Aerosmith Announces Farewell Tour, One Member Sits Out

Aerosmith decided to walk this way right into retirement. After performing the same old songs and dances for over 50 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers announced they are done livin’ on the edge. The “Peace Out” tour will begin on Sept. 2 in Philadelphia and will conclude on Jan. 26, 2024 in Montreal. Founding drummer Joey Kramer will not be performing with the band but is still considered a member. John Douglas will play drums in his place.

The decision comes after the group finished up their 76-show Las Vegas residency last year. Guitarist Joe Perry said they will take everything they learned from the Las Vegas shows on the road. “I think it’s about time,” Perry told the Associated Press.

Every member of Aerosmith is over the age of 70. Lead singer Steven Tyler is the oldest at 75. The setlists will include their most popular hits, as well as some deeper cuts from their catalog. Bassist Tom Hamilton and rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford will join Perry and Tyler on the tour.

“It’s kind of a chance to celebrate the 50 years we’ve been out here,” Perry said Monday. “You never know how much longer everybody’s going to be healthy to do this. … It’s been a while since we’ve actually done a real tour. We did that run in Vegas, which was great. It was fun, but (we’re) kind of anxious to get back on the road.”

Kramer is still considered an official member of the band, but he dropped out of last year’s Vegas shows to focus on his family and health. The group said Kramer’s “legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed,” with Perry calling him their brother. Kramer’s wife, Linda Gail Kreamer, died in June 2022 at age 55.

“While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of Aerosmith, he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health,” the group said in a statement. “Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”

Aerosmith formed in Boston in 1970 and released their debut self-titled album three years later. Their career began with a run of four great albums, packed with hits like “Dream On,” “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way,” “Last Child” and “Back in the Saddle.” The group fractured in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but Run DMC’s surprising “Walk This Way” cover featuring Tyler and Perry reinvigorated interest in the band. The 1987 album Permanent Vacation included a string of hit singles, including “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and “Rag Doll.”

During the 1990s, Aerosmith was one of the biggest bands in the world. “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin,’” “Crazy,” and “Pink” were all huge hits, and they recorded “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for Armageddon. They continued scoring hits into the early 2000s, and released their final studio album, Music from Another Dimension!, in 2012. The group considered a farewell tour in 2015, even humorously calling their 2017 European tour the “Aero-Vederci Baby! Tour.” However, they reunited in 2019 for their Las Vegas residency, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Tyler’s relapse in 2022.

The “Peace Out” tour will run 40 dates, but Perry said there could be more. “It’s the final farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while,” the guitarist told AP. “But I don’t know how many times we’ll be coming back to the same cities. It could very possibly be the last time.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. local time on Ticketmaster.com. The schedule includes a New Year’s Eve stop at Boston’s TD Garden. Other key dates include the KIA Forum in Los Angeles on Dec. 7, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 10, and Madison Square Garden in New York City on Jan. 19.