Aerosmith Announce ‘Peace Out’ Farewell Tour, Yay or Nay?

So, I woke up this morning at 8:00 a.m. and scrolled through my phone as usual. I saw a Twitter notification from Aerosmith with the phrase “PEACE OUT!” Curious, I clicked on the notification and found that the American rock band just announced a farewell tour with The Black Crowes as the opening act. The tour will kick off on September 2, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Wells Fargo Center and conclude on January 26, 2024 in Montreal, Canada at Bell Centre.

I wouldn’t consider myself a huge Aerosmith fan, since I just discovered their first four studio albums last year. However, I grew up with their hits thanks to American Idol. Aerosmith’s frontman Steven Tyler was a judge on the show for seasons 10-11 and I thought he was a great addition to the show. I remember when guitarist Joe Perry surprised Tyler on American Idol for his 63rd birthday. I also remember that “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was overplayed to death on the show!

To be honest, I don’t really care to see Aerosmith live. I’m only tempted by the farewell tour because I really want to see The Black Crowes live. However, I have a lot to say about Aerosmith’s “farewell” tour, so let’s get started!

First of all, the video that was posted on both bands’ Instagram accounts was dramatic. It basically shows people freaking out because of rumors that Aerosmith is doing a farewell tour. The video ends with the band confirming that they are indeed doing a farewell tour. My favorite part of the video is when Tyler looks at the camera and says, “If you think we’re joking, dream on!” I’m just like, “haha, sure!”

I mean, Aerosmith went all out on the video. They got Kelly Clarkson, Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton, and even Slash freaking out about Aerosmith coming to an “end.” I want to believe that the band will stick to their word, but they’re not the first band to announce a farewell tour. Look at Scorpions, Judas Priest, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, and Mötley Crüe. They all announced farewell tours years ago and they’re still performing today (though Osbourne is performing minimally these days due to his declining health).

Farewell tours are a cash grab! People think they only have one more chance to see their favorite band live, so they give in and purchase tickets for the farewell tour. Look at how much money Mötley Crüe made from their farewell tour in 2015! They did big business even though Vince Neil’s singing voice was horrible. 

The similarities between the Mötley Crüe farewell tour and the Aerosmith farewell tour are impossible to deny. Both bands have issues going on, they hadn’t made a studio album in years, and they made such a big deal about retiring. Mötley Crüe signed a “Cessation of Touring Agreement” and Aerosmith did this big dramatic video announcing the tour. Over two weeks ago, Perry said that Aerosmith would tour this fall, but I didn’t think they meant a farewell tour.

When it was finally announced, Perry told Fox 8 News, “It’s the final farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while. 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.” To be fair, all of the members of Aerosmith are over 70, so it’s not totally out of left field to announce a final tour. However, because very few bands stick to their word of calling it quits, I have a hard time believing that the band will be done for good.

Drummer Joey Kramer won’t even participate in the farewell tour. He’s been on leave since the band’s Las Vegas residency last year, in order to focus on his health and family. It’s a shame, though, because he’s the coolest member of the band. Ok, maybe that’s not true, but I love drummers. John Douglas will play in his place along with Tyler, Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, and guitarist Brad Whitford.

And with The Black Crowes? According to Steve Gorman’s Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of The Black Crowes book, the band and Aerosmith did not get along in the early ’90s when they went on tour together. Both bands patched things up in the late ’90s, but still. I want to see The Black Crowes in concert so badly. But the problem with being an opening act is the band has a short amount of time on stage before the headlining act comes on. Less time on stage means a shorter setlist, and a shorter setlist means put in as many hits as you possibly can!

For certain bands, I’m all about the deep cuts and The Black Crowes are one of those bands that have amazing deep cuts. I don’t want to hear “Jealous Again,” “Remedy,” “Twice as Hard,” and “She Talks to Angels” repeatedly. Give me “HorseHead,” “Ballad in Urgency,” “Wee Who See the Deep,” and “(Only) Halfway to Everywhere.” I’m better off waiting for The Black Crowes’ next headlining tour. Maybe after they release another studio album!

On the plus side, Aerosmith’s farewell tour would be a great opportunity for The Black Crowes to perform in front of huge crowds. It’d be a great exposure for them. The Black Crowes are a killer live band, but they aren’t a big band. After their first two studio albums, radio gave up on them. To some, they’re only known as a one-hit wonder, thanks to their cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” I think that The Black Crowes are way better than Aerosmith, but I can see how the tour would benefit both bands.

Despite my concerns, I have no doubt that Aerosmith will make big bucks from their “farewell” tour. They’re freaking huge all over the world! Many artists, including Slash and Metallica’s James Hetfield, cite the band as a musical influence. Their tours are always packed. They’ve also been called “America’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band.”

Will I check out Aerosmith with The Black Crowes? Even if I wanted to go, I doubt my parents would let me go because there are no dates in Hawaii, sadly. If anything, I’d just check out live clips of The Black Crowes from the tour.

If you want to check out Aerosmith one last time, head over to their website for tour dates. Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 5, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

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Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana