WHAT WENT DOWN
Bill Burr, emceeing Aerosmith's Hollywood Bowl return, told the Oct. 29 crowd the two Los Angeles dates were the "final two shows in Aerosmith's history" *, †. Two nights later, Steven Tyler took the stage and said otherwise *, †, ‡.
THE DETAILS
- The Hollywood Bowl pair were Aerosmith's first concerts in more than three years, with the second landing on Sunday night *, ‡.
- Guest artists including Heart and Guns N' Roses played Aerosmith songs before the band took a shortened headlining set, a format resembling Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning *, ‡.
- Burr's MC comment set off speculation among fans online *, ‡.
- Tyler, from the stage: "Doesn't he know that you can't get rid of Aerosmith? In fact, at the end of the f—ing world, there will only be cockroaches, Aerosmith and I guess, Bill Burr!" ‡
- He called Burr "Boston's own Charlie Brown with a bad-ass attitude" *, ‡.
- Tyler closed by marking "55 years" with his bandmates, which some read as a farewell *, †. Joe Perry thanked the guests and said nothing about the future *, ‡.
THE TAKE
A comedian's offhand line became the band's official position for 48 hours, which says plenty about how thin the line is between a bit and a press release. Tyler pushed back but announced no dates, so the question of whether Aerosmith tours again is still open.
