time. We’ve never done that.” (See our story here.)
But it seems Perry has other ideas. He thinks the idea of a farewell tour is only an option. The founding band member told Rolling Stone that he couldn’t imagine doing a farewell tour. “At this point in our lives and career, maybe it is time to say ‘OK, it’s the end of this era – but there’s a new era on the horizon.’ So I don’t know if I’m comfortable saying ‘final tour’ and making a big deal out of it,” he said. “If it was going to happen, we’re closer to it than any other time in our insane career. It’s an option. It could be the last, but it’s really hard for me to imagine a last gig, sorry.”
He reiterated his thoughts in a recent talk with Guitar World magazine. “It’s one of many things we’ve talked about as a band, but I don’t know if it’s the end. We take it from album to tour and day to day,” Perry explains. “It’s the same philosophy we’ve always had. But even if that final tour comes about, it could go on for two years.”
Related: Brad Whitford weighs in on Aerosmith final tour
So whether an Aerosmith farewell tour will or won’t happen remains to be seen. For now, you can catch Aerosmith at Southern California’s KAABOO festival on September 16th before they head down to South America. That 10-date tour will wrap up in Mexico City on October 27.
Both of the artists have recently been working on other projects, which may create a reason for the band’s possible farewell.
Tyler is trying to make his mark in country music. His debut solo album, We’re All Somebody From Somewhere, will be released on July 15th. The singer just kicked off a solo tour in Las Vegas on July 2nd and will play 21 dates before he wraps on September 13 in Toronto.
Related: Steven Tyler plays NYC benefit
Las Vegas Weekly gave the Aerosmith lead singer’s tour debut a thumbs up. “Whatever the status of his contentious band, Tyler seemed very happy to be in the solo spotlight, interacting more warmly with seven-member backing band Loving Mary than he has with his Aerosmith bandmates in recent years. The mainly older crowd enjoyed every minute of it, though, staying on their feet even through the unfamiliar new songs and chanting “Steven!” (not “Aerosmith!”) during the encore break. If anyone missed Tyler’s usual bandmates, they didn’t show it, and the singer himself commanded the stage effortlessly on his own.”
Perry, meanwhile, is currently on tour with Hollywood Vampires (see our story here), a collaborative effort that features Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. Also along for the ride are drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses/The Cult), guitarist Tommy Henriksen and Bruce Witkin (The Kids) on piano, percussion and guitar, and bassist Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots).
Just how well both projects connect with fans may be a deciding factor in Aerosmith’s future.
Steven Tyler 2016 Out on a Limb Tour Dates (Tickets here):
July 8 – Seattle, WA – Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
July 10 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre
July 14 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
July 20 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
July 23 – Denver, CO – Ellie Caulkins Opera House
July 26 – Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall
July 29 – Houston, TX – Brown Theater
Aug 1 – Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair park
Aug 13 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
Aug 17 – Nashville, TN – Andrew Jackson Hall at TPAC
Aug 20 – Des Moines, IA – Iowa State Fair
Aug 23 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
Aug 29 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
Sept 1 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy PAC
Sept 4 – Boston, MA – Citi PAC at Wang Theatre
Sept 7 – Philadelphia, PA – Academy of Music
Sept 10 – Providence, RI – Providence PAC
Sept 13 – Toronto, ON – Sony Centre for the Perf. Arts
Hollywood Vampires 2016 Tour Dates (Tickets here):
July 7 – Aurora, IL – River Edge Park,
July 8 – Orillia, ONT – Casino Rama Entertainment Center
July 9 – Niagara Falls, ONT – Stage at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
July 10 – Brooklyn, NY – Coney Island Amphitheater
July 12 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion
July 13 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
July 14 – Cadott, WI – Rock Fest
July 16 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 18 – Fargo, North Dakota – Scheels Arena
July 22 – Rohnert Park, CA – Weill Hall
July 23 – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion
July 24 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
July 25 – Paso Robles, CA – Mid State Fair
