When Steven Tyler and Aerosmith made their long-awaited return to the concert stage at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, Oct. 29, for California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends, rock legends, Hollywood stars and MTV icons all wanted in on the action.
Liv Tyler, the Aerosmith frontman's daughter, and Alicia Silverstone, who famously starred together in the band's iconic 1994 "Crazy" music video, took the stage 32 years later to introduce the band. Dave Grohl jumped behind the drums. Billy Idol growled through "Livin' on the Edge" with guitarist Steve Stevens. The Black Crowes and Guns N' Roses joined the celebration with individual sets.
And Johnny Depp brought down the house with a surprise appearance, stepping out to shred on guitar alongside legendary
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry during "Train Kept A-Rollin'."
The rollicking Aerosmith classic was a fitting choice for a band that had appeared to reach the end of the road. Aerosmith canceled its Peace Out farewell tour in August 2024 after Tyler suffered a fractured larynx and vocal cord damage during a September 2023 concert, an injury that forced the band to retire from touring. But apparently not from performing two nights of Los Angeles concerts two years later.
The 78-year-old frontman and former"American Idol" judge was back in the saddle again, sprinting around the stage with his trademark colorful scarves dangling from the microphone stand, showing off his midriff in his gold rock ensemble.
Tyler's voice sometimes sounded even raspier than its usual growl, but he showed no obvious signs of vocal distress, cranking his signature rock shrieks up to 11 during a rousing six-song set of Aerosmith classics, including "Toys in the Attic," "Back in the Saddle," "Sweet Emotion" and "Dream On." During the latter song, Tyler climbed triumphantly atop the white grand piano at center stage as white fog billowed nightmarishly from beneath its closed lid.
Perry introduced Depp, wearing blue-tinted sunglasses, to the stage, with Tyler laughingly proclaiming the star was "here, in living color." Depp let his guitar do the talking during his one song, saluting the audience as he walked offstage before the band played the closing number, "Walk This Way."
Liv Tyler asks, 'Are we dreaming? Is this real?'
Liv Tyler, 49, and Alicia Silverstone, 50, made surprise appearances, walking onstage after Aerosmith's iconic 1994 "Crazy" music video, starring the two as rebellious teenagers, played on the Hollywood Bowl's giant screens.
"That was us in the video, in case you didn't know," joked Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.
"Liv, we were just little babies," said Silverstone, now the mother of a 15-year-old son. "And tonight we brought our little babies. And Liv is the actual baby of Steven Tyler."
"Are we dreaming? Is this real?" Tyler asked the crowd. "How great is this?"
Guns N' Roses, Black Crowes, Heart sisters pay tribute to Aerosmith
Heart sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson brought their vocals and guitar work to the Bowl, with Ann joking, "Who says Aerosmith never did any good covers?" before launching into a soulful rendition of "Never Loved a Girl," Aerosmith's take on Aretha Franklin's classic "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." The sisters followed with a haunting version of Aerosmith's 1989 hit "Janie's Got a Gun," their harmonies adding new layers to the rock classic.
Guns N' Roses brought their own brand of hard-rock swagger, with Axl Rose and Slash tearing through three Aerosmith classics: "Nobody's Fault," "Last Child" and "Seasons of Wither," before unleashing blistering versions of "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City."
The Black Crowes paid tribute to "Planet Aerosmith," with frontman Chris Robinson recalling how the Boston rockers helped launch his band by taking them on their first rock 'n' roll arena tour. "Besides loving the band, we're grateful for that," Robinson told the crowd.
"Before we say good night, I just want to say what a ride it's been with my brothers," Steven Tyler said, before embracing founding drummer Joey Kramer, who made an emotional return to the stage after more than six years away from the band, joining his longtime bandmates for the finale. "It's been 55 years. And we're the same band that started 55 and a half years ago."
There was no encore or all-star group finale. Aerosmith is scheduled to return for a second night at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 1.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny Depp crashes Steven Tyler, Aerosmith's Hollywood Bowl concert comeback
