Thousands, if not millions, of rock ‘n’ roll fans around the world were disappointed at the beginning of August to hear the news that Aerosmith would no longer be touring.
Singer Steven Tyler had not been able to recover fully enough from the fractured larynx he suffered in September 2023 to perform the usual two-hour-plus concerts the band had delighted their fans with for decades.
Tyler had sustained the injury in one of those shows, simply slipping and falling throat-first onto a railing. It had been thought that his voice could rebound enough to once again lead the Boston band on yet another triumphant world tour, culminating in a New Year’s Eve blast in their hometown, at TD Garden, that might just be the perfect farewell celebration. But Tyler’s vocal cords didn’t quite recover all the way, and the stress of those nightly shows was deemed too much for him to tackle at age 76.
Hingham’s Neill Byrnes had to look at that news with decidedly mixed emotions. On one hand, he’d become long-distance friends with Tyler over the years, as he led what is widely acknowledged as the premier Aerosmith tribute band, Draw the Line. He felt bad for Tyler, who he has admired and studied as a musician and songwriter for years Conversely, with the real rock legends sidelined, there would be increased demand for Draw the Line. It has been an interesting couple of months since the Aerosmith announcement that they’d have to hang up their touring boots.
Draw the Line headlines The C Note in Hull on Saturday night, an evening sure to be full of nostalgia and bittersweet feelings at Aerosmith’s retirement. (The C Note is located at 159 Nantasket Ave. in Hull. The show begins at 9 p.m., and tickets are $15 in advance, or $25 at the door the night of the show. Check cnotehull.com or call the club at 781-925-4300 for more information.)
