Aerosmith made their triumphant return to the stage this weekend at the Maine Savings Amphitheatre. The group hadn’t played together since the start of the pandemic. It was also their first public appearance since Steven Tyler finished up his stint in rehab.
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The set was chock full of Aerosmith standards like “Rag Doll,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Love In An Elevator,” but the rock icons also made room for a few surprises. The band delivered their first cover of the Shangri-Las’ classic “Remember (Walking in the Sand) since 2017 and their first rendition of the Nine Lives deep cut “Full Circle” since 2013.
The group opened up with the track, “Back In The Saddle,” from their 1976 album, Rocks. An apt choice for their first show back.
Check out a fan-shot video of the opening number below.
Prior to the Maine show, the band last performed on February 15, 2020, at the Park Theatre at Park MGM in Las Vegas, just days after drummer Joey Kramer returned to the band after a rift-fuelled hiatus. The pandemic forced them to indefinitely delay their Dueces are Wild residency in Vegas and they chose to not schedule any dates for 2021 despite many rock tours resuming.
The group has since reinstated their residency, which was originally slated to begin on June 17 but was pushed back so Tyler could go to rehab.
“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years,” the band wrote in a statement. “After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.”
The residency will now begin on September 14 and will run through the remainder of the year. Find tickets and dates, here.
Photo: Photo: Katarina Benzova / ID PR
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