From a mysterious countdown clock, to a video of the iconic opening to "Walk This Way" posted to the United Center's Facebook page, it seemed that legendary rock band Aerosmith would soon announce a tour with a stop in Chicago.
And at 8 a.m. Monday, the band made it official.
"Breaking News" a video posted to the Aerosmith's website says, above the words "Peace Out" and "Aerosmith Farewell Tour with Special Guest The Black Crowes" posted underneath.
Shortly after the announcement, their website appeared to briefly crash. But a Tweet with tour and show information was posted.
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"After 50 years, 10 world tours, and playing for over 100 million fans...It's time for one last go!" the band said.
According to guitarist Joe Perry, '"It's about time."
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Perry believes the time to say goodbye is now, especially with every founding band member over the age of 70. Tyler, 75, is the oldest in the group.
“It’s kind of a chance to celebrate the 50 years we’ve been out here,” Perry said. “You never know how much longer everybody’s going to be healthy to do this. … It’s been a while since we’ve actually done a real tour. We did that run in Vegas, which was great. It was fun, but (we're) kind of anxious to get back on the road.“
Over the years, Aerosmith, which formed in 1970, has collected four Grammys. The band broke boundaries intersecting rock and hip-hop with their epic collaboration with Run-DMC for “Walk This Way.”
Aerosmith performed the Super Bowl halftime show in 2001 and even had their own theme park attraction in 1999 at Disney World in Florida and later in Paris with the launch of the “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith” ride.
“We’re opening up Pandora’s Box one last time to present our fans with the Peace Out tour,” Tyler said in a statement to The Associated Press. His “Pandora’s Box” reference calls out Aerosmith’s 1991 three-disc compilation album that covered the band’s output from the 1970s to the early 1980s.
“Be there or beware as we bring all the toys out of the attic. Get ready,” Tyler added.
The band said drummer Joey Kramer decided to not take part in the current dates on the upcoming tour. He’s still a part of the group, but the drummer has been on leave to “focus his attention on his family and health” since their Vegas residency last year. Drummer John Douglas will continue to play in his place.
Perry called Kramer their brother. The band said his “legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”
“It’s the final farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while,” he said. “But I don’t know how many times we’ll be coming back to the same cities. It could very possibly be the last time.”
Aerosmith Tour Dates and Cities
Prior to revealing a list of tour dates, a Friday Facebook Post from the United Center gave Chicago Aerosmith fans some additional hope.
Monday, the United Center confirmed the news, saying the band was set to play at the venue Sept. 15.
According to the band, tickets to the general public go on sale via Ticketmaster Friday at 10 a.m.
The full list of 40 tour dates is below:
Sept. 2 -- Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 6 -- PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Sept. 9 -- UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Sept. 12 -- Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Sept. 15 -- United Center, Chicago, IL
Sept. 18 -- Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Sept. 21 -- Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH
Sept. 24 -- PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Sept. 27 -- Capitol One Arena, Washington D.C.
Oct. 11 -- Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Oct. 14 -- State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 17 -- Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Oct. 20 -- FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
Oct. 23 -- Moody Center, Austin, TX
Oct. 26 -- Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Oct. 29 - Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 1 -- AT&T Arena, San Antonio, TX
Nov. 4 -- Bok Center, Tulsa, OK
Nov. 7 -- American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Nov. 10 -- Chi Health Center, Omaha, NE
Nov. 13 -- Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Nov. 16 -- T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, KS
Nov. 19 -- Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Nov. 22 -- Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 25 -- Moda Center, Portland, OR
Nov. 28 -- Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Dec. 1 -- Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Dec. 4 -- Sap Center, San Jose, CA
Dec. 7 -- The Kia Forum, Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 10 -- Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
Dec. 28 -- Prudential Center, Newark NJ
Dec. 31 -- TD Garden, Boston, MA
Jan. 4 -- Heritage Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
Jan. 7 -- KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
Jan. 10 -- Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Jan. 13 -- Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
Jan. 16 -- Keybank Center, Buffalo, NY
Jan. 19 -- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Jan. 23 -- Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
Jan. 26 -- Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
