The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Aerosmith said goodbye to touring — now Steven Tyler is getting back in the saddle with some legendary friends

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BS BULLETIN:

  • Aerosmith will return to the stage for two Hollywood Bowl concerts after announcing its retirement from touring in 2024.

  • Guns N’ Roses, Run-DMC, Heart, Billy Idol and Sammy Hagar are among the famous guests joining the celebration.

  • Steven Tyler, 78, suffered a fractured larynx in 2023, forcing the band to cancel its farewell tour.

Aerosmith is getting back in the saddle.

Two years after announcing that Steven Tyler’s devastating vocal injury had brought the band’s touring career to an end, the legendary Boston rockers are returning for two massive concerts — and they’re bringing enough famous friends to fill a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame reunion.

The shows, billed as California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends, are scheduled for October 29 and November 1 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

And the guest list reads like the soundtrack to several decades of American rock. Guns N’ Roses, Run-DMC, the Black Crowes, Heart, Billy Idol, Sammy Hagar and Eric Church are among the performers announced for the two-night celebration.

Also participating are Slash, Duff McKagan, Tom Morello, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt. Legendary producer Don Was will serve as music director.

The announcement is particularly remarkable considering what happened to Tyler three years ago.

In September 2023, Aerosmith’s Peace Out farewell tour came to an abrupt halt after just three concerts when Tyler suffered a fractured larynx and vocal cord damage. The injury proved so serious that the band announced in August 2024 that it was permanently retiring from touring.

For millions of fans who grew up with “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way” and “Love in an Elevator,” it appeared the curtain had finally fallen on one of America’s greatest rock bands.

But Tyler wasn’t quite finished. The singer gradually returned to performing through occasional appearances, including Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert in 2025 and a reunion with guitarist Joe Perry.

Perry had already hinted that Aerosmith might not be done. In a June interview with SPIN, the guitarist explained that the band had largely abandoned the idea of touring but hadn’t ruled out occasional performances.

“We’ve pretty much written off the idea of touring, but it doesn’t mean we can’t play some gigs,” Perry said.

He also described Tyler’s long recovery and his concern about damaging his voice again. Now those occasional gigs have become two of the biggest rock events of the fall.

The addition of Guns N’ Roses was announced Thursday, bringing together two bands whose histories have been intertwined since their arena-rock heyday.

Run-DMC’s participation offers another nostalgic moment.

The hip-hop pioneers teamed with Aerosmith in 1986 to remake “Walk This Way,” creating a crossover hit that helped introduce rap music to mainstream rock audiences. Forty years later, the two acts are preparing to share a stage again.

Organizers say the lineup will differ between the two concerts, with additional surprise guests expected. Not every announced performer is guaranteed to appear both nights. The concerts are not being billed as the beginning of another full-scale tour. For now, Aerosmith has committed to just two performances.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday, October 10, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s charitable organization supporting girls and young women who have experienced abuse and neglect.

Whether these performances become a final farewell or lead to something more remains unknown.

But after a career-threatening injury, a canceled goodbye tour, and two years of uncertainty, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith are about to give fans something they thought they’d never see again.

MY QUICK TAKE

Aerosmith retired. Guns N’ Roses survived. Billy Idol is still rocking. And Run-DMC is back for another “Walk This Way.”

Somebody check the calendar. Are we sure it’s not 1987? The best part? After everything Steven Tyler has been through, the man is getting another shot at the stage.

And this time, maybe the farewell tour can actually get to the farewell.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

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