The Strange Case of the Aerosmith Split/Non-Split

Are rock legends Aerosmith breaking up? No one seems to know, least of all the band themselves. A frank interview with guitarist Joe Perry suggested that the wheels had most definitely fallen off the wagon, although subsequent events have muddied the waters and now no on seems to know what's going on. "He has had no contact with me or the other band members ... I got off the plane two nights ago," Perry said in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun. "I saw online that Steven said that he was going to leave the band. I don't know for how long, indefinitely or whatever. Steven quit as far as I can tell."



A concurrent interview with Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer confused matters further. The following exchange took place on radio station WPLR:

WPLR: Is Steven Tyler in the band?

Kramer: "Well, my partners have been misquoted and their comments have been taken out of context. I'm not going to make a statement about that on the radio. I'm going to make a statement about it in person."

WPLR: So the band did not break up?

Kramer: "No, the band didn't break up."

WPLR: The band is together

Kramer: "Yup."

Tyler has been in a state of ill health and Aerosmith concerts were canceled after he took a well-publicized fall on-stage earlier this year. But the latest twist in the tale occurred last night (Nov. 10) at Irving Plaza in New York. Perry has been filling his Aerosmith-less hours by playing with his own band, the Joe Perry Project, who welcomed Tyler onstage for a rendition of "Walk This Way." Tyler said from the stage: “I just want New York to know, I am not leaving Aerosmith." Then, turning to Joe Perry, he said, “Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I, motherfucker, am the rainbow!” Clearly, rock legends don't really split up. They just act eccentrically for a while and then hit the road until the grim reaper finally comes calling.