Last year we reported that Aerosmith was going to be wrapping things up with a farewell tour in North America. Titled, Peace Out: The Farwell Tour, it was going to be the swan song for one of rock and roll’s most enduring bands. However, the tour was postponed in September of 2023 due to problems with lead vocalist Stephen Tyler‘s vocal cords. It now appears that those problems are too severe to overcome, and Aerosmith is officially retiring.
The announcement was made on Aerosmith’s official website and social media to declare that the band was officially going to “retire from the touring stage.” We’ll talk about the intricacies of that statement later but for now it brings a decisive end to what was supposed to be a fairly sprawling farewell tour. The group was only three dates into the tour when they had to call it quits. What was originally supposed to be a fairly short postponement turned into a far longer one after it was found that Tyler’s larynx was damaged in addition to his vocal cords.
The finality of the decision is highlighted by the notes that concert goers will be refunded through Ticketmaster or need to reach out to third-party resellers; all the dates have been cancelled. It’s an absolute shame for everyone who was looking forward to seeing the band one last time, even worse if this was going to be someone’s first time as well. This footage from August of 2023 seems to show that Tyler’s voice as a bit ragged but by no means unpleasant in the least.
This is not the way a band should have to bow out. It’s not entirely surprising though that at the age of 76, and after 50 years of performing and touring that Tyler’s voice would give out. Couple this with how vocally intensive Aerosmith songs can be and it’s more surprising that they lasted as long as they had without Tyler sounding like he was trying to do a Tom Waits impression. We did an article a couple years back about Jon Bon Jovi and how much his voice had degraded over the years. If you had heard what Bon Jovi sounded like then, you’d probably agree that maybe it’s best that Aerosmith packed it up now.
The official announcement specifically says the band was going to “retire from the touring stage.” That could leave open the possibility for either a one-off performance at some point or the possibility of releasing another album. Granted its been 12 years since the last studio release of new material but maybe there’s something they’ve been cooking up since then. Or maybe the group has got one last gig left in them to say goodbye to fans. Any vocalist can tell you there’s a big difference between singing in the studio, performing a one night gig, and a whole tour.
Regardless, there is a very strong sense of finality to the message the band posted to announce the tour’s cancellation. If there is anything left for the future of Aerosmith, clearly the band is winding down to the end of the line anyway. They leave behind a legacy of remarkable success, longevity, and memorable singles and albums. Enjoy your Permanent Vacation boys, it was earned.
