Aerosmith’s first extended concert in more than three years ended with a return years in the making: founding drummer Joey Kramer joined the band for “Walk This Way” at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 29. The reunion closed California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends, a guest-filled celebration of the group’s catalog.
It was a significant live appearance for a band whose touring plans collapsed after Steven Tyler fractured his larynx and sustained further vocal cord damage in September 2023. Those injuries forced Aerosmith to postpone and then cancel its Peace Out farewell tour. Guitarist Joe Perry said in June that Tyler had spent a long time recovering and rebuilding confidence in his voice. The band had mostly set touring aside, Perry said, but remained open to occasional performances. The Bowl show put that possibility into practice. It was filmed for future use, though no release has been announced.
Perry had hinted at the return in June, saying, “I don’t think you’ve seen the last Aerosmith performance.” The concert’s scale made clear that this was more than a brief guest appearance: artists from several corners of rock and country took on Aerosmith songs before the band headlined the evening.
Aerosmith’s catalog, passed from artist to artist
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna opened with “Make It” and “Lightning Strikes.” Warren Haynes followed with “Lord of the Thighs” and “Walkin’ the Dog,” then Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens played “Livin’ on the Edge.” Sammy Hagar paired “Draw the Line” with the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” a song Aerosmith regularly played early in its career.
Heart brought “Never Loved a Man” and “Janie’s Got a Gun” to the set, while Eric Church took on “Rag Doll” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” The Black Crowes ranged across the band’s catalog, including Joe Perry’s solo song “Let the Music Do the Talking,” alongside “Write Me a Letter,” “Combination,” “No More No More” and “Chip Away the Stone.”
Guns N’ Roses played “Nobody’s Fault,” “Last Child” and “Seasons of Wither,” then switched to their own “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City.” The night’s broad roster was backed by a house band led by musical director Don Was. Its players included guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and drummers Kenny Aronoff and Chad Smith, with Mike Inez on bass. The show was produced by Blackbird Presents and Larry Rudolph’s 724 Management.
The band takes the stage
Actresses Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone introduced Aerosmith; both had appeared regularly in the band’s 1990s music videos. Dave Grohl sat in on drums as the group launched into “Toys in the Attic,” then stayed for “Back in the Saddle” and “Sweet Emotion.”
For “Dream On,” Tyler moved to a white grand piano and delivered the song amid swirling fog, at one point standing on the instrument. Johnny Depp joined Perry for “The Train Kept A-Rollin’,” trading riffs with him in a reunion of sorts for their Hollywood Vampires partnership.
Then came Kramer’s return. He shared the kit with John Douglas, Aerosmith’s longtime drum technician and more recent touring drummer, as confetti fell during “Walk This Way.” Kramer had not performed with the band since 2020.
Tyler addressed the crowd before the band said goodnight: “Before we say goodnight, I just want to say what a ride it’s been with my brothers — Joe, Tom, Brad and Joey. Fifty-five fucking years, and we’re the same fucking band that started fifty-five and a half years ago.”
Aerosmith is scheduled to return to the Bowl on Nov. 1 for a second California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends concert. Many of the same performers are expected, along with Run-D.M.C. and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. The two-night event gives Aerosmith another chance to test what an occasional live appearance can look like after the end of its planned farewell tour.
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Related coverage: Aerosmith’s Hollywood Bowl concert and Joe Perry on Aerosmith’s debut album.
