At a press conference at the Grove mall in Los Angeles, just around the corner from the American Idol studio, the members of Aerosmith (minus guitarist Brad Whitford) bravely stepped into the sunshine and proved that they don't melt in daylight. After being introduced by Jimmy Kimmel – "Aerosmith are literally walking this way" – the band confirmed that their Global Warming tour will kick off on June 16th in Minneapolis; it's currently scheduled through August 8th, with Cheap Trick rocking the opening slot.
But the big news was that the band's 15th studio album, their first in eight years, is almost done and should be released in roughly three months. "We've been underground for four months, doing what we do best," said Steven Tyler, who was wearing a half-buttoned shimmery red polka dot shirt. "We got two more songs to finish" before mixing, he added. Among the song titles on the album are "Legendary Child," "Beautiful" and "Out Go the Lights."
Tyler and his bandmate Joe Perry seemed comfortable with one another. Tyler mentioned how happy he was that the guitarist performed "Happy Birthday" to mark his 64th on Idol, and when Perry was asked about the perks of having a TV star in the band, he said drily, "He gives us free sunglasses."
As the band left the stage, Tyler issued a promise to Aerosmith fans: "We will not let you down."
Rollingstone