Aerosmith Kick Off Farewell Tour with Epic Show in Philadelphia

Aerosmith is peacing out with a bang. 

The rock band kicked off their Peace Out farewell tour in Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday. Throughout the show, the group featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford brought high energy and fan service to the arena, playing long strings of hits and reflecting on their career that spans over 50 decades. 

Just before the show, which marked the Grammy winners’ 40th concert in Philadelphia, a large screen descending over the triangular stage played retrospective footage of their history, from interviews with Run DMC, Slash and Mark Wahlberg to appearances on Wayne’s World and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 

Tyler, 75, who was dressed in a long, silver-sequined jacket, sleeveless shirt, black-brimmed hat and black and red pants with eyes printed on his behind, gave a dynamic performance, strutting across the stage with the mic stand in hand.

His endurance never faltered, performing upwards of 16 songs straight through, including “Sweet Emotion,” “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin’” and “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” before ending with “Toys in the Attic,” during which giant balloons came down from the ceiling.  

While the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers tore through their hits, they also took a few moments to share anecdotes from their storied past. 

Perry, 72, spoke about the significance of one of the guitars he was playing on tour. He said it used to belong to the late Jeff Beck, who played guitar for the English band The Yardbirds and died at age 78 in January. He told the crowd Beck’s wife Sandra Beck said to him, “Why don’t you take one of his guitars? It will keep Jeff’s memory alive.”

Tyler also opened up about how the group wrote their iconic song “Walk This Way.” Sitting with Perry on stools at the edge of the stage, he said the guitarist was dozing off back in the day — pantomiming that they were smoking marijuana — and began playing something, even as he was in a daze. “He starts playing a couple of licks and I start singing along — and the rest is history,” Tyler said. 

Coming back on stage for an encore, Tyler, who changed into a silky shirt and put on a Hawaiian lei, mentioned the Maui wildfires and sang “Dream On” from a white baby grand piano on the edge of the stage. Then for their final song, they ripped through “Walk This Way,” as confetti blasted throughout the Wells Fargo Center. 

“It’s good to be back in Philly,” the frontman shouted before exiting the stage. 

The rock legends’ final run continues until early 2024, and is set to visit 40 North American cities. The show also features The Black Crowes as special guests. 

The tour comes as original drummer Joey Kramer has stepped away from performing with the group. 

Kramer, 73, first announced he was taking a “temporary leave of absence” in March 2022 and had decided to sit out on the band’s Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas residency. Shortly after the announcement, his wife of 13 years, Linda, died at age 55 in June 2022. 

Aerosmith shared a statement regarding his absence when they first announced the farewell shows. In a press release, they said, “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. Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”

Drummer John Douglas has replaced the original Aerosmith member for the time being.

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Peace Out also follows Tyler’s recent treatment for substance abuse. After revealing that the “Sweet Emotion” singer relapsed after a foot surgery, the band canceled eight shows of their Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas residency in May 2022. 

“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years,” the band shared in a statement at the time. “After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.”

The band ultimately resumed the Vegas shows at the Dolby Live Theater at Park MGM from September to November 2022.

Peace Out marks Aerosmith’s longest run of shows and first official tour since the Aero-Vederci Baby! Tour in 2017 and 2018.