Aerosmith 2023 Tour: “Peace Out” concerts kick off in September

LOS ANGELES — Aerosmith will be touring a city near you one last time to celebrate 50-plus years as a rock band together.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band announced Monday the dates for their Peace Out farewell tour, which kicks off Sept. 2 in Philadelphia. The 40-show run, which includes a stop in the band’s hometown of Boston on New Year’s Eve, will conclude on January 26 in Montreal.

“I think it’s about time,” said guitarist Joe Perry.

Perry said the band, which features frontman Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford, learned from the production and staging during recent shows in Las Vegas.

Perry believes it’s time to say goodbye, especially to all of the group’s founders who are over 70 years old. Tyler, 75, is the oldest in the group.

“It’s kind of a chance to celebrate our 50th anniversary,” Perry said. “You never know how long everyone is going to be healthy enough to do it. … It’s been a while since we’ve actually done a real tour. We did this run in Vegas and it was great. It was fun, but (we) really want to get back on the road.”

Tyler and Perry said the band is looking forward to delving into their long catalog of classic rock hits, including “Crazy,” “Janie’s Got a Gun” and “Livin’ on the Edge.”

Aerosmith, formed in 1970, has won four Grammy Awards over the years. The band pushed the boundaries that cross between rock and hip-hop with their epic collaboration with Run-DMC for “Walk This Way.”

Aerosmith did a Super Bowl halftime show in 2001 and even had their own theme park in 1999 at Disney World in Florida and later in Paris with the launch of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

“We’re opening Pandora’s Box one last time to bring the Peace Out Tour to our fans,” Tyler said in a statement to The Associated Press. His “Pandora’s Box” refers to Aerosmith’s 1991 three-disc album, which spans the band’s career from the 1970s to the early 1980s.

“Be there or watch out because we’re bringing all the toys down from the attic. Get ready,” Tyler added.

The band announced that Kramer has decided not to participate in the current dates of the upcoming tour. He’s still part of the band, but the drummer has been on leave to “focus on his family and health” following their residency in Vegas last year. Drummer John Douglas will continue to play in his place.

Perry called Kramer his brother. The band said his “legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”

Before the 40th tour is complete, Perry said other cities domestically and internationally may be added.

“This is the last farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while,” he said. “But I don’t know how many times we will return to the same cities. It is quite possible that this is the last time.”