When Aerosmith walked off the stage at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York on Sept. 9, 2023, they had no idea their touring life had just come to an end.
The band had only just launched their Peace Out farewell tour, a goodbye trek which started a week earlier on Sept. 2 in Philadelphia. That night’s performance was roundly praised, with many observers noting how strong the group sounded. A second show, Sept. 6 in Pittsburgh, offered more of the same, further building the excitement surrounding Aerosmith’s tour.
The New York show started much like the others – a video history of the band played on the big screens before Steven Tyler and company emerged from underneath the stage and launched into their opening number, “Back in the Saddle.”
Watch Aerosmith Play ‘Back in the Saddle’ at Their Final Concert
The second song of the night was a cover, as Aerosmith delivered their version of the Rufus Thomas song “Walking the Dog” for the first time on the tour (they originally covered the track on their 1977 LP Draw the Line).
READ MORE: How Aerosmith Began to Fall Apart With ‘Draw the Line’
The hits would keep on coming from there. The soaring power of “Livin’ on the Edge” gave way to the gradual build of “Janie’s Got a Gun.” Power ballads such as “Cryin’” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” were sprinkled through the night, offering a change of pace from more raucous tunes like “Love in an Elevator” and “Sweet Emotion.”
Watch Aerosmith Perform ‘Love in an Elevator’ During Their Final Concert
How Did Aerosmith’s Final Concert End?
After briefly exiting the stage following their sixteenth song of the night, “Toys in the Attic,” Aerosmith returned for an encore. The band rocked through renditions of two of their biggest hits, “Dream On” and “Walk This Way,” the latter of which featured a piece of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” mixed in for good measure.
As fate would have it, the final song of the night wasn’t even an Aerosmith track. The group performed “Happy Birthday to You” and brought out a giant chocolate cake to celebrate guitarist Joe Perry, whose 73rd birthday was the following day.
Watch Aerosmith Perform ‘Dream On’ at Their Final Concert
At the time, Aerosmtih seemed poised for further triumphs throughout their Peace Out tour, yet something happened during the show at UBS Arena. Though it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when, Tyler’s voice was seriously injured during the set. Two days later, he’d announce to the world that he’d “sustained vocal cord damage” which “led to subsequent bleeding.” Tyler was initially told to rest for 30 days, but when his voice still hadn’t healed, the entire farewell tour was pushed into 2024.
Since that Sept. 9 show, Tyler and his medical team have worked tirelessly to get one of the most distinctive voices in rock history back in shape. For a long time, it seemed like the injury would simply be a bump in the road, a footnote in the tale of Aerosmith’s grand farewell. A surprise appearance at a Black Crowes concert in May marked Tyler’s return to the stage, and rescheduled tour dates gave fans everywhere the impression that Aerosmith was ready to rock once more.
READ MORE: Watch Steven Tyler’s First Performance Since Vocal Cord Damage
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. On Aug. 2, 2024 – roughly six weeks before they were scheduled to return to touring – Aerosmith announced they would retire from the road for good.
“Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other,” the band noted in their message to fans. “We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage.”
The announcement brought to a close Aerosmith’s powerful history of performances spanning more than 50 years. Still, though the Bad Boys from Boston may not have ended things in the way they’d hoped, their sudden retirement did nothing to dampen a legacy which remains eternal.
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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff