Johnny Depp Joins Aerosmith as Steven Tyler Makes Hollywood Bowl Comeback
Johnny Depp turned up as a surprise guest when Steven Tyler and Aerosmith took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday night, their first show together in more than three years.
The concert, billed as "California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends," marked the band's first live performance since Tyler's vocal injury derailed its farewell tour in 2023. Depp grabbed a guitar and joined his longtime friend Joe Perry for a rollicking take on "Train Kept A-Rollin'."
Johnny Depp Joins the Jam
Depp, 63, was introduced by Perry, his bandmate in the rock group Hollywood Vampires, according to Female First. Wearing blue-tinted sunglasses, the actor traded riffs with Perry on the classic rocker before acknowledging the crowd and heading offstage.
It was Depp's only song of the night, but it quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the show.
Steven Tyler's Big Return
For Tyler, 78, the night was a long-awaited comeback. He fractured his larynx and damaged his vocal cords during a September 2023 performance, forcing Aerosmith to postpone the rest of its Peace Out farewell tour. In August 2024, the band announced it was retiring from touring altogether because of the extent of the damage.
Tyler has made a handful of appearances since then, including at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning concert and the 2025 MTV VMAs. But this was the first time Aerosmith performed as a band since its last farewell tour show in 2023, Loudwire reported.
His voice sounded raspy at times, but Tyler powered through a six-song set. During "Dream On," he climbed atop a white grand piano surrounded by fog, a signature move that fans have loved for years. True to form, he also sported a flamboyant outfit, with his trademark colorful scarves draped from the mic stand.
"It's been 55 years. And we're the same band that started 55 and a half years ago," Tyler told the crowd.
Dave Grohl, Joey Kramer and More Surprises
Tyler was joined by Perry, guitarist Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton, while Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl played drums for most of the set.
Founding drummer Joey Kramer, who stepped away from the band in 2020, returned for the closing number, "Walk This Way." It was his first performance with Aerosmith in six years, and Tyler embraced him onstage, according to The Plunge Daily.
The set list included "Toys in the Attic," "Back in the Saddle," "Sweet Emotion," "Dream On," "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "Walk This Way."
The evening was packed with other famous faces. Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler, and Alicia Silverstone, who is set to return for a "Clueless" sequel series, walked onstage after their 1994 "Crazy" music video played on the big screens.
"Are we dreaming? Is this real? How great is this?" Liv Tyler asked the crowd.
A Star-Studded Tribute
Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Sammy Hagar, Eric Church, Warren Haynes and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart also performed in honor of the band.
Ann Wilson joked, "Who says Aerosmith never did any good covers?" before tackling "Never Loved a Girl," the Aretha Franklin classic Aerosmith once covered. The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson recalled that Aerosmith took his band on its first arena tour, saying, "Besides loving the band, we're grateful for that."
Guns N' Roses played its own set that included Aerosmith deep cuts "Nobody's Fault," "Last Child" and "Seasons of Wither," along with hits like "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City."
Fans who missed the show will have one more chance. A second "California, Dream On" performance is scheduled at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 1.
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