Aerosmith’s status can be uncertain among fans, and even among band members, but rest assured: Aerosmith lives.
In September, the band will kick off a 40-plus-date US tour that will stretch into 2024, according to guitarist Joe Perry. But look for a concert at TD Garden before 2023 comes to a close. An official announcement should come within the next two weeks when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers make an appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show.
Meanwhile, Perry is not wasting his time before Aerosmith takes flight. He and his side band, the Joe Perry Project, played a hot gig at the House of Blues Sunday night, the second of a six-date mini-tour.
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That will be followed by two Jeff Beck tribute concerts in London May 22 and May 23, with Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Imelda May, and others. After that, he’ll be rehearsing in Manchester, N.H., with the Hollywood Vampires, the group Perry co-leads with singer Alice Cooper and guitarist Johnny Depp, ahead of their concert May 31 at the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre. From there, they’ll head out for a month-and-a-half European tour.
“It’s trains, planes, and automobiles,” said Perry, backstage in his dressing room before the House of Blues set. “I’m diving into this with both feet.”
“I miss being on the road,” said the guitarist, dressed to the rock ‘n’ roll nines, red shirt open, chains hanging from his neck. He then paused and laughed. “I say that now…”
For Aerosmith, whose touring plans were previously scuttled by the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and then singer Steven Tyler’s drug relapse in 2022, it’s quite a massive undertaking. The band had settled into stretches of comfortable Las Vegas residencies at the Park MGM in 2019 and then late in 2022, after their sold-out show at Fenway Park Sept. 8.
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The band members discussed doing mini-residencies in a handful of cities, rather than undertake an extensive tour, but Perry said, “There’s only a couple of cities you can do that in — LA, London, Tokyo — and we might do something like that again after this major tour is over, but at this point, I just take it day by day. And with Aerosmith, it’s a little bit more relaxed. You take more days off.”
Perry, 72, feels he’s got the stamina for it. “After really not doing much for eight months. … [My wife] Billie and I were just keeping our heads low. Just jumping into this now, it’s like, ‘OK, this is what I do.’”
On Sunday, the Joe Perry Project, with lead vocals from Extreme’s Gary Cherone, played music from Perry’s solo albums, including 2018′s “Sweetzerland Manifesto,” the upcoming “Sweetzerland Manifesto, MKII,” and nuggets from Aerosmith’s catalog, including “Somebody,” “S.O.S. (Too Bad),” “Lick and a Promise,” “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” and “Walk This Way.”
While some part of reentering the live arena is akin to riding a bike, Perry said, “I’m always stretching, and if I felt like I was just riding a bike, I probably would not want to do it.”
What’s the key to making vintage material seem fresh?
“Every time we play something, I feel like I’m doing it for the first time,” Perry said. “There’s something to be said for playing every night or playing every other night and getting in a groove. That’s really what it’s about. And taking care of ourselves.”
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E-mail Jim Sullivan at jimsullivanink@verizon.net.