Aerosmith, the legendary rock band with over 50 years of music history, will embark on a tour intending to celebrate their long career, which could possibly be their last.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band announced Monday the dates for their farewell tour called "Peace Out" starting Sept. 2 in Philadelphia. The 40-date run of shows, which includes a stop in the band’s hometown of Boston on New Year’s Eve, will end on Jan. 26 in Montreal.
"I think it’s about time," guitarist Joe Perry said.
Perry said the group, with frontman Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Brad Whitford, learned from the staging and production of their recent Las Vegas residency shows.
Perry believes the time to say goodbye is now, especially with every founding band member over 70. Tyler, 75, is the oldest in the group.
"It’s kind of a chance to celebrate the 50 years we’ve been out here," Perry said. "You never know how much longer everybody will be healthy to do this. ... It’s been a while since we’ve done a real tour. We did that run in Vegas, which was great. It was fun, but (we’re) anxious to get back on the road."
Tyler and Perry said the band is looking forward to digging into their lengthy catalog of the group’s rock classics, including "Crazy," "Janie’s Got a Gun," and "Livin’ on the Edge."
Over the years, Aerosmith, which formed in 1970, has collected four Grammys. The band broke boundaries intersecting rock and hip-hop with their epic collaboration with Run-DMC for "Walk This Way."
Aerosmith performed the Super Bowl halftime show in 2001 and even had their own theme park attraction in 1999 at Disney World in Florida and later in Paris with the launch of the "Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith" ride.
"We’re opening Pandora’s Box one last time to present our fans with the Peace Out tour," Tyler said in a statement to The Associated Press. His "Pandora’s Box" reference calls out Aerosmith’s 1991 three-disc compilation album that covered the band’s output from the 1970s to the early 1980s.
"Be there or beware as we bring all the toys out of the attic. So get ready," Tyler added.
The band said Kramer decided not to participate in the upcoming tour’s current dates. He’s still a part of the group, but the drummer has been on leave to "focus his attention on his family and health" since their Vegas residency last year. Drummer John Douglas will continue to play in his place.
Perry called Kramer their brother. The band said his "legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed."
Before the 40-date tour wraps, Perry said other cities domestically and internationally could be added.
"It’s the final farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while," he said. "But I don’t know how often we’ll return to the same cities. It could very possibly be the last time."