Joey Kramer is back | Aerosmith at the Bowl

Joey Kramer has not played a show with Aerosmith since February 2020. That is more than six years.

On 20 October the band shared rehearsal photos from Los Angeles. All five classic members are in them: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Kramer.

For drummers, this is the comeback of the autumn. So what happened, and what should you listen for when he sits down at the Hollywood Bowl? Let’s find out.

What has been announced?

Two nights, billed as California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends. They are at the Hollywood Bowl on 29 October and 1 November, with Don Was as musical director.

Guns N’ Roses were added a day after the announcement as special guests on both nights. Around them is a long guest list that includes Heart, The Black Crowes, Sammy Hagar, Billy Idol, Run-DMC, Slash, Tom Morello and Jerry Cantrell.

The promoters say the line-up will vary by night, and the final running order will only be announced at or near showtime.

These are the band’s first shows since the farewell tour stalled in September 2023. In August 2024 Aerosmith retired from touring, saying Tyler’s vocal injury could not fully heal. Treat these as one-offs, not the start of a tour.

Is Kramer actually playing?

Everything points to yes, but read the sourcing carefully.

The photos came from the band’s own Instagram and were shot by Ross Halfin. The caption reads “The bad boys from Boston are back”, according to Loudwire. Consequence went further and said the pictures confirm he is back behind the kit.

We have not found a band statement that names him for the shows, though. Two days before the photos, Drumming News Network said his part had yet to be officially confirmed. The pictures are the band’s say-so, and they are fairly loud.

Here is the post:

Why was he gone?

In short: injuries, then a lawsuit.

Kramer hurt his shoulder in April 2019, and drum tech John Douglas covered for him. When Aerosmith were named MusiCares Person of the Year in January 2020, the band told Kramer he could not perform at that event or at the Grammys. He had first been asked to record solo rehearsals to a click track to show he was ready.

Kramer sued, and a Massachusetts judge turned down his request on 22 January 2020. The band said in a statement, quoted by Loudwire, that he had not been able to perform “for the last six months” by his own admission.

He was back on stage in Las Vegas a few weeks later. His last show with them was on 15 February 2020. Douglas played the remaining residency dates and the 2023 Peace Out shows, after the band said in August 2023 that Kramer had decided to sit them out.

What does Kramer bring to Aerosmith?

Plenty. Douglas did an excellent job, but Kramer is the groove these songs were built on.

Listen to the opening of “Walk This Way”. The kit comes in first, with that dry hi-hat and the kick and snare tight against each other. It is one of the most recognisable drum intros in rock, and the feel is all his.

“Sweet Emotion” is another good test. Kramer lets the heavy sections sit back and breathe, which is what makes them feel huge rather than just loud. He was never a chops drummer. He played for the song, and he played with Hamilton as a unit.

That is what to listen for at the Bowl: whether the lock with Hamilton is still there. Fifty years of playing together does not disappear, but six years off is a long time for anyone.

The drummer hook: Smith and Aronoff

Kramer will not be the only drummer around. Chad Smith and Kenny Aronoff are both on the guest list.

Nobody has said which night either plays, or with whom. With Don Was running the house band and a rotating cast of singers and guitarists, it is a fair guess that one or both will sit in on guest spots. That is only a guess, though.

If either of them ends up alongside Kramer on an Aerosmith song, that is worth the ticket on its own.

Final thoughts

Most comebacks are nostalgia. This one has a real musical question attached: what does Aerosmith sound like with the original engine room back in place?

We will find out on 29 October. We hope the answer is “like Aerosmith”.

For another long-awaited return, read Terry Bozzio is back — and selling his kits. And for a rock drummer who called time on his own terms, see Chris Slade’s retirement.