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February 26, 2010
Classic Favorites Announce Summer Tours
It’s that time of year. Rock stars, promoters, managers and roadies start to prep for that next road trip, while fans hope it will bring their favorite act to a city near them.
It’s been eight years since Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released their last studio album, but that drought is set to end with the release of Mojo. The album is due sometime this spring, along with the kickoff of a tour that one might expect to coincide with the release date of the album.
Petty’s tour begins in Raleigh, NC on May 6 and is scheduled to wrap up on August 27 in Saratoga Springs, NY. The tour will be supported by other acts, including Joe Cocker, Drive-By Truckers, ZZ Top, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Another classic rocker gearing up for a busy summer schedule is the Steve Miller Band. The man well known for such FM radio classics as “Fly Like an Eagle” and “Jet Airliner” is set to ease into the new tour with a single date next Tuesday in Nashville, and won’t resume until May 21st when they roll into Henderson, NV. The tour will continue through the end of July.
In addition to the tour, a new album is planned for release, although a firm date has not been announced yet. Some material from the new album, which was recorded at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, will be showcased during the tour. No title has been announced for the new album yet.
We’ve been hearing stories from Aerosmith over the past few weeks suggesting that the band was coming back to life after a tumultuous period that had many fans wondering if the group would ever reappear with veteran frontman Steven Tyler again.
Well, it seems as if the boys are all back in one another’s good graces and Tyler will be rejoining his long-time mates for some road work across the pond. A recent announcement by Tyler states that he is back with the group and that Aerosmith will be “coming your way and rocking your world.”
It’s unclear when Aerosmith will be rocking audiences here in the United States again, since the only dates announced so far are for performances in Europe. The 11-date tour, entitled the “Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock” tour hits Sweden on June 10, and winds its way down into Italy for the final show on July 3rd. Perhaps the boys want to be home in time to set off some fireworks and enjoy some July 4th celebrating.
February 16, 2010
Things May Be Looking Up For Aerosmith
We’ve seen a whirlwind of speculation and rumors ever since last summer’s Aerosmith tour with ZZ Top went down the tubes following the mishap that landed Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler in the hospital.
Since then, there has been word of strange behavior on the part of Tyler coming from some of the other members of the group, along with persistent rumors about alcohol or drug abuse that were finally put to rest when Tyler checked himself into rehab for addiction to prescription pain-killers.
Although Tyler’s bizarre behavior may still have tongues wagging after his impromptu Home Depot performance a few weeks ago, and with the threat of lawsuits hanging heavy in the air shortly thereafter, it seems like the Bad Boys From Boston may be making progress, and planning to welcome Tyler back as soon as he is able.
News has emerged that Aerosmith – with Steven Tyler –has been scheduled to perform at “Download 2010.” The event is a musical event in the U.K. that encompasses three days (June 1th through June 13th) at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England.
In addition to Aerosmith, other acts scheduled for the event include AC/DC, Them Crooked Vultures, Billy Idol and other more contemporary rock groups such as Rage Against The Machine and Stone Temple Pilots.
For now, it appears that the drama has ended where Aerosmith is concerned. Naturally anything can happen, but the fact that the boys are scheduled to play together in June is a good sign for fans.
For more information on “Download 2010,” check out the event’s official website.
Update: Aerosmith is also scheduled to perform at the Sweden Rock Festival that runs from June 9th through 12th. Read more here.
February 2, 2010
No End in Sight For Aerosmith Drama
With each passing day, the future of Aerosmith seems more uncertain. This rollercoaster ride for fans of the Bean Town rockers seems to have started when Steven Tyler took that much-publicized tumble from the stage during the group’s summer tour with ZZ Top.
Surely there had to be a lot going on behind the scenes well before the incident, but the fall seems to have been the turning point which opened the floodgates, and confirmed a lot of speculation regarding the status of the band and the relationship between Tyler and the rest of the group.
There were reports from inside the Aerosmith camp that Tyler’s behavior had taken a turn for the bizarre, and some recent public actions on the part of the iconic frontman seem to confirm the allegations.
Recently Tyler delivered an impromptu performance by singing over the P.A. system of a Home Depot store in Rancho Mirage, CA. He belted out versions of “Dude Looks Like a Lady” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” while shoppers roamed the aisles, probably wondering what new classic rock radio station the store’s management had tuned in to.
A week or so prior to his Home Depot debut, Tyler took to the stage at a club called the Tilted Kilt in Palm Desert, and finished up a karaoke rendition of "I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing." The previous two performers had not been well-received by the audience, so Tyler apparently decided to show them how it was done – much to the surprise of the club’s other patrons no doubt!
Tyler is reportedly still in rehab for his pain-killer addiction, but is said to have earned privileges that allow him to take trips away from the facility after 30 days of treatment. Tyler’s management company says that the 61-year-old singer is still in rehab and is set to continue with the 90-day program.
As for the Home Depot performance, the same source says that Tyler just happened to be shopping there, and pointed out that Tyler is a performer 24/7, whether he’s on stage or at Home Depot. Who knows? Maybe the guy was just happy to be through his first 30 days of rehab and decided to share the joy with his fellow shoppers.
Unfortunately, more recent news developments may be putting a bit of a damper on Steven Tyler’s mood. The rest of the group is said to be continuing their efforts to find a replacement singer with names such as Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rodgers, and Chris Cornell being bandied about.
As a result, it appears the relationship between Tyler and the rest of the group may deteriorate even further in light of news regarding possible legal action. Billboard reported that Tyler’s lawyer has contacted Aerosmith manager Howard Kaufman and advised the group to “…cease and desist from engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members.”
Tyler reportedly has every intention of returning to his post with Aerosmith and wants to release a new album and tour with the group in Europe and South America as originally planned.
The letter from Tyler’s attorney to Aerosmith’s management also states that, “Contrary to all common sense, you are seeing to bring about the replacement of Steven Tyler. Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger, or U2 without Bono. While this management strategy may get the band on the road a few months sooner, it ultimately could destroy Aerosmith.”
Clearly the rest of the group is anxious to get back to the business of being a band, whether than includes Steven Tyler or not. Tyler’s ability to complete rehab successfully may be the deciding factor regarding the future of the group. It’s hard to imagine his band mates turning him away if he cleans up his act, but this could be his last chance to hold the group together and continue on as Aerosmith.
More recent details can be found in People magazine.
January 20, 2010
Aerosmith To Continue Work Without Steven Tyler?
It’s always a pretty uncertain thing when someone enters rehab. Will they stay long enough to complete the program and emerge with the ability to maintain their sobriety or will they wash out after a few weeks and return to their old habits? Anyone who was watched Intervention, or who has had personal experience with rehab knows there are no guarantees.
Regardless of any progress Steven Tyler’s has achieved in rehab, it looks like the former “toxic twin” is going to be laid up for a while due to other medical problems. Word is that he is due to undergo surgery on his leg and foot, and will reportedly be unable to perform on stage for about a year.
The rest of Aerosmith, having vented some frustration in recent months over Tyler’s strange behavior, seem ready to move on and resume working with a replacement for Tyler until he is well enough to return. Recent reports suggest that the group is actively seeking a stand-in.
It sounds perfectly plausible. As guitar man Joe Perry points out: “Just like when Tom was sick – we got David Hull to come in and play bass. When Brad was sick, we got somebody else to come in and play for him. That’s basically how I look at it; we need another singer to fill in.”
In contrast to how things appear to be working out between Jon Anderson and his former band mates from Yes, Aerosmith has indeed utilized replacement musicians in the past, and then returned them to their posts when they were up to the job. That should give fans confidence that Tyler’s spot will be waiting for him when he is ready.
One can’t help be a bit concerned about a guy who has struggled with an addiction to pain-killers going under the knife yet again, but perhaps doctors can patch up the energetic frontman sufficiently to alleviate, or at least reduce his pain for the long term.
It’s hard to imagine Aerosmith without their iconic frontman in the line-up, but it appears that is indeed something we may be seeing before long. In the meanwhile, I expect Tyler’s family, friends and fans will be pulling for him, and look forward to seeing him fronting those “Bad Boys From Boston” as soon as possible.
December 15, 2009
Aerosmith Drama Takes Another Turn
It’s beginning to look more and more like Steven Tyler is a man with a lot of turmoil in his life. In the latest development, Tyler has dumped his manager and friend Jason Flom of Union Entertainment Group. Flom and partner John Greenberg were the ones that Tyler hired after splitting with the management that handled Aerosmith as a whole.
Road manager Henry Smith is saying that Tyler hasn’t been free of substance abuse problems for the last 18 years. It is also being reported that Tyler is enduring a lot of pain due to shoulder and foot problems. Tyler injured his shoulder badly during a fall from the stage while performing at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in back in August.
Since then, the future of the group is uncertain at best. With conflicting statements coming from various sources about whether Tyler is taking a couple of years off from Aerosmith to work on some solo projects, or is just taking a little time off to work on his autobiography.
Since leaving UEG, Tyler has hired Allen Kovac of 10th Street Entertainment, who represents some other well-known classic rockers such as Motley Crue and Debbie Harry, formerly of Blondie.
If reports of the “tremendous pain” that is plaguing Tyler is true, it’s not too hard to imagine that someone with his background could easily become dependent on pain killers and lead him back down the path to abusing other drugs, if he’s not been doing so already.
There’s no arguing with the fact that Steven Tyler’s behavior has been a bit bizarre. Accounts from his Aerosmith band members have painted a picture of a man who has moved further away from the band and deeper into isolation; refusing to return phone calls, showing up suddenly at a Joe Perry gig to announce that he does not plan to leave Aerosmith, and disappearing just as quickly. He has also reported to have been keeping himself separate from the rest of the band – with the exception of stage time – during the group’s most recent performances.
Legal questions are also beginning to surface in light of all this uncertainty. If the remaining members of Aerosmith replace Tyler and continue as a group, can they use the name Aerosmith without Tyler?
Whatever it is that’s happening with Steven Tyler, we are surely not hearing the whole story. I suspect his band mates and fans just wish he would get whatever kind of help he needs to overcome the problems he is struggling with.
See Showbiz 411 for more.
