Aerosmith have been off stages for more than three years, and now the band is finally showing signs of coming back. On Monday (Oct. 5), singer Steven Tyler climbed a ladder outside the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to put up some letters on its famous marquee, teaming up with rock photographer Ross Halpin to tease the band’s upcoming return to live performance.
In a short video, Tyler, 78, shouts out the spelling as Halpin helps with the letters. “Y H W,” Halpin says as Tyler calls for the missing piece: “Gimme the O! Ampersand! Ampersand!” The joke lands when Halpin wonders if Tyler knows how to spell Aerosmith, and Tyler snaps back, “It’s ‘AND Friends,’ Ross.” The teaser ends with a bit of the band’s 1975 hit “Sweet Emotion” and the phrase “all will be revealed tomorrow.”
The video also captures Tyler and Halpin enjoying smoothies together, with the dates Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 visible on the marquee. The shows are scheduled for those two nights at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Long Road Back
Aerosmith were forced to abandon their planned final tour, Peace Out … Farewell Tour, in September 2023 when Tyler suffered a fractured larynx just three shows into what was booked as their last road hurrah. The tour was first postponed, then canceled, and the band announced a retirement from touring.
Since then, Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry have kept busy. They recorded an Aerosmith EP with Yungblud, titled 2025’s One More Time. Tyler has also made a few singing appearances, including a six-song set at the annual Grammy Awards benefit for his Janie’s Fund and last summer’s massive Back to the Beginning farewell concert by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
Perry’s Uncertain Words
In April of this year, Perry, 76, told Billboard that he wasn’t quite ready to call time on the band’s live performance days. “The band is still kind of definitely not in touring mode, but there are certainly other options, so we stay in touch,” he said of regular chats with “my brother from another mother” Tyler.
“You just never know,” Perry teased about potential future Aerosmith performances. He described recent progress on Tyler’s voice: “It’s just been in the last six months that Steven’s started to get comfortable with singing; he literally had to take a year off before he was able to start stretching his vocal cords, and you’re always worried about reinjuring it.”
Perry added a cautionary note about fragility. “I learned a long time ago that everything we do is fragile… so we just take it day by day. You hope for the best. You just have to have the confidence and have that vision of positive in front of you. You can’t do it unless you envision it.”
The Marquee Joke
The teaser video’s central gag is simple but effective. Halpin offers to help with the spelling, and Tyler keeps insisting on the ampersand. “Do you even know how to spell Aerosmith?” Halpin wonders. “It’s ‘AND Friends,’ Ross,” Tyler snaps back.
The joke works because it plays on the band’s name and the ampersand that follows it. Tyler is not asking for a guest star; he is asking for the ampersand itself.
Smoothies and Comfort
The video’s closing scene is quiet but telling. Tyler and Halpin sit together, drinking smoothies, gazing at the marquee with the dates Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 on it. Halpin asks Tyler if he misses performing, and Tyler responds, “Of all the things I ever missed, I miss my mind the most.”
That line is a characteristically theatrical answer from a man who has spent decades making spectacle out of his own excess.
What the Shows Will Be
The full details of the shows will be released on Tuesday morning (Oct. 6). Until then, fans will be left wondering what the “& Friends” label means for the lineup.
The Road Ahead
The Hollywood Bowl shows mark a significant step for a band that has spent years in limbo. After the fractured larynx forced the cancellation of their farewell tour, the question was whether Tyler could sing again at all.
The answer now appears to be yes, but the band is taking it slowly. Perry’s comments suggest a cautious approach, with no rush to commit to a full schedule.
A Return Worth Watching
The video itself is a small piece of marketing, but it is effective because it is personal. Tyler climbing a ladder, shouting at a photographer, and cracking jokes about the band’s name — it is the kind of thing Aerosmith do best. They have never been subtle about their own legend, and this teaser plays straight into that.
The “& Friends” title is a nod to the band’s history of collaborations, but it also signals a new era. After a farewell tour that never happened, the band is returning with a fresh label and a new set of dates.
Key Facts Box
- First live show in more than three years: Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
- Teaser released: Monday, Oct. 5
- Full details released: Tuesday morning, Oct. 6
- EP with Yungblud: 2025’s One More Time
- Hit referenced: “Sweet Emotion,” 1975
- Previous farewell tour: Peace Out … Farewell Tour, abandoned Sept. 2023 due to Tyler’s fractured larynx
The band has been absent from stages for more than three years, and the tease has done its job. Fans have waited through postponements, cancellations, and retirement announcements, and now they have dates and a marquee sign.
Tyler’s comfort with singing is real, and the band’s willingness to keep going is genuine. The Hollywood Bowl gigs are a chance to hear the band live again, and the “& Friends” label promises something different from the farewell they never completed.
Source material: “Aerosmith Tease First Live Show in More Than Three Years With ‘& Friends’ Hollywood Bowl Gigs,” Billboard.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.