Aerosmith Rehearse for Hollywood Bowl Return With Joey Kramer Back on Drums

Aerosmith have posted rehearsal photographs confirming what a publicity image had only implied: Joey Kramer is back behind the kit. The pictures, shot by Ross Halfin, show all five classic members together, with Kramer alongside Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton.

The occasion is two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 29 and November 1, billed as “California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends.” The supporting lineup leans heavily on the band’s long reach across rock and rap, with Guns N’ Roses, Sammy Hagar, Jerry Cantrell, Heart, The Black Crowes, Run-DMC, Billy Idol, Eric Church, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith and Duff McKagan among those on the bill.

The stakes go beyond the venue. These will be Aerosmith’s first concerts since Tyler’s vocal injury cut short their farewell tour in September 2023, just as it began. They are also the first shows with Kramer since February 2020, following his departure to address health issues and the legal dispute with his bandmates that came after it.

Tyler has appeared selectively in the interim, at benefit concerts, awards ceremonies and the “Back to the Beginning” event, where his voice drew attention for its condition. Rehearsal photographs do not settle the question of how a band sounds after three years away. They do establish who will be in the room when it answers that.