Steven Tyler Talks Aerosmith Farewell Tour: ‘It’s Time’
The timing looks like it's still up in the air, but it appears that an Aerosmith farewell tour is definitely on the horizon — at least if Steven Tyler has anything to say about it.
The singer talked about the band's final road jaunt during a recent appearance on Howard Stern's show, insisting that while he still enjoys fronting Aerosmith, he feels like it's time for them to put touring behind them. "I love this band. I really do," Tyler told Stern. "I wanna squash any thought that anybody might have about the band [being] over. We're doing a farewell tour, but that's only because it's time."
Pressed to clarify his statement, Tyler said he expects the tour to take place next year. Asked whether he believes Aerosmith will be "gone for good," he simply said "yeah."
That being said, Tyler quickly admitted that the band's farewell tour could serve the same purpose as similarly conceived retirement runs by other veteran acts. Asked how long the tour would last, he joked "probably forever" and added, "How about Kiss? They did 19 farewell tours."
Tyler also told Stern that his longtime creative foil/sparring partner in Aerosmith, guitarist Joe Perry, is aware of (and presumably on board with) the plan to start putting the band to rest in 2017 — but as previously reported, the duo may not see eye to eye on saying goodbye.
"A farewell tour is something we’ve talked about doing for years, let’s say roughly in the last five years," Perry said in April. "It’s just something the band’s talked about at various times. At this point, the five of us have never sat down and said, ‘It’s time to do it.’ So ‘considering’ is an appropriate word for that statement. A farewell tour is definitely not confirmed."
In the meantime, both Tyler and Perry have solo records in the works, with Tyler's We're All Somebody From Somewhere due July 15. Guitarist Brad Whitford recently reunited with singer Derek St. Holmes for a new album, and bassist Tom Hamilton will spend part of the summer touring with the current Thin Lizzy lineup.
Aerosmith Albums Ranked Worst to Best